dreams...

or probably more accurately labelled nightmare in this instance...
Nal and i were logging onto this website to check our 'BTN Camp results'. well actually i was on the phone with Nal and i was accessing the website. the format of the downloaded page was pretty much like the notices RCSI uploads onto the internet for us to download, then read, pretty much like how our results are given... (the Biro Tatanegara Camp is a compulsory camp for government servants wanting a promotion and was a requirement for government scholars to be allowed to go overseas, as it supposedly instils patriotism in us, so on and so forth).
so before we could click to download, there was some notice that more than 2 people didnt pass the BTN test, so Nal started freaking out, and i did too, though i didnt show it, cause i remember at camp someone told us, no one had ever failed the test, except for this one odd soul... then i downloaded it and there were two columns. the first with all the ppl who passed and the second with all who didnt, and i saw that the 2nd one was of a considerable amount too. so nal asked me to check hers, and (oddly, it was 8 digit numbers with a '0' in front, very much like our RCSI student IDs) so Nal's number was indeed there. but i scanned for mine in the first column and it didnt seem to be there. i panicked and the sympathetic reaction started to kick in... so i scrolled to the 2nd column and my number was there. i felt my world slowly melt and ooze down on me,kinda like melting ice cream on a cone... i clicked on this link which was supposed to tell us what being in that column entails. it was in bullet-form, something along the lines that the score was final, no appeals would be entertained and that meant that we had our scholarships forfeited and JPA wasn't going to sponsor us overseas(all in Malay of course). i was dumbfounded. i kept trying to tell myself in the dream that maybe it was just a dream, but me in the dream was truly convinced it was reality. i didnt know whether to cry, or scream, or do what... i had no future... or i did, but it was bleak. i was not going to be a doctor, and since i was already in Dublin, i had to go home... i had never felt more hopeless than i did at that very moment.
Then thankfully, when i felt i was going to be able to feel what being dead was like, as in every dream that has us hanging at the edge of the string of life, i woke up!

possibly THE single most adorable thing alive on the face of the planet!

complete update really soon when i get all the pictures...

Nostalgia menusuk hati...

As deepavali and Raya Aidilfitri roll around, i find i'm missing home a lot. the festivites scoops up every malaysian and one can't help but be swept away along with tide when we hear 'Suatu hari di hari raya...' or something like that... :-) Maybe it's growing up in Melawati. who knows... but i miss home, i miss my friends. i know i'd always always have my family with me, but friendships are so fragile, one moment it can withstand any storm, and the next, strangers in Dublin might be friendlier! So i'd like to take this chance to thank all my friends for putting up with me, since it's especially difficult to keep in touch with me when i'm known far and wide for FFK-ing. but thanks for making the effort to keep in touch, as stubborn as i am... Vitamin C - Graduation Song Lyrics
And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives
Where we're gonna be when we turn 25
I keep thinking times will never change
Keep on thinking things will always be the same
But when we leave this year we won't be coming back
No more hanging out cause we're on a different track
And if you got something that you need to say
You better say it right now cause you don't have another day
Cause we're moving on and we can't slow down
These memories are playing like a film without sound
And I keep thinking of the night in June
I Didn't know much of love, but it came too soon
And There was me and you, and then it got real blue
Stay at home talkin' on the telephone and
We would get so excited, we'd get so scared
Laughing at our selves thinking life's not fair
And this is how it feels
Chorus:
As we go on, we remember
All the times we had together
And as our lives change, from whatever
We will still be, friends forever

So if we get the big jobs and we make the big money
When we look back now, will that joke still be funny?
Will we still remember everything we learned in school?
Still be trying to break every single rule
Will little brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man?
Can Heather find a job that won't interfere with her tan?
I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly
And this is how it feels
Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now?
Can we survive it out there? Can we make it somehow?
I guess I thought that this would never end
And suddenly it's like we're women and men
Will the past be a shadow that will follow us round?
Will these memories fade when I leave this town
I keep, I keep thinking that it's not goodbye
Keep on thinking it's a time to fly
:-) i look back on my high school with fond memories only... college, there's a mixture, but mostly fondness. SO happy deepavali and Selamat Hari Raya. Maaf Zahir dan Batin!

