Paradise 24

Part Duex

2008-01-31T21:43:00.000Z

So after cutting the Sound & Light show short, we made our way swiftly onboard the Nile Cruise. The food was decent enough, but we were starving by then anyway! After dinner, we were treated to a belly dancing perfomance. Billy and I were dragged by the belly dancer to join her lol. My friend said one needs a bit of weight to belly dance... hmm do you agree?

Belly dancer pose

Next up we got to watch a whirling dervish performance, where the performer spins and spins non-stop for what seems like an eternity... I first saw it on Amazing Race and always wanted to see one in person! Granted, this one wasn't a 'traditional' one as it was a commercial cruise, but we were amazed nonetheless! (We did get to see the traditional one later during the trip). He even successfully poured himself some water and drank from it while spinning!

Colourful Whirling Dervish

The next morning, it was time to visit the Egyptian Museum. I'm not a big fan of museums but this one entertained me more than others. I was particularly interested in seeing the treasures of King Tutankhamun.. it's crazy how much stuff these ancient kings bury themselves with.

Egyptian Museum

King Tut Exhibit

Outside the museum

We then made our way to Khan El Khalili which is the local bazaar. It's kinda like a pasar malam.. only much grander lol. A better comparison would be the Marrakech souks, which I prefer but this has its qualities.

Khan El Khalili

Wares on sale

After a couple hours of strolling, we stopped by the Fishawi Cafe in the middle of the market for some mint tea and shisha. The decor and atmosphere in this over 200 year old cafe was beyond great.. it literally brings you back in time.

Toasting to mint tea

Fishawi Cafe

We then took an overnight train to our next destination, Luxor. This little city/town is so much different compared to the crowded and dusty Cairo.

Inside the train cabin

Luxor is situated among some of the most famous sites in Egypt including the Thebes Valley and the Luxor Temple. Just a little bit out of the town centre is the Karnak Temple, second only in historical significance to the Pyramids of Giza.

Karnak Temple entrance

Ancient art

Ancient sculpture

Karnak Temple

After a hot and tiring day, we went on a felucca trip down the Nile river. Feluccas are the traditional wooden, sailing boats that are still used today. We had a relaxing journey across the river while watching the sun set.

On the felucca

Sunset on the Nile

Rowing our way home

It was a fitting end to the day. We sure did not expect the workout we were about to do the next day!

Luxor Temple

1001 Nights in Egypt

2008-01-23T23:44:00.000Z

How I wish! But I would if I could. Egypt was what I expected it to be and so much more. There're so many incredible memories from the trip and I'll try to share some of the highlights here.

Day One & Two.

Well, we actually arrived in our hostel at like 5am, 2 hours later than expected. We were stalled at the airport because.. surprise, surprise! they've never seen Bruneian passports!! Okay okay, maybe they have, but that's usually the reason I get held up at immigration. So after that little setback, I slept for a total of 3 hours (I think?) before we set off on our journey around Cairo!

The simple breakfast provided by our hostel =)

We planned to have a slow and easy day on the first day as 4 of our friends were only arriving later today. So first thing we did was go to the train station to get our tickets to Luxor for Day 3. The first thing I noticed was how crazy the driving in Cairo was! You have to be there to believe it!

Hand-written train tickets

One of the most important things to do in a new country is to try the local food. So we did just that for our first lunch in Egypt, and off we go to this little restaurant listed in the guide book. We had a koshari dish each, and the guys (Ryan and I) opted for the large size of course, haha.

Local dish: Koshari

Koshari is a local dish made from (get this!), pasta, rice AND lentils! That's basically the staple food from most of the world (Western, Asian and South Asian) all mixed in one dish!! Lol, it tasted alright.. kinda like fried rice without much taste. I was hungry so I finished all of it =D.

Abdeen Palace

After the sumptuous lunch, we arrived at the Abdeen Palace after a short walk. It was an old palace which is now used to house royal arms and gifts. The most interesting thing about the place wasn't what was on show, but that the security guards outnumbered the tourists! And they all carried huge machine guns! So we definitely felt safe... kinda...

The Citadel

After that we walked all the way to the Citadel, a beauiful mosque on top of a hill with amazing views of the whole of Cairo. You can even see the pyramids in the horizon (if you focus real hard coz it was really foggy)!

The Cairo skyline (with highlighted pyramids lol)

========================================================

The next day, it was all about the pyramids! We rented a mini-van to take the whole lot of us (9 in total!) to the pyramids around Cairo. First off was the Bent and Red pyramid, this was the intermediate between the Step Pyramid (see later) and the Great Pyramids of Giza (again, see later). It was an incredible experience to finally see the pyramid for the first time up close!

The Bent Pyramid was the first one that King Sneferu tried to build around 2500BC. It was thought that the pyramid turned out bent because halfway through the construction, the engineers thought the base was not very stable and so they built the upper half with a slighter slope. I thought it looked quite cool!

One of the many tourist police who love tips

But obviously, the King wasn't happy so he had his minions build him a proper one, which is now the thirt largest pyramid after the 2 great pyramids in Giza. It's called the Red Pyramid because of the light crimson hue of the granite rocks used to build it. We also got to enter the pyramid, which I have been looking forward to so much! Disappointingly, there wasn't anything left inside as all the treasures and tombs have been relocated to museums. But it was still incredible to have been inside a pyramid! We had to walk down a few hundred steps, with our backs hunched, and all the way back up. The next day, all our quads were aching like hell!

The inside... are the ancient Egyptians really short?

Us trying to jump on cue @ the Red Pyramid

Next on the list was the Step Pyramid of Djoser in Saqqara. This is one of the most significant architectural revolution as it was the first time six successively smaller mastabas (an ancient tomb structure) was placed one on top of another. And the remarkable architect was of course the great Imhotep.

And finally we reach Giza. Here, we rented camels and horses to bring us through the desert and approach the pyramids from the West. And I am very glad we did that! We get to be free from the hordes of tourist coming off the tour buses right near the pyramids and sphinx, and instead we were able to enjoy the camel/horse ride whilst taking in the amazing view in all its glory!

On our way towards the pyramid!

My trusty ol' camel!

The Giza Pyramid Complex

Getting upclose with the Sphinx

After this unforgettable experience, we slowly made our way back to the stable, where we sat on the rooftop to enjoy the Sound and Light Show from afar. Our hostel owner, Ramadan, helpfully told us to do that so we don't have to pay a hefty price.

The Sound and Light show at night

Also, we had plans to leave half-way for a dinner on the Nile cruise! And I'll leave that for another post. =)

Zanzibar

2007-11-02T18:42:00.001Z

Arghhh... this job application business is driving me crazy! I keep changing my mind on which foundation school to apply as my first choice.. the only thing I am sure about is that it's gonna be a London one.

Essentials: Guide book and food!

So to get my mind off that for awhile, I'm going to post some pics from my trip to Zanzibar. I'm sure many people have not heard of this place before (I didn't!.. or maybe I'm just ignorant?), but these legendary spice islands are well known for one of the world's favourite honeymoon destinations. Maybe that's why I haven't heard of it yet lol.

Old Dispensary

I only had time to visit the main island, Unguja (or just Zanzibar). I flew from Arusha to Stone Town after doing the safari. Stone Town is the heart of Zanzibar, where the vast majority of the population is Muslim. This old town is so unique as it has influences from the Arabs, Persians, Indians, Portuguese and British. The central part of the town consists of building built close together with narrow alleys that join to become something like a maze! On the coast, you get the grand buildings with such unique architecture like the ones above and below:

I can't remember what this one's called! Paiseh..

Skyline of Stone Town, from the House of Wonders
Arab Fort in the foreground.

What I found interesting is that the buildings in Stone Town all have huge, intricately carved doors like the one below. Apparently the door was often bought first and the house built around it! Most of the buildings are usually plain on the outside, with zinc roofs, not dissimilar to the ones found in Brunei.. but packed much closer together.

Beautifully carved door surrounded by worn walls.

Dhow-building is an ancient yet flourishing craft on the islands.

Local artist at work

What's so great about Zanzibar is the range of attractions it offers.. from the historic Stone Town, with its spices and unique culture, to the most beautiful beaches in the world! All in the space of a tiny island =)

Sailing on a traditional dhow

I was spoilt for choice when it comes to beach time. I ended up going to Nungwi beach, where I was told it was more crowded and lively than the rest. And to my pleasant surprise, it's nothing compared to Bali and Redang in terms of being congested! There were long stretches of powdery white sand and clear blue waters. Why can't a medical school be in a place like this!?

Door to Paradise?

Nungwi beach

Picture perfect!

And to top it all off, the food is great and cheap too! The Forodhani Gardens in Stone Town come alive at night with food stalls and souvenir sellers. Here you can try local favourites like spiced tea, Zanzibar pizza and even shark kebabs! Yumm =)

Forodhani Gardens

Safari

2007-09-16T01:39:00.000+01:00

Safari in Swahili means 'journey'. Since being incorporated into the English language, it is now generally used to mean an expedition or adventurous journey. And what an adventure it was. I'll use the pictures below to tell the story...

The jeep and our luggage was all set and we're ready to go!

Our first campsite, with dinner being set.

Just outside, Maasai traders selling their goods.

A sign at the Manyara Lake National Park entrance. ;)

The colourful agama lizard.

The plentiful, but beautiful impalas.

The mighty giraffe.

Car trouble #1.. Before the journey started, the car we were supposed to use had already broken down. The replacement wasn't in great condition but our rookie driver decided that the Defender can handle a 1-foot tall rock in the middle of the road by driving straight over it (!?). The cylinder which connects the back wheels to the steering wheel fell off about 100m ahead. Thus, we continued our journey as a 2-wheel drive..

Acacia tree, a common feature of the African landscape. This was taken in the Serengeti National Park.

The very distinctive topi.

Campsite #2 - This was actually in the park itself without any barriers. We were told to make sure that food was safely kept as the animals come looking for food at night.

Hot-air balloon safari? Maybe when I'm a bit richer next time =)

Big, tall Ostrich.

Storks resting on an acacia tree.

Final campsite near Ngorongoro Crater -
I actually saw wild pigs in the middle of the night wandering around!

A Masaai 'village', just at the edge of the crater.

Descending into the crater.. considered by many as the 8th wonder of the world. Pictures don't do it justice.

Oh did I mention it was cold?!

We saw a huge line of jeeps in the distance..
what could they be looking at?

Nothing but the King and Queen of the jungle.
(They were quite far away!)

The majestic elephants.
They came really close to our jeep & doesn't seem to be bothered at all!

Alas, our trip had to be cut a few hours short as our car broke down for one last time =(

And we thought it was all over.. Surprise, surprise! The car that picked us up had a puncture along the way. What else can we can do but laugh..

Tanzania - Part 2

2007-08-30T19:09:00.000+01:00

Entrance

So here's the second part of the post on my Tanzania trip. This time I will show you the hospital that I worked in, Mkomaindo Hospital. It serves as a district hospital for more than 400,000 people in the Masasi District. Now that's comparable to the whole of Cambridgeshire.. However, the hospital has just over 200 beds and only an average of 150 beds are filled at any one time due to lack of staff.

Shops/Teahouses opposite the hospital.

Hospital compound

The hospital is totally different from what I have gotten so accustomed to here in the UK. It lacks the most basic of equipments and medicines.. things that we so easily take for granted. For such a 'large' hospital, the only imaging they have are a really old and outdated X-ray machine and an even older ultrasound reader. The wards are crowded and dirty, and most beds don't have proper bedsheets. Houseflies are found everywhere in the wards, the delivery room and even in the operating theatre! I was totally shocked when I first entered the theatre. The condition was just apalling, and sometimes the doctors had to work without any electricity. It was definitely an eye-opening experience.

Women's ward

Theatre

Apart from working in the hospital, I also visited a leprosy settlement just next to a remote village. Leprosy is a disease that is caused by an organism similar to those that cause TB, and it can lead to permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes. Infected people used to be isolated by their societies as it is spread via close contact and there was no cure until the 1940s. Even nowadays, many people are badly affected because of the stigma still attached to this disease. This little village of about 16 buildings are home to 60 people. They have all come here because of not being able to work to support themselves, or are discriminated by their own family.

Some of the residents.

Effects of leprosy

___________________________________________________________

On a lighter note, here are some other pictures I took around Masasi:

The Hospital seen from Mkomaindo Hill

On top of Mkomaindo Hill, overlooking the village

A mud hut

Witch doctor

Bomani Football Ground

It really does seem like football is the most popular sport in the world. Every boy in the village wants to be the next Ronaldo! The football field shown above is about 15mins walk from where I stayed and there's a football match held there every Saturday. It's great to watch football in such a beautiful place ;)

Sunset

Tanzania

2007-08-23T16:30:00.000+01:00

So I'm finally back in Cambridge! Now I remember why I couldn't wait to get away from the UK before. The weather has been horrible since I got back.. I haven't seen the sun yet! It's basically been all grey skies and wet as hell. There is a weird feeling of being at 'home' here though.

Have also just started my final year. It's been all lectures this week.. One good thing about being back is that I finally have some time to sit down and upload my pictures. Looking at them now makes the whole trip feel kinda surreal. It sure passed by like a flash.

My bed in Masasi

I had an amazing time in Tanzania. The main city, Dar Es Salaam, is rapidly expanding and it kinda reminds me of parts of South East Asia.. in the sense of plain looking buildings everywhere that is typical of a 'developing' area. Culture seems to be lacking here.. certainly not my favourite place.

Local woman balancing basket on her head

Masasi, on the other hand, couldn't be more different. It's one of the bigger towns in the southern region of Mtwara. Think the population is even more than Brunei! haha However, the place is still very rural.. with orange dirt roads and mud huts everywhere although brick houses are getting more common. There is no clean wiped water and electricity is a luxury there. Most people travel around by foot.. there was this man who walked for 2 days to bring his daughter to the hospital! And here I am complaining from a 15 mins walk lol.

My hosts: Mr. and Mrs. Freddy

Mr. Freddy, pictured above, was the person who I got in touch with for my elective. He works as a nurse officer in Mkomaindo Hospital and he arranged most of my schedule while I was there. I stayed in his house, which was relatively big over there. Think he's really well off.. he has electricity in the house and even a personal mini-generator! That came in handy as the power was out most of the time.

Mama Maula the chef

I have heard stories about how anyone will surely get diarrhoea in Africa but luckily I wasn't affected. Guess it must be all the training from eating Brunei food lol. I had most of my meals at home where Mama Maula would cook some delicious local food everyday. One thing I found out was that a lot of the dishes are cooked with tomatoes used as flavouring. Some of the more unique local dishes are ugali (kinda like mashed potato, made from maize flour) and chips mayai (or chips omelette).

My attempt at grinding maize

My typical day at work starts from 7.30am to about 3pm, after which I would walk about 30 minutes to get back home for lunch. After a short rest my friend, Majidi, would then show me around the large village. Many locals chill out at 'groceries' which are basically like cafes, where you can have drinks with friends. That seems to be the most popular entertainment at night. Since most houses don't have electricity and hence no television, each night tons of kids would drop by to watch the TV at Mr. Freddy's house. And their channel of choice? Hip-hop music videos! haha They all love to dance to the groovy music.

Chilling at a 'grocery' after work

Children watching TV

Dancing to the music

Although Masasi is mainly flat, there were hills all around the village and I climbed two of them. One was directly behind the hospital, called Mkomaindo Hill, and one part of the climb was about 70 degrees steep!! I still don't how I manage to get past that lol.

Resti Hill

On top of Mkomaindo Hill

Transit at Doha

2007-08-07T10:57:00.000+01:00

I'm now in the Doha International Airport waiting for my transit flight to Kuala Lumpur. I actually arrived here last night and was given a hotel room in town to stay in, with complimentary meals.. nice! Then this morning I tried walking around the city and the minute I walked out of the hotel my skin felt like there were being toasted! It must have been at least 40 degrees out there! Didn't look like there was much to see so I retreated back to my comfy hotel room lol.

Anyways, I am going off to Bali from KL before going back to Brunei. Tanzania was amazing

Tanzania - Here I come!!

2007-07-10T03:16:00.000+01:00

I can't believe I'm actually flying off to Tanzania tomorrow! I won't reach my destination (small town in the South) until Thursday though haha. I wonder how ulu it's gonna be there.. it's gonna be interesting regardless =)

I still have a little bit of New York City withdrawal lol. I think doing my elective there was definitely the right decision. Visiting the place as a tourist would be a totally different experience I think. I got to have a little taste of how it was like working there.. and I quite enjoyed it. Applying for work there is gonna be terribly difficult though.. and I hardly know anyone there! Hmm.. maybe I might change my mind again soon.

Okay I should go back to packing now.. need to optimise the limited space!!

Just to illustrate how much I love Central Park, here are the various sights you can see:

The 'Imagine' plaque in Strawberry Fields

The Bow Bridge where Spidey and MJ broke up

People doing crazy stretches like this

Belvedere Castle with the Turtle Pond beneath it

Overlooking the Turtle Pond

Hula-hooping at the Park

Alice in Wonderland

Gapstow Bridge

And last but not least, the NYC skyline with Brooklyn Bridge in the foreground, taken @ night. *Dreams*

New York Sights

2007-07-06T05:10:00.000+01:00

Wow, it's been a lightning-fast 4 weeks.. I'm leaving New York this Sunday! Have taken lots of pictures but won't be able to show them all in one go. So here are the main tourist sights in the city. These are not just ordinary sights but each of them are international icons in their own right.. definitely worth the 200+ pds return flight from London. =)

Sheep's Meadow @ Central Park

I love Central Park! It's really huge, spanning about 50 streets long and a mile across. Don't think I can physically explore all of it in a day! What I love about it is that it's divided into lots of different areas, and each of them look completely different from each other; from the flat Sheep's Meadow to the hilly and quiet Strawberry Fields, after which The Beatles' song is named.

Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is synonymous with the USA. When I first saw it, it wasn't as big as I have always pictured it to be. However, when standing beneath it, it does look colossal! Too bad visitors have not been allowed to go up to the crown since 9/11.

Ground Zero

Of course, one could not come to the Big Apple and not visit the site where the majestic World Trade Centre once stood. Being on the site definitely gave me a solemn feeling. And it's sad to still hear about the car bombs in the UK just recently. I wonder what atmosphere I will be returning to this coming Sunday. Hopefully the flights will not be delayed much and everything has settled a bit by then. I doubt it though =S

Times Square

Times Square is another favourite spot of mine. The neon lights come alive at dusk, and the crowds here never seem to disappear. It must be amazing to countdown to New Year's day here.

Brooklyn Bridge

Before going to Brooklyn Bridge, I thought to myself, how interesting would walking a bridge be? And boy, am I glad I did it. The bridge was once the longest suspension bridge and tallest structure in the Western hemisphere. Walking towards Brooklyn, I could see the view of the East River and the Harlem Bridge in front of me, while the New York City skyline slowly shrinking behind me. And watching the NYC skyline at night, with all the lights, is just out of this world! Too bad there's no significant other for me to watch with =P

On Top of the Rock

Another amazing experience was going up the Rockefeller Centre. It is not the tallest building in NY, but you could still see the whole city, as well as the Empire State Building itself. I can't stop imagining King Kong sitting atop of the tower lol.

Apple Store

I took this picture while I was on the bus. It was the launching day of the iPhone, hence the crowd. But isn't the glass cube really cool?! The whole store is actually in the basement just beneath it. I checked out the iPhone today and the features were awesome! I would have gotten one if I wasn't so broke. *hint hint*

Strawberry Fields Sundae & Frozen Hot Chocolate

If you guys have watched Serendipity (the movie starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale), then you would know what I'm talking about here. The Serendipity 3 Cafe is just really close to where I live, but I only went there last week! There was always a long line whenever I walked past it even late at night. I finally went there last week at 12am (it closes at 2am hehe). Tried their trademark Frozen Hot Chocolate which was really yummy, along with other delicious desserts.

Okay I think it's time for me to go to bed. I have to wake up in 4 hours time for my last day at the hospital! It's quite bittersweet actually haha.. oh well better not be late for the last day! Here are some random shots I've taken..

Stairs on outside like you see in Friends lol

Met up with Billy and the gang.. sot eh!

Watching the 4th of July fireworks in the comfort of an apartment =)

Weekend in New England

2007-06-27T04:28:00.001+01:00

I'm high and sleep deprived!! Lol, I had 3 hours sleep last night and today, it looks like I'm gonna have less than 2 hours. I am so gonna collapse soon lol. Anyways just wanna quickly post up some pics from my weekend trip to Boston.

Boston skyline

Quincy Market

The metropolitan is actually quite nice and peaceful. It has this chilled out atmosphere about it that I really liked. The Quincy Market is especially lively and you can get lots of amazing food there (free to try!) and various shopping. Met up with some Cambridge friends there, and we went on a free sailing trip on the river! It was really fun and the weather was great!

Lewis Wharf

Aboard the sailboat

Me in action

I also visited both Harvard and MIT during the weekend. However, I don't really have any pictures to post coz they really look unimpressive compared to the likes of Cambridge and Oxford. Instead, I am going to show you some of the amazing food I had there =). Priorities haha. Boston is famous for their clam chowder and lobster, both of which I tried at the Legal Seafood. Then we went on to have dessert at the Cheesecake Factory which was amazing! And the next day, we even went for high tea at a posh hotel! Lol, it was so different from the ones in Brunei. We actually got to 'taste' 4 different types of tea as well as learned the origins and characters of each of them! How cultured huh? All the information went over my head lol. It was definitely interesting.

The Lobster Bake

Chocolate Tuxedo Cream Cheesecake

Having High Tea

I wish I could spend more time in Boston just to chill out a little bit before returning to hustle and bustle of New York. We stayed over at a friend's place, which actually looked very much like a frathouse you would see in American movies! Fully equipped with eccentric characters, weird creatures in a glass tank, stolen road signs, a billiards table and even a nintendo cube set! Needless to say, we slept late that night lol.

Washington D.C.

2007-06-20T03:08:00.000+01:00

Time for another update! I'm getting used to waking up before 5am everyday now and surviving on about 4-5 hours sleep each night.. I managed to get more sleep during the weekend though, which I spent in Washington D.C.! It's actually quite cheap to get there.. $35 for a return bus ride from Chinatown. You can always count on the Chinese for a good bargain =)

The White House

Washington D.C. was not what I expected it to be at all. All I know before getting there is that it's the capital of the USA. I discovered that it's actually a really quiet place. Apart from the landmarks and museums, which were really spaced out, most of the city/town are just business-like buildings and suburban residential areas. Quite the contrast from NYC!

US Capitol

US Capitol from the back

Most of the landmarks are aligned in a straight line, with the Capitol Hill at one end and the Lincoln Memorial at the other. In between you get the Washington Monument, the newly built World War II Memorial and the Smithsonian museums.

The Washington Monument

Wow, I jump really high haha

World War II Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial

Abraham and me.

There were actually 6 or 7 museums in total, but I only visited two. The Air and Space Museum was quite cool, although I think I would have enjoyed it more if I was younger lol.We also went to the National History Museum and saw the dinosaurs and diamonds exhibits. Got to see the much-hyped Hope diamond (the biggest blue diamond in the world) and the Tiffany diamond, 'Bird on a Rock'. I don't see what's the appeal though. =P

L: Hope diamond R: Tiffany diamond

We also happened to stumble upon a soapbox race! Lol, I had no idea what it was until I saw it. Come to think of it, isn't there a children's film that has this race where a boy named Alfalfa won it with the tip of his pointed hair? Anyone has any clue??

Soapbox race.. how cute!

I found it really amazing how far this country has come, with such a relatively short history. Whatever the result, I think the intentions of having 'a land of the free' is truly inspiring.

New York, New York

2007-06-13T21:03:00.000+01:00

"New york, new york
I want to wake up in a city, that never sleeps"

It's only been less than a week, and I'm in love with New York! Haven't had much chance to do the touristy stuff yet as I started work on Monday. And apparently, the lady typed my specialty wrongly by mistake. So instead of doing neurology, I'm doing neurosurgery. I actually find this specialty quite exciting but I wasn't planning to have 6am starts in the morning!!

NYC sunrise on my way to work @ 5am

So 2 days have passed and I was still able to make it on time so far lol. I wonder how long this will last. The hospital itself is amazing! It's not too far from where I stay, but I still need to take the subway (underground for the uk-ians) in the morning. It's a private hospital so it's really rich and all, and some parts of the hospital looks like a 5-star hotel!!

View from my flat

There's so much to do and even more to see here in New York. I have tried several restaurants in the city and they have all been really good! I love the endless choices and each of them have their own unique feel/atmosphere. Gotta go explore the city now. Til next time!

Central Park

M&Ms anyone?

Scrumptious Mexican food @ Mercadito

Philadelphia cheese steak @ Fetch (cheesiest thing I've ever eaten!!)

At the Temple

Grilled eel dolsot @ Temple

Intense Chocolate Fudge Cake @ Max Brenner (look at the flask! lol)

A new chapter?

2007-06-09T02:16:00.000+01:00

So here I am, having just passed the dreaded Pathology exams.. and officially a final year med student. It all seems so surreal. Time really waits for no man. Will be flying off to New York tomorrow.. am not prepared at all mentally. I just feel like a zombie at the moment.. a sleep-deprived one =) I wish there was more time in between exams and my electives.. so I can actually recover from the exam stress, meet up with friends who are graduating and I might not see again for a really long time.

It was really good to have caught some of you before leaving. Too those who I didn't manage to say a proper goodbye, here's a farewell to all of you.. all the best in the future and keep in touch!

It's gonna be an interesting couple of months ahead of me. Will be in New York for a month, then off to Tanzania for another month! Not sure at all what to expect.. but I'm looking forward to it =) Will keep this blog up to date as much as I can about what's going on. As for now, goodbye Cambridge! (for 10 weeks hehe).

Sun, sea and sand... here I come!!!

Croatia

2007-04-25T00:12:00.000+01:00

The weather is getting much warmer and the flowers have sprung up everywhere. This just means its this much closer to the upcoming exams next month. It's been quite some time since my last proper written exam (2 years!) .. hope I still remember how to pass those!

With revision, of course, comes procrastination =) . I went to Croatia this past Easter break. I didn't know much about the country before this trip, and was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the place is. The country is like one long strip along the Adriatic coast and travelling from city to city usually takes half a day on the coach! One of these rides (Dubrovnik - Split) was practically just beside the coastline, and the views were just breathtaking.

After flying 2 hrs to Pula, taking a 5 hrs coach ride to Zagreb and another hour's flight , we finally reached our 'cottage' in Dubrovnik. The next morning we explored the Old Town (Stari Grad) before heading to the beaches in the evening.

We were living on the top floor ^^

Entrance to the castle! (with random nuns)

thirsty already...

The bell tower

A square in the Old Town

Amongst the rocks

My brother and I

Hole in the wall

From afar: The walls of the old city

A cafe boasting the tagline "Cold drinks with the Most Beautiful View"

Copacabana Beach (lol)

The gang chillin' out at the beach

Next, we took a 5 hr coach ride to Split where we stopped for a few hours before taking the ferry to Hvar island, voted one of the top 10 islands in the world. The island is incredibly scenic.. we drove around the island from one small, isolated town to another, taking in the sparse landscape and rolling hills. We came across a fishing boat returning from a day's catch at a random beach we stopped at. And we bought a kilogram of fresh fish for a pound.. what a bargain! Due to our limited kitchen supplies, we ended up frying the whole lot with salt and pepper only lol. They taste great!

Ferry setting off at sunset @ Split

View from our apartment in Hvar

Our transport on the island =)

Hvar town

The marina at Hvar town

Nice sunglasses!

Near Milna beach

The white pebble beach of Milna

Look at how clear and blue the water is!

Seafood risotto - looks great huh?

Yummy calamari

Evening skyline of Hvar town

Hvar town by night

And that's a wrap! Goodnight =)

Morocco

2007-01-15T23:54:00.000Z

Words escape me at the moment.. I'll just let the pictures and this quote do the talking.

"Morocco is like a tree whose roots lie in Africa and whose leaves breathe in European air".

Welcome to Morocco @ Fes

Tanneries in the Medina

Bab Bou Jeloud @ Fes

The Hassan Tour @ Rabat

The Oudaya Kasbah @ Rabat

The Hammam in the Hassan II Mosque @ Casablanca

The Hassan II Mosque @ Casablanca

Our little Riad in Marrakech

Snake charmers @ Djemma El Fna

Souks in Marrakech

Souks @ night

More of the souks..

Got milk? Traditional Morrocan dishes with Almond milk

Djemma El Fna during the day

Djemma El Fna during the night

Oranges galore! Fresh juice for 30p a glass.

Hamburg Part 2

2006-12-10T23:44:00.000Z

Only 2 more weeks to holidays.. I can't wait! But first, I will have to get through a CBL week, a Psych exam and a week full of lectures.. dread! I'm gonna skip the last day though.. shhh!

So here are more photos from my trip to Germany last month.. first up is the midieval town of Schwerin! It's about an hour from Hamburg by train, and is a rather quiet town. And we stayed in this hostel in the middle of the woods, by the lake! It's a really picturesque place, too bad it was raining on the day we were there..

In the middle of a park, under the rain...

By the lake

Impressionism?

Scrumptious dinner in a very 'homely' restaurant

We were lucky enough to stumble across a festival while roaming the streets at night! Apparently, it was the "Arrival of the Lübeck 'Martensmannes' (Marten man)" festival who used to bring wine from Lübeck to Schwerin and this festival is to celebrate this great man.

Bread-roasting!

Now you see it ... Now you don't!

Yumm.. yumm!

Having coffee and cakes in a 'chi-chi' bar ;)

And the last stop of the trip was, of course, Hamburg! It is the second largest city in Germany and the second largest port city in Europe. I'm really amazed by how organised and clean the cities and towns are in Germany.. most of it anyways.

One of the many lakes in Hamburg

The Alster lake in the centre of town

The Rathaus (Town Hall)

Came upon this in the square.. how cute right!?

One of my friends, Grace, has a friend in the city so he brought us to this really nice brewery/restaurant called Gröninger .. it was underground, just next to the brewery thingies and the atmosphere was really nice! Oh forgot to mention.. the typical German meal consist of a roast meat/sausage, fried potatoes with bacon and sour cabbage, with a glass of beer! Not fantastic cuisine but filling nonetheless hehe..

Gut appetit!

A keg of beer anyone? :P

Hamburg is also famous for its nightlife and red light district. I didn't get to see much of it though.. coz we were totally exhausted by 3am when we finally made our way to the Reeperbanh (the red light district).

Left: Our hotel Right: Sex shop

And this is for YH! ;)

And that's it for my Lubeck-Schwerin-Hamburg trip! And can you believe I didn't eat any hamburgers the whole time??

Hamburgggg Part one

2006-11-14T00:36:00.000Z

I'm back in Peterborough today for the second half of my 6 week attachment here.. not long more to go! It's not THAT bad a place here but home (Cambridge) is always better =). Here are a few pics of my room in the flat:

Simple and empty? hehe

Last nite, I got back from my first ever weekend trip! Well, it started on Friday but still technically a weekend trip ;). It was a LOT of fun and very little sleep! I don't have all the pictures yet so will only post the first part of my trip: Lübeck!

Arrival at Lübeck airport

Lubeck town seen from the top of St. Peter Church

Another shot

Beautiful Autumn

Lübeck is also famous for being the 'Marzipan capital' (something I didn't know before =P). It is said that marzipan is the brainchild of a talented confectioner in this little town. So of course we had to visit the Niederegger where this almond+sugar combination was first made.

The Niederegger

Everything in the shop contained marzipan!

We also stumbled into a local cafe which reminded me a lot of my favourite one, Starbucks! The layout, decorations, drink selection and logo are all pretty similar to Starbucks. They do have some unique and original drinks though.

Starbucks wannabe?

While wandering around the cobblestone streets, we came upon this sign!

Please play football on the road kids!

More to come later =)

All ready for Psych!

2006-10-19T23:24:00.000+01:00

Nafplio - Easter 06

Wow, another 3 months have passed and I've finished my O&G attachment (obstetrics and gynaecology =p) ... Saw a few deliveries and a C-section.. I was really surprised at how quick the surgery actually lasts.. to be fair, getting the baby out is the easy bit. It takes almost twice as long to close the wound afterwards!

After witnessing the live births, I have much more respect for all the mothers who have to go through labour.. just imagine going through the worst pain ever! (yeah I know there is pain relief but they don't always work!) and having a baby passing through the birth canal! *Ouch!!* Am I glad I'm not a woman =)

But what really amazes me is how at one second, the fetus/baby can look so alien/sci-fi-like with no sign of life.. it's head squeezing slowly out of the mother's womb.. it's bizzare! Then the next second, the whole body of the baby just slips out and once it takes its first breath, it lets out his/her first cry.. everything just moved so quickly that it's so surreal. And the funny thing is, once the midwife gets hold of the whole baby after popping out, she immediately wraps a small towel over the baby and literally drops the baby onto the mother's tummy and say "There you go, it's a boy!". It still makes me laugh..

I'm looking forward to next week.. gonna be starting my Psychiatry attachment next. It's gonna be fun! haha. Lots of things to look forward to in the coming months.. I can't wait ;)

I found this in my house! Do you think it's radioactive?

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Last but not least, I am glad to announce that the STAND UP Against Poverty Campaign last Sunday was an overwhelming success all over the world! Here's an excerpt from the official website:

Official Guinness Verification:
The world record for the most people to 'Stand Up Against Poverty' in 24 hours was set on 15 - 16 October 2006 for the United Nation's Millennium Campaign and involved a massive total of 23,542,614 participants in 11,646 events around the globe.

Six years ago, 189 world leaders sat down and agreed to end poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. On October 15&16, over 23 million people across the world stood up to remind them of this promise.

Jump Up! Can you spot me?

Summer Hols

2006-08-23T09:17:00.000+01:00

Boo! So 3 weeks have come and past before I even realised. Am now back in the UK and the summer weather is all but gone... now it's just constant grey skies, cold and humid :S

I went night diving for the first time during my holiday, and it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

Here are some of the things I saw... (pictures don't do them justice!)

This cute little baby puffer fish was one of many
surrounding us as soon as we descended from the surface.

We got to see lots of crabs... from humungous ones to smaller than a ten cent coin!

This one is tiny as hell! I wondered how my friend spotted it.

Now this one was HUGE! And don't ask me what's on its back lol!

I've always thought that it must be really hard to see anything at night in the middle of the ocean! But the underwater lights were quite impressive. I mean, of course there was a limtied view at one time, but your eyes can only focus on so much at any one time anyways. So it turned out to be some kind of hide and seek, trying to 'seek' for the underwater treasures!

These tiny 'christmas trees' are in abundance on the corals.
They shut when you come to close.

Can you spot it?

This lionfish looks majestic in the water!

This is as close as we can get to the squid. It was fast!

This cuttlefish can change colour according to its surroundings. Amazing!

This is a nudibranch.
It's the cutest little thing ever, and they are hard as hell to find!

And the highlight of the dive was when we stumbled upon this...

A hawksbill turtle!

We followed it around for a bit, since I think we have just woken it hehe. Then it needed to resurface to get some air, and it was 'dancing circles' as it went up, it was breathtaking!

My friends told me I was really lucky to see all these in one night and prepare to be disappointed in my future night dives.. haha, I hope they're wrong!

Oh... and a shout-out to Gee! happy? lol

Home Sweet Home

2006-08-02T00:31:00.000+01:00

"Another summer day has come and gone away,
And I wanna go home..."

Feels good to be back!

Longing for the hols...

2006-07-18T00:19:00.000+01:00

My summer holidays cannot come any sooner! I'm finally in the last week of my paediatrics attachment now. It's actually a very interesting specialty, but I find myself thinking about the holidays and can't seem to concentrate.. haha that's coz by this time of the year I'm so conditioned to being back home after travelling around Europe.

Anyways, remember in my last blog when I said it was really hot here in the UK? It's supposedly getting even hotter this week.. it's predicted to reach 37C this Wednesday!! Guess this whole thing about global warming is slowly coming true.

So the World Cup has come and gone.. and what a tournament it was! There were lots of surprises as well as disappointments but overall, although my favourite teams Brazil and England didn't shine, I really enjoyed the whole month. I mean 2 or 3 international football matches a day? What can beat that?! Ohh.. World Cup and Wimbledon at the same time probably does.. hehe. And who can forget the final! Zidane... no matter what reasons you have, it's still the silliest thing you have done in your career. Let's hope you're not remembered for that freak moment of craziness.

Italy, the World Champions.

Okay, just 11 more days to go now.. Kambate! Those of you back home, wait for me to come back and party! For those who don't know where Brunei is, here's a little geography lesson for you ;P

Home sweet home

hot, Hot, HOT!

2006-06-13T00:33:00.000+01:00

It's getting hot in here!! It's currently 28C in my room... and it's freakin' midnight! That's basically hotter than it is back home! haha.. I need some air-conditioning... or at least a fan =S

Apart from feeling hot, I have been busy doing my paeds attachment the last couple of weeks. Dealing with kids is a lot more fun than I thought! They are so cute and cuddly (the tiny ones at least heh).. and they're oh so innocent. I even managed to bath a 2 day old baby... she was so small and looked really fragile, I thought I was gonna break her! But apparently, the nurse said I was good with babies (?).

It's not all smiles though. There was this time when I was just about to listen to a 2 year old girl's chest.. I was just reaching for my stethoscope and she started crying really loudly! (she was quite a loud girl to begin with haha). I had to pretend to listen to her teddy bear's chest, and then her mum's before I could do it on her.. haha that was fun! I got a new little toy today to decorate my stethoscope.. hope the kids won't be as scared now. =D

Turtle power!

And of course World Cup is under way now.. too bad I can't watch most of the afternoon matches. I'll be rooting for Brazil and England!! What about you?

Hypnosis!

2006-05-18T02:10:00.000+01:00

Update: I've been quite slack for the past 4 weeks, thanks to my SSC option... clinical hypnosis!

So what's it all about? A lot of people, myself included, have this preconceived perception that it involves a mustachioed villain swinging a clock-watch back and forth... . Now that couldn't be further from the truth.

Basically, the practitioner (like me =P) will start talking in a slow, smooth, hushed voice to the subject (that's you!) and gradually make you close your eyes one way or another. [I still need the scripts to do this although I'm supposed to know them by heart for my exam next week!] Then I continue reading different scripts depending on which I think is most suitable for you. Then if you need some ego-boosting (heh), bad habit breaking, phobia tackling or smoking cessation, I will go on to those specific scripts. After that I wake you up! Ta-daaa! Not magic is it? And it's completely safe, you're completely aware of what's going on and you can't be forced to say anything against your will!

It's a really interesting course but I'm getting a bit bored of it now heh. I know I shouldn't be complaining coz the classes themselves are very, and I mean VERY, relaxing. I spend half of the class time having my eyes closed either being hypnotised by the lecturer or a fellow student. Now what kind of lecture can top that!? There's actually some work for me to do though. I have to find 20 volunteers to hypnotize and I'm not even half way there yet. Most people are busy having exams and I am not keen enough to go hunting for volunteers haha.

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So I've been thinking... why is it human nature that we take things for granted until they're gone? It's quite ironic that most of the time we don't pay as much attention as we should to the people/things we care most about, and yet they're right by our side the whole time. It's only when something's gone wrong, that we start thinking that we should have appreciated it more and gave the care that it deserves.

I've been guilty of taking things/people for granted before... I will not do that anymore! *mental note to self*

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Anyways, here are a coupe of pics of some delicious Greek food I had last month during the trip =D.

Moussaka and Rice-filled Pepper. (Oops I've started eating already =D)

The yummy Deep-fried Calamari!

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Sid: Thanks! I checked out your pics some time ago, and they were amazing!

Na & TS: Thanks =D

Hilman: Hey! How've you been? Haven't heard from you in ages. We should keep in touch!

Amazing Greece

2006-04-20T22:37:00.000+01:00

So the Greece trip is finally over, and what a trip it was! From the amazing ancient ruins of the Acropolis to the dramatic cliffs of Santorini island, the great sunny weather throughout and the mouth-watering Greek cuisine.. I can't believe it's all over!

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First stop: Athens.

The main attraction was of course the Acropolis. It really is a great sight to see such ruins still standing in the middle of the city. It was a shame that we can't get closer though, as there were barricades around the sites. Also there were lots of contruction going on, so that took away some of the beauty of the place.

The Parthenon.

The Acropolis @ night.

The other main attraction in Athens is the Flea Market. It kinda reminded me of the shops in KL and Hong Kong. Love the atmosphere!

The Flea Market.

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Next stop: Nafplio.

This is a lovely coastal town. We went to the little Bourtzi Castle in the middle of the harbour and climbed 999 steps the top of the Palamidi Fortress. The views from there were simply breathtaking!

Nafplio - view from Palamidi Castle.

Nafplio - the harbour town.

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Third stop: Santorini.

I've heard a lot about Santorini and the island did not disappoint. It was probably my favourite stop of the trip. This submerged caldera was the epicentre of probably the biggest volcanic eruption in recorded history. Together with the white-washed buildings and blue-domed churches of its towns, it was truly a beautiful sight.

Setting off to the volcano islet of Nea Kameni.

On the volcano islet of Nea Kameni.

The village of Oia

On the second day here, we missed the earliest bus and it was the weekend so the schedule was very infrequent. We decided to rent 2 cars instead and that was such a blessing in disguise! It was so much easier to get around, and we actually managed to cover the whole island, and then some, in less than half a day! It saved us a lot of time, and it was great to get to drive again.. although I had some trouble remembering how to drive manual haha.

View of the caldera from the south of the island.

Atop the look-out in Oia.

Oia, Santorini.

Sunset @ Oia, Santorini.

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Last stop: Naxos.

This was a fitting final stop as the island has this calm and relaxed feeling about it. On arrival, we were greeted with a row of restaurants along the coast of the main town, where the smell of grilled octopus filled the air, hmm.... it was heavenly! We had seafood for dinner in one of the recommended restaurants called Irinis and the it was excellente! We tried everything from grilled octopus and squid, fresh fried calamari to mussels saganaki. Yummy!

Sunset @ The Temple of Apollo.

Naxos town @ night.

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Last but not least, thanks to my great travel-mates, I had a really wonderful time =).

Off To Greece!

2006-04-09T23:15:00.000+01:00

*Phew* Holidays couldn't have come sooner!, although it's only for 2 weeks. Am zooming off to Greece tomorrow.. can't wait to get away from this cold and gloomy weather!

I've just realised that this has been the one of the longest 'terms' I've had in more than 3 years. Cambridge terms have always been 8 weeks of term time followed by 6 weeks of holidays. And in the last term, lectures last for typically 4 weeks or even less! So that's basically around 20 weeks of 'term' in ONE year!

So far this year I've already had 26 weeks of 'term' and it's ot even Easter yet. I really do miss those long-ass holidays, although when I come to think of it I don't know what I did to fill up all those time haha.

Alright I'm off for some sun and sea! =D

Relaxing Weekend

2006-03-28T22:11:00.000+01:00

My OSCE exams are just a week away! I should be more worried than I am at the moment haha. Had a really nice weekend in Nottingham, it was great to see so many Bruneians in one place again. Kinda reminded me of high school, oh how I miss them! Managed to catch up with people I haven't seen or stayed in touch in ages. And I didn't know netball could be this exciting lol.

I'm addicted to Starbucks! Not just the delicious Caramel Frappuccino, but especially the atmosphere. They always have the most amazing music on, although someitmes it's my iPod =P. Had a little corner all to ourselves in a Starbucks in Nottingham, with nice comfy armed-chairs to boot! It was perfect... until a really loud bunch of people came in. Spoilers, lol!

Anyways, I found this incredibly cute. Check it out:

Woohoo, skiving is good.

2006-03-10T11:50:00.000Z

Alright I'm back in Cam a day early this week just to attend a formal, haha! Although I feel a bit guilty since everyone in my attachment is so keen, I feel great today! Have a self-made 3 day weekend keke.

Did you know?

Facebook Inc was recently valued by financial analysts at over US$30 million implying it makes over US$4 million in revenue a year (all from people poking!)!!!
That money would fund almost 50,000 children through school in some parts of India!

Anyways, it's just crazy that a website like that can earn so damn much! Makes you want to create a website like tha of your own huh? haha. Oh, have you guys heard of the Face Book song? Check out www.fbsong.com

I just found out that my friend is the female lead, lol! And the video features all the Cambridge landmarks too!

Back in Ipswich

2006-02-26T22:42:00.000Z

So here I am back in Ipswich again.. just 4 more weeks to go! But as I sit here thinking in my empty room, it's not that bad. The wireless internet in the room certainly helps =D. I was really tired most of last week after coming back from the hospital. After cooking dinner, eating and showering, it's already bed-time! No time to think about how boring it is here haha, although I did go out a couple of nights. I will try to be more organised this week, don't wanna be late most mornings like I was last week *paiseh*.

Found this pic of a Pomeranian online somewhere and thought it was f-ing cute! In case you don't know how one looks like, I've included a 'before' pic.

Before

After: Firefox!

I want one of these! *hint hint* for my next birthday present hehe.

Happy Chap Go Night!

2006-02-12T18:03:00.000Z

Nothing much to blog about recently. Today is the last day of Chinese New Year this year. Nothing big planned. It's time like these that I wish I was back home heh. Apparently my dad and uncle had a really huge Open House a few days ago, with a Lion Dance troupe and kung-fu show no less!!

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I'm always intrigued by some of the pictures that are featured on the BBC website. What better way to see amazing pictures from all over the world with just one click? Here are a few that caught my eye recently:

This photo reminds me of how much I'm afraid of heights!

Swans on thermal lakes, Hokkaido.

Mount Kilimanjaro. Just wow.

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It seems like everyone has an Ipod these days. The latest Ipod can play videos, in addition to music and pictures. So what's next? Apprently, the next video Ipod will have touch screen features. Here's how they might look like, although not official:

Hmmm.. now I can't wait to get my hand on one of these! My sister really wants my Ipod mini, so I won't feel as guilty hehe =P

One more week before I go back to Ipswich =(

Pics Galore!

2006-01-24T21:12:00.000Z

Finally got my hands on the pics from my holidays. Am very tired so won't write much, will just let the pictures do the talking ;)

My friends visiting @ Eraina

My birthday =D

Chrismas in Manchester (Red!)

On the train to Glasgow (Look more closely!)

WTH is that!!?!

Crowded main street in Glasgow

View from Stirling Castle

Edinburgh Castle

Sunset @ Edinburgh Castle

Posers @ Carlton Hill

Salisbury Crags
(reminds me of the Lion King!)

That was my first week of Holidays gone. I came back to Cambridge to rest for a night before I'm off again skiing for last week of my hols!

New Year's @ Chamonix

Above the clouds

Another breathtaking view

Rescue in action!
(Someone in my group got injured =S)

Me @ Argentiere

Me on top of Le Brevent

My fav shot!

And that's all, folks!

Memoirs of a Geisha

2006-01-16T00:44:00.000Z

Everyone is talking about this movie. If you haven't watch it, go! I just watched it this past week. I must say I quite like the movie, even more than the book itself which I read over the Christmas holidays.

Although the story of the movie was changed slightly from the book, it flowed pretty well and still made sense. The only qualm I have is that the scenes seemed a bit rush to me. I thought the same of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I think it's just that I've read the books before hand, which are usually in much more detail and a 2/3 hour movie just can't cover everything. Oh and I was a bit disappointed with Sayuri's big solo dance. I didn't expect it to be a mad woman flailing her arms aimlessly looking like she's choking.

It's amazing to me that the whole movie was actually filmed in the US! And there I thought Japan is such a beautiful place, heh. Still, I think those Japanese gardens/parks are just exquisite. Would definitely want to visit there in the future.

The fact that the main actresses in the movie were all brilliant just made the movie even better. My favourite would have to be Gong Li. I know she's supposed to be the bad girl, but I think her acting is far superior, not to mention she looks so much better than both Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Zhi Yi despite being 40!

One thing about the book/movie I find disturbing is the relationship between middle-aged/old man who are in their 40s, 50s or 60s, falling for girls who are 15 year olds! These days, they would be called paedophiles!

Overall, the movie is definitely worth watching. Gets at least a B+ from me! It's short enough to make you crave for more. The ending is short and sweet, unlike the book which dragged on and on and in the end, it was just anti-climax. One thing good about the book is that you get the whole story, plus the more detailed explanations on the customs of the Geisha and whatnot.

Now I can't wait for The Davinci Code!

Holidays' just around the corner!

2005-12-22T23:38:00.000Z

Tomorrow is the last day of school!! Can't wait for it! This is the first time I have had no break for longer than 3 months. I'm mentally and physically exhausted.. thank god I have got a nice holiday planned out eventhough it's only 2 weeks.

The first day of my holiday will be my birthday.. how fitting! Am getting old though =( but I'm still young at heart hehe. I won't be able to celebrate with my family but hopefully I can get to celebrate with my close friends here in Cambridge, as well as in Manchester where i'll be spending Christmas. After that, will be heading up to Scotland! Although I've been here for 5 years now, I still haven't been up north yet haha.

I need to travel around the UK more.. Let's see where I've been:
London
Shrewsbury (my A Level college!)
Manchester (I still wanna go into Old Trafford!)
Birmingham (didn't like it)
Liverpool (nice town)
Cambridge (of course!)
Ipswich (my attachment, hehe but haven't covered it lots)
Oxford (the dark side!)
Nottingham (nice lake)

Ooh, actually that's not as bad as I thought. But still lots more to cover. Am planning to go to Lake District, Sheffield and wherever the Stone Henge is!

I'll also be celebrating the New Year 2006 on top of the French Alps. Really enjoyed skiing last year, so am looking forward to the great skiing, great scenery and great food!

I will update with my travels as soon as I can. So for now, I wish everyone an advanced Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May the new year bring more happiness, joy and fulfillment in everyone's lives =D

Relax...

2005-12-07T00:21:00.000Z

I need to relax! Since holidays won't be here until about 3 weeks time, I have to find new ways to relax. Let's see what I can find in the 1001 Ways to Relax book...

Wake up naturally, without an alram clock, at least once a week if you can. This will help you reconnect with your bodily cycles. Note that going to bed an hour earlier will not necessarily bring forward your natural waking time by an hour - you may find that you lie awake, worrying that you can't sleep (so true!!!). If your circadian rhythms make you a night owl at heart, go with the flow and have a weekend lie-in when you need one. If you're a lark, spring out of bed when the time seems right - you may find there's time before breakfast to do some worthwhile meditation.

Do less, experience more. In our fast paced modern world, there is a constant pressure to do more in less time. Consequently there is little time to appreciate what we are doing, to enjoy the experience of being alive.

Enjoy chocolate. The main constituent of chocolate is cocoa - a substantce first consumed by the Aztecs, who recognized its stimulating and restorative properties reseving it for warriors, priests and nobles. Today cocoa is known to be rich in antioxidants, which protect us from cancer-promoting free radicals. Good-quality chocolate tends to be high in cocoa and low in sugar, so you can nibble it without feeling guilty. (Girls must be happy to hear this, keke. So what is good-quality chocolate?)

Shake a snowstorm bubble and examine the miniature scene of the blizzard within the plastic dome. Whenever your life seems chaotic, imagine that you are observing the chaos from outside like this - calm and centred despite the confusion. (*shake, shake, shake* *stares*)

Feeling Blue

2005-11-14T00:57:00.000Z

Have you ever felt like everything on a particular day is just not going the way you want it to? Like those famous phrases: It's just one of those days or when you woke up on the wrong side of the bed?

What do you do when that happens? If I could, I would go to the beach or on top of a hill and shout as loud as I want. It always helps, even if it doesn't solve the problem.

Maybe, just maybe, the Monday Blues hit me early...

A day in the life of a student doctor

2005-10-20T00:54:00.000+01:00

Wow, so it's been one and a half weeks since I've been attached to the hospital here in Ipswich. It's really quite interesting and exicting to finally be able to understand the whole clinical picture from seeing patients and learning practical skills instead of just burying myself in books (not that I've done a lot of that =P). Oh, and there's internet connection in my room after all! Although it's quite bad but I'm not complaining!

In the short time here, I have seen a really jaundiced patient, a patient who's had 10 drug overdoses (!!!), taken lots of bloods! and put cannulas in (I failed several times arrghhhh!). But the proudest and scariest moment was when I had to do CPR on a dying woman! My firm was on call that evening and suddenly my SHO got a fast bleep.. which means someone's on cardiac arrest!! So the whole firm + some nurses dashed out of the ward and ran down this bloody long corridor to another ward at the other end of the hospital.

By the time I got there, I was all sweaty and panting.. I was really impressed at how everyone else was able to remain calm and doing what they had to do to resuscitate this patient with no pulse. This nurse was doing chest compressions for a few mins now and must be getting really tired, then my SHO turn around and asked ME to take over!?

Up to that point, I was just standing at the corner, shocked and observing everything that's going on around me, like watching an emergency case on TV. But alas, I was called back to reality and I had no choice but to step in to this scary world.. I had only learn Basic Life Support a couple of weeks ago and to do this on a real dying patient just scares the hell out of me. So I did what I could barely remember from that short lesson that I had and did the chest compression with all I had, as my heart was pounding like mad. And when I looked at the patient's face to see if there was any reaction, I got another shock as she had only one eye.. as if I'm not frightened enough already.

Thank god after a minute or so, her heart started beating again and I breathed a sigh of relief. I can't imagine how I would feel if the first patient I did this on had not made it... I would feel really guilty and think its all my fault. But now I'm really proud of myself for playing a part in saving someone's life. =D

LOST

2005-10-16T11:39:00.000+01:00

Yay, it's the weekend! That means no work and I'm back in Cam.. but boo, I'm also going back to Ipswich tonight =/ I'm gonna bring my laptop there this time. Although there's no internet in my room at least I can play music or watch something to entertain me.

Have been watching the latest season of LOST and it's SO good! So many more questions have popped up and there are so many questions from season 1 that's still not answered. What's the monster? Who are 'the others'? Are the numbers really cursed? What do they mean? And what's in the hatch?...

Season 1 ended with the last question as the cliffhanger, and that's being answered at the moment in season 2.. but there are so many more questions raised.. the cursed numbers add up to 108, and that's the no. of minutes that the button has to be pressed.. does that mean anything? Does pressing the button really saves them or is it just some crazy psychological experiment to see how many times they're going to press it? Where's Walt? Why do the others want Aaron and Walt? Jin actually spoke English?!? There seems to be more survivors than we thought.. I think the scope of this series is so huge, so real yet surreal, that makes it so good.

I've found some interesting stuff on the internet to add to all these mysteries:

In the new season, Shannon saw Walt drenched in the middle of the jungle whispering something before disappearing. I couldn't decipher what he was saying, but apparently if you play it backwards, he says "Don't press the button, the button's bad." Click here to hear it.

Michael, Locke and Kate were all involved in car accidents, and all of those involved the same car...

Michael

Locke

Kate

Hmmm...

There's a big philosophical question in the episodes now regarding belief and science. Are you a man of belief (like Locke) or a man of science (like Jack)? Would you press the button just because someone told you that otherwise, you will all die? Or would you not believe that in any way unless there's a logical explanation for it? Which is you?

Personally, I'm more a man of science. Maybe that's why I'm more of a freethinker. But in the most desperate of times, can one really not have something to believe in, to hold on to, and still make it through?

I'm in Ipswich!!!

2005-10-10T17:09:00.000+01:00

Just arrived in Ipswich this morning at 9. Had a brief introduction session, had a short talk with the consultant in charge of the medicine attachment, then went on to have a clinical skills session on 12-lead ECG.. all before I had the time to eat braekfast/lunch, settle my accomodation or go to the toilet. Hehe it was quite hectic but had the afternoon basically free.

I've met the HO in my firm, he seems nice and friendly. But I don't know if I'm lucky or unlucky to have a partner student in my firm who's super keen! Oh well, at least I'm not alone.

Oh yeah, apparently the computers here do not allow us to check either hotmail or gmail.. so sorry guys! Can't really reply your mails during the weekdays. I'll keep in touch through this blog. Not sure why the computers here are so crap. On the plus side, my room seems quite nice, living in a 4 room flat thing. Shares a kitchen, a shower and a toilet. Of course, there's no internet connection =(

Alright I'm going off now. Will be going to wards starting from tomorrow. FUN!

Settled

2005-09-25T15:25:00.000+01:00

I know I haven't updated in awhile.. Was busy preparing to return to the UK, then moving into the new house, unpacking and just started clinical school this week. Yeah.. so I didn't really have much time to update but I think I'm all settled now, feeling more comfortable at this new place.

Although clinicals have just started, it's already looking as promising and exciting as I thought it would be =) Have already seen some patients, learned some basic life support and practical skills. The only thing I'm not so enthusiastic about is communication skills class =S. This doctor really goes on and on and on and on... then we have to record ourselves while interviewing simulated patients (actors) in front of a group of other students, then watch and hear yourself on video while everyone else gives feedback on how you did. No *pressure*!

But there's still a lot of things that need getting used to. For example, waking up early in the morning (7.30am or earlier) and finishing at around 5pm+ almost every weekday, especially after more than 3 months of holidays. I also have to wear shirt and tie to school everyday.. I can't get ready in 5 mins anymore! haha.

Anyways, my house is about 5-7 mins cycle to the hospital/clinical school. That's slightly nearer than when I had to cycle from Churchill to lectures =) It is a bit further from town though, so unless there's an incentive I won't venture that far hehe. The house might be a bit old, but I find it really cosy and homely.. the cheap rent is always good! Of course, my housemates are great too =P We have this duty rota set up (thanks to a very efficient housemate ;) and it's supposed to be my turn to clean the whole house this week.. it's not as bad as I thought it would be.

Just to show you where I live, here's a cap from the amazing Google Earth:

*And Addies is short for Addenbrooke's Hospital of course =)

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Craving for :

Excapade sushi

Swensens ice-cream

Easy Way bubble milk tea

Mother Nature can be vicious

2005-09-01T08:22:00.000+01:00

I'm sure everyone must have heard about Hurricane Katrina by now. It's scary how devastating natural disasters can be. It's time like these I feel that I'm really lucky to be living in a country where these do not happen. To the victims, R.I.P

Around 20,000 people sought refuge in the superdome stadium in New Orleans. This just reminds me of what happened in The Day After Tomorrow, except this is not fiction =/

This pic shows an oil rig broken apart by Katrina and smashing into a bridge. Katrina has destroyed much of the oil infrastructure in its path across the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, oil prices in the US has jumped as much as 10 times the price of pertol in Brunei!

The price difference is just crazy! I can't imagine how much people in the US must be spending on petrol alone. And to think some people I know are actually complaining about prices here.. So what are you waiting for? Come pick me up more often! =P

________________________

US Open

On a lighter note, I will be tuning in to watch the US Open these 2 weeks. On the men's draw, Federer seems to be unstoppable. It's all up to Nadal now, as Roddick is already out and Hewitt probably will never beat him.

The women's side is more wide open though. The Williams sisters seem to be playing well, as is Davenport. But I hope either of the Belgians or Sharapova to win. =)

Redang!

2005-08-16T07:36:00.000+01:00

I finally got off my lazy ass and decided to update with pics from Redang. I don't know why so many people have not heard about this amazingly beautiful island! The pic on the right >>> is actually from another side of Redang that I took last year =). So here are the pics from my short 3 days stay there:

The one hour boat trip to paradise

Our little beach chalet (only the left side though =P)

The breathtaking view from our chalet

Another view of our little abode

What we were there for: sun, sand and sea!

On the banana boat!

To top it all off, Steamboat!

Second stop >>> Norway!

2005-07-13T18:42:00.000+01:00

Yay! Finally I got my hands on the pics from the Norway trip. I must say the scenery in the fjords are breathtaking. I wouldn't mind going back there again. It's like the perfect place to go and relax, to take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city. *dreams*

The Vigeland Sculture Park @ Oslo

Wheel of Life

The gang @ Flam

Flam again, isn't it beautiful?

The amazing waterfall at Flam

All ready to conquer the glacier! @ Sogndall

Atop the glacier

Peaceful Sogndall

UNESCO World Heritage Site - Bryggen

Whale meat @ Bergen market (tastes like beef!)

You're Beautiful

2005-07-12T21:01:00.000+01:00

I have been back for a week now. Time really flies! Have been hanging out with my good ol' friends and family. It's nice to finally be able to kick back and relax.. It'll be my last hols that last more than 2 months! Will post more next time, needs to get some sleep. ZzzzZzzz...

Oh btw, this song has been stuck in my head all night:

You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
I saw your face in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
'Cause I'll never be with you.
You're beautiful. You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
There must be an angel with a smile on her face,
When she thought up that I should be with you.
But it's time to face the truth,
I will never be with you.

Third stop >>> Venice, Rome and Paris

2005-07-02T15:50:00.000+01:00

I will post the pics from Norway when I get them. For now, here are the pics from the 10 day trip to Venice, Rome and Paris with my mum. The trip was quite an eventful one and smoking HOT!

Lovely Venice

Colourful Burano

Bridge of Sighs

St Mark's Square

My mum and I @ the Colosseum

Spanish Steps

The beautiful Trevi Fountain

Inside the Vatican Museum

The Eiffel Tower and I

Downing it after a long trip ;)

Back

2005-06-30T23:02:00.000+01:00

Wow, am glad I'm finally back, even if it's not home yet. Cambridge has become my second home so it'll do for now. Am really exhausted from all this travelling and can't wait to lie down, kick back and relax. I'll have another 14hr flight back home before I can finally do that though.

Ironically, I will be travelling to Redang again next month (yes, travelling!) to 'relax'. It wouldn't be complete without the sand, sea and sun, would it? (although I can do without the sun ;)

Will update pics soon. These few days I will be busy getting ready for graduation ang packing to go home! Can't wait, miss home lots! :P

First stop >>> Switzerland

2005-06-19T18:19:00.000+01:00

In beautiful Lucern

Interlaken: Among the Alps

Another amazing view in Interlaken

Towering waterfalls

Matthew and I conquered the Alps

The gang ;)

Trapped in the ice caves

Aww... the huskies love me!

Over

2005-06-05T02:09:00.000+01:00

So it's finally over. Feel so rlieved, but kinda lost at the same time. Like I don't have a purpose anymore hehe. Nah, I'm not complaining. Will try to enjoy my last summer break.

I won't have much time to 'relax' actually. Will be all around Europe for the most of the month. Gonna bring my mum around =) Too bad the rest of the family cant come =(

Oh great, fire alarm at 2+am...

Ooh, I signed the contract for renting my house today! I feel like an adult hehe. I can't believe there are so many things to do eventhough I'm supposed to be 'free', heh. Also a lot of friends will be leaving for good. Will miss them, didn't spend as much time with some of them as I wanted to.

Okay, not in a great mood. Will update later when I get back from my trips. Can't wait for that and goin back home! =)

Procrastinating

2005-06-02T21:34:00.000+01:00

Heh, here's a little poem for procrastinators like me =)

I Meant to Do My Work Today – Richard LeGalllienne

I meant to do my work today –
But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,
And a butterfly flitted across the field,
And all the leaves were calling me.

And the wind went sighing over the land
Tossing the grasses to and fro,
And a rainbow held out its shining hand –
So what could I do but laugh and go?

Only one more day to go!!! Can't wait! Wooooooooo.....

It's time!!!

2005-05-30T21:02:00.000+01:00

This is how I look like now

4 days... I can do it...

________________________________________

ee: Thanks! I'll be needing it.

Star Wars

2005-05-21T02:42:00.000+01:00

Just got back from watching Revenge of the Sith. I