Haze Myth: PSI vs Visibility vs PM2.5

Rumours abound in times of trouble...and its' human nature to 'panic' and fear the unknown or unnatural. As a medical doctor and recent public health graduate, sometimes we see things differently through broader lenses. Rational, educated mind is a good defense against irrational feelings and emotions. Despite what our eyes tell us, let us focus on creating solutions and calming those around us, instead of creating more anger and fear. That's why I was quite impressed with what PM Lee said recently regarding this crisis - no megaphone diplomacy for this statesman.

Firstly, the PSI has been adopted in Singapore to give the public an up-to-date information on the air quality in this country, as opposed to the different indices used in US, Malaysia, etc. It's a composite of various substances in the air which may cause harm to the human body if we are exposed to it in significant concentration, depending on what is your health status. A normal healthy adult obviously could tolerate the pollutants a bit better than a sickly person, the young and the old. However, if you are exposed to it in significant amounts over a prolonged duration, there may be both short and long-term effects.

Secondly, I would say of all the pollutants being reported, the most insidious and hardest to clear from our body is the PM2.5 particulate which is lodged in our alveoli. These particulates are suspended in the air, but invisible to the naked eye and odourless. When its consistently high (as reported by various authorities), it can cause long-term lung damages, especially lung fibrosis in the future. Not now. What's happening now is the sequelae of direct irritants in the air, to our airway - sore throat, cough, asthma attacks, shortness of breath, conjunctivitis, headache etc. It's usually a brief episode unless the hazy condition persists.

Thirdly, staying indoors is a good advice, provided that you have air purifier or a good working air-conditioner with functional air filter. Indoor air quality can be worsened if u open the doors/windows intermittently and trap the haze within the closed compound. Especially for those susceptible to the effects of haze, please take precautions - wear a well-fitted N95 mask properly whenever u are exposed to hazy outdoor air but do not hoard. There are more than enough masks around - just be patient and resourceful. Visibility is not equivalent to high PSI. Check the official results regularly to be well-informed.

Lastly, public health problems require public health solutions...it has be long-term sustainable solutions, tackling the root causes and not just a one-off assistance. Short term measures like creating rain artificially or fighting the fire are temporary measures. We have to work together to tackle the root causes of why these fires are started at the first place. Eradicate poverty, improve on peat-fire surveillance, tighten legislations and change this burning practice. This is a man-made calamity, which means, we can work together to eradicate the cause and not point fingers. Empty vessels are of no help now. Human behaviour may be hard to change, but it's not impossible. The collaborative task-force should be sustained long-term and not hastily convened at the sight of trouble. Prevention is better than cure....

Meanwhile, continue to keep calm, drink lotsa water and pray on.

Caveat: This article is purely personal opinion and doesn't amount of professional medical advice. Please seek a doctor's consultation if you are suffering from the effects of haze. Thank u.

Will 'UBAH' sweep through the land?

"You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time." - A Lincoln.


Change is inevitable. When there is a clarion call for change, a chain of action is unleashed, whether for the better or for worse. In a way, change can be more devastating to a mammoth organization that is unwilling or unable to embrace change, forever mired in the status quo.

Events of the past 1 week in Malaysia has strongly indicated that the behemoth called National Front (BN) has been rejected by the majority of the urban population, heralding a wave of change across the nation. From black 505, to the inspirational black Wednesday, emotions are running high on how best to dethrone a government supported by the minority.

However, we must put on our thinking cap and reflect on both side of the political divide. BN has a big armamentarium of national resources due to 56 years of uninterrupted rule over a blessed, resourceful land. Is the People's Alliance (PR) ready to challenge the 'Death Star', a juggernaut firmly entrenched in the ideologies of yesteryears, the ideology of divide-and-rule? Until and unless the evil doctrine left behind by our so-called colonial masters half a century ago is firmly eradicated, we cannot move forward. According to the principles of root cause analysis, we cannot improve unless we look into the system and eradicate the root causes. Otherwise, we are only treating the symptoms and not the disease, the root issues.

 Is the opposition without it's faults and fallacy too? We are all human with feet of clay, fallible and humble creatures. Of course the vast majority of their supporters know that too, but from the events in KJ Stadium, where the unity of all people are on show, PR is on the way to unite, instead of divide-and-rule. Their leaders ain't perfect, and as human, we will never be.