Body found one minute away from Mercer Court and RCSI!!!

I woke up this morning and walked out of Mercer compound, and nothing seemed amiss. that is until, we crossed the road to Dunnes side, and noticed some Garda Vans. but that didnt strike me as being particularly odd... then at the junction where we turn left to get to college, there was a roughly square area that was taped off with the white-and-blue-words-GARDA crime scene tape. there was what looked like a dome or tent at one side, but other than that, i couldnt see anything. in class, Limy told me some bodies were found there, and on my way back, i didnt notice anything either. then after my nap, victor text-ed me and told me that a woman's body was found, supposedly murdered and he told me to be careful and to pray for protection. i collected this piece of news online, watched the evening news, but so far, nothing else is known... it's sooooooo near and the thing is, im so used to walking around alone, sometimes... luckily it's getting colder and colder, too cold to simply venture out...

Murder investigation launched after Dublin body-find
25/10/2005 - 13:06:38

Gardaí have said that they are now conducting a murder investigation following the discovery of a woman's body in Dublin city centre.

The grim find was made by passers-by on Mercer Street, near St Stephen's Green, just after 4am today.

The body was found wrapped in a sheet with a rope tied around it. The age and nationality of the woman is not known.

Forensic experts are at the scene and the State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, will carry out a post mortem later today.


From: Students Union Sent: Tue 10/25/2005 5:20 PM
To: Student List
Cc:
Subject: Safety around College & Mercer Library
Attachments:
View As Web Page
Hi all,

With the evenings getting darker as we approach winter, it is important to remind all students walking in the area around college and the Mercer library (and elsewhere in Dublin) to be vigilant, watch your belongings, keep to well-lit areas and, where possible, walk in groups.

While nothing may have happened to you or your friends in the past, incidents do happen, and by keeping an eye out for you and your fellow students, you can hopefully help prevent any further such incidents from occurring.

If you notice any suspicious activity, please report it to security as soon as possible,

Regards,

The SU

paary posted this in friendster...

now, confirm, i wanna go home in february!
Best place to eat in KL

1. CHOW KOAY TIEW - Jalan Imbi : the corner
restaurant which is on the
same row with Sakura, and opposite of Honda
Kah Motor.

2. WANTAN MEE/KARI MEE - End of old Subang
airport road, in the Subang
New
Village Town Centre.

3. TAPIOCA NOODLES& VEGETABLES - Old
Klang Road : a shack which is
nestled
behind a chinese primary school, after the market
and the post office
(which would be on your left).

4. KARI MEE (LEMAK) - SS1, PJ : Alisan
Restaurant (2nd shop from
corner),
facing the Lorenzo Furniture Shop.

5. ROAST DUCK RICE - Seapark : Sunrise Coffee
Shop

6. PRAWN MEE/KARIMEE/CHEE CHEONG
FUN - Seapark: Coffee Shop near old
Paramount Thea! tre.

7. CHICKEN RICE - Seapark: Coffee Shop
opposite Seapark Market, run by
2
ladies whose husbands have since died.

8. FISH HEAD BEE HOON - Jln Gasing, PJ.
Seng Kee Restaurant, in row of
shops behind Lotus Restaurant.

9. MISCELLANEOUS - SS24 Tmn Megah: take
the LDP and exit left after
the
Kelana Jaya LRT Station (towards"SS24").A
hawker centre with over 70
hawker stalls (!!) allserving different dishes, no
duplicates (!!),
which
boast the best of each kind in town (!!) not too
difficult to locate.

