Endless mists of dark despair
Taunt in din
Mixed with glare
Happy beyond compare
Shimmering valiant hope
Full of trust
And fanfare
Torn beyond compare
Yay.
I’ve created 3 monsters (plus the title)
Enjoy!
4 hours 17 minutes and 45 second’s worth of music has passed
Out of sheer curiousity and perhaps accidental wit I did an unusual experiment today.
The time now is 5.42am, roughly 4 hours earlier I went to bed at 12.25am. The air conditioning was unusually cold, but I can’t off it because of the wretched mist of second hand smoke waiting to enter my room from my window, no thanks to some inconsiderate neighbours.. (such inconsiderate neighbours smoking into the wee hours of the morning, never buy a condo with a high smoker density if you can’t tolerate that.. but you wouldn’t know till you buy one right)
Because it was so cold and I had to tolerate the air cond, I decided to wear thick jeans and long sleeve clothing to bed, which was, mind you something I rarely do because my normal pyjamas are everyday clothing which you wear in the house to greet the guy who delivers the newspaper and the pizza.
I also left my notebook on, adjacent to my bed. Playing soft tunes of classical piano midi ranging from the compositions of Albeniz to Debussy. Now I slowly drift to sleep. It was getting warmer and the soft but high frequency sounds generated by the notebook’s PCI sound machine slowly lulled me to sleep. (How do I know its high frequency? Trust me I know, when it comes to its built in sound system, try tuning the volume to the max, it will produce negligible changes in the amplitude of the sound, because you can hardly hear it any louder, yet surprisingly your mother halfway across the house will be yelling at you to tune down the volume. talk about high penetration sounds)
Now I remembered this wierd dream. Yes by now those who were loyal readers of my ramblings should know that I have a profound interest in them, and although I don’t seriously think that it will have any prophetic value regarding my life, I do enjoy deciphering, remembering, and perhaps sharing them, it is after all a product of my sub-conscious mind.
I imagined that I was in school, but the difference was that it was now hugely renovated with many space age technology additions. The Japanese were here, the area dimly litted, it was morning and early, the kind of hours where you wouldn’t bet a million bucks that there’s a traffic jam in KL, well for a normal day anyway. There was also an ice cream convention sort of thing, with the nicest assortment of ice creams… it was like there were multiple booths all with its unique special ice cream to offer, there’s one that specialized in strawberry varieties, in dutch cheese decorations, innovative cutting edge japanese ones, chocolate ones, etc. Somehow some winner of some competition will be able to ‘buy’ for free from 3 of these stalls, and my dad and I happened to won something.. but before that it should be noted that in the bizzare dream state of SMK Cheras, FATIMAN was also lurking around. Because of all the new stuff in school, it was presumed that she would be there to commemorate the event.. there sure was some ‘big’ stuff going on, a major facelift of the school, an international ice cream convention, and japanese visitors walking around.. lol
Somehow while I stroll around the school, I talk with friends and teachers, and as usual whenever FATIMAN appears, she’ll say something unfavorable to upset the setting, during which I make a hasty escape. Was she hunting me down? boy do I feel like Alice in Wonderland… now all we need is a jack rabbit and a mad hatter…
Well, eventually I got to this scene where suddenly I seem to be in great haste and was running from or to something. With my dad (strangely) I traveled around dream world or at least prepared, then my dad spoke extremely fluent japanese to a jap girl nearby which I can’t make a word out of, after which 2 of my friends appeared and wisked me ahead in the speed of light (literally)
Travelling so quickly suddenly my friends let me go just meters in front of a boiling stove or something, and then I suddenly managed to stop. I was now at a cafetaria and the friends who helped me earlier grinning.
Now I don’t know how and why, in my dream a rhyme crossed my mind.
Of earth and sinners all around;
The identity of God made profound.
After that I heard the buzzing sound of my alarm clock. I woke up, only to find that the time is roughly 5.30am, I’m on my bed, classical piano midi music still playing from my notebook, and my alarm clock certainly didn’t ring, it was set to 7am.
Initially I wondered if there was someone else in the room that shut the alarm buzzer after letting it ring for 10 seconds instead of its usual 2 minutes. So I was reasonably alarmed, fortunately I was proven wrong. But in my subconscious state, the sound that I presumed to be the alarm clock buzzing was very real indeed.
I slept for roughly 4 hours… Yet I feel ENERGETIC, with a profoundly clear memory of my dream. Somehow my sleeping conditions today allowed me to gain energy from sleeping optimally? Well, maybe my dreams were related to stuff I did earlier today, like going out with dad, eating ice cream, stuff like that, but never have I been so conscious of stuff so sub-conscious as miniscule details from a dream.
4 hours of sleep
Adequate body warmth
Soft classical piano music
induced
A revelation of the sub-conscious (dream)
Poem or phrases that rhyme (the sinners and God rhyme)
Waking up full of energy and not groggy at all!
Perhaps I woke up at a most timely hour, where the sleeping cycle completed and I returned to stage 1. But to think that my brain actually made me wake up by making me believe that an alarm clock was ringing when it was actually 2 houurs from doing so, and that the brain was able to synthesize ideas while I was asleep (create poems) can it synthesize other stuff too? If this continues i will have a very rich original material to write a book. jajaja
Anyway, today I went to the hospital with dad to visit grandma. Grandma was checking out today, having spent 2 nights in the ward of the KL general hospital. At the ophtalmology ward (eye problems) lots of people who have just undergone eye operations were resting, most were old people, though a malay youth was there present too. As usual old people have a lot of stuff to talk about, and grandma kept talking about all the wrongs people (and stuff like tables and chairs) done to her over the years. She is perhaps a little bitter about her life, but I guess it is natural for old people to want to vent out everything and be understood, at least in the twilight years of their lives. Dad just dismissed her of course.
