I'm very proud of BL (once again)

Subject:	THE RAE RESULTS: MESSAGE FROM THE WARDEN AND THE DEAN FOR RESEARCH
From:	"VP Association"
Date:	Fri, December 19, 2008 11:41 am

THE RAE RESULTS: MESSAGE FROM THE WARDEN AND THE DEAN FOR RESEARCH


Dear Colleagues,


We want to take this opportunity to thank all staff in the School of
Medicine and Dentistry for their marvellous efforts which have propelled
SMD into the top tier of research active medical schools, as announced
yesterday in the RAE results and reported in today's press.


This has contributed to an astonishing ascendancy of Queen Mary in the
league tables. In RAE 2001, QM was 48th in the Times Higher rankings. In
2008, we are now 13th out of 132 universities in the UK, one place
behind Edinburgh In the Guardian rankings we are 11th (the Guardian
does not count two small mono-subject institutions). Across QM as a
whole, Humanities and Social Sciences also performed at a very high
level.


QM belongs to the smaller research intensive 1994 group of universities,
while the 20 larger research intensive universities form the Russell
Group. QM performed better than 12 Russell Group universities,
including Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Kings, Leeds, Liverpool,
Newcastle, Sheffield, and Southampton.


Detailed comparisons between medical schools are not available at the
moment because different schools entered different units of assessment.


However Dentistry in UoA10 had a brilliant result. Based on quantity of
3* and 4* outputs, we were first equal with Manchester, and when this
was converted to rankings we were 2nd out of 14 UK dental schools.


In other units of assessment the medical school performed incredibly
well. To use the information and rankings published in Times Higher
Education:


UOA2-Cancer, 3rd of 14 submissions in terms of 3* and 4* work, joint
5th overall ahead of Oxford, Imperial, KCL and UCL.


UoA4- Hospital subjects (ICMS), joint 1st with Cambridge and Edinburgh
in terms of 3* and 4* papers, joint 7th overall out of 28 ahead of
Manchester, Newcastle and Southampton.


UoA6- Epidemiology (Wolfson Institute) , 2nd of 21 in terms of 3* and 4*
papers, 3rd overall ahead of Oxford, UCL and Bristol.


UoA7-Health Services Research, joint 5th out of 24 in terms of 3* and
4* papers, joint 7th overall out of 28, 4th overall ahead of Oxford,
UCL and KCL.


UOA9-Psychiatry, joint 10th out of 17 of 3* and 4* papers, 12th
overall.


UoA15- Preclinical and Human Biological Sciences ( WHRI), 3rd in terms
of 3* and 4* papers, 4th overall out of 13 ahead of KCL, Bristol and
Nottingham.


We expect that these results will guarantee Barts and the London School
of Medicine and Dentistry as being ranked one of the top 10 medical
schools in the UK, and with a fair wind, higher than that, in the same
company as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial and UCL.


Our congratulations and many thanks to all of you who contributed to
this fantastic result.


Best wishes,


Nick Wright

Warden

MOH

Finally, after listening to many stories of NHS, now I want to know what the situations are like back in Malaysia. Found this on MOH website:

"Ministry of Health Malaysia
Strategic Plan
2006 – 2010"


http://www.moh.gov.my/MohPortal/Pelan%20Strategik%20KKM%202006-2010.pdf?action=view&id=102

Cold France!

France was really cold. Over my SSC(assingment/holiday) week went to Blois to visit my brother there, then we went for a daytrip to Paris. It's indeed a beautiful city (more beautiful than London I must say).


I must learn how to speak French. First, so that I can go to France anytime I want (without needing my brother's company to translate for me all the time). All the time I was by myself there (my brother, unlike, still had classes to attend), I was longing to be able to convey my ideas to the locals, and it's rather frustrating that you couldn't do so.

Plus, French gov is looking for more doctors. Expanding my options in my future career. Hehe

Plus, they say, the more languages you can master, the smarter you are!

Barts choir

Yeah, I did it again - singing in THE Royal Albert Hall with the Barts Choir. It's been 1.5 years since I last did it.