10. YONG TAU FU - Ampang New Town/Ampang
Village (there are 3 shops,
so
have your pick)

11. PAN MEE - Along Jalan Tuanku Abdul
Rahman behind KahMotors.

12. HOKKIEN MEE - Petaling Street opposite
Hong Leong Bank

13. CHAR SIEW RICE - Jalan Tung Shin

14. NASI KANDAR - Kayu Nasi Kandar
Restaurant in Taipan, Subang with a
branch in SS2 a coffee shop formerly known as
Cheow Yang

15. Teh Tarak & roti - Taman Desa next to the
water tank

16. If money is not an issue - Madam Kwan (Nasi
Lemak & curry fish
head)

17. Little Penang (chow Koay Tiew & Prawnmee)

18. Bak kut teh - Jalan Imbi behind hong leong
bank

19. Satay - Naan Corner in Ampang, in between
International School and
RSPCA, called Nur Satay.

20. Banana Leaf - Kannas in SS2, behind Lisa De
Inn hotel

21. Nasi Lemak - Suzi corner, next to Ampang
city (used to be called
Kerris)

22. Won Ton Mien/Char Siew - Jln Sungai Besi;
on the way to PLUS. Only
open at 7pm-2am, a car repair shop by day.

23. Beef Brisket noodles - Tengkat Tong Shin;
runs parallel to Jalan
Alor.Stall near the beginning of the road. Open at
night till late.

24. Char Siew/Chicken rice - Tengkat Tong Shin;
further up the road.
Old
prewar shop house. This has to be the drop dead
unhealthiest piece of
anything you can insert in your mouth in KL? but
to die for. Chicken
is
strictly as filler to make sure you don't get a heart
attack
overdosing on
char siew.

25. Fish balls - Tengkat Tong Shin; a little further
up the road from
char
siew. Stall inside a coffee shop. This guy is good,
look at the amount
of
people he employs to helpout!

26. Hokkien mee (KL style -thick, black, yummy
(sounds kinky))
Petaling
Street; at the intersection opposite Hong Leong
Bank. Full of porcine
goodness. Still the gold standard of Hokkien mee.

27. Seafood noodles - Segambut; near Auto
Bavaria. A big bowl full of
noodles and assorted mussels, prawns, cuttlefish,
fish etc. for
reasonable
price. Pick of soup, clear, tom yam, curry. Forget
the rest, or for
the
curry. Soya bean with cincau not bad. Avoid on
Sunday mornings.You
will
wait for an hour. Fried Chicken Rice (only on
Weds and Sat)!! There
is a
branch now open in SS2 Chow Yang, called
Restoran Yu Ai with yellow
sign
board, just a few doors away from Kayu Nasi
Kandar.

28. Ploughman's Lunch ? Finnegan's Seri
Hartamas. A big plate filled
with
a pot of pate, slices of ham, pickle, onion, chunks
of cheese, a slab
of
butter, 4 hunks of bread. If you are EXTREMELY
hungry, this one's for
you.

29. Chef's salad - Flagz; behind Souled Out. This
salad is as all
salads
should be - crunchy FRESH veggies, and the
dressing is to die for.
Easily
the best salad in town. And I don't even like salad.
Beer is the
freshest
in town too, great bite.

30. Hokkien Mee (Penang style otherwise known
as Prawn noodles)
Champ's;
Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru. Standard gone
down somewhat recently,
but
still head and shoulders above all others in KL.

You'll have to go to Penang to beat this.
31. Char Kway Teow Bukit Damansara; behind
Hock Lee supermarket, next
to
Shell. Corner stall inside coffee shop. Best in KL.
The fellow has
been
frying for longer than I can recall, and he is so
good that you may
have
to wait up to 45 minutes during lunchtime. Doesn't
use too much oil
almost
perfect. As above, you'll have to go to Penang to
beat this. Other
stalls
in the same shop not bad.

32. Chicken rice Jalan Gasing; very close to the
Federal Highway, same
row
as Southern Bank 2 shops one in the middle, one
in the corner. Can't
decide which is superior, but both are very good.
Middle one has Ipoh
taugeh.

33. Bak Kut Teh Klang, just about anywhere.
Hokkien Association off
the
main highway leading to the heart of Klang is a
good place to start
for
beginners.