There were sick and people in agony all around me. The sight of the people there… a malay lady on the bed next to grandma was 90% blind after eating only 1 misprescribed medicine tablet from a doctor in Mersing. 1 of her eyes is completely blind and doctors are working hard to save her other eye, yet the most saddening part was perhaps that she came here all the way blind from Mersing with no family members alike. Somehow, I felt like energy was being drained from me at the hospital, like there were energy vampires there or something… no wonder so many doctors find their job stressful, just being there is a challenge.. after some adjustment of my paradigm however, the feeling of energy drainage left me. And I was sympathetic to the people in the hospital beds, and passion to be a doctor ignited once more.. that passion is so difficult to explain, its not like the passion to get rich, it is not rote, not complex, yet I believe it lies deep within every individual’s heart, because it feels so natural.
Perhaps life is just a very big sleep experiment, looking back at the hospital once more, its mundane yet optimistic structure, the sick, the smart, and the deceased…. the path of life isn’t hard to predict… or is it? Well, it depends on your point of view…
The weather is nice today. I had a stupid nightmare.
It was dark in the middle of the night, I found myself in front of a dimly lit store. There was this girl standing next to me, did not talk. So I tried to strum up a conversation to no avail. I think I was waiting for the store owner to get me something while my friend waited somewhere in the dark near the car. The girl just left, and then when I got back my friend was slit open with his intestines and stuff and dangling out. That girl must have been a Pontianak. ( I won’t be specific which friend is that, but take a wild guess)
As easy as dreams change scene I found myself in a second scene where I had awesome jumping power. The trouble was, I was in a realm that looked something like Silent Hill, with only a torch in hand, alone in the dark, with a Pontianak somewhere, I frantically tried to find a way out. Then I entered this forest realm, it was still dark, but now rather than blood I can see green, in the moonlight, then there was this commotion about a lion in the loose, the lion was on the streets! somehow I found myself trying to avoid the lion by entering a house and locking the door, the lion saw me, the lion seems to want to kill me, and the iron grills were failing… oh no, running out of ideas.. that stupid house only had mops and no weapons.
poof* woke up
I wonder if its a sign or something, as usual strange mechanical noises could be heard outside the window as is the case whenever I have a nightmare, the time was 6 something, still dark…
Later that day.
Front seats again! Today I’ll probably sit through all 4 talks, so I prepared myself by buying chicken floss buns and an egg tart. Stocking them in my pocketful pants, I won’t have to worry about lunch anymore. jajaja. The first talk of the day was entitled Options after SPM by Jerry Tan. Again, excellent presentation by a seemingly serious and authoritative speaker with a tinge of humor… One man show it seems
After SPM: Its important to select your interests first. After that you will need to plan your course in terms of the time, your budget, your strength and weaknesses, as well as the usefulness and prospects of the course itself. If you don’t plan properly say, your budget for example, You may find that you can get by the first year but then have an account of zero balance when it comes to the second. To those who are really so ambitious to take medicine, be warned that it is not easy, there are many other health science such as chiropractic etc. Food science is also interestingly marketable. If you can create something that children all over the country in schools eat in the canteen and is healthy nutritious and agreeable to parents, then you can very well become an instant millionaire. Forensics is also an interesting field and is increasing in popularity now with the likes of CSI influencing the younger generations. Its not as easy as it seems of course, you can’t solve crime in just an hour like the shows but its a rewarding career. For engineers, ensure that you have professional recognition from the Washington Accord so that you can work anywhere in the world. Be sure of the course you want, computer science in particular is misleading because of its seemingly similar sub science courses, some students study multimedia expecting to study drawing, that is wrong of course. And don’t think just because all you have to do is sit down in front of a computer screen your work is easy. As quoted of a game designer, he had to play a game 24/7 for 6 months before he was sure that it was ready. Now that definitely requires a great deal of interest and patience! Also do not think that business degrees are lousy, they are reasonably good because of its low entry requirements and its usefulness. In light of this, double degrees are also the hot thing in today’s job market, and one needs to get the best combo in order to make oneself marketable. An example of a double degree would be perhaps mass communication plus strong minors like music, science, law or sports, things that interest you. And in this way you’ll find your options and credibility as well as job satisfaction and choice greatly enhanced. Finally as a last point, be sure to check recognition. All colleges must be accredited by LAN and they should always have continuity, meaning the courses don’t just stop there halfway and is left unrecognized. Be sure too to take note of special entry requirement exams. For more information surf up to www.studylink.com.my
Well wasn’t that educational.. ha ha, I didn’t desperately need to listen to this talk of course, I already have planned my higher studies pathway… Form 6, and then either local or overseas university to study medicine.. and between then and now, amass $360,000!.. lol. It sure will not be easy… perhaps I should start a business? hmmmmmmmm…
I stayed at my seat, the next talk was about funding higher education. The talk was to be about the PTPTL loans and the Star scholarships.
PTPTL (pity pity loan?)
I think it stands for Peminjaman blabla Pendidikan tinggi something something…
PTPTL: All applications are to be done through all colleges or universities, do not go to the office, please, we’re busy. In other words, you need to enter a certain college or uni first before applying for a loan. There are 2 dates per semester where the office is open for applications. Documents that are used must be verified by university or college. Naturally, each applicant may only apply for one loan. The loan can bounce if one gets lousy result, (GPA lower than 2.0), or change course without prior knowledge to PTPTL. The loan is open for the application of all Malaysian citizens and has a low interest rate of 1.2%. There are several different types of loans which are offered according to a person’s household income, household income meaning the money that the flows into the family account after deducting loan payment, bills and stuff like that. When it comes to colleges, not all colleges will be supported by PTPTL, but only those that are have been accredited by LAN, take note of the college’s grade of A B or C, as these grades reflect their credibility and are labeled by PTPTL. The paying back of the degree starts approximately 6 months after the completion of the degree.