Yet, we are firmly behind them because of the hope they represent. Normal reticent Malaysians are no longer waiting patiently at the backstage. We are ready to take on the juggernaut at a higher level. We are ready to be a beacon of hope and change in a region filled with entrenched monopoly of power in various countries. We are ready to be a mature democracy, with a clean electoral commissions and fair judiciary. We are ready to experience sound, transparent governance and eradication of the silent apartheid.

How about the other root causes? I would say it's economic and social development. If our rural friends are in different stages of development, both socially and economically, who are we to blame? We can only blame ourselves for years of apathy, for letting our fellow Malaysians struggle in making daily living. We can only blame ourselves for electing the current government into power over the past 12 elections. The political divide is only reflective of the social divide we have let ourselves drift into over the years. Public outcry and demonstrations are the loudspeakers, but empty vessels make the loudest sounds. Action speaks louder than words. Action needs to be translated into tangible results.

My dear fellow Malaysians, go into every corner of the country and reconcile. Not only to reconcile the political differences but tackle the root causes. The government may be illegitimate in the eyes of many, but long periods of instability would only make our country weaker and exposed to external danger. I plead to the leaders on both side of the political divide to decide maturely, wisely, peacefully and for the good of the people. For in the end, what we hope for is the peace, freedom and prosperity of our country.

"Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth."  - A Lincoln.

The article began and ended with quotes from President Abraham Lincoln, one of my favourite leaders of all time. Let the change to a better government begin, from the hearts of the people, the cries on the streets to the mightiest palaces of the land.

DO YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING?

This is really an out-of the blue post. Probably not gonna put any pictures. I'm not sure when I'll have the courage to post this up. Maybe today is the day. I mean, why wait another 5 years?

I spent 90% of my life in KL, another 5% in Perak and another 5% in Singapore. My entire biological family is still in Malaysia. Although I'm not residing in Malaysia now, I'm definitely coming back to stand in the queue on 5th May 2013 in my polling station and exercise my rights as a citizen. Yes, INI KALILAH!

My appeal is for those of you who are registered Malaysian voter - please make arrangements to come back to vote. There is so much of fraud and intimidation ongoing that we need to make the voice of truth be heard. We don't want to go the way of violence or chaos. We want a peaceful, clean elections.

Civilizations rise and fall. A government ruling in a hegemony that lasted for more than 5 decades has bogged itself down with internal and external strife, corruption and divisive policies. From a promising country endowed with natural resources and beautiful people, we now have questionable governance and policy, leading to massive financial losses, security breaches, rising crime rate and pathetic brain drains.

International spotlight will be cast upon this Southeast Asian nation this Sunday. Is hope still alive? Looking at some unbiased report online, it seems so. Hope is alive. Hope for the future. Hope against the archaic, divisive policies akin to silent apartheid in Asia. Hope rings eternal.

Of course, a promise made must eventually turn to a promise kept. As this final, rousing theme song from Les Miserables keep on ringing in my head, let the song of angry men be the song of righteous men in the hallowed halls of Putrajaya, come 6th May 2013.

Let us humble ourselves and pray for the right decisions to be made by the 13 million people. Godspeed, leaders with integrity and honour!

Garden or Hospital?

This is what I see daily as I savour the short walk into my new workplace. The grounds are exquisitely peaceful and uniquely different from any other places I have worked in. I'll give you a few glimpse of this grand old dame of a hospital in the following few pictures (I must say that my handphone camera doesn't do the beautiful grounds much justice).

In its' verdant gardens, there are also a lot of huge stately trees beautifully preserved. You can see the flora and fauna as you walk into the hospital, from the bus stop on Alexandra Road all the way to the 'grand' entrance.

Looking across from the main entrance, we could see a neo-classical fountain with a Grecian figurine and a myriad of flowers - lilies, bougainvilla, etc. Apparently, there are various birds spotted in this garden too..This is truly a place for people to recuperate, recover and get well in.

And as you approach the information counter in the foyer of the main entrance, there is this refreshing, wonderfully-scented Christmas tree that is made of a real pine tree. Quite a beautiful place to work in, I must say... The only downside is that the open grounds made it quite difficult to leave the hospital for food/home/shopping during this rainy season.

Next stop, I'll intend to take more photographs of the colonial building itself as this hospital used to be a British Military Hospital followed by a Japanese military headquarters during the World War 2 before being renovated to the well-equipped, clean and beautifully-designed AH. Hopefully, I will unearth a few of the colourful history (maybe even discovering some lurid/grisly tales from the past) in this hospital before they move to the west in a few years' time. Wondering what is the status of the building then. Cross my fingers and hope they will not alter it too much or destroy the heritage preserved within.