34. Dim Sum ? Marriott Hotel. Chinese restaurant
here serves northern
China style dim sum. Easily best dim sum in
town. A little pricey.

35. Fish head off Jalan Sungai Besi; just past
Won Ton Mien, turn left
right after BP. Three shops clumped together. All
look dilapidated but
don't worry. Don't know what type of fish they get
their heads from,
but I
suspect fresh water fish. Hot sauce fish head to
die for. Extremely
reasonable prices.

36. Bak Kut Teh Segambut; go past Auto Bavaria,
follow road all the
way
until you see a Chinese temple on your left. Enter
the temple
courtyard
and
you will see a tin shack where they serve bak kut
teh. Not quite up
there
with Klang, but nothing to sneeze at. Go for yam
rice rather than
white
rice. Fried Chicken Rice (only on Weds and Sat)!!

37. Nasi Kandar/Kerabu/Laut Taman Tun; the
other end of Secret Recipe
in a
store on the same block, usually with a van
outside. Truly Kelantanese
style. Only in the morning though.

38. Seafood ? Pulau Carey; get to Jalan Banting
and follow signs to
Pulau
Carey. Place called Kang Guan, just before the
actual bridge onto the
island. Cheap!

39. Nasi Lemak TangLin at Lake Gardens, near
the Clinic/Hospital. Only
open when government depts open.

40. Chicken rice - Bing Restaurant in Sri Rampai.
Wait till you drop
to
eat the chicken rice. Worth it

your system. Thank you

what foul???

This article was published in the NST on Gracie's supposed living conditions in India. what a load of c***! I don't blame Gracie for being outraged, cause actually, i am too! but the more i read, the more ridiculous it sounds...

Fifty Malaysian students studying medicine in India want to be transferred out immediately. The reason: They claim the teaching and living conditions at the Kasturba Medical College in Mangalore are "unbearable".
They also say they are being treated like children. Any student found not paying attention is asked to stand on the bench.

The students, who are Public Service Department scholarship holders, claim the facilities at the college do not meet international standards and that the PSD has been short- changed.

Another complaint of the students, who registered at the college in August, is that lecturers are conservative in their teaching approach (see graphics).

They sent a memorandum to Higher Education Minister Datuk Shafie Salleh on Oct 13 spelling out their grouses and asking that they be immediately moved to medical colleges in Britain or other countries, or be allowed to do twinning programmes in Malaysia.

Noor Hazin Mohd Zain, the father of one of the students, who visited the college recently, said today the students' meal was rice and gravy for which the PSD paid the college RM120 monthly per student.

If the students wanted meat or fish, they had to pay extra, he added.

He said the female students' hostel was initially located above a mortuary and that the doctors-in-the-making found the stench unbearable.

After complaining for two months, and with the intervention of the PSD, they were moved to air-conditioned rooms a few blocks away.

However, he claimed, the accommodation rate was increased by the college authorities. Noor Hazin claimed the classrooms were too big and students sitting at the back of the classroom could not hear the lecturers who did not use microphones. Some 300 students were in each classroom, he said.

The PSD spends between RM300,000 and RM500,000 on each student for five years. The 50 students are among Ma- laysia's top A-level students. This is the first time Malaysian students have been sent there by the PSD.

Another parent, A. Aziz Maarof, claimed chalk and blackboards were still being used in the classrooms.

"We are in an era where whiteboards are widely used even in primary and secondary schools. We have done away with chalk because it causes health problems."

The parents have sent an appeal to the PSD on behalf of their children.

Aziz said some of the parents met Shafie on Oct 4 and were waiting for action to be taken.

Meanwhile, a PSD spokesman said a team of PSD officers visited the college last month and had attended to some of the problems raised by the students, including being given better rooms.

He said PSD officers did not visit the college before sending the students there.

He said the college had promised to look into the food being provided to the students.

"We pay the students a living allowance which they can use to buy food," he said, adding that the students would not be transferred to another college.