Other than 'Towards The Unknown Region' by Vaughan Williams, we also sang 'Carmina Burana' by Carl Orff. One of the movements (songs) in the latter, called "Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi", is very famous because this is used in a lot of epic battle scenes and adverts. There are a lot more movements within Carmina Burana that very enjoyable to listen to - interestingly not many people know that.

I had really wonderful time singing them, especially Carmina Burana. After we finished this very challenging piece, I was VERY elated at the cheers from the audience!

If you still have no idea which song I'm talking about, check this out:



And this is my favourite, the tongue-twister exercise 'In taberna Quando Sumus'. I've included the lyrics for this video (note: drag to 1:13), so have fun trying them out! Somehow this movement is almost like rapping - the classical music way!



In taberna quando sumus
In taberna quando sumus,
non curamus quid sit humus,
sed ad ludum properamus,
cui semper insudamus.

Quid agatur in taberna
ubi nummus est pincerna,
hoc est opus ut queratur, si quid loquar, audiatur (2x)

Quidam ludunt, quidam bibunt,
quidam indiscrete vivunt.
Sed in ludo qui morantur,
ex his quidam denudantur
quidam ibi vestiuntur,
quidam saccis induuntur.
Ibi nullus timet mortemsed, pro Baccho mittunt sortem (2x)

Primo pro nummata vini,
ex hac bibunt libertini;
semel bibunt pro captivis,
post hec bibunt ter pro vivis,
quater pro Christianis cunctis
quinquies pro fidelibus defunctis,
sexies pro sororibus vanis,
septies pro militibus silvanis.

Octies pro fratribus perversis,
nonies pro monachis dispersis,
decies pro navigantibus
undecies pro discordantibus,
duodecies pro penitentibus,
tredecies pro iter agentibus.
Tam pro papa quam
pro regebibunt omnes sine lege.

Bibit hera, bibit herus,
bibit miles, bibit clerus,
bibit ille, bibit illa,
bibit servis cum ancilla,
bibit velox, bibit piger,
bibit albus, bibit niger,
bibit constans, bibit vagus
bibit rudis, bibit magnus.
Bibit pauper et egrotus,
bibit exul et ignotus,
bibit puer, bibit canus,
bibit presul et decanus,bibit soror,
bibit frater,bibit anus, bibit mater,
bibit ista, bibit ille,
bibunt centum, bibunt mille.

Parum sexcente nummate durant,
cum immoderatebibunt omnes sine meta.
Quamvis bibant mente leta,
sic nos rodunt omnes genteset sic erimus egentes.
Qui nos rodunt confundanturet cum iustis non scribantur.
Io!

And finally some pictures:

o2

Oxygen-Spencer Pidgeon

keep me here for just five minutes now
everything I do, I'll show you how
though I'm sure that it's not possible
one thing I know is this love's unstoppable

come in closer, whisper in my ear
all the words you know I long to hear
I tried to trace your lines just like a map
but in your deep blue eyes I found a trap

show me a sign and I can guarantee
that all the love you bring is safe with me
lonely hearts, they need a helping hand
so be my air and I'll be your oxygen

be my air and I'll be your oxygen

Split in between

Work hard and play hard?

Play hard but work harder?

Work hard but play harder?

Trypanophobia

(yay... I'm blogging again.)

Last week I did one all-night shift out of interest for seeing the situation in the Accidents and Emergency dept in Newham Hospital (because that's when usually the real actions of A&E kick in.) The scenario wasn't as close as I expected to be, like those in ER. It was rather quiet, chilled out night (good for the hospital staff, bad for a student like me). However, it still rather very rewarding night.

