the freaaaaaaking internet connection at College Square totally "rocks"!!
sense the sarcasm oozing out.
ditto my lecture notes, PBL notes, journal articles, blogging, emails, everything!!
hence, i'm stuck jostling for a space at the computer cubicles in the biomed library, typing on some creaky keyboard.
~~blaaaah~~
anyways, today's Shaleen's big 2-0!!
happy birthday girl!!
sorry but u are officially kicked out of the tenner's club... we're pushing you over the line to the twennies' club just down the road from here. but hey, you still have the honourary membership that you once had.
heck, someone's not getting any younger eh?? lol.
but still, enjoy your birthday at Dracula's tonight alright? we'll allllll be there with bells a-ringing and fancy dresses.
anyone going gothic tonight??
the dress code says smart casual or gothic even though it was a freaking theme restaurant. went to the adelaide branch of it and it was great!! i still remembered the cabaret show they put on about sperms and ovums swimming to each other which was roaring good fun and the dessert of choc coffins.
but no way am i wearing my own version of smart casual. med school said smart casual for clinicals and i have to end up wearing collared G2000 shirts and black pants. so bo-o-o-o-oring!!
i don't have the guts to wear funky looking shirts for clinicals for fear of being kicked out.
but hey, one consolation that i am breaking the conventional standards of a respectable-looking doctor is the tattoo i have on my top of left ankle!!
bet none of the patients noticed that!! and thank goodness for that!! otherwise i doubt they would even let me feel their happy little livers!!
but i digress from my tattoo....
once again, happy sweet 2oth, shaleen!! you totally deserve the BEST birthday!!
XOXO Mel who is still in the tenners' club till next Spril which she totally dreads
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
of livers and cannabis
this shall be a certain milestone of sorts for a medical student
today at approximately 1115 hours, i did my first gastrointestinal physical examination on a REAL LIVE patient. i seriously touched (in medical terms, it's called palpate) the abdomen of this male patient.
AND i got to feel the liver!!
how cool is that??!!
it's cool coz for months, i have just been learning and observing the physical examination part. but now, i get to do it M-Y-S-E-L-F!!
and get this: the male patient that i examined was a CANNABIS USER!! a real drug addict dude!! maybe it's not exactly the coolest drug to get addicted to, unlike heroin or other heavy duty stuff. but hey, it's still illegal recreational drugs man!!
and not to mention, the guy was seriously cool about the whole thing. when we were practising taking his contextual history, the first thing he said was "Oh yeah, before i came in [to the hospital], i drank lots of alcohol and was doing cannabis...." i was like seriously unprepared and my mind was screaming "WHAT THE...??" you could imagine how huge my eyes went. *POPS*
and the doctor went like "yeah, okay, moving on from there, tell us about your abdominal pain..." totally cool, and taking it in his stride.
hmm... and because of patient-doctor confidentiality, the doctor can't tell the authorities about his illegal drug use.... and i'm only allowed to talk about it without using his name or any identifying characteristics.
and i got to feel his liver!! you can totally feel it with your fingers if you palpate deep enough and you ask the patient to inhale deeply and if you are at the right place, you can feel the liver do a quick in-step to avoid your fingers pressing into it!! it's seriously cute man!!
i'm so gonna practice on any unsuspecting friends that come by my room and that i can catch hold of!! *evil grins*
i get to see if their livers are healthy happy smiling little livers!!
today at approximately 1115 hours, i did my first gastrointestinal physical examination on a REAL LIVE patient. i seriously touched (in medical terms, it's called palpate) the abdomen of this male patient.
AND i got to feel the liver!!
how cool is that??!!
it's cool coz for months, i have just been learning and observing the physical examination part. but now, i get to do it M-Y-S-E-L-F!!
and get this: the male patient that i examined was a CANNABIS USER!! a real drug addict dude!! maybe it's not exactly the coolest drug to get addicted to, unlike heroin or other heavy duty stuff. but hey, it's still illegal recreational drugs man!!
and not to mention, the guy was seriously cool about the whole thing. when we were practising taking his contextual history, the first thing he said was "Oh yeah, before i came in [to the hospital], i drank lots of alcohol and was doing cannabis...." i was like seriously unprepared and my mind was screaming "WHAT THE...??" you could imagine how huge my eyes went. *POPS*
and the doctor went like "yeah, okay, moving on from there, tell us about your abdominal pain..." totally cool, and taking it in his stride.
hmm... and because of patient-doctor confidentiality, the doctor can't tell the authorities about his illegal drug use.... and i'm only allowed to talk about it without using his name or any identifying characteristics.
and i got to feel his liver!! you can totally feel it with your fingers if you palpate deep enough and you ask the patient to inhale deeply and if you are at the right place, you can feel the liver do a quick in-step to avoid your fingers pressing into it!! it's seriously cute man!!
i'm so gonna practice on any unsuspecting friends that come by my room and that i can catch hold of!! *evil grins*
i get to see if their livers are healthy happy smiling little livers!!
Monday, August 13, 2007
the greater good
i still remember concluding after one Health Practice lecture months ago about how doctors are not only healers, but they are so much more, more specifically ethicist.
and embarking on med school has truly humbled me.
i used to think that i'm pretty informed about various issues around the world in the past and present. i love reading and used to think that i'm a pretty well-read individual. i love autobiographies and reading these gems of people's lives sensitize my soul to the sufferings, joys and experiences of the authors.
but just today, i was doing some reading on Aboriginal Health for my tute tomorrow morning. and suddenly, i realise that hey, i'm not that well-read after all!! after studying in Australia for the past year, i have yet to understand the Aboriginal history of Australia.
i have just went on with my study life, oblivious to the social conditions of the foreign environment that i am in, consumed by the various EAP assignments and dramas that i had to pass up!!
i am ashamed to admit that yes, i am most probably ignorant of the social climate and history that Australia has.
as i read about the various injustices that the Aboriginals had to suffer at the hands of the white colonisers, i realise that the same bloddy thing happened all around the world too!!
colonisation for the sake of the "greater good" of the people....
war for the sake of the "greater good" of people...
hold on a second, didn't Hitler proclaim that before he sent millions of Jews to the gas chambers??
and embarking on med school has truly humbled me.
i used to think that i'm pretty informed about various issues around the world in the past and present. i love reading and used to think that i'm a pretty well-read individual. i love autobiographies and reading these gems of people's lives sensitize my soul to the sufferings, joys and experiences of the authors.
but just today, i was doing some reading on Aboriginal Health for my tute tomorrow morning. and suddenly, i realise that hey, i'm not that well-read after all!! after studying in Australia for the past year, i have yet to understand the Aboriginal history of Australia.
i have just went on with my study life, oblivious to the social conditions of the foreign environment that i am in, consumed by the various EAP assignments and dramas that i had to pass up!!
i am ashamed to admit that yes, i am most probably ignorant of the social climate and history that Australia has.
as i read about the various injustices that the Aboriginals had to suffer at the hands of the white colonisers, i realise that the same bloddy thing happened all around the world too!!
colonisation for the sake of the "greater good" of the people....
war for the sake of the "greater good" of people...
hold on a second, didn't Hitler proclaim that before he sent millions of Jews to the gas chambers??
Sunday, August 12, 2007
of all the topics in the world...
a girl can never have too much yum-chaing, gossiping and retail therapy with friends.