Global Appreciation Week

Recently, I discovered that I was blessed with an inordinate amount of time on my own, bringing back flashbacks of my teenage days (it was not THAT long ago). The extrovert somehow became slightly introverted. So, what do I do in lieu of a social life in Singapore? I read, read and read. I think I might have gobbled up at least 5-6 books this month alone due to my insatiable hunger for good non-fiction and fiction books alike.

Although this post is mostly about my life last week, it is also interspersed with tales of my 3D adventure in Wonderland, a new good friend and intermittent indulgement in my comfort food (Japanese cuisine).

First stop: Germany. Now, many of us may not realize it but NUH seems to house a big number of German and Spanish students lately. Besides being tall, beautiful, polite and intelligent, the German girls are extremely nice and talented. So, being free and bored, I’ve decided to act as mini-tourist guide to my new friends occasionally. One of the highlight last week was watching Alice in Wonderland with AG, GL and a few nice Filipino nurses from NUH.

I love the show! The ensemble cast is awesome and the whole cinematography so well-designed. AG and I were late (ran all the way from City Hall to Marina Square squeezing past the throng of crowd heading towards the IT fair at Suntec) for about 10 mins on a day that I almost became agoraphobic. By gosh, the amount of people in this area is beyond description! The quiet, dark cinema is indeed a huge relief as we got lost in Wonderland. Tim Burton and Johnny Depp rock!

Next stop : Japan. Once show’s over, I was pretty ravenous. I am glad that AG is so super-keen on Jap food. We tried the Ministry of Food at Marina Square and I absolutely loved their many, many choices of set dinners. My set has salmon, unagi and tofu while AG ordered shabu shabu. D, R and G also enjoyed their set meals immensely.

In between waiting for food, we were again sucked into the whole of iPhone. Once fallen into the wonderful world of Singapore’s National Phone, most people seemed to be pretty hooked, including yours truly. I loved it when I could check my mail on the go, read free books and search for medical info anytime, anywhere. I love my little gadget J

Final stop: United States of America. The best part of the week was spending time 'dissecting' the mind of my favourite author. In case you wonder who was my role model while I was growing up, the person I quote the most would be : Dr Benjamin Carson, paediatric neurosurgeon at John Hopkins. When I was 15, I read his book : Think Big, followed by Gifted Hands a year after that. These two books changed my life completely and inspired me to become a surgeon. I went into medical student with two strong convictions in my heart: surgeon and missionary doctor.

A few weeks ago, I purchased Outlier by Malcolm Gladwell followed by Take the Risk by Benjamin Carson. From the first book, I realized that the greatest people are not only born at the right place, right time and in the right circumstances, but to add to that, greatness also comes with extremely hard work, talent and dedication. From the second book, I understood how determination, prayer and intelligent risk-taking come into play. Dr BC used the B/WA approach to life, even in the field of neurosurgery and this simple yet powerful technique fascinated me a lot.

Upon reaching the last chapter of this lovingly-crafted, honest, succinct and absorbing masterpiece, I was imbued with a sense of hope, empowerment and encouragement. I know God loves me so much and that I am here for a chronos time : to be a trailblazer, to open up a path for others in my situation/origin to follow.

We must be willing to take calculated risks after analyzing the best/worst outcomes of each decision. Currently, I no longer consider each challenge as a setback but instead with God with me, I’d turn it into victorious, learning opportunities. Therefore, I’ve decided to harness the adventurous, enthusiastic spirit in me and would not hesitate in embarking on the unbeaten trail. Oh, I can’t wait for the next step in this exciting journey towards fulfilling my vision!

I wonder....

I feel most creative, introspective and 'vulnerable' when I’m post-call. The tiredness after a few tiring nights in the hospital occassionally unleashes some inner machinery in the limbic systems that lead to a lot of outpourings of emotions. Everything seem to be extra melodramatic, nostalgic and….gasp, emotional.




Being someone who takes pride in mind over heart, rationality over emotions, I tend to detach myself from emotions. Yet emotions are what make us human. The most mind-boggling thing, to me…is the emotions that come with choices we make in life. So, does it mean that I am most human after my oncalls? Interesting huh?