I think I’ll need to apply for a pity pity loan in the near future too.. lol
Mr Ng Kok Wah - The star Education Fund:
There are 2 tiers in the fund namely tier 1 and 2. The fund is applicable by Malaysians below the age of 25, with excellent grades, co-curricular records, personal qualities such as presentation skills, as well as a low family income. The tenure only covers the tuition fees, boarding and other expenses may not be covered.There is no bond attached to tier 2 because it is sponsored by partner colleges. However, tier 1 recipients must fulfill certain responsibilities to The Star because they are sponsored by it. In the application process, 4 parties are involved mainly the scholarship giver, the applicant, as well as 2 guarantors. There must be no breaching of condition, if it does happen, then the scholarship will be terminated and the applicant must pay back everything. So, choose your course wisely according to your interest, attitude, and aptitude.. it will be good to seek more information about the available courses, the content, institution and fees too. To date there are 375 scholarships available. Scholarships include courses including psychology, music, biochemistry. etc. Forms may be downloaded from The Star website. Closing date for application forms is March 3. Now time for some interview tips. To be successful in an interview, the interviewee is advised to = get background information of the giver of the scholarship, be courteous, be at ease, ask relevant questions and have 2 way communications, be willing to discuss, listen carefully, dress smartly, and most important of all, be honest.
EHEK, this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when the idea of funding further education popped up in my mind. I thought they’ll give more creative tips but this is all so very… predictable. Let me guess, no one works or find their own money to fund their own education anymore.. especially not medicine eh… but if we do not strive hard for it both in studies and financially, but only depend on parent’s settlement of study fees, how would one ever be self reliant? As the saying goes, those that we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly, it is dearness that gives everything its value. Heaven knows how to put a price on its goods.
At about this time yesterday it was time to eat and be happy. Unfortunately today because I wanted to listen to the engineering talk, I did not have the liberty of time. Thank goodness that little chicken floss bread managed to tame my stomach. Having swallowed my tiny lunch, I reentered the convention hall, while Weng Sheng went vroom vroom back to KLCC to get something to eat or drink quickly.
Oh no, I think the fat lady chairperson is pissed off at me for reserving a seat for Weng Sheng. In the front seat some more. Fortunately WS arrived just in the nick of time before some other guy had to come up front to take his place. The engineering talk started. Unfortunately, I didn’t find it too interesting. Well, curiosity, not ambition, drove me to place my butt on the chair in the convention hall during this hour.. unlike the aspiring engineers all around me. I almost fell asleep.
Let’s see, lots of stuff were mentioned by the first speaker Prof Dr Rehan Karim. Basically he explained that engineering has a diverse range of disciplines and students who want to be engineers should be good in subjects such as physics and chemistry. He also shares his vision of training more excellent engineers in the country. Next was Ashaari Mohd Yakub, who added that an excellent quality of an engineer was the interest in making things, to always have a creative plan, yet always investigate and collect data systematically and correctly. Engineers can work by making stuff like well, all kinds of stuff or basically sit in an office and work in the consultation department. The washington accord was mentioned again and examples of recognized engineering fields include civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, agriculture, etc.
Next was the boy genius prodigy Prof Dr Lee Sze Wei, this guy apparently is one of the greatest scholars in the country, having won many awards such as best SPM results, best PHD project and stuff like that. A genius to make things simple.
Too bad genius wasn’t the word for his presentation. As he himself said, engineers can be pretty boring sometimes because they define everything by logic till they get overly obsessed with their jobs. He did raise some interesting point though, that the purpose of engineering is to improve the quality of life through systematic and creative methods. He also stressed of the quality of engineers. Unfortunately the presentations so far seem to overlap engineering with too many other fields which seem to create the image that scientists and engineers are one.
Next we have, not a nerd, nor a Dr or a professor, now this is the type of engineer with the most interesting success story. Mr. Oh Kah Beng, who is head of Lotus for the Asia Pacific region, has an obsession for speed. As a teenager he often participated in races, and liked to dismantle stuff to see how they work, as well as tweak his motorcycle engines to make them go faster. His talent was noticed after winning a race ( a legal one) and soon he was picked up by the Yamaha company to work with them. Eventually this landed him in high positions in automobile companies that finally got him to Lotus. He emphasized the importance of reading and following your passions. Know your passions and ambitions, and then work them to the fullest and give it your 100%. Also, one should develop an inquisitive mind and be curious about how everything works. may i recommend www.howstuffworks.com? Anyway, his presentation technique, serious, and relating to a personal real life story, certainly made his talk the best among the 4 engineers.
The big finale for the event, and the main reason why I’m here today, the talk about medicine.
As the aspiring engineers soon left the scene. An army of aspiring doctors barge at the door in an attempt to enter. to no avail of course, the hall was full! Aren’t I thankful to have a front seat at this point. The wall to my right was peeled away, literally, to combine the current hall with another one adjacent to it. Still not enough space it seems, and inevitably, the latecomers were forced to lace the floor with their butts.
The first speaker: Dr Ong Hean Teik
He really gave an excellent presentation. Excellent presentation metaphors. Simply superb!