(neither can a girl have too many shoes, Chiann!!)
so, sue me for having fun on a Sunday and for cruising the shops till afternoon!
but hey, a girl just wanna have some fun man!
especially if fun included Sha, Janice, Chiann and Jacq
and Dragon Boat's yumcha session
and no-holds barred gossip session
and retail therapy at Supre and Valleygirl and Ozmosis
it's been ages since i last bought a tee and gossiped about pepper sprays and female genital mutilation --
(how yumcha can bring out this topic is still a mystery to me. but what can i say, when we girls get together, we do talk both frivalous AND serious world-changing afflictions. for further info on FGM or commonly known as female circumcision, check wikipedia or rather read a book for a change. try Waris Dirie's Desert Flower and Desert Children. even though Waris brought this topic to light and has since championed a few reforms, it's still quite rampant in the African regions and you will never believe the hellish experience some of the girls have to go through. imagine removing the clitoris and then sewing up the vagina until only a drop of urine can pass through at one time. and then imagine doing the operation on a rock, with unsterilised equipments, without anaesthesia, by an medically-unexperienced village healer of sorts. and then imagine the post op care including being wrapped up in a coccoon of sorts and left to your own healing devices with only minimum bandages and sustanence. urinating is a pain, having sex is no longer pleasurable. in fact, it is just excruciating. all for the price of supposed benefit of the circumcised girl. total utter nonsense is what i say.)
sometimes, it makes me angry at how some regions of the world are still living in the shadow of illiteracy and indifference and misinterpretion. i'm sure they do not choose to be uneducated (at least i hope they do not) but it's still no excuse for the things they do to their young girls.
yet there are regions in this world that has too much information on their hands. too much info and money to do as they please and to use that knowledge for "the greater good of mankind" is also not an excuse to commit the atrocities that are present in this society.
at times like this, i feel the shallowness and somewhat idiocy of being happy about my red and black cups and the fluorescent pink tee i bought from Supre when due to FGM, girls my age are squatting over flies-infested hole-in-the-floor-makeshift-toilets crying silently in pain with every drop of urine that falls noiselessly to the murky waste below.
it makes me sick.
(neither can a girl have too many shoes, Chiann!!)
so, sue me for having fun on a Sunday and for cruising the shops till afternoon!
but hey, a girl just wanna have some fun man!
especially if fun included Sha, Janice, Chiann and Jacq
and Dragon Boat's yumcha session
and no-holds barred gossip session
and retail therapy at Supre and Valleygirl and Ozmosis
it's been ages since i last bought a tee and gossiped about pepper sprays and female genital mutilation --
(how yumcha can bring out this topic is still a mystery to me. but what can i say, when we girls get together, we do talk both frivalous AND serious world-changing afflictions. for further info on FGM or commonly known as female circumcision, check wikipedia or rather read a book for a change. try Waris Dirie's Desert Flower and Desert Children. even though Waris brought this topic to light and has since championed a few reforms, it's still quite rampant in the African regions and you will never believe the hellish experience some of the girls have to go through. imagine removing the clitoris and then sewing up the vagina until only a drop of urine can pass through at one time. and then imagine doing the operation on a rock, with unsterilised equipments, without anaesthesia, by an medically-unexperienced village healer of sorts. and then imagine the post op care including being wrapped up in a coccoon of sorts and left to your own healing devices with only minimum bandages and sustanence. urinating is a pain, having sex is no longer pleasurable. in fact, it is just excruciating. all for the price of supposed benefit of the circumcised girl. total utter nonsense is what i say.)
sometimes, it makes me angry at how some regions of the world are still living in the shadow of illiteracy and indifference and misinterpretion. i'm sure they do not choose to be uneducated (at least i hope they do not) but it's still no excuse for the things they do to their young girls.
yet there are regions in this world that has too much information on their hands. too much info and money to do as they please and to use that knowledge for "the greater good of mankind" is also not an excuse to commit the atrocities that are present in this society.
at times like this, i feel the shallowness and somewhat idiocy of being happy about my red and black cups and the fluorescent pink tee i bought from Supre when due to FGM, girls my age are squatting over flies-infested hole-in-the-floor-makeshift-toilets crying silently in pain with every drop of urine that falls noiselessly to the murky waste below.
it makes me sick.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
the statement of the day
"hmm....just 5 more minutes..." turns out once again into an hour...
i so can't believe it...
but it still makes me smile....
*hearts* Mel
i so can't believe it...
but it still makes me smile....
*hearts* Mel
Saturday, August 04, 2007
ramblings
emotions are wonderful little buggers to have.
you feel the euphoria
you feel the joy
you feel the ants-in-the-pants anticipation
all that wonderful jazz
and it makes you feel utterly and uncontrollably human.
you feel the despair
you feel the hopelessness
you feel the pulling-your-hair-out frustration
it's so beautiful that it makes me cry even.
*Listening to The Sweetest Sounds from Rodger and Hammerstien's musical version of Cinderella. i love books, so naturally i love fairytales. i love that imagination that runs wild whenever you start a bedtime story that ends with a "happily ever after". i have a confession to make that will ultimately label me a nerd for the rest of my life and that is i love making up stories in my head when i was a kid and i still do in fact, at the height of 19 years old. i have a mindful of stories about ogres and giants and pigs that fly to Foodie Wonderland. i like to see where my imagination takes me and more often than not, my stories that i tell myself to sleep often last a few nights and seem never ending until in a fit of boredom of the old characters and anticipation of meeting the new characters, i would just hastily tie up the old one with a "and they lived happily ever after".
it's my form of dreaming. reality is sometimes suffocating you see, even for a 9 year old girl.
you feel the euphoria
you feel the joy
you feel the ants-in-the-pants anticipation
all that wonderful jazz
and it makes you feel utterly and uncontrollably human.
you feel the despair
you feel the hopelessness
you feel the pulling-your-hair-out frustration
it's so beautiful that it makes me cry even.
*Listening to The Sweetest Sounds from Rodger and Hammerstien's musical version of Cinderella. i love books, so naturally i love fairytales. i love that imagination that runs wild whenever you start a bedtime story that ends with a "happily ever after". i have a confession to make that will ultimately label me a nerd for the rest of my life and that is i love making up stories in my head when i was a kid and i still do in fact, at the height of 19 years old. i have a mindful of stories about ogres and giants and pigs that fly to Foodie Wonderland. i like to see where my imagination takes me and more often than not, my stories that i tell myself to sleep often last a few nights and seem never ending until in a fit of boredom of the old characters and anticipation of meeting the new characters, i would just hastily tie up the old one with a "and they lived happily ever after".
it's my form of dreaming. reality is sometimes suffocating you see, even for a 9 year old girl.
Monday, July 30, 2007
cups
the smallest things are really quite sufficient to make me happy...
*smiles*
i just treated myself to two new cups today when i passed by House, this shop on Lygon selling household stuff!!
since i drink green tea every night, cups are just a very important detail of my life....
the nicest cup make my green tea taste doubly better
and the dodgiest ones just make it all taste so yucky
and one of them is bright red and white... (yes, Rach, i DO love red and white!! traffic lights!!)
and one of them is black and white....
and together they make such a nice vibrant addition to my otherwise dull and cluttered study desk....
nothing like looking at my two new cups to make me feel happy... and it makes my purse quite happy too!! the cups were cheap,only $1.95 each!!
more motivation to hit the books, i must say...
strange thing how cups can make my day...