Nowadays, as I’m preparing to leave a very comfortable surrounding, I mused a lot. I wonder what if I’ve never make the decision to move down south. I wonder if I’ve never make the decision to become a surgeon one day. I wonder if I never make the decision to leave KL. I wonder if I fight to stay on the HKL after housemanship. I wonder if I leave Malaysia for UK a few years ago.




In short, I wonder about so many things, about the people in my life, about the life that could have been. Most of all, I wonder what it would have been if my mother is still alive. I guess no matter where she is right now, I know that whatever choices I make in life, she will be proud of me. So I guess it's time to soldier and stop second-guessing myself!

Sensational first-hand account of a disaster in Ipoh....

Nosy CPD woke up early one Saturday and went to work as usual (before 730am). Just as she was about to enter the operating theatre complex on 3rd floor (which by the way, faces Fair Park and the blue-domed mosque),one of her colleagues motioned frantically and pointed towards a pile of cement and rubble.



"Hey, fren...look at that collapsed building," she said.


" What?"

Catastrophe struck in Ipoh!

Apparently, a row of old shophouses at Fair Park area (I bet it dated back to the days of Yap Ah Loy and Co) collapsed around 945pm on Friday night (2nd October). Immediate theories surfaced on how the recent Sumatran earthquake could have shaken the foundations of the building or how the heavy rains have loosened the old structures

My friend who was involved directly in the incident, JT, had a different tale.

" You know la, friend, they have been trying to demolish the building for years. It was a drug addict lair and an eyesore. Being right next to the main road and frequently flooded, most of the shops have been deserted for ages. It was bound to collapse sooner or later ler. They already cordoned off the buildings past few weeks and the roof and back was taken down for some time d"

As for his near-death experience....

"Aiyoh. It was more painful for my car la..it has left-sided hemiparesis now (damage on one side of the body causing paralysis). I mean, I could move it but poor thing...body almost crumpled leh. I felt the impact in front of me. I mean, 5 seconds, I could have been buried under all that cement and old bricks. I could see the buried cars and some people were screaming and crying...."

As JT was a casualty MO heading to work on Friday night, I asked him about any immediate concerns on disaster management.

"Har? What? Of course I have to get myself away from all the asbestos first lar! Then I called up the people at A & E telling them I can't get to work on time and then I have to continue my work some more....Then I discovered that 2 young men were sent directly to the mortuary while another guy survived."

Quite a sensational from a sleepy little city huh?

Pictures were taken from my handphone camera while driving past the scene of carnage. Shaky images courtesy of the Ah Beng-modified car behind ours.The blame is on him because he honked at my friend's slow driving and therefore I have to take the shot on the move. Aaargh!

Being a seasonal paparazzi

Ermmm...ah...errr....Sounds familiar? CPD was caught off-guard/off-balance today...was called to give an impromptu speech in front of the entire department during the departmental meeting. Quite a disarming move and something that I should have prepared for. Nevertheless, I was in a nostalgic and poignant mode but failed to impart what I felt in my heart. That's the tricky part about public speaking...spontaneous speech is not everyone's forte although I never had problems with speaking in front of any audience. It's just that I ain't no Obama wannabe. Wish I could give something rousing, heart-rending and impassioned...oh never mind, it's a Friday afternoon and everyone is gearing to go home or go back for Mid-Autumn's festival.














The next few weeks will be sort of a dragged-out, prolonged farewell as I turn into a self-proclaimed photojournalist covering events unfolding in Ipoh and KL. In order words, a kaypoh chee or a paparazzi in making. Armed with my trusted compact camera, I'll try to capture it all (just like a tourist). I found out from today's experience that it's very tough capturing portraiture of people on camera...no wonder I prefer taking pictures of inanimate objects and scenery.

At the same time, I'm cracking my head thinking of the best way to hold a party in Ipoh. I have tonnes of ideas in KL but when it comes to this city, I'm clueless/helpless/hopeless. Any ideas?

Strangely,I don't recall campus life was like this....

A few things I noticed in NUS when I was hanging around waiting for my exams to start.




1.Every single student has a better laptop than me. I could spot the latest MacBook, Sony Vaio, etc. Not only that, there seem to be bling-blings decorating all the laptops too!



2.The preferred choice of footwear is Birkenstock. These famous flip-flops (and infamously costly) are found adorning perfectly-manicured feet of most ladies 16-25 year old in this country.