The night thought me that I'm no superman, especially in A&E. I couldn't solve everything (if I could, I would have been Dr Gregory House). I took a history from a Thai lady who had majority of the common neurological presenting complaints to a doctor, and it took one hour just to complete the task. Her anxious family members (in total 4 of them being the same small cubicle) were obviously very tired (of waiting for me to finish). Was rather frustrating that I still couldn't give a definite diagnosis at the end of it. I didn't know what she truly has. If I were the doctor, I would have gone all out to get to the bottom of this.... maybe because of my guilt of not knowing enough medicine. I need to learn to cope with insufficiency, being aware that we have our own human limits. That's why medicine would need to have many specialities so that some us would be more knowlegable in one field and less in another.

Just when you thought you are about to give up on yourself, sometimes in life there would be someone that still continues to hope on you. I learnt this, rather humbly, at 5.00am, when this 25 year-old gentleman, Mr NM, a long-standing asthma sufferer was brought in by ambulance for his worsening breathlessness. He was very afraid of needles. I initially told him that I would be able to cannulate him. But after inspecting his veins, which appeared rather small and hard to cannulate on, I said would not want too - never had positive experience with this issue. I told him that I'll one of the nurses to do it. I told him that if I were to do it, it potentially meant having several attempts at cannulating before success, and I didn't to particularly distressed a trypanophobiac like him. To my surprise, he insisted that I gave it a try nonetheless despite all my warnings. And guess what? I succeeded! I could feel that both of us were practically shaking from our own fears and embarrassements of the needle. When all done, we instantly exchanged chains of apologies. I was sorry that I caused him much discomfort; he, for being scared of needles. I must say he had been a very brave man.

Oh yes, and the Thai lady with neuro problems was afraid of cannulaes too. When she saw the cannulae put into her hand, after a doctor examined her, she immediately began to cry. The concerns I digged out of her was that she thought her condition was something very serious (although that was still a matter of debate), that was why she had this cannulae in. When in fact, and this was what I told her, 'cannulae is a common procedure that is given to everyone who comes into the A&E dept'. Being a student, who is already used to whole hospital thing, I sometimes forget that things that are very trivial to me may be something regarded as life-threatening to patients. I guess that's where all the communication skills taught at med school become useful in handling this situation.

(and in conjunction with the release of the new Bond movie sequal: The names' Wilson.... Aaron Wilson.)

Year 3 - a reflection

Tomorrow will be the first day of Year 4 official learning day. Two days of briefing last week gave me some idea of what to expect in this year 4 (damn, I'm actually into the fourth year being a medical student). It feels more challenging in terms of the amount work you have to do than Year 3 and it demands a more mature 'me'. It therefore creates an opportunity for me to reflect on Year 3.

I must say in the first two years of being a medical student, I lack the clear focus, which I then regained in third year. After learning it through the hard way in second year, I improved my approach in studying medicine. However, it took a great amount of time for me to improvise and tailor it into my own style, and hopefully this will improve in Year 4.

First, I would need to improve on my prioritisation skills. I love to do a lot things, other than doing medicine. However, I sometimes made unfair compromise to many things and ended up losing the grip for all the things that I want to in life. I need to learn how prioritise things - 'being effecient is knowing how to do thing wells; being effective is knowing well when things should be done'. That said, this would include procratination. If that superseeds above all, then my priority in life is not right, and that creates a lot unnecessary strains on myself.

Second, I must be able to see to bigger picture more frequently. Last academic year, I was frequently commented by my consultants in all (but one) of my firms that I lack this ability. I lack the skill of thinking of situations hollistically, and I instead just vomit out (silly) answers as soon as the issue is posed towards me. Most of the time, I got the answers wrong, or partially correct. I should have realised by now that medicine is about breadth first, then details. I should be able to categorise 'causes of chest pain' rather than just regurgitating the answers. Besides that, if only I see the big picture of the clubs and societies that I joined, I believed that I could do so much more for the organisations.

Third, explore life more. Get involved with the community more, go traveling, form stronger bonds with friends, not settling for mere monotonocity and do a lot more. Makes life more interesting when you have a lot of interests.

God willing, if I can learn to master these skills, I would grow more.