*stares at my cups dreamily*
*smiles*
i just treated myself to two new cups today when i passed by House, this shop on Lygon selling household stuff!!
since i drink green tea every night, cups are just a very important detail of my life....
the nicest cup make my green tea taste doubly better
and the dodgiest ones just make it all taste so yucky
and one of them is bright red and white... (yes, Rach, i DO love red and white!! traffic lights!!)
and one of them is black and white....
and together they make such a nice vibrant addition to my otherwise dull and cluttered study desk....
nothing like looking at my two new cups to make me feel happy... and it makes my purse quite happy too!! the cups were cheap,only $1.95 each!!
more motivation to hit the books, i must say...
strange thing how cups can make my day...
*stares at my cups dreamily*
MSN can draw??
it's funny how you can find the smallest thing to be happy and in my case, amazed about and can't gushing on and on about...
i found out some time ago that MSN messenger supports both the function of typing and drawing manually!!
and you get the most fun from drawing stuff using the latter function!!
proof of the above statement:
PJ was using MY LAPPY on MY MSN, chatting with Kelvin and they both had a whopping good time with the drawing function.
first, they drew airplanes and the V Line train that PJ had to take to get to Geelong.
then, they started writing "LOL"s in super big script to outdo each other (like that was fun...)
then, they had fun drawing me as a stick figure with totally ugly hairstyles as though i'm a cavewoman who has never seen a comb in her life... (puh-leese!! i'm a girl who loves places importance on looks ok??)
then they had fun saying random stuff like "PJ LIKES METLINK!!" due to the 2-hour-long ride taht he has to endure to get to Geelong Hospital for his clinicals on wednesday afternoon.
all i can say is
SERVES YOU RIGHT, PJ FOR MESSING WITH MY HAIR IN THE FIRST PLACE!!
*laughs out loud*
and i bet u dreamt of trains and trams and the Kew girl that night!! and slept walk all the way to Geelong that night but managed to get back to our 9am lecture the next day on time!!
but those two dudes did cheer my day up.... that i have to give them credit....
all thanks to MSN and its function to draw AND type....
the little wonders that dominate our lives....
i found out some time ago that MSN messenger supports both the function of typing and drawing manually!!
and you get the most fun from drawing stuff using the latter function!!
proof of the above statement:
PJ was using MY LAPPY on MY MSN, chatting with Kelvin and they both had a whopping good time with the drawing function.
first, they drew airplanes and the V Line train that PJ had to take to get to Geelong.
then, they started writing "LOL"s in super big script to outdo each other (like that was fun...)
then, they had fun drawing me as a stick figure with totally ugly hairstyles as though i'm a cavewoman who has never seen a comb in her life... (puh-leese!! i'm a girl who loves places importance on looks ok??)
then they had fun saying random stuff like "PJ LIKES METLINK!!" due to the 2-hour-long ride taht he has to endure to get to Geelong Hospital for his clinicals on wednesday afternoon.
all i can say is
SERVES YOU RIGHT, PJ FOR MESSING WITH MY HAIR IN THE FIRST PLACE!!
*laughs out loud*
and i bet u dreamt of trains and trams and the Kew girl that night!! and slept walk all the way to Geelong that night but managed to get back to our 9am lecture the next day on time!!
but those two dudes did cheer my day up.... that i have to give them credit....
all thanks to MSN and its function to draw AND type....
the little wonders that dominate our lives....
Saturday, July 28, 2007
VEAL, BEEF, DEER etc
so to celebrate the end of week 2 horrible lectures and equally horrible PBL, i decided to do a bit of therapeutic cooking.
yes, cooking IS therapeutic, good for the med soul... just like a cup of warm nourishing soup...
so i decided to use my crockpot and cook this Southern Beef Stew recipe that i got from the internet...
and so happily and full of hope, i went to Safeway and proceeded to buy the ingredients that my kitchen lacked.
and lo and behold, at the meat section, to my delight, i found meat at low prices. sure, they might not be fresh enough. but, hey, i'm going to cook it on that day itself. so what the heck, i happily took one of them, forgetting to check the label as i assumed that red meat=beef or mutton...
and the freaking label says VEAL... and the english pro that i am, thought it was some form of cow, like a baby cow or maybe just some part of the cow, liek its stomach or tender underbelly which i was inclined to believe at that time...
so i paid the freaking LOW PRICE and went home happily yet again...
and HAPPILY AGAIN, i peeled the carrots, celery and whatever that it needs and proceeded to slow cook the whole thing.
and when i checked on it after 3 hours, there's this weird smell coming out from it... and i just assumed it was the thyme that i put in that had this weird smell.
so happily, i served it to Kelvin and the first bite i took.... the conversation went thus:
Me: EWWW. this tastes weird.
Kelvin: (being the gentleman he was) no lah, it smells good. i could smell it from the study table lah. can eat one.
Me: NOOO. i don't think it's supposed to taste THIS weird... (makes a sad face)
Kelvin: (took one slurp of the soup) Oh my! (that's his signature exclaimation) this IS weird. what did you put it??
Me: See, i told you so.... (happiness dissipating already) i just put in carrots, celery and potatoes and thyme.... and veal...
Kelvin: (started laughing LOUDLY) my dear, veal is deer meat...
Me: really?? NOOOOO, veal is beef!!
Kelvin: NOOOO, IT'S DEER MEAT!!!
and thus ends this conversation....
the next day, i Answers.com the word veal.... and this is what i got:
Veal is the meat of a baby calf!! which means its cow!!! or rather young beef!!
so there!!
but the question remains: why the heck did my beef stew turned out to be soooo darn gross??!!
yes, cooking IS therapeutic, good for the med soul... just like a cup of warm nourishing soup...
so i decided to use my crockpot and cook this Southern Beef Stew recipe that i got from the internet...
and so happily and full of hope, i went to Safeway and proceeded to buy the ingredients that my kitchen lacked.
and lo and behold, at the meat section, to my delight, i found meat at low prices. sure, they might not be fresh enough. but, hey, i'm going to cook it on that day itself. so what the heck, i happily took one of them, forgetting to check the label as i assumed that red meat=beef or mutton...
and the freaking label says VEAL... and the english pro that i am, thought it was some form of cow, like a baby cow or maybe just some part of the cow, liek its stomach or tender underbelly which i was inclined to believe at that time...
so i paid the freaking LOW PRICE and went home happily yet again...
and HAPPILY AGAIN, i peeled the carrots, celery and whatever that it needs and proceeded to slow cook the whole thing.
and when i checked on it after 3 hours, there's this weird smell coming out from it... and i just assumed it was the thyme that i put in that had this weird smell.
so happily, i served it to Kelvin and the first bite i took.... the conversation went thus:
Me: EWWW. this tastes weird.
Kelvin: (being the gentleman he was) no lah, it smells good. i could smell it from the study table lah. can eat one.
Me: NOOO. i don't think it's supposed to taste THIS weird... (makes a sad face)
Kelvin: (took one slurp of the soup) Oh my! (that's his signature exclaimation) this IS weird. what did you put it??
Me: See, i told you so.... (happiness dissipating already) i just put in carrots, celery and potatoes and thyme.... and veal...
Kelvin: (started laughing LOUDLY) my dear, veal is deer meat...
Me: really?? NOOOOO, veal is beef!!