Dr. Ong: It is a lifelong passion, to become a doctor, basically one way to become a doctor is to do your STPM, or foundation, then continue on with the 5-6 years clinical course and end up with a medical degree namely MBBS. A long time ago however, there was no such thing as a medical education, and students generally learn from apprenticeship to a senior medical practitioner. To be a doctor, you need to be open minded and humble. You need to have a liking to serve people, to be a community doctor. Some traits that a doctor should have is of course hard work, but as a Singapore doctor once said, you need more butt power than brain power in studying medicine. Generally it means that you need tremendous discipline. After you get your medical degree its not the end of the line, as a postgraduate you’re now faced with a more daunting task where you will need to work and study at the same time. There will be no classes but there will be exams, it is also now where you choose a specialty, even a GP is a specialty… work hard, and always remember that your patients are your teachers. Your chosen line of specialty should be one that you enjoy and have talent for. Even after your career unofficially starts as a doctor you will still require more skills as you advance, such as people skills as well as continuous education of the latest medical updates. So needless to say, doctors should enjoy learning, and have a liking to help a fellow human being. Being a consultant is the aspiration of all medical specialists though it isn’t exactly the most high paying job. There is no money in medicine, a good doctor is certainly not one who only cares about the fees his patients are paying. So if money is your prime motivation, think again. Studies shows that 60% of the doctors in Malaysia are unhappy, because they had the wrong motivations to become a doctor. Here I would also like to introduce to everyone a Chinese word, namely Ting. Which means listen. If you observe the word, it is made out of the Chinese characters, ears, eyes, and heart. So as a doctor you will need to listen with your ears, observe with your eyes, and pay full attention with your heart to your patients. You should also have morality and be principled. Being materialistic is a definite no-no in this line. Doctors should also respect the ones with moral and wisdom and not the ones with money and money. In short, seek competency, work hard, and work professionally.
Yeah that’s him. I’m in the picture too, but its too blur I think. ha ha. He recommended aspiring doctors to read a book edited by him entitled, The Life of a Doctor
Second Speaker: Mr. Teoh Seng Lee, Honorary Consulate of the Russian something something
OK, this is a promoter of Russian medicine, which holds my interest as it is one of my medical study options.
Russia!: Why Russia? well, why not? Do not worry. There are English Medical courses in Russia, and there are currently 5 medical universities that are recognized there. It is also rather affordable and has been a popular choice for Malaysian medical students for a long time. Some basic requirements would include good SPM results or STPM with a CGPA of more than 3.00 as well as subjects like biology and chemistry. Try this website. www.russian-resources.com . There are a few choice of cities when it comes to making a decision where to stay. Moscow, high cost of living but the active lifestyle there makes it attractive to some. In other states, the cost of living is lower but the travel time is a little bit inconvenient. In light of this, I should warn everyone to beware bogus and unauthorized agents, remember that only 5 medical universities in Russia are recognized locally. Also it would be wise to compare hidden costs in a agency’s package to detect hidden costs. Compare the services and reputation of the agencies but the best bet is still to call the Russian embassy for details.
Third Speaker: Prof Dr. Satisha Nayak
The doctor with the heavy Indian Accent, looked very familiar, as if I’ve talked to him recently…
India!:Yesterday I talked to a student who planned ahead so well that he even planned that his last ditch career was to be a nasi lemak seller. I think that is good! And if you want to know just how much passion is needed to be a doctor, just put your face into a bucket of water and wait for 2 minutes, you will need to have that much a wanting for air as much as your passion to be a doctor! A good doctor has 3 key criterias namely knowledge, skill, and attitude. Anyway, the Indian medical system under MCI has 176 recognized medical universities. Placings in these universities are based on meritocracy, in other words the scholar with the better results gets more priority. English is readily available here in India and as you all know, India is now the leading Asian IT giant, and so IT is integrated even into the medical courses in order to make learning easier for the students, For more information about India, try www.mciindia.org
Fourth Speaker: Dr Kuljit Singh
Sing!: What can be said of a doctor? well, for sure there’s ambition involved, noble and caring characteristics, as well as decent monetary strength. To qualify, locally especially you will need a good pre University result of a standard more than 3.5 GPA though its accepted nationwide unofficially, a GPA of 4.0. If you noticed, recently the government has also introduced character evaluation as one of the screening process in determining worthy medical students from those who are better off doing something else. Scholarships and loans are the most obvious choices as the way to settle tuition fees in medical education. Try www.iime.org. In fact, also try calling this number to inquire from JPA - 03-88831400. or visit their website at www.jpa.gov.my. To study overseas you will also need a no objection certificate. Also a word of caution, in medical studies, you must pass each and every exam and dissertation, there is no such thing as failing lest one is prepared to leave the medical institution because doctors must be trained to be competent enough to make life changing decisions. Houseman-ship as is mentioned many a times, is compulsory for all Malaysian doctors. There are many ways for one to practice medicine, either in private hospitals, government hospitals, as an army medic or even as a lecturer in a college or university. Remember however if you’re a lecturer, you still have to see patients and the only difference is that you have more work to do, mainly to lecture.
Finally the talk was closed by Professor Dr Lokman, the Dean of University Malaya medical faculty. His advice was to never give up, enjoy the new medical curriculum and choose a medical institution well based on its facilities. He also dismissed the common myth that a good university is the one with the most cadavers. Most universities now minimize the usage of cadavers, preferring to replace them with mannequins. Human anatomy was after all, only one subject out of dozens which are included in the medical course. Next, Professor Lokman showed us a video clip made by a fellow medical student which depicts the life of a medical student, it was inspiring to say the least, and I somehow feel all the more excited to pursue my ambition to be a doctor.