The Ultimate Cuti-Cuti Sabah Blog Entry

I know this is a long due entry. Having loads of fun back in Malaysia. Unfortunately I had to return to London not long after that. I would have been in Malaysia longer if not for the late notice by the medical school that our term was only going to resume on a Thursday instead of a Monday.

Anyway, here is a quick run through of what else had happened during the holiday!


Kampung full of Kelapa sawit!
I have always loved to go back to Sandakan area, because I have a lot of relatives there. Seeing the green palm-oil tree plantations running in both sides of the road is pretty cool. I bet the villagers can easily be rich because at the moment for 1 tonne of palm oil seed, they are paid RM700+. Imagine if they produce even 10 tonnes, that’s already RM7000 every month. Talking about money growing on trees!

Hanging out with cousins!
Went out clubbing in KK for the first time. I don’t think it’s fair to compare KK to London’s scene (although I like the latter), because the different size and huge difference in the average income of the population. Went out from 8am and came home around 4am. Hoho. Kena ‘sound’ jugalah.

I think to go clubbing as a local earning in ringgit is pretty expensive. 1 glass of alcoholic beverage is already RM15-20, and if you’re the ‘kaki arak’ type, you’ll probably drink at least 5 glasses. Then if you belanja orang lagi, lagilah banyak kau belanja. Easily in one night, RM150 would have been wasted. And if you’re earning the average Malaysian income which is probably around RM1500, that’s already 10% of your income. So, if you want to fit into this kind of lifestyle, you must be either: very rich, very little financial commitments, or … the club belongs to your family.

And otherwise, just met a lot my family members!

The KK outing
Kota Kinabalu city has pretty much changed since I last went home 1.5 years ago. It now has opened several flyovers, avenues and shopping malls. More housing development projects are running too. Beautification of the seaside with the esplanade development project, of what said would be the longest esplanade in Asia, take place(although the stinky smell from the dirty sea is still there). Also the new Airport terminal was opened in the 3rd week of August. It looks a lot like KLIA.

I also noticed how intense the cleanliness campaign happened. DBKK used the HUGE billboards on the main streets of KK telling the people along the line of ‘they are being watched. So, don’t throw your rubbish out of the window of your car, or you would be fine’.

There are couple of food I would miss: the Tuaran mee, teh-c-ping, kaya ball and Yoyo!

Conquered mount Kinabalu!
It proved to be a challenging activity as I struggled with high altitude, thin air and cold weather. But it was worthwhile when I finally reached the top. Must say, it was not the greatest view (very misty). 10 minutes later, it started to rain heavily and I was forced to descend from the top. My gloves were wet. My hands become painful and numb. The wind accelerated this development. The descent felt to be more dangerous as visibility in reduce to 1-2 metres, slippery and steep terrains all over the place. Thank goodness the weather improved and I could actually see the path we actually took during the ascent. Pretty deadly if you didn’t heed the advice of the guides of holding on the ropes tightly.
Went all the way down to the Timpohon Gate (where I first started) on the same after resting few hours at Laban Rata.

And for the next few days, leg muscle sores were inevitable. It was especially painful if you have to bend your knees, e.g. climbing down stairs. But that was pretty good fun!

Island hopping!
15 of us hired a boat to go to Pulau Manukan, Pulau Sapi, and Pulau Mamutik.

Had nice tan. Doiiii….being sooooo westernised. Hoho.

Tip of Borneo!
Never knew Sabah would have a nice place like this

Marriage
3 cousins kahwin

Parents’ 25th anniversary – silver one. Makan-makan at NewYorkNewYork (it’s ok-ish. My food was no longer hot as I waiting for everyone's food to arrive. The waiter should have served all meals together). Then they had a studio photoshoot.

Missed my KK-KL flight!
I was supposed to fly on 22nd. Just didn’t quite understand why I thought it was on 23rd all those times I was in KK. I guessed I was not ready to fly lagi. Well, learnt to be meticulous about my plans in future. I still had to buy a new flight – much, much more expensive. It was indeed, figuratively and literally speaking, a costly lesson.