3.The indoor facilities are exactly like my university. Note the keyword: indoor. Externally, the façade looks like Silicon Valley but the dissection hall and anatomy museum gives me déjà vu all over. It’s indeed UM’s twin (only in the inside, of course)








4. You can dress casual to campus. No one seem to mine. Less is indeed more. I guess nubile creatures should display their God-given perfect skin and body. It’s a spring/summer fashion show in here. That’s an understatement.




5. No two girls dress alike. Again this is my basic sentiment since the last few visits in Singapore. Since they are mostly slender and well-groomed, it's like a collective effort to look well. I wonder where they get the clothes from….after all, most retail will sell the same stuff. I need to go shopping here when I can afford it and maybe discover the 'secret'.




6. Reducing carbon footprint is the new buzzword. Public transport is in, cars are out. I love it when people are collectively eco-conscious and eco-friendly. Save the environment!









7. Serious shortage of cute guys. Are they all overseas or in National Service? Strangely girls seem to outnumber guys here. Maybe the guys are all indoor playing with their PS and Wii.





8. Cafeteria serves palatable food. Now that’s a compliment in comparison to certain campuses I know of. I remembered the ammonia fish in uni canteen..urgh.




9. Parking (and to add to that, ERP, petrol, etc) is bloody expensive. I don’t think I can afford a car here. Not that I park or drove here. It's all walking and MRT for me.





10. Singlish is exactly like Manglish. Now that’s something I can definitely cope with!

A typical week in land of beansprouts and chicken

My housemates and I believe in doing unusual stuff in our daily lives. You know, like we specialize in eating non-local food, be it in Ipoh or KL. I've lost count of our erratic K-food and J-food obsession which seems carried on to S'pore too. However, this is an account of a typical week in Ipoh.







First thing in the morning, the girl who dates 'running' will go out for at least 1 hour with 'running' while I doze on. I wake up before she reappears so that the toilet time is equally distributed.







Then, we all rush off to work. Of course there is always lunchtime as we are not anorexic! Then afternoon means more ward work before zooming back home for some physical exercise...running alternating with swimming depending on the weather. Finally, the reward is a good dinner. As you can see from above, PS current fixation is on bibimbap and I seriously don't mind as it's quite a delicious, healthy dish actually. So, we have sampled quite a number of food from K-restaurants in Ipoh Garden East area as you can see from my previous posts...









Ipoh at night is like this. Sedated, almost deserted. Nothing like the DUN :-P So peaceful right? So dun cha worry about visiting or investing in this place. It's really not Kabul or Karachi....








Possibly, the only thing that resembles partying in Ipoh are the mealtimes in my department.

Notice that the guys in surgical love their grey attire. It's like everyone is colour-coordinating with each other! I'm glad I'm not in the XY category because I have only 2 grey items in my wardrobe unlike the machas in surgical dept.

My favourite shop this year

I know that there is an inner nerd in me. When I was a little girl, as soon as I learnt how to read and write, I love all types of stories and books. Most of all, I love reading about natural science, discovery and inventions. As you see, I am not a science museum curator or a biologist-conservationist...but who knows, one day I might be running a science or medical learning centre, all willing to share life-changing facts to willing visitors.












Thus its no wonder that I went to Vivo City and literally fell in love with a shop there. It's called the National Geographic store and its a wonder trove of knicks-knacks from all over the world and packed with many types of things fit for a would-be explorer. Just my cup of tea. It's like a shop pretending to be a museum in a shopping centre. Ah, the idiosyncrasies down south.













There are impressive-looking Gore-tex suits and equipments meant for keeping our body temperature stable in harsh conditions, a extreme-cold freezing chamber that measures how fast we lose heat, many geographical tools and gadgets and a lot of furnitures from lesser known parts of the world. Not to mention, a lot of mind-boggling paintings and tools available for viewing or for sale.










Of course, we could get their world-famous posters in this place. Of course the original cost a lot lot more but reproductions are better than nothing, isn't it? There is even a huge drift-wood horse/giraffe right at the entrance which was already sold to some discerning collector!












So for those of you hanging around Singapore with a lot of time and cash to burn and a very curious mind, do drop by Vivo City for this very amusing and interesting shop.

Snippets from Suturing workshop with my house officers

This article began to formulate in my mind when I read about some stories on the deteriorating quality of house officers and doctors, especially in civil service, in recent years. When I glanced through MMC report on disciplinary actions against doctors, I realized that as the number of doctors increases in Malaysia, the number of bad apples and black sheep has increased in tandem. It’s a natural law of statistics.