Later I tried to find the book that was recommended by Dr. Ong at Kinokuniya to no avail. Oh well, I guess its time to head for home. Contemplating on the things that I’ve been exposed to today, just as everyone in the LRT who was quiet was presumably doing, while being whisked away at 80km/hour across KL..
Back home..
And yeah, for a number of reasons I would like to declare that I would no longer be a Naruto fan. I realized that certainly there must be better use for my time than to entertain my brain with cartoons and comics. Time is so much at the essence.
So, yeah…
A perfectly normal rainy Saturday morning. Umbrella in hand, I trans-located myself… from the murks of home to the foot of the tallest building in South East Asia… It would appear that I have been early. The KL convention center is busy and silent in its own unique ways.. students and workers who are strangers, greet each other silently by not bumping into one another in the gigantic walkway of the KL convention center. I for one, just found it amusing contemplating the exciting events which lie ahead of me, as I gazed at the clouds touching the pinnacle of the twin towers through the giant glass walls of the KL convention center…
This was the first time I attended The Star’s annual education fair. Undoubtedly a big event for aspiring scholars and priggish parents throughout the Klang Valley, it provided an excellent weekend family trip. I was alone though, Weng Sheng wasn’t there yet.
The doors of the first convention hall opened. I made a dash to the front seats. The first talk of the day as it was written on a board in front read Studying and Working: Personal Experiences. Sounds interesting. Oh no, I forgot my pen again. Well, I guess it would be a good opportunity to test my mind mapping skills to help me remember what was being said. The panelist soon filled the stage, took their seats and the talks began.
First speaker: Lawyer - M.S Teofillus Ponniah
Well, the lawyer started the ball rolling for the first talk of the day. In a nutshell, I’ll try to regurgitate what I think he said…
Knowledge: There is a major misconception that what one learns in university have little to do with the real working world. As a matter of fact, the university is an excellent place for scholars to get a taste of social life and develop important skills by involving oneself in co-curricular activities. That having said, one should always have an inquisitive mind and gain a large array of knowledge from reading. For example, when I was interviewed for my job I was asked questions about the WTO (World Trade Organization) as well as a myriad of controversial issues. It seemed that what the interviewer wanted to see was not the best answer, but a logical one that presented the interviewee as a competent individual with a strong command of general knowledge as well as good social skills. It is also important to study consistently and smartly for exams such as STPM… learn to learn.
Technology: What’s the difference between students now and students 100 years ago? Well, generally there were books, pens, stuff like that, which has not change for just about that long. Now however, with the addition of new technology such as the Internet, electronic devices etc, students must embrace this new technology and use it to their advantage. Otherwise it really is a sad thing, that one did not maximize the advantage at hand. For example in the field of law, should a lawyer want to find a certain part of a law, a long time ago one would had to go through tons of archive in a library but now, with technology, one only needs to search for it using a computer application.
Networking: Never underestimate the power of friendship. Make it a point to keep in touch. Value relationships because they will be very helpful. If you have a friend in the police force for example, you probably don’t have to worry about summons. Kidding of course, but the point is one should get to know as much people as possible. Who knows if the person sitting next to you now would be a billionaire tomorrow or in ten years? And then how you would regret not getting to know him!
Second speaker: Public Relations Executive - Anandhi Gopinath
A bubbly Indian lady, typical of a PR executive. A nice job she has with lots of meeting people and stuff.
Attitude: In this world attitude makes a person complete. You need to always be polite and have a strong character. Because later when you get into life, you’ll be faced with lots of challenges. Also you must follow your passion in whatever you do, becoming a doctor, engineer, or lawyer are not the only jobs available, pursue your dreams.
Activity: Always be active in everything! In universities, be active in co-curricular stuff. If you have time, I highly recommend working part time. The experience gained is useful. And it helps lower expenses too.
Reality: In whatever you do, you need to put one foot in reality always. Realize what is your position in life, and basically, get real. In the working realm you’ll definitely be stepped on as a freshman, you just gotta bear with it with a smile because later when you’re promoted, its your turn to step on others! lol
Third Speaker: Engineer - Ling Seng Woo
His presentation was slightly different compared to the 2 previous panelists, interesting presentation methods. When he talked, there just was this air of seriousness and authority which kinda made it humorous.
Self Searching: The question is not what I think you should do or think, but that question should be asked by yourself. Search yourself to find what really suits you. It may seem glamorous to have top notch jobs but trust me unless you enjoy them you’ll regret for the rest of your life. I have a friend who is a clown who earns $8000 a month, and that’s twice my income. My wife has a degree in Genetics but settled as a Guitar instructor, and of course earns much more than me.. also parents, let your children decide what careers they want, because it is they are mature enough to know what suits them best.