------> well, the only issue that would cause alarm would be the standing on benches part, and also if they're really fed only rice and gravy. the benches part make it sound as if my darling sister is studying in an isolated African dessert with a 'classroom' so huge it can fit 300 ppl. of course, most modern lecture theatres do fit in that amount. and Gracie said that a lot of the local indians are vegetarians so naturally, it would make sense to charge a minimal fee for those wanting to eat poultry and fish. NATURALLY... they cant be making them all pay the same amount and get such different food... then the issue about the supposed 'mortuary' in the basement of the hostel... that's a dissection room, dear people... that would make visits to the dissection room to brush up on anatomy super convenient, and in real hospitals, dont the doctors stay in hostel which are at close proximity to REAL mortuaries? minus the chemicals to preserve the bodies too... and bodies of ppl who could have gone tragically etc... (if the issue they're arresting is ghosts la...) blackboards? gracie said most lectures are taught via power point and occasionally, they use the blackboard, which, by the way, as unhealthy as it is, even RCSI uses! and 'conservative' teaching methods? some institutions are proud to be maintaining the TRADITIONAL way of teaching... all these grievances... are they trying to say the indian students who study and pass out from there, are of sub-standard? a medical institution that has been in existence longer than any private medical institutions in malaysia, and even some international ones, isn't equipped to teach medicine in the full sense required? something tells me, these ppl just want to wormily wriggle their way to the supposedly 'better' universities of the west. actually, this message screams out at me when i read the part abt sending them to the UK or twinning. i'm really proud that my sister is fitting in well, and is gearing for the upcoming exams which seem to have slipped these ppl's minds, or maybe they're just trying to get out of it. So proud of you, gracie, that you're making full use of the opportunity to study,make the best of being there and absorb knowledge from the experience the lecturers share... i'm also happy my sister is above being so spoilt, and is the tough Gracie i know and love! will always be here for you, darling sister... anytime...



got up early this morning cause laysan borrowed my phone and i couldnt fall back to sleep. gosh, i feel sooo disorientated (or is it disoriented?)... :-) like im missing a limb, or part of my brain! but i took the chance to go to church early and receive the Sacrament of Confession. havent been at peace much the past few weeks... but am feeling so much better. hope i can stay as long as possible in this state of sanctifying grace and wear this Brown Scapular of mine... my migraine's miraculously gone, actually...

Datin Seri Endon Mahmood breathes her last...

i logged on after a really productive morning of early Anatomy class and a stint at the gym! ;-) then i read Glen's post on yahoogroups and he casually mentioned in passing abt the demise of Datin Seri Endon Mahmood at 7.55 am (GMT +8.00) today. i was struck and soooo shocked. i always remembered Datin Seri Endon as the loving wife of the PM and they were very demonstrative of their feelings, kissing each other on the cheeks, holding hands, gazing lovingly at each other... Love captured by the camera... :-) then i used to admire her strength in facing Breast cancer. newspapers used to mention her receiving treatment in the States and occasionally publish pictures of the PM welcoming her home at the airport... i never fathom it was so serious, then apparently, based on what i've read this morning, she went to LA for treatment then returned home to spend Raya with her family, but she was hospitalised in Putrajaya Hospital, and she went home and died with all her beloved family members present. i may be very insignificant to her and have not even met her, but my heart goes out to her family, esp Pak Lah and her daughter for losing a wife and mother respectively. also to her grandchildren... Pak Lah also just lost his mother some time last year, and according to one newspaper report he told Datin Seri Endon that he lost his mom and he didn't wanna lose her... :'( i couldnt stop the few trickles of tears that fell when i learned of her news. if this is the reaction of someone who has never met her, imagine how her family must be feeling...
here's to a truly wonderful, gracious, truly beautiful First Lady.
Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her.
May her soul rest in peace.

Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali called on all parties to pray for Endon to be blessed and placed among the loyal and obedient.

Pictures...

Limy's Birthday (13/10/2005)

Datuk Dr. Chua Soi Lek's visit




p/s i saw the chun Jesuit priest in church again! :-)

My Room...

will upload pics from the health minister's talk and limy's birthday when i get them from terry...