At the same time, I have hope that some of the under-performing doctors will improve and change with time, effort, training and good guidance. It’s very important for us not to be demotivating and derisional, just that it’s natural for some of the senior doctors (especially perfectionist like yours truly) to feel very impatient when faced when people who learns slower (PWLS)










I face a substantial amount of PWLS daily. They could be house officers, staff nurses and even patients. Truthfully, I feel like giving up at times because some of them has skulls as thick as Hitler’s Eagle Nest bunkers.




Yet recently, the house officers in Ipoh seem to give me some hope that they are improving. Maybe it’s because my bosses are very patient and we give massive amount of teaching to them. In fact, I like to think that the surgical house officers face the highest amount of criticism and occasional scolding because surgical-related illnesses are life-threatening. Knowledge, skills and attitude need to be cultivated. I’m really encouraged by how the senior consultants seem to spend time in teaching the juniors in this department. This is a good culture and I wish one day that more surgeons will rise up from the ranks of current batch of house officers.











Some of the house officers, especially those from foreign universities, seem to be at a disadvantage when they first start work. It’s true that local grads have a headstart because they are shadowing house officers and managing patients under supervision even at final year of undergrad studies. Some of the foreign grads are not even allowed to set lines or take blood from patients as they were ‘foreigners’ I sympathize with them as their clinical skills start from almost zero. At the same time, for those who are willing to learn and have a good attitude, their learning curves are very steep and I am proud of some of them. Some of these foreign grads, the non-PWLS are now gaining trust and confidence as they catch up with some of their compatriots.



There are plenty of horror stories regarding how house officers are faring in public hospitals these days. My advice is that there are good doctors and there are bad doctors out there. The sanctity and nobility of the profession might be tarnished slightly by a few, but on the whole, there are still very brilliant, kind and nurturing doctors out there. If we highlight the role models and give them further encouragement, we might offer a glimmer of hope and these exemplary doctors will serve as examples for most of the junior doctors.

Doctors who are inspiring, high-achieving, brilliant and kind should be motivated to progress further in their career. They should not be discouraged by being thrown to the smallest, furthest districts or in departments they do not want. Sometimes, the amount of outwitting and maneuvers we see in the world of medicine is astounding. It rivals even Survivor or the Apprentice. Some of the people with the biggest cables but not necessary the best doctors for the job will get the best ‘postings’ in the hospitals they want.

My point is that transparency and accountability is very important in our daily lives. If we lack integrity, moral and good attitude, even the best education will not get us anywhere. Eventually, whatever wrongdoings we do, whatever mistakes we try to cover up, will get back to us and bite us in the back.

In closing, I do agree with POTS (from www.unwantedcitizen.blogspot.com) regarding the state of house officers from the countries up north when I first started working with them. I almost died of heart attack (!) when one of my house officers gave wrong blood to a patient that I was resuscitating, back in Teluk Intan days. However, I find that as I am exposed to a few more from the same university, I realized that some of them are quite good. I stopped being so judgmental and cynical now, and do put in more effort to help them improved. It's quite liberating when we are freed from no expectations at all. If I find that I cannot help them at all, I just end up doing everything by myself. Although it's tiring, it's safer for my patients in the long run, I guess.....

The irony of it all

I think it’s really funny when more than 10 people decided to contest for one constituency in the recent by-election. One local newspaper even compared the situation with the Formula One grid…placing all the candidates in a row. I guess this bewildering scenario can only happen in Bolehland isn’t it? Not only we have the extremely dubious distinction of being one of the 4 tax ‘havens’ in the world, now we have the most contestants contesting in 1 by-election. So, what’s going to happen next? Promoting Malaysia as the ultimate retirement destination for 3rd world despots and infamous extremists?

Oh, talking about Formula One, I wonder why is it that we loudly celebrated Earth Hour last Saturday and then suddenly, we are welcoming the Formula One hoopla to Sepang this weekend. Watching race-cars go in circles around the track and race-drivers going circles around the most buxomy models is almost a slap to Mother Nature’s face. I am hard-pressed to find something that is ecologically-friendly in the world of motor-racing. Perhaps I am not ‘intelligent’ enough to find the rationale behind burning massive amount of fossil fuel or changing more tyres? Maybe some fans would kindly educate my ignorant mind?

I guess I can do my part by changing some of my habits to help the Nature…switching off all electrical products when its in idle, reducing the use of paper & plastic bags, using eco-friendly transportation (ok fine, I will use my car less and do more walking I hope!) and reducing the use of water and electricity whenever I can. After watching the recent Nat Geo documentary on 6 degrees and how global warming can affect the entire earth, I know that we must stop plain preaching and start walking the talk.

In short : REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE. So, how about you?

P.S: Do try to identify the green campaign symbols here..it's quite fun to check out the eco movement websites while you are at it.

Surfing/cycling

The other day I forgotten when was the last time I actually trained for my run. I'm so rusted here. I hate it when I keep on postponing stuff because of work. Tired of hearing myself talk about work this, work that...cut this, cut that. Finally decided that - ENOUGH OF MY LIFE EVOLVING AROUND THE HOSPITAL, LETS DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT FOR A CHANGE!

A few days ago, I went cycling! On a stationery bike thats it....while watching Surf's Up and surfing randomly. I know surf's up has been out for ages but I was stuck in a town without a cinema for 2 years ok? Anyway, I love the movie soundtrack and the animation is so cute. Wait till I get my grubby fingers on that soundtrack......











Somehow, it's the idea of multi-tasking that really appeals to me..Therefore I went surfing (the Net), blogging, watching a movie and riding a stationery bicycle all almost at the same time! When I realized that I've finally burnt enuf calories and secretly read enuf of mindless stuff online, I repented. Finally decided to read some human physiology and literally fell asleep at the table. Aaaargh! Studying while working is tough( almost humanly impossible) when doing calls in busy-busy-busy Ipoh.










So I realized that even when I blog, I cannot run away from the omniscient presence of the hospital. Dear Lord God, I think the hospital has taken over my life. Aaaaaargh! 100 percent gonna do sth different and non-medical related this weekend. Can anyone suggest something different for the ever-hyperactive CPD?

Life cut short

Just the other day, 2 young adults (both in early twenties) died in my hospital's casualty department and it was barely 1 week before I hear of another tragic loss...a well-known actress from a lineage of movie stars fell on a ski slope and died from head injuries.


I know I try my best to write about happier stuff in my life but at times, I couldn't be more sober and serious when it comes to human lives. The truth is that there is a substantial number of people taking unnecessary risks when it comes to speed. The two young adults were from Kampar and died after a night out in Ipoh..the collision was high-speed and they didn't survive long enough to reach the operating table where we could have done something for them.

A few things I always tell my friends...and if you read this, you are considered as a friend too :


Don't drink and drive.


Do wear helmets and protective gears in certain situations, e.g high-intensity sports, on motorbikes, etc.


In case an accident occur, please remember that people with head injuries can appear totally normal in the first few hours of accident. As long as they fell on their head (no matter how old or young the person is), do bring them to medical attention.



- in memory of head injuries victims, especially those I have treated -


~~~~~May you rest in peace~~~~~

Graveyard of the Fireflies

I am a novice when it comes to Japanese animations and cartoons. There is a whole big industry out there and I wasn't really interested in manga or anime. However, I saw this show recently and it literally broke my heart. The story is so real and heart-wrenching.




Graveyard of the fireflies is partially based on the life of its Japanese creator and chronicled the tale of two orphans in war-time Japan (in 1945) named Seita and Setsuko. In the space of a few months, they experienced the horrors of air raids, death of their loved ones, abandonment by adult relatives and hardship of life in rural Japan. The most interesting and sobering part is that the show begins and ends with tragedy.

The real victims of wars are the common folks, especially the elderly and the children. I hope that some people out there on a warpath may see this show and be touched by the simplicity of the animation and the sincerity of the storyline, that peace will prevail once again.

Glimmer of Hope

“I have a dream that one day my four children would not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the continent of their character” - Martin Luther King





For most of living in Malaysia, we are reminded of our race, our skin colour and our faith each day of our lives. Most forms from inane ones such as a credit card application form to highly-important ones like a passport application require us to fill in our race, religion, etc. The racial divide has been blurred slightly during the recent elections but not long after that, it resurfaced. Even living heroes like a former prime minister, stands up for his race very vocally every now and then. I don’t blame him. He came from a different generation, an era removed from ours.




What’s more surprising and disturbing is the voice of this generation, albeit certain pockets of the community. The majority, i.e the moderate voices, are being drowned by the minority radicals. The radicals are yelping for the blood of whoever that is against their ideology. The bloodhounds are all out there…sniffing and eradicating any resistance thus ignoring the rule of law and common sense in eliminating differing views. They speak loudly, because they have the backing of those with money and in power currently. What a sad day indeed…



I am praying for a leader to rise above the current hoopla, to bring change in the days of mayhem and fiasco. I know that he is definitely not a messiah, for my Messiah came, conquered all physical forces and was resurrected 2000 years ago.



However, I am praying for an intelligent, rational, environmentally-friendly, fair, God-fearing person who will speak up for all Malaysians. This person is a role-model and impeccable in judgment and character, truly signifying unity and wisdom.



I am glad that somewhere on Earth, there is a glimmer of hope….

For that glimmer of hope....

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/01/the_inauguration_of_president.html

Amazing turns of events

This is the land I am staying in now. The city dotted with pretty limestone hills, calm brooks, tree-lined boulevards, elegant colonial-era shophouses and charming little parks.

It is also a state with a major political upheaval of gigantic proportion which occurred in the past few days. The unfolding drama could rival any Greek tragedy as people of this state grapple with one huge question : Is it fair and legal to have a legally voted goverment dissolved due to the actions of 4 people who were elected because of the parties they represented? And these 4 people have openly did the Judas in front of the entire nation in this quiet little city.

Back to the feelings of the grassroots in Ipoh...I could say that most people I've met in the past few days are displeased with the current issue. The overall sentiment is high and generally, people are in distaste. Even the online blogging community couldn't help but voice their displeasure.

We wouldn't know what to expect in the next few months as there are people who are capable of doing anything to gain power. It is so disheartening and saddening. This further reinforce the need for strong, noble leadership with moral and integrity in our nation.

In the meantime, let us pray for this country as we aspire to be a matured democratic nation, not a place filled with shady deals, broken dreams and fractured community.

Tired...

Sounds weird coming from the hyperactive cilipadi girl but I am tired. It's not because of the exercising (yeah, alternating running and swimming every day is cool and I love the workout) but I am tired because of sudden change in patient load. My body was attuned to the quietness and pace in DC so much so that the transitional period here is quite demanding mentally. It doesn't help that I have some dyspepsia (since 7 year old!) and as a result, I have been popping in PPIs due to the erratic meals.

Not only that, busy preparing for my upcoming trip and need to study for a lot of things here. Juggling work and study is not easy at all. I wish I could choose either one but no one says chasing the dream of being a specialist is easy.

Till I go home and sleep a lot..Ciao!

P.S: What is it happening to Perak? Politically-wise? Double sigh.....

Renovation in progress...

I need to jazz up my blog…desperately



After a long online hiatus (no internet connection at home for 6 months), I was back online in KL and started browsing through other blogs.



Then it hit upon me..



I am so darn boring. Oh, I mean my blog is a bit on the prim and proper side. Seriously, I think ppl could fall asleep reading my blog. Although I am supposed to be the cilipadi, it is hardly a spicy blog. In my humble opinion, I probably lead a ‘spicy’ life according to modern standards of medical doctors, but hardly ground breaking news. I still can’t cook like Nigella Lawson, or run like Paula Radcliffe or sing like Beyonce. But I can still try…just have to sacrifice a few taste buds, synovial joints and laryngeal muscles in the process!














My dreams of working in a far away land or a war-torn country is still in the drawing boards judging at how hard it is to convince my parents that I could be of use in a country in crisis. They worry for me as I couldn’t even negotiate a curve in a trunk road without crashing my car!



Well, I drove myself home safely this CNY. Without touching my phone on the highway, I concentrated on the road while chuckling at how smooth traffic was. I was driving within the speed limit as carefully as I can, being a very repentful little girl. Anyway, it’s so peaceful driving southbound while half the nation is going northbound from KL. Phew….

It’s hot again this time of the year. So hot that it scorches our brain and fry all productive cells. I was staring at the computer blankly thinking how best to update my blog without resorting to my old, tried and tested formulae.

All fails. I am still uploading the same kinda pictures, with the same kinda message. The least I could do was to renovate the blog and change the theme. Yeah, I am restless. And young, so I could do anything I want with my blog. Hopefully….

Anyway for once, I was trying out a 'bimbo' pose which simply looks weird on someone as studious and conservative as me right? My short-lived stint as a 'model' would probably fizzle out soon as I am reluctant to show much skin. Flaunting assets in public needs a different sort of verve and courage, I think. Sigh...maybe I should just stick to my outdoor sports, gobbling up books and playing my music.