Fourth Speaker: Doctor - Dr. Tan Li-Zsa
A well mannered lady, who would’ve guess what she had in store.. lol
Who wants to be a doctor?: Let’s see if these people who raised their hands will have second thoughts after I’m done with my presentation. (’evil’ grin). First as you all know it is extremely hard to get into medicine, and to survive the 5 year course is another amazing survival feat itself. Well after that, you’ll have to serve the government for 4 years, regardless if you paid for your own education or you took a government loan or scholarship whatsoever. The working hours of a doctor is also interestingly long. You have to work 34 hours a day, basically you go to work at 7 O’clock in the morning and go back home at 5… the next day! So you don’t even have time to take a shower or clean yourself. Naturally there’ll be strange smells. And during houseman-ship of course, for every extra day 24 hours non stop you work, you get RM25. So yeah, you can do the calculations yourself. You earn more working in a McDonald’s restaurant! So if you’re into medicine because of the money, then you should seriously reconsider! Also, being a doctor you won’t have holidays. And no you can’t take leave for being sick unless its a government certified MC. And normally one only gets it when he’s in a coma. Otherwise you’ll be expected to work. Also the hospital is no heaven, you cannot escape the people politics there, the competition for promotion, and also the being stepped on during your junior years. Not forgetting also that Malaysia has the among the world’s highest road accident rates, be prepared for a myriad of disgusting and difficult cases coming from these misfortunes. So that being said, you’ll of course be expected to rush to the hospital if needed during the middle of the night. The bottom line is, don’t get into medicine unless you’re very sure of it, and don’t do it just because your family or friends pressure you to do so. Its ultimately a choice and question you have to ask yourself…
And with that the Q and A session followed but nothing interesting there. A round of applause follows and I stepped out the hall to see if WS arrived yet. Well, apparently he’s at the exhibitions. The next talk was biotechnology. Unfortunately I didn’t find it too interesting. The first guy was a professor something… notably shaken to make a presentation in front of so many people. The next speaker was an Indian fresh graduate guy who is working, the third was a UM lecturer Indian lady, and also last but not least, a professor with the most inquisitive look.
The first and second speaker generally outlined that the prospects of biotechnology in our country was excellent, with the government making the recent biotechnology dunno what what act. Which generally reflects the government’s realization of the importance of biotechnology thus seeking to improve it. Biotechnology also branches to many many fields. Stuff like that. The third speaker was a little more interesting as she gave us an insight to the bio-tech courses in UM. She specializes in fungi, so she explained the prospects of using fungi’s antibiotic properties to help kill bacteria. Unfortunately she also underlined the fact that for a certain medicine to be developed and mass produced for public consumption, the process itself could take well up to 8-10 years, and then perhaps by then the pathogen might have mutated or only need a short time to grow an immunity to it. So it’s generally difficult. The fourth speaker with a twinkle in his eye emphasized the importance of practical work in the field of biotechnology. One must not only study the theories but it is essential to conduct experiments and stuff like that. He also added that the research process is generally a try and try again process, so don’t get disheartened if you fail, because one of the key trait of a great scientist is the ability to rise everything he falls. And last but not least, he also stressed that one should enter university with the correct mindset, that is, to learn, and not merely to pass test and get a degree. Learning to learn, is extremely important.
Well said. Applause again. Finally met up with Weng Sheng, so we went for lunch at Burger King. After a long wait we finally got our chicken burgers.. lol. Apparently Yi Ling saw us as and waved to us as we were sitting next to the glass window. lol she didn’t come for the fair but apparently we didn’t notice her. jajaja. Later we went to the exhibitions. The third talk of the day was not of our interest as it was Sunny Yee’s talk about SPM stuff which was nothing of our concern. The exhibition was like PC fair! Not hard to imagine. So as I was time conscious, and because Weng Sheng already made his rounds around the booths, we only went to the booths that held my interest. Medicine.
As I was in an inquisitive and playful mood, excitedly I skipped from booth to booth inquiring about medicine. And most of the people there were very friendly too, and willing to spend their time explaining their offers as well as other stuff invaluable for a wannabe medical student like myself. I managed to obtain some useful information, about the general options for those interested in medicine. Choices include, Russia, Indonesia, India, Egypt, etc. It would be great fun to get to travel to a country and get a culture shock and study there… but hmm. I would prefer to go to Russia because I think the weather is interesting. Also after seeing Joanne seemingly having so much fun in Russia after the student exchange program, I would l like to experience it myself! Indonesia and India were definite no-no to my parents, apparently they’re worried that I get killed or something =.=".. Yea of course, I guess. Egypt was something I’ve never seen before. By far the cheapest foreign medical course at $91,000! Hmm. But I’m in no hurry… My major step into the realm of medical studies will only start after STPM, and I certainly want to have a fighting chance into local universities, which offer medical courses at $40,000 more or less. And then of course. The one at Bukit Jalil, the International Medical University… aiks by far the most expensive… about 300,000 ringgit! HMM, and to think I wanted to fund myself……. To amass that much money, I would need a passive income of $500 a day, earn $15,000 a month, for 2 years… and I must study my pre-U course at the same time, LOL, what a dreamer I am eh…
Having amass a considerable wealth of information, we left the exhibition. Hey look free gifts for those who fill in some forms. So I filled in a form, simply ticked my choice for best booth, and received 2 soya bean drinks, and an instant curry Maggee noodle. whee, now that’s a good deal. Again we quickly greeted everyone around us by not bumping into them, as we made our way up to the 3rd floor to attend the final talk of the day. Sunny’s talk is almost over…
The final talk of the day…
We sat in front as usual of course.
First speaker: Dentist - Dr Suresh Nair
Ok, it is appropriate to note that during this session, every speaker seems to have an objective of promoting their own profession, so depending on how you view it, it might even seem like some sort of competition.
Dentistry: It is extremely satisfying being a dentist. Basically you have a chance to help people in a very special way. A dentist deals with the region of the mouth and teeth just as well as a psychologist deals with the thinking and a physiotherapist the body. It is nice that you are able to help a person by inflicting a significant physical improvement in a person’s smile for example, and that in effect gives the person a better self esteem. This is all thanks to cutting edge dentistry technology. As a dentist you will also be able to meet other dentists and discuss about the latest techniques etc. For example recently I attended the world dentist something something gathering thingy. A dentist’s work does not lie in the clinic only, but also covers forensics, aesthetics, health, etc. If you want to be a dentist, you will need to be patient and enjoy meeting people, because sometimes a patient in pain will behave in the most annoying manner where in that situation as a dentist you will need to be understanding as well as competent enough to act swiftly and decisively in order to help this person.