KL outing!
I don’t really like KL because of its terrible traffic jam and appalling public transport system. I was wishing really hard the public transport would be as efficient and effective as London. Wishful thinking.

I love the shopping malls in KL, though. Beautiful and plenty of options.

Incidents
Sabah's beloved hypermarker, Servay, was burnt to collapse. The very first hypermarkert in Sabah, was burnt due to short circuit that occurred in the stock room. I was quite sad actually with this news because I grew up with this shop, seeing it grew, from a small store to its occupation of the entire lot of the row of building in Bandar Penampang Baru. I would imagine many people would be moved by this unfortunate incident, as evident by the headline it made (twice) for New Sabah Times and Daily Express, the main newspapers in Sabah. Those who lived around Penampang, like myself, went to the ground-zero-site of what once used to be a place of happiness for shoppers. 'Paid' my last respect.

Another story: Saw an accident in KL happening right before my eyes. It involved a bus with a motorcyclist and his passenger. Scary. I should have done something, since I think I have enough medical knowledge to help the victim out. But I didn't, too shocked, probably. I didn't even called the ambulance. Thankfully, the were policemen at that time to handle the situation.

Floyer and Dawson

I'm back in London after a rather short 6-week holiday break. I have moved into my new home in Barbican called the Dawson Hall. Today I have unpacked all my stuff and rearranged them nicely in my new home.

On the 2nd day of my stay here, I can already make some comparisons between the this place and Floyer House:

Things I will miss about staying in Floyer House (and Whitechapel):

1. Dawson is probably not as 'meriah' as Floyer because there are a lot more of my Malaysian collegues of the same batch over there.

2. It's in Whitechapel - the Little India of London.

3. The big nearby Sainsbury. It is cheaper to shop here than in Central London.

4. The nearby wet market

5. The orang-orang mabuk 24hours on the streets

6. The Chinese crew of illegal DVD salesmen.

7. The olympic-size swimming pool at St Georges where I brave myself learning swimming in 3m-deep water

8. Within-walking-distance Regent's canal

9. Its Canary wharf's view

10. Its Genesis cinema

11. Its nearby Nando's

12. Cheaper to travel to hospitals

13. The oversized bathroom. So big I can add a bed and studying table inside.

Things that made me thankful to have left Floyer for Dawson:

1. Dawson has beautiful lawn, and my room is facing it!

2. Barbican is a much nicer place to stay than Whitechapel. There's St Pauls cathedral and River Thames especially.In 4th year you travel to different hospitals quite frequently, so why not pick somewhere nicer to stay if you are paying about the same rent?

3. Location: Barbican is in central London. There are a lot more travel options if I want to get to Oxford Circus, compared to Whitechapel. It's nearer too!

4. It's time for a change. 2 years in Floyer are enough!

5. My new room is bigger! Also, I have bigger space for storage,and for studying

6. Thank God for the lifts in Dawson (if not, I would have suffered terribly trying to transfer my heavy bags). Floyer doesn't have lift!

Cuti-cuti Malaysia 3

(more pictures to be updated...when the internet if faster)

damn...next Saturday I'm going to KL already.
next Saturday leaving KK already. sooooo quick!!!

then 2 Fridays from now, after a swift 1 month passed by since I started my holiday, I need to back already!!?!?!?

huhuhuhu

Cuti-cuti Malaysia 2

Met some friends.. Some of them whom I have not seen for 6 years!

This, ladies and gentleman, is an old cicak (gecko)....seriously very old. I was holding an unstable cabinet at my house when this animal was only 60cm away from my hand! I prayed very hard it would not crawl towards my hand!! Gosh, for 1.5 years in UK, I never see this fella.

click to enlarge

zoomed

And this is BABI hutan........ about to be cooked. Yumm

yo!

Sorry lah I haven't been blogging for a while.