Kelvin: NOOOO, IT'S DEER MEAT!!!
and thus ends this conversation....
the next day, i Answers.com the word veal.... and this is what i got:
Veal is the meat of a baby calf!! which means its cow!!! or rather young beef!!
so there!!
but the question remains: why the heck did my beef stew turned out to be soooo darn gross??!!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Condolences...
and there there was a sms that told me everything and yet nothing.
it's kinda ironic how life throws you a pebble and you just fall right down dazed with a bruise on your knee and you just sit there, gazing at nothing with the outward signs of bleeding and the pain in your heart.
it's so not what i expected.
it's so not what i wished for.
and it's certainly not what i would want for my dear friend.
it's not even something that you would wish upon your bitterest of enemies for goodness sake.
darn it all...
my books are opened and nothing is going in. it's just the realization of it all occupying every cell in my body....
All i can say and want to say to her right beside her, holding her hand is...
I'm sorry for everything that happened....
Words can't even express how sorry I am for everything.
There's this lump of sadness weighing me down
and also, regret for not being able to see him for the last time.
and now, i'm back in Melbourne and he has passed on to a better place.
and how I wish I just said "Hi" to him "How good it is to see you again!"
and most of all, how I wish I could have met up with her before i came back
how I wish we could be together once again, everything like normal.
Now, everything will be different.
But I know she will be strong.
She always was.
and always will be.
And she has her family around her
Her friends
God
I still remember vaguely the few times that I did see him and talk to him, he was always the smiley one, always laughing, pretty much the mold from where you were made from. my first impression of him was he was very much like Mr Santa Claus, minus the tummy and white beard, but with a full head of white hair, definitely warm and friendly.
I pray that you'll be alright, my dear. I know you will be strong for your sake and those that depend on you. But in times that you are not, just look beside you and we'll be there, with chocs, hankies, flowers, shoulders to cry on, anything you need. we'll do anything for you. I know I will for the wonderful girl that you are and will be.
And he will be proud of you and everything that you are and will be.
And he'll live on in your heart and ours always.
XOXO Mel who is heartbroken
it's kinda ironic how life throws you a pebble and you just fall right down dazed with a bruise on your knee and you just sit there, gazing at nothing with the outward signs of bleeding and the pain in your heart.
it's so not what i expected.
it's so not what i wished for.
and it's certainly not what i would want for my dear friend.
it's not even something that you would wish upon your bitterest of enemies for goodness sake.
darn it all...
my books are opened and nothing is going in. it's just the realization of it all occupying every cell in my body....
All i can say and want to say to her right beside her, holding her hand is...
I'm sorry for everything that happened....
Words can't even express how sorry I am for everything.
There's this lump of sadness weighing me down
and also, regret for not being able to see him for the last time.
and now, i'm back in Melbourne and he has passed on to a better place.
and how I wish I just said "Hi" to him "How good it is to see you again!"
and most of all, how I wish I could have met up with her before i came back
how I wish we could be together once again, everything like normal.
Now, everything will be different.
But I know she will be strong.
She always was.
and always will be.
And she has her family around her
Her friends
God
I still remember vaguely the few times that I did see him and talk to him, he was always the smiley one, always laughing, pretty much the mold from where you were made from. my first impression of him was he was very much like Mr Santa Claus, minus the tummy and white beard, but with a full head of white hair, definitely warm and friendly.
I pray that you'll be alright, my dear. I know you will be strong for your sake and those that depend on you. But in times that you are not, just look beside you and we'll be there, with chocs, hankies, flowers, shoulders to cry on, anything you need. we'll do anything for you. I know I will for the wonderful girl that you are and will be.
And he will be proud of you and everything that you are and will be.
And he'll live on in your heart and ours always.
XOXO Mel who is heartbroken
i just realised something when i was checking my clinical placements for this semester. (ended up at Western Hospital in Footscray.. yummylicious viet rice noodles, here i come!)
i realised that i have a thing for trains and trams in Melbourne...
weird kinda affinity for something that moves....
i like to look out the windows and watch the world literally pass by in a whirl of colours.
wondering where those people in that cute little brownstone are heading, whether they are a family and whether they are happy...
or maybe even that cute little boy that i saw that one time waving to me with his fat little fists on his father's shoulders as the train passed by. i wonder if he like trains like me, if he is going to be a doctor like me, if he loves the whirl of colours at the window like me....
i just love the whoooosh of train...
super uber fun....
i realised that i have a thing for trains and trams in Melbourne...
weird kinda affinity for something that moves....
i like to look out the windows and watch the world literally pass by in a whirl of colours.
wondering where those people in that cute little brownstone are heading, whether they are a family and whether they are happy...
or maybe even that cute little boy that i saw that one time waving to me with his fat little fists on his father's shoulders as the train passed by. i wonder if he like trains like me, if he is going to be a doctor like me, if he loves the whirl of colours at the window like me....
i just love the whoooosh of train...
super uber fun....
Monday, July 23, 2007
Random recipe
Creamy Crockpot Chicken:
2 breast fillets
1 can of Cream of Chicken
1/4 cup of cooking wine
mushrooms
Put that all into a crockpot on HIGH until chicken gets tender. Scoop out the gravy and put it in a pot to simmer. Also add:
8oz of sour cream
Then heat the gravy and serve while hot with the chicken.
Voila!
Easy peasy dish for students. Serves 4 too i might add so ration according to appetite and number of dinner partners.
and most of all, it's fuss-free! no hassle chopping up, cooking, frying... just plain healthy stewing.
and did you notice that there's no oil involved??!! did you?? did you?? healthy, oil-free food for the brain... lots of proteins.
for the vegemaniac, just put in celery and carrots to stew with the chicken and add brocolli in the pot with the gravy.
omg, i sound like freaking Jamie Oliver or Nigella Lawson...
p.s. i did try this recipe so it totally rocks! and so little dirty dishes to clean afterwards....the mark of a good student-ey dish for the uninitiated.
2 breast fillets
1 can of Cream of Chicken
1/4 cup of cooking wine
mushrooms
Put that all into a crockpot on HIGH until chicken gets tender. Scoop out the gravy and put it in a pot to simmer. Also add:
8oz of sour cream
Then heat the gravy and serve while hot with the chicken.
Voila!
Easy peasy dish for students. Serves 4 too i might add so ration according to appetite and number of dinner partners.
and most of all, it's fuss-free! no hassle chopping up, cooking, frying... just plain healthy stewing.
and did you notice that there's no oil involved??!! did you?? did you?? healthy, oil-free food for the brain... lots of proteins.
for the vegemaniac, just put in celery and carrots to stew with the chicken and add brocolli in the pot with the gravy.
omg, i sound like freaking Jamie Oliver or Nigella Lawson...
p.s. i did try this recipe so it totally rocks! and so little dirty dishes to clean afterwards....the mark of a good student-ey dish for the uninitiated.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
due to the effects of Week 1 lectures and PBL...
Listening to: Heaven by DJ Sammy
Finishing up: my PBL for tomorrow
Ingesting: nothing (after having lectures on obesity and nutrition, it's no wonder i'm half scared to death about the things i put into my mouth, all the while thinking "is this low in GI?", "is this going to increase my BMI?" .. it's so frustrating that it's not funny)
Thinking: about morbidly obese males who might have pseudo-micropenis (due to the fat pad on their scrotums) and pseudo-gynaecomastia (abnormal glandular breast development) and morbidly obese females who might have polycystic ovarian syndrome.
omg.... i sound intelligent for once...
i'm so having nightmares about saturated fats chasing me with fat-clobbered fists and fat-dripping teeth....
Finishing up: my PBL for tomorrow
Ingesting: nothing (after having lectures on obesity and nutrition, it's no wonder i'm half scared to death about the things i put into my mouth, all the while thinking "is this low in GI?", "is this going to increase my BMI?" .. it's so frustrating that it's not funny)
Thinking: about morbidly obese males who might have pseudo-micropenis (due to the fat pad on their scrotums) and pseudo-gynaecomastia (abnormal glandular breast development) and morbidly obese females who might have polycystic ovarian syndrome.
omg.... i sound intelligent for once...
i'm so having nightmares about saturated fats chasing me with fat-clobbered fists and fat-dripping teeth....
Monday, July 16, 2007
anyone up for ROund 2??
it's the start of a new semester in the life of Mel the workin'-it meddie...
it's just Monday but it's worth 1 PBl tutorial and 2 lectures...
talk about workin' it...
and the whole uni is quiet except for the frantic shuffling or some may say the purposeful striding of meddies of all years.
we are the only insane ones back for round 2... can practically hear the "ding ding ding" bell of ROUND 2....
even dents are still on their sweet sweet holidays but we are back and the timetable is hitting us with a vengeance complete with the Club of Harsh Reality.
but look at it this way, people, i'm 1/12 my way through med school...
not so bad for a girl who once dreamt of becoming part of Doctors Without Borders...
i remain optimistic.
and so my fairytale starts again... *smiles*
it's just Monday but it's worth 1 PBl tutorial and 2 lectures...
talk about workin' it...
and the whole uni is quiet except for the frantic shuffling or some may say the purposeful striding of meddies of all years.
we are the only insane ones back for round 2... can practically hear the "ding ding ding" bell of ROUND 2....
even dents are still on their sweet sweet holidays but we are back and the timetable is hitting us with a vengeance complete with the Club of Harsh Reality.
but look at it this way, people, i'm 1/12 my way through med school...
not so bad for a girl who once dreamt of becoming part of Doctors Without Borders...
i remain optimistic.
and so my fairytale starts again... *smiles*
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Friday, July 06, 2007
insomnia setting in...
must be the episode of Incredible Tales that i watched on Channel 5....
and for goodness sake, it was not THAT scary...
i think....
another few more days before Melbourne, here i come...
2nd Semester bearing down on me...
and already the timetable is looking oh-so-scary....
what the heck...
another 5.5 years to go....
feeling quite out of sorts now...
must be again, the insomnia setting in...
shall count sheep now..
or i could just count the hours i'm going to waste on getting the anatomy of the chest right....
or i could HAVE brought back my teddy dog, Jay from Melbourne where he's been very lonely and cold...
or i could warm up hot milk...
or i could read the book on my bedside table...
or i could just list the ways i could put myself to sleep...
must be the episode of Incredible Tales that i watched on Channel 5....
and for goodness sake, it was not THAT scary...
i think....
another few more days before Melbourne, here i come...
2nd Semester bearing down on me...
and already the timetable is looking oh-so-scary....
what the heck...
another 5.5 years to go....
feeling quite out of sorts now...
must be again, the insomnia setting in...
shall count sheep now..
or i could just count the hours i'm going to waste on getting the anatomy of the chest right....
or i could HAVE brought back my teddy dog, Jay from Melbourne where he's been very lonely and cold...
or i could warm up hot milk...
or i could read the book on my bedside table...
or i could just list the ways i could put myself to sleep...
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Sunday, July 01, 2007
shoes phase
a girl can never have too many shoes.
neither can a girl can have too many phases.
at least both the above statements apply to me.
coz the whole have-as-many-shoes-as-you-can phase has hit me and hit me real darn hard.
so just in under half hour in singapore, i bought 3 pairs of shoes.
one from Ipanema.
two from Far East Plaza.
one pair of simple sandals. very Amazonian goddess
oen pair of black high heel wedges that are gorgeous
one pair of white low heel pumps
but i still want more.
on my wish list: black Converse sneaks, red high heeled pumps, the most perfect flats ever made and whatever that catches my fancy...
neither can a girl can have too many phases.
at least both the above statements apply to me.
coz the whole have-as-many-shoes-as-you-can phase has hit me and hit me real darn hard.
so just in under half hour in singapore, i bought 3 pairs of shoes.
one from Ipanema.
two from Far East Plaza.
one pair of simple sandals. very Amazonian goddess
oen pair of black high heel wedges that are gorgeous
one pair of white low heel pumps
but i still want more.
on my wish list: black Converse sneaks, red high heeled pumps, the most perfect flats ever made and whatever that catches my fancy...
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
the pearl of the orient
so for some mother-daughter bonding time, me and mum went to Hong Kong, the pearl of the orient (was it really called that? i remembered learning this in primary school...) for some h serious girl downtime namely shopping and eating, two of the things that are certified aphrodisiacs. but i digress...
and the city area was crazy chocked full of people and cars, like good ole Malaysia or Singapore. but somehow, it felt steamier in HK. i was perpetually swathed in a sheen of sweat and goodness knows how many baths i had in just one day. 
and the shopping was not so bad but the freaking travel bouchure forget to mention that by "a shopping paradise", it meant that HK is good for travellers with a good sizeable amount of dough!! sure, the streets were full of every brand name imaginable. Paris Hilton would be in heaven there. Gucci, Prada, Guess, Ferragamo and French brands i can barely pronounce, let alone spell. heck, i am a girl that appreciates brands and the money and human effort gone into producing a handmade calfskin Chloe bag with 24k gold plates but i think i would be able to appreciate it more and stop gawking at the windows and actually go in and buy something from the smugly-attired sales person in there with perfect straight white teeth.
oooh, everyone's favourite villain that.. Hitler...
my fave action hero of all time, Indiana Jones. i'm in love with Temple of Doom!! but in this, he just looks disporpotionate!!
oooh, i just absolutely love his brooding looks... yums...
Wacko Jacko pre-baby-dangling-and-child-molestation... why oh why did you do the skin grafting, Mr Jackson??!!
and this was on the Avenue of Stars, HK version of Hollywood Walk of Fame. i don't watch many HK movies, so Stephan Chow's star was the only one i took picture with...
and the VERY first thing that i noticed when i touched down was HK people do everything in excess, most expecially length or height wise. check out the above picture and just look at how many towering buildings HK city has!! each building including flats are at least a devastating scary 30 storeys high!! i counted!! and the buses there are also stretched out in height wise, all of them are double deckers!! how cool is that?? it's like their country motto "Height is gooood!!"
and the city area was crazy chocked full of people and cars, like good ole Malaysia or Singapore. but somehow, it felt steamier in HK. i was perpetually swathed in a sheen of sweat and goodness knows how many baths i had in just one day. and the shopping was not so bad but the freaking travel bouchure forget to mention that by "a shopping paradise", it meant that HK is good for travellers with a good sizeable amount of dough!! sure, the streets were full of every brand name imaginable. Paris Hilton would be in heaven there. Gucci, Prada, Guess, Ferragamo and French brands i can barely pronounce, let alone spell. heck, i am a girl that appreciates brands and the money and human effort gone into producing a handmade calfskin Chloe bag with 24k gold plates but i think i would be able to appreciate it more and stop gawking at the windows and actually go in and buy something from the smugly-attired sales person in there with perfect straight white teeth.but that isn't to say that i didn't have fun on the trip. hey, i don't go for shopping when i travel man! i did go all the way to Victoria's Peak and went for the HK's Madame Tussaud's Wax Musuem. and boy, was that fun! and here are the pics to show that.
oooh, everyone's favourite villain that.. Hitler...
Rembrandt and me. was quite surprised to see this great European artist in the HK wax Musuem
Pablo Picasso, the very master himself in the...err, wax.... he looked incredibly lifelike 
Albert Einstein and his famous groundbreaking formulae...ooh just love his white shock-like hair
the iconic Miss Marilyn Monroe and the legendary airvent scene. and on my side, the wind was blowing up too and my skirt almost flew up. thank goodness though....
was hoping that i could be the girl silhoette in the background but it was not meant to be, Mr Bond...
my fave action hero of all time, Indiana Jones. i'm in love with Temple of Doom!! but in this, he just looks disporpotionate!!oooh, i just absolutely love his brooding looks... yums... Wacko Jacko pre-baby-dangling-and-child-molestation... why oh why did you do the skin grafting, Mr Jackson??!!and this was on the Avenue of Stars, HK version of Hollywood Walk of Fame. i don't watch many HK movies, so Stephan Chow's star was the only one i took picture with...and now the complaints and gripes that i had on this trip. no trip is ever perfect with a few whines and complaints here and there. and the major gripe i have is that the HK people haven't been exactly educated on manners. but i do like to stress that these are the people that i met in the city and not the HK friends that i have in trinity or in Melb Uni. heck, my HK friends are sooo much nicer that when i went to HK, i was utterly shocked at the sometimes-uncivilised behaviors of the people there. the taxi drivers that i met were uber rude in their words to their countrymen and even to us tourists and they were also money-hungry. maybe it was the fact that we are tourists, but we are Chinese tourists hailing from the lands of Malaysia and not white and posh Brit-speaking. but oh well, even though so, it sort of made the trip less enjoyable especially for me, a non-Canto speaking Chinese. i would just be standing there smiling dumbly while the hawker might be cursing my family in Canto to my ignorance.
so i have decided to MASTER Canto and learn to curse in Canto in 7 different ways before i go back to Hong Kong, the pearl of the Orient.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
schsh-kool....
it's been almost ages since i stepped foot in the M'sian education system. and today, me and Aichen minus Ju Li who was still fast asleep decided to go back to both Foon Yew 2 and SSI to see the guys and the teachers.
and Oh. My. Gosh.
it was just crazy being back there.
SSI's changed so darn much that i feel like i'm stepping into an alternate universe.
fell like such a visitor.
and boy, did i feel so outsider-ish with my red Wonder Woman shirt and my jeans from all the brown-uniformed-clad students.
but heck, i was so happy to see all of my former classmates that it was not funny at all.
they changed
i changed
everyone changed
everything changed
even the freaking audio visual room changed too
it was like an epitome that nothing stays the same, for better or worse...
and Oh. My. Gosh.
it was just crazy being back there.
SSI's changed so darn much that i feel like i'm stepping into an alternate universe.
fell like such a visitor.
and boy, did i feel so outsider-ish with my red Wonder Woman shirt and my jeans from all the brown-uniformed-clad students.
but heck, i was so happy to see all of my former classmates that it was not funny at all.
they changed
i changed
everyone changed
everything changed
even the freaking audio visual room changed too
it was like an epitome that nothing stays the same, for better or worse...
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
of rom-coms and ill-conceived notions...
true to my female-ness, i have spent my 19 years watching romantic comedies starring the irisdiscent smile of Meg Ryan and whoever that played the guy who caught her eye... and boy, can i name my favourite rom-coms in under 10 seconds!
You've Got Mail...
(this has remain my absolute favourite. maybe it's the fact that Meg played a shopkeeper in The Bookshop Around The Corner, an absolutely delish piece of heaven on earth filled with the Storybook Lady and lots of quaint children's books)
Sleepless In Seattle...
(This has got to be the epitome of Love At First Sight and Serendipity)
The Lakehouse...
(Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves were absolutely heartbreaking in this show)
Sabrina...
(not the Teenage Witch version, thank you very much. Sabrina and Harvey's on-again, off-again affair do not interest even one romantic gene in my whole entire body... but i'm talking about the Harrison Ford version, the old classic of your-mum-and-dad's-film-collection... watch it for the sheer old-time romantic in you....)
Turn Left, Turn Right...
(who can ever resist Takashi Kaneshiro and those yummylicious locks of his?! and not to mention, the sheer coincidence and fate of that particular love affair.. but i do admit that several times in that movie, i wanted to twist the male and female lead's heads ala the girl in The Exorcist 360 degrees around and ask them to take a freaking good look around!! lol)
yea, they amy be the most stereotyped movies of the whole Hollywood history, but heck, i think that in our world of freaking mindless cruelty and hopelessness, we all need a little pick-me-up in the size of just under 2 hours. and i happen to like my romantic comedies, thank you very much. yes, i do like movies like V for Vendetta but sometimes, all i need is a couple of laughs, a few lines of romantic sappiness to make my world feel just a bit better, or as some romantic cynics would probably sneer, to delude myself with ridiculous notions of love.
i shall be the judge of that....
*i do miss my fairytale...*
You've Got Mail...
(this has remain my absolute favourite. maybe it's the fact that Meg played a shopkeeper in The Bookshop Around The Corner, an absolutely delish piece of heaven on earth filled with the Storybook Lady and lots of quaint children's books)
Sleepless In Seattle...
(This has got to be the epitome of Love At First Sight and Serendipity)
The Lakehouse...
(Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves were absolutely heartbreaking in this show)
Sabrina...
(not the Teenage Witch version, thank you very much. Sabrina and Harvey's on-again, off-again affair do not interest even one romantic gene in my whole entire body... but i'm talking about the Harrison Ford version, the old classic of your-mum-and-dad's-film-collection... watch it for the sheer old-time romantic in you....)
Turn Left, Turn Right...
(who can ever resist Takashi Kaneshiro and those yummylicious locks of his?! and not to mention, the sheer coincidence and fate of that particular love affair.. but i do admit that several times in that movie, i wanted to twist the male and female lead's heads ala the girl in The Exorcist 360 degrees around and ask them to take a freaking good look around!! lol)
yea, they amy be the most stereotyped movies of the whole Hollywood history, but heck, i think that in our world of freaking mindless cruelty and hopelessness, we all need a little pick-me-up in the size of just under 2 hours. and i happen to like my romantic comedies, thank you very much. yes, i do like movies like V for Vendetta but sometimes, all i need is a couple of laughs, a few lines of romantic sappiness to make my world feel just a bit better, or as some romantic cynics would probably sneer, to delude myself with ridiculous notions of love.
i shall be the judge of that....
*i do miss my fairytale...*
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Thursday, June 14, 2007
"once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a princess...."
there was the noise of kids squirming in their seats and parents shush-ing them...
and there was the sweet buttery smell of popcorn...
and there was the mouth-watering smell of hotdog wafting from the seat next to you....
and there was the presence of you next to me...
and there was the green ogre-ey face and his beloved green lover looming above us, in taht sognature cartoon-ish face....
and then there was that moment...
XOXO Mel
there was the noise of kids squirming in their seats and parents shush-ing them...
and there was the sweet buttery smell of popcorn...
and there was the mouth-watering smell of hotdog wafting from the seat next to you....
and there was the presence of you next to me...
and there was the green ogre-ey face and his beloved green lover looming above us, in taht sognature cartoon-ish face....
and then there was that moment...
XOXO Mel
Sunday, June 10, 2007
A-RELAXING
so yes, people.. am back in JB, in the hot sticky humid weather that makes my hair go limp and my face start to crawl with perspiration..
but heck care...
i just a truly msian breakky this morning which consisted of thosai and puri and various spicy yummy curries... and that made me thought of the cereal with cold milk and the ham-and-cheese sandwiches i always had for breakky in Melb or rather the non-existent breakky that i sometimes have in protest of the 8am lectures i have 2 times a week...
and on the plane flight home, i told myself that this 1month of break has got to be the MOST relaxing break ever because come 16th of July, it's gonna be another one of those race-to-the-finish-line-sprint-without-water-or-fruit kinda thing... no stopping to smell the flowers nor would there be any stoning sessions... it would be work all the way... except this time, it would be harder (we're doing nutrition and metabolism the next sem!!) and longer (a full 14 weeks, 2 weeeks longer than last sem!!)..
so yes, a-relaxing i must go....
but heck care...
i just a truly msian breakky this morning which consisted of thosai and puri and various spicy yummy curries... and that made me thought of the cereal with cold milk and the ham-and-cheese sandwiches i always had for breakky in Melb or rather the non-existent breakky that i sometimes have in protest of the 8am lectures i have 2 times a week...
and on the plane flight home, i told myself that this 1month of break has got to be the MOST relaxing break ever because come 16th of July, it's gonna be another one of those race-to-the-finish-line-sprint-without-water-or-fruit kinda thing... no stopping to smell the flowers nor would there be any stoning sessions... it would be work all the way... except this time, it would be harder (we're doing nutrition and metabolism the next sem!!) and longer (a full 14 weeks, 2 weeeks longer than last sem!!)..
so yes, a-relaxing i must go....
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
PBS
Reading: Ethical Models of Doc-Patient Relationship
Eating: Nothing except my lovely lovely lovely green tea!! PJ loves it too!! and I like being Santa Claus, Kelvin!! and PJ appreaciates it!!
Listening: Shakira's Hips Don't Lie and PJ&Kelvin's shouts of "What the heck?..."
Channeling Rachel now..."PBS SUCKS!!" yep, sure, PBS is over yesterday... but heck, it was the worst paper i have ever sat for in my entire exam-oriented life, a whole 19 years of it!! like Rach said, at times, it was like a instintive paper, you basically take a look at the paper and then just choose the 1st answer that SOUNDS right to you, instead of relying on your logic/rationale/whatever you have crammed into your brain the alst 12 weeks.
by the time i was done, for a moment, i suddenly felt that my brain was void of everything. ........................................................................................
........................................................................................
........................................................................................
it really IS the case... the first ever time i experienced such a thing before in my life, the entire 19 years of it too!! like i just poured my heart, soul, spirit, brain, mind, knowledge along with my nerves, hypothalamus, lymph, blood, sweat, tears and all the bodily fluids and organs into the freaking 2-hour paper that is only worth a mere 22.5% and requires us to be the most efficient machines ever... we have to inhale 84 one-hour lectures, diagrams and all for this 2-hour exam which has 60 complex MCQs and 7 short answer questions, much less writing an essay... so yes, time management in that tiny window of time is absolutely crucial to the every milisecond.
Eating: Nothing except my lovely lovely lovely green tea!! PJ loves it too!! and I like being Santa Claus, Kelvin!! and PJ appreaciates it!!
Listening: Shakira's Hips Don't Lie and PJ&Kelvin's shouts of "What the heck?..."
Channeling Rachel now..."PBS SUCKS!!" yep, sure, PBS is over yesterday... but heck, it was the worst paper i have ever sat for in my entire exam-oriented life, a whole 19 years of it!! like Rach said, at times, it was like a instintive paper, you basically take a look at the paper and then just choose the 1st answer that SOUNDS right to you, instead of relying on your logic/rationale/whatever you have crammed into your brain the alst 12 weeks.
by the time i was done, for a moment, i suddenly felt that my brain was void of everything. ........................................................................................
........................................................................................
........................................................................................
it really IS the case... the first ever time i experienced such a thing before in my life, the entire 19 years of it too!! like i just poured my heart, soul, spirit, brain, mind, knowledge along with my nerves, hypothalamus, lymph, blood, sweat, tears and all the bodily fluids and organs into the freaking 2-hour paper that is only worth a mere 22.5% and requires us to be the most efficient machines ever... we have to inhale 84 one-hour lectures, diagrams and all for this 2-hour exam which has 60 complex MCQs and 7 short answer questions, much less writing an essay... so yes, time management in that tiny window of time is absolutely crucial to the every milisecond.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
of sexual crimes in America and champions...
i was having my study break cum lunch when i swiched on the TV in protest of my long hours of mugging and i happen to chance upon The Oprah Show which was one of my favourites and still is.... and Oprah was talking about child sexual crimes in America and how America seemed to be confused about sexual offenders.
and i was struck by what one of the guest said on Oprah. Bill O'Reilly claimed that once a sexual crime was committed towards a child, the criminal should be just put away for life, without parole...
somehow, i have mixed feelings about this claim. yes, the guy who did it should be given a suitable punishment, not given rehabilitation and a small fine (that was what one Vermont judge passed to a sexual crime offender who raped a 6 year old girl over the course of 4 years). and yes, it was a heinous crime. the victim was a child for goodness sake!
but on the other hand, does the guy deserve to be put away for life even when he is deemed be to remorseful and wants to start life anew??
but then again, how the heck would we know that he is really really really regretful for what he did?? how would we know that he would not prey on another kid again?
does that justify O'Reilly's claims that all sexual offenders deserve a life sentence?
and then O'Reiily also said that all fathers should look at their kids in the eyes and reassure then that no matter what happens, they will always save them, rescue them from any situation. and because of that, until the fathers arrive, they are to fight with whatever strength and courage they have and be careful of all strangers. That i fully agree with him. i read countless autobiographies about kids who have been abducted and kidnapped and sexually preyed on and how their captors kept them submissive by using psychological tactics like telling them repeatedly that their parents do not want them anymore and are not looking for them and they(the captors) are the only ones that care for them.
therefore, i think it is extremely crucial for parents to always reaffirm and reassure their kids that come what may, they will always be there for the kids and the kids should never give up hope and have courage to face anything..
for me, i always know that my parents, my dad and mum will be there anytime, anywhere everyday of my life. even though i am overseas and pretty much oceans away from them, that thought enough gives me courage to keep going. i guess, i have been conditioned and reminded since young that they love me and will always do. and i have always felt loved and wanted throughout my life.
so yes, as O'Reilly said across the TV set into my apartment, fathers should always be the "champions of their kids"....
in my case, my dad and mum are both my "champions"....
and i was struck by what one of the guest said on Oprah. Bill O'Reilly claimed that once a sexual crime was committed towards a child, the criminal should be just put away for life, without parole...
somehow, i have mixed feelings about this claim. yes, the guy who did it should be given a suitable punishment, not given rehabilitation and a small fine (that was what one Vermont judge passed to a sexual crime offender who raped a 6 year old girl over the course of 4 years). and yes, it was a heinous crime. the victim was a child for goodness sake!
but on the other hand, does the guy deserve to be put away for life even when he is deemed be to remorseful and wants to start life anew??
but then again, how the heck would we know that he is really really really regretful for what he did?? how would we know that he would not prey on another kid again?
does that justify O'Reilly's claims that all sexual offenders deserve a life sentence?
and then O'Reiily also said that all fathers should look at their kids in the eyes and reassure then that no matter what happens, they will always save them, rescue them from any situation. and because of that, until the fathers arrive, they are to fight with whatever strength and courage they have and be careful of all strangers. That i fully agree with him. i read countless autobiographies about kids who have been abducted and kidnapped and sexually preyed on and how their captors kept them submissive by using psychological tactics like telling them repeatedly that their parents do not want them anymore and are not looking for them and they(the captors) are the only ones that care for them.
therefore, i think it is extremely crucial for parents to always reaffirm and reassure their kids that come what may, they will always be there for the kids and the kids should never give up hope and have courage to face anything..
for me, i always know that my parents, my dad and mum will be there anytime, anywhere everyday of my life. even though i am overseas and pretty much oceans away from them, that thought enough gives me courage to keep going. i guess, i have been conditioned and reminded since young that they love me and will always do. and i have always felt loved and wanted throughout my life.
so yes, as O'Reilly said across the TV set into my apartment, fathers should always be the "champions of their kids"....
in my case, my dad and mum are both my "champions"....
Ahhh....
Listening to: Wayne Wonder's Hold Me Now (reminds me of Hawaiian beaches and glorious sunsets)
Eating: Cadbury's Brunch Bar (awesome stuff, PJ!! u got me addicted!!)
Doing: PBS Past Year Exams
Wearing: my old, comfy jammies
Thinking: all about the characteristics of the Haversian System
Wishing: I was hundred miles away on a beach, with a juice in my hand and a string of pooka shells on my neck
4 more days to E-Day man!! then just one week of that and I will be H-O-M-E!! i can't wait to see my family and my friends again, even though this routine has been going on since last year. i still feel the squirmy, suppressed jolt of excitement whenever i look at my empty suitcase in the corner of my room....
it will be a total goddess reward to finally come home and unwind from all the medical stuff i had to cram into my head.... i just want a nice, relaxing, doing-nothing holiday...much like a hot, warm, foamy, sweet-smelling bubble bath with candles and a bowl of choc-covered strawberries and an awesome book and nice music.... and after the soak, i will feel so good and refreshed that i can literally FLOAT out of the bathtub and walk on air with a shiny, scrubbed-clean aura around me!!
so until that day, i shall go a-nerding and read all about the Haversian Systems and eat brunch bars to keep my energy up instead of strawberries....
Eating: Cadbury's Brunch Bar (awesome stuff, PJ!! u got me addicted!!)
Doing: PBS Past Year Exams
Wearing: my old, comfy jammies
Thinking: all about the characteristics of the Haversian System
Wishing: I was hundred miles away on a beach, with a juice in my hand and a string of pooka shells on my neck
4 more days to E-Day man!! then just one week of that and I will be H-O-M-E!! i can't wait to see my family and my friends again, even though this routine has been going on since last year. i still feel the squirmy, suppressed jolt of excitement whenever i look at my empty suitcase in the corner of my room....
it will be a total goddess reward to finally come home and unwind from all the medical stuff i had to cram into my head.... i just want a nice, relaxing, doing-nothing holiday...much like a hot, warm, foamy, sweet-smelling bubble bath with candles and a bowl of choc-covered strawberries and an awesome book and nice music.... and after the soak, i will feel so good and refreshed that i can literally FLOAT out of the bathtub and walk on air with a shiny, scrubbed-clean aura around me!!
so until that day, i shall go a-nerding and read all about the Haversian Systems and eat brunch bars to keep my energy up instead of strawberries....
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
18th birthdays and BBQ feasts
happy 18th birthday, dear Rachel!!
may all your wishes come true!!
many happy returns of the day!!
hope you enjoyed the BBQ feast ya?? and all your lovely lovely pressies!! and your boy boy is ultimately the sweetest, girl!! give him a big kiss and hug when you get back to spore....
so you ARE 18 already....legal for well...practically EVERYTHING!! so yea, just take your time to do everything okie?? after all, you did do the 1st one on the list which was alcohol... but don't worry, it's just a teensy weensy little bit in that HUGE cup of lemonade...and you didn;t get drunk which is good... a small step goes a looong way, girl!! lol
anyways, have fun and enjoy the rest of the day...
XOXO Mel who is already 19 and wishes that she is 18....
Sunday, May 27, 2007
the defintion of a nerd
Andrew's recent blog post was all about the definition of being nerdy and how his la-la land was study-land and it just got me thinking...
about MY definition of being "nerdy"....
so yes, i admit i AM guilty about the fact that i DO label some of my classmates/coursemates/random people on the street as being nerds. and yes, i DO sometimes (yes, most of the times actually) based my observations on their appearance and the presene of books on their arms and the unmistakable heavy bagpack over the shoulder and the thick glasses.
and these are all made on the fact that i might not know them well enough to make that observation..
so am i superficial?? shallow??jugdemental??
i guess the answer is YES....
yes, sometimes (yes, most of the times) appearances DOES matter whether we like it or not
whether we have countless of times declare that we WILL not fall into that superficial pit
yes, sometimes we are all human and we DO pass judgements on people, random people...
yes, everything we do, say, think, wear, carry, act etc makes an IMPRESSION on otehr people, whether we like it or not... whether we moan and groan and say that first impressions doesn't count....
and so, tomorrow, maybe, just maybe i might dig into my closet and throw out any turtlenecks, white boring shirts, plaid skirts, old fashioned jeans.... just in case....
about MY definition of being "nerdy"....
so yes, i admit i AM guilty about the fact that i DO label some of my classmates/coursemates/random people on the street as being nerds. and yes, i DO sometimes (yes, most of the times actually) based my observations on their appearance and the presene of books on their arms and the unmistakable heavy bagpack over the shoulder and the thick glasses.
and these are all made on the fact that i might not know them well enough to make that observation..
so am i superficial?? shallow??jugdemental??
i guess the answer is YES....
yes, sometimes (yes, most of the times) appearances DOES matter whether we like it or not
whether we have countless of times declare that we WILL not fall into that superficial pit
yes, sometimes we are all human and we DO pass judgements on people, random people...
yes, everything we do, say, think, wear, carry, act etc makes an IMPRESSION on otehr people, whether we like it or not... whether we moan and groan and say that first impressions doesn't count....
and so, tomorrow, maybe, just maybe i might dig into my closet and throw out any turtlenecks, white boring shirts, plaid skirts, old fashioned jeans.... just in case....
Friday, May 25, 2007
the view
i have the choice of blogging of either of these:
a) how tired i am after a full day prac session
b) how much work to be done for the coming exams (84 one-hour lectures to go through)
c) how many things i have to juggle on top of the workload
or
d) how i feel that all the hard work will be worth it in the end
and i choose D....
after all, i am all about the long-haul and it's definitely no easy road to my destination and the bottom line is that in this line that i am in now, there is NO destination. there is only constant improvment, renewal... a never-ending road to some unknown, unreacheable evening sunset horizon.... at least, the view is beautiful from where i am.
i am after all, facing the sunset in in its full glory.
and the journey is wonderful.
a) how tired i am after a full day prac session
b) how much work to be done for the coming exams (84 one-hour lectures to go through)
c) how many things i have to juggle on top of the workload
or
d) how i feel that all the hard work will be worth it in the end
and i choose D....
after all, i am all about the long-haul and it's definitely no easy road to my destination and the bottom line is that in this line that i am in now, there is NO destination. there is only constant improvment, renewal... a never-ending road to some unknown, unreacheable evening sunset horizon.... at least, the view is beautiful from where i am.
i am after all, facing the sunset in in its full glory.
and the journey is wonderful.
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