Second Speaker: Pharmacist - Ang Khoon Lim
Hmm, perhaps the job of dispensing medicine does not deal with too much people and the notion of speaking in front of so many may perhaps have been a little mind boggling if not a lot.
Pharmacy: When I was a young lad my family gave me a lot of encouragement, they even gave me a nickname, Doctor Lim. Lim is my last name but not my surname, anyway I had always aspired to be a doctor but unfortunately after the STPM examinations, I was a grade short of entering medicine, so I chose pharmacy instead. Of course I didn’t regret. Because its of itself interesting and I get to help people too. Basically a pharmacist’s job is to dispense medicine, sell medicine to doctors so to speak. So it can very well be very rewarding. To the parents, I have this to say, that it is important to give encouragement to your children, in the same way, I encourage my children to pursue their interests. Like when I noticed that my daughter had a liking to use green tea leaves to make tea for me, I could tell that she would be a future herbalist in the Ang family. Anyway, pharmacy is a very good and may be considered as an alternative to the medical course. But when choosing an institution, make sure that it is recognizable. Finally, I would like to emphasize that aptitude, attribute, and attitude are the 3 things that make a successful pharmacist.
Third Speaker: Psychologist - Dr Goh Chee Leong
Being a person who deals with people rather than medicine tablets, the psychologist was stark contrast to the pharmacist, taking a bold front he stood in front of the stage and made an interesting presentation.
Psychology: Many people confuse psychology as a profession for people who like to work with crazy people. This is of course about as far from the truth as it can get. Psychology actually deals with the study of the way people think. It is about understanding people and it is by itself a proper stream of science. There are many types of psychology such as bio/neuropsychology, cognitive psychology, and even sports psychology etc. Psychologists never have a problem finding a job, prospects locally are good because our country is in dire need of psychologist, there are only 800 psychologists in Malaysia! And yet psychology deals with an important asset, people. And therefore psychologists are always in high demand in any institution you could possibly think of. Also, they make excellent employees because they are the best in understanding people, interpersonal skills, and research skills. In short, people who become psychologists not only have the ability to help others, but more importantly to help them understand themselves better, so what do you think?
Fourth Speaker: Physiotherapist - Marc J Daniel
Physiotherapy: Generally speaking it is a kind of allied health science which aims to treat patients without the use of medicine or surgery. This also includes the usage of electromagnetic devices to facilitate the recuperation of patients. Physiotherapy has excellent career prospects in sports teams for example, where team players need constant and proper guidance on ways to strengthen specific muscles as well as because in sports players often get hurt. Again,it branches into many sub-science including kinaesiology, etc…
Well, after all that, day 1 of the education fair was over. Talk about a general account! I hope you will find these information about as useful as I do. I will resume blogging on day 2 very soon. Just give me a 5 minutes break.
A person cannot serve two masters, because he will serve one and despise the other, or he will love one and hate the other. You cannot serve both money and God…
Hmm… It is often said that God tests the hearts of men with money. How true it is this statement. Indeed, men should always control themselves, always remember their mortality, that we may be here today but gone the next, or it is our last week on earth… for it is the most effective way for anyone, believer or non believer, to understand what really matters to us in life.
I had a dream.
In my dream I was very happy. No I wasn’t the richest man in the world, nor had I become more handsome, won the lottery, became the best student in Malaysia, won a guitar competition or something, it wasn’t that…
Yet in that dream, I was a very nice person. People whom I knew, regardless of whether they were friends or people whom I disliked, seemed precious to me. In my dream, I felt wonderful just being with all of them, helping them in the most jovial manner, in all ways imaginable… I was giving free guitar lessons to some friends, walking all the way to their houses just to impart them a little knowledge, I was giving encouragement to everyone I knew, yet I didn’t feel shameful nor the least bit mortified. I was giving away my stuff, old stuff and new stuff to people who really wanted or needed them, yet I didn’t feel stupid nor the least bit poorer. I was visiting everyone I could think of, and asking to serve them and granting them wishes that are within my power. Yet I didn’t feel the least bit degraded or superficial… I spend a lot of my time in church. Devoting to God 100%… Everyone around me seemed surprise. OMG, has Jia Loon become a saint? No, not really, its just that he’s going to die in 3 days.
poof* I woke up.
Looks at ceiling and jumps down the bed. I’m still alive.
Later I read the newspaper… there was an article about a boy who died yesterday. He had a wasting leukemia disease and thus could not enjoy a normal childhood. He observed and understood the pain and suffering of the people in the hospitals. So he decided that when he grew up he would be a doctor so that he could help all these people. He was only 10 when death came knocking at his door… he never had the chance to fulfill his ambitions.. but because of his desire to help others, he voluntarily donated all his organs to people who needed them… I was very inspired by his selfless act.
That’s it, I have decided on my ambition.
Funny how life is isn’t it. Yet most people do not appreciate it… Life is about fulfilling our responsibilities to the one who sent us into this world… God.
Sometimes life may seem difficult and we ask God for help… Yes indeed sometimes life can be so frustrating, we become emotional and angry, blaming the people around us, and some even blame God for their predicament! But, as Leo Tolstoy once put it..
When I am in difficult circumstances, I ask God to help me. But it is my duty to serve the Lord, and not His to serve me. As soon as I remember this, my burden becomes lighter.