Anyways, a quick update about everything

1. I passed my exam! And now, I'm officially a 4th year medical student. Damn, 3 years gone by really quick, and now just 2 more years to go.. before you call me: Dr.Wilson

2. Congrats seniors for graduating. You are officially doctors now! :)

3. Most important of all..... I'm back in Malaysia. Woooohooooo. After 1.5 years not being back in KK, I finally balik. It's really wonderful here. Food is good (albeit being high in salt, fat, msg content) - I'll indulge myself with food and make myself fat for this holiday. Some impressive changes have been taking place in this part of the world - more flyovers, more upcoming residential spots and more shopping malls. Loving the £ money ( exchange rate at £1= RM6.38). Shop and makan like gila!

4. I always told my Semenanjung friends that I always see pigs crossing the road in the area where I live. Til now I haven't seen them yet. Although I have seen a dead snake, freshly-flattened, ran over by a car on the road.

5. I painted my room! Never re-painted it since it was first painted. So now, gone are my childhood 'artwork' on the wall with the brand new honey-dew colour on the wall. And now, to add more deco's to my room!

6. Things to settle for summer:

a. Settle Raya/fresher's dinner venue for QMMSoc. Never knew it would be that costly to hire a place in London. Takut overbudget. Then, Mandela and I will settle to get sponsorship for the society next year

b. Climb Mount Kinabalu! Go to Manukan Island!

c. Meet up old college/classmates

d. Chillex

e. Shopping

f. Visit my La Salle

Illegal immigrants

Found this in a website which feature an interview with the website's editor and one of the Sabahan ministers. It is on the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah.


Q: So, when you say that 70,000 is too low, how much is the estimate on the ground?

A: I don't know. How do you do a head count on this?

Q: If you don't know, then why do you think 70,000 is too low?

A: In 1970, Sabah had 636,431 people and Sarawak had 979,269. And Sarawak has always had more people than Sabah.

In 1980, Sabah's population went up to 929,299 and Sarawak's was 1,235,553.

In 2000, Sabah's population had increased to 2,499,389 while Sa-rawak's was 2,012,616.

The population from 1970 to 2000 went up by 285 per cent in Sabah, compared with 106 per cent in Sarawak. And the national population growth was 113 per cent in those three decades.In the 2005 consensus,

Sabah's population was 3,313,000 while Sarawak's was 2,340,000.

So, in 35 years, Sabah's population had over taken Sarawak's by nearly a million. Where did these people come from?

Q: It's not possible that Sabahans are just happy and productive people?

A: I don't know. How productive can you be? You can't have twins all the time.


-------

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Happy and productive people.

Mr Exam

Dear Mr Exam,

Tomorrow will the time of the year when I meet you again. You will be insulting my intelligence and smirking in highlighting my lack of preparation in some areas of medicine. You will remind me that this time of the year can have only two outcomes: you pass, or you fail. And you'll be jerking me with my previous failure and hysterically laughing me my loss my confidence in passing the exam.

I'll allow you to do that. Afterall, you've been hibernating all throughout the year. You must have grown fat with vengence from all those times of sleeping.

I respect you a lot. You prove yourself wise over and over again with high standards that you set for us the medical students to ensure we actually know our stuff so that we don't kill a patient for the lack our basic knowledge. You taught me that whatever that doesn't kill me only makes me stronger which inspires me to work harder. With this knowledge you want us provide hope to our patients whenever we can. Hence you make us crack the hard grounds of our pride, ignorance and laziness where the hope is burried underneath.

I hope I have unearth enough. I will overcome you this year. I will.

Sanctuary

It's the time of the year again where I attempt to cramp as much info possible for the upcoming exam.

Last year's experience really freaked me out. That has helped me to focused more.

Just a little bit more.

It's official: I cannot do decent amount of work in my room. I run to the library, camped there from the time it opens til it closes - damn, if only I did that since the beginning of the year. I'd would have covered all the objectives. Honestly, making notes won't around this time won't probably be the best thing you should do. You be revising your subjects.

I think the concern that everyone has at the moment, is not knowing things enough.

Fingers crossed.


10 days to go!

How to save money....

..... with the rising fuel price

Duo

Me - here in UK
Sis - there in KL
Bro- there in France
Mum - KK
Dad - KK

Now, my parents are officially just by themselves at home. or maybe go travelling!

And they are back

You.

Ketawa terbahak-bahak, menangis teresak-esak

First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win.

- M. K. Gandhi

Romeo and Juliet

Went to see Romeo and Juliet ballet last night at Royal Opera House. I must say it has one of the dullest beginning I have ever seen - dances, props and costumes-wise. However, the show picked up later on. The dance scenes where the couple were madly in love with other was fantastic! Not forgetting the sword fighting scenes too!

And the final, the death scene, was really, really beautiful. Very powerfully touching and moving. Almost could be in tears. My most favourite part of the show.

Another pic: here

Kaamatan blues

Tomorrow is the beginning of Harvest festival, an event that every Sabahan (and Malaysian) celebrates for two days. The Harverst Festival, or more well known as Pesta Kaamatan or Pesta Menuai is a traditionally a celebration of the ancestors thanking the Gods for the abundant paddy harvest that they received. Now, this annual celebration becomes a platform for everyone to meet and be merry - it's almost like an new year's celebration for the Kadazan. That culminates on the 31st of May where the highly-anticipated Kadazan Beauty paegant contest, Unduk Ngadau, takes place. All these (pretty) girls, who don the traditional costumes of the various indigenous races in Sabah, have come this far now - from competing with thousands of other girls in the village-level, to district and now for the ultimate stage - State level.

Just a note of interest: There is even a representative from Klang for this contest! Despite not being a district in Sabah, Klang was chosen. As to why Klang and not other districts in Penisula Malaysia, I have no idea. I don't think there are even many Kadazans in Klang (if not I would have already gone out to Klang every weekend to meet them in my KMB days!). Imagine if there's a representative from Banting, how would you think the costume be?

Definitely not like this! (too revealing!too much skin exposed!). They are my family members, by the way :)

Below is the list of the contestants of this year's Kaamatan Unduk Ngadau (curi from a blogger's website called Carol). I just can't believe how commercialised this event has been.

(click here to enlarge)

And here I am, in London, finishing a super boring, stupid, and tedious 8000-10,000 word essay which requires me to be critical of my own recorded interview with a patient, think about the potential psychosocial and ethical implications. LOADS OF B***S***. All (okay, not all)I'm interested now is to study for upcoming exam (one more month to go!) . I better pass my exam this time. I want a proper summer holiday back home. Can't wait to go home!!!!

Anyway, Happy Harvest Festival! Kotobian Tadau Tagazo Do Kaamatan!!

Violinist Child prodigy

Bazzini's 'La Ronde Des Lutins'

I'm really amazed by this kid's talent:



And this is how it would sound when a pro plays the same song:

If I wasn't a doctor

...I'd like to be a profesional violinist or cellist.

At the moment I'm just in love with John William's (birth 1932) "Schinder's list". Ideally you would like to hear this in a quiet, comfortable room, and with your eyes closed so that you fully feel the intense melancholic rawness of the string music.

This is the cellist version of it. I personally prefer this because of its very profound note.



And this is a violinist version

Moonwalk volunteer!

I volunteer for Moonwalk 'Walk the Walk' , helping out to distribute space blankets and raincoats to the 15,000 women (and few very brave men) walking just in their bra around Central london. They walked to a about 20 miles and that took them the entire night from Saturday till Sunday afternoon the next day. It was cold and drizzling but they all persisted. All in the name of showing their support for Fight Against Breast Cancer!

So that's how 'wearing' a (t-shirt) bra feels like - from 5.30pm to 12.30am. Yeah, they even made the volunteers wear something I won't even wear when I go to bed. I just wished it would look more decent so that I can wear it around. Somehow, I didn't feel embarrased wearing that as we (QM students) were in a group together. Caught the attention of the public when we took the train home that night. Hehe. I know, we were very ... flashy


There were more girl volunteers, and looked at how they bullied the guys. Kejam weiiiiii, kena harrassed:



















The heroines (and heroes) of the night... Congrats