But to those who do not acknowledge God, who are atheist and believe that we are all results of random equations and possibilities this is what life would seem…
Just imagine that the purpose of your life is your happiness only - then life becomes a cruel and senseless thing. You have to embrace what the wisdom of humanity, your intellect, and your heart tell you: that the meaning of life is to serve the force that sent you into the world. Then life becomes a constant joy.
I had a falling out with my mother… again… for the last time.
Happy New Year! Or is it? It seems misfortune prowl upon the unwary during these times. Like a lion upon gazelles crowding upon a water hole, the din and glare of festive fireworks has made people unwary… unwary of the problems of the world, the predicament of our environment, the demoralization of society, the whines of babies discarded like chewing gums, and the feuds within the family to name a few. Yet when these problems like sands on the beach are summed and counted from all over the world, it would be apparent that mankind has little to rejoice over. But who cares, let’s burn some money…
Dad’s colleague uncle Kelvin has just been promoted. A jolly young man with an avid interest in racing cars, uncle Kelvin invited our family over to dinner. It was new year’s eve.
The weather was cold, it was drizzleling. The time was 6pm. Dressing our best, we were going to uncle Kelvin’s house. Outside my home, a very mentally disturbed mom entered the car and started a debate about how God blesses her and curses me … With quotations from her lala housewife friends whom she held an interest of spilling all our family problems to, she eloquently attempted to justify her position as an omnipotent being, and me as a well, omninotpotent being.
And so the car did not move for another 5 minutes or so as dad sort of like waited for her to get off the car as she continued rambling.
As the bible says, a tiny spark is all that is needed to set a great forest on fire. I am partly to blame for all this happening but I have decided on my stand. I will give my mother the silent treatment for 10 years, and I will not have anything to do with her, nor eat her food, nor take any favors from her whatsoever, lest she starts confessing my sins of being an ungrateful brat…
Although all this nonsense was prompted by an insignificant event, my conflicts with my mother started from a very young age. I never had a happy childhood at home, humiliation and derogation reign supreme in my household, thanks to my mother. It is often said that child abusing tendencies are inherited. I believe this fact is well validated. My mother was given away at a young age to another family, and I suppose that did not bring her fond memories as well. However that is no excuse for the neglect and subjugation of her own offspring. Sad to say, what’s done is done, and I unfortunately have been influenced in a very negative way by all this upbringing. If I would pass on these tendencies as well, sigh, I wonder whether I should have children..
I was rearranging my closet that day. Cleaning out my closet if you will. And so naturally, I had a great deal of junk of which I needed to dispose of. My mother came into the picture and started a lecture about 10 reasons why you’re so stupid to throw them away. And naturally, having countless time being pushed around, I retaliated… and naturally said lots of bad things. The next thing I knew, my mom was in her room calling up all her friends to spread the good news, that she found another major flaw in her son…
Back at the car, mom was still babbling away. Dad certainly wasn’t happy. Thanks to all the stress from this family feud, dad lost focus when he was driving and a motorcycle rammed into his new Toyota Innova when he was making a U turn. Thankfully the car was very strong built. But an inauspicious dent remains at the driver’s door. It must be supremely frustating to have your new car dented…
Finally dad started the car, and we were well on our way to Segambut where uncle Kelvin’s house was. In front of other people, mom became as timid as a mouse. It was a most generous 8 course dinner, filled with crabs, prawns, chicken, abalone and sumptious chinese dishes. Because I was sitting at the ‘children’s’ table, there were certainly no competitions for the food. Like a high efficiency super silent meat grinder, I made all the dishes on the table disappear one by one as the ‘little’ (11-14 years old) children around me gaze at me in awe, mouth ajar, stomach bloated (literally).. lol
After the meal, we went to the house of uncle Kelvin’s friend. There we had the count down to 2006 and yada yada, normal stuff. Dad and his colleagues were in a light party mood.. toasting wine and getting drunk. Which reminds me of a story I once read about the effect of men drinking alcohol. The men will have the characteristics of 3 animals namely the fox, the wolf, and the pig. After the first glass the men will praise each other in a crafty manner like foxes wagging their tails. After another they get very drunk and start attacking each other blindly like wolves, finally when they continue drinking until they’re as drunk as dirt, they’ll become like pigs snorting around in the mud. Fortunately the toasts of alcohol that day did not go beyond the phase of the fox.. lol. Later they men had a karaoke session, dad obviously wasn’t the next Malaysian Idol. It was ammusing though, watching dad and his colleagues sing using fellato voices when they can’t reach the pitch of most of the songs.
Back at home, I realized that I’m now unofficially 18 years old. I need to be mature, and I need to be independant. Deep inside my heart though, some of my teenage aspirations are still unfulfilled… deep inside my heart they have been stuffed to the brim for a long time. Its time I clean out the closet again.. haha
Although I was unsuccessful in securing a scholarship to study abroad, I can just as well learn to be independant first starting from my own home. And in my room, where lies fertile resources for the betterment of my proficiencies, I shall dwell.
While it may seem that I am spilling my personal problems on a public blog. I am actually addressing a very public problem and relating to it a personal way. There’s no point carrying and hiding my past unto the grave, because the being called Man was never made to be a hermit, but to share and express his views and feelings… freely, empathically and respectfully. Anyway, after some deep thought and the death of my grand father, it becomes apparent to me, that if life was justified by its end, then we have only death to look upon. But if life was a continuos process of learning and maturing and serving our Creator, then we have a purpose in life, and we all need one of these…
So you see, it had been a most interesting new year’s eve. And the cards have been laid out, in light of the new year, new challenges arise, a call to advance, an endowment of new found responsibility
What’s YOUR new year’s resolution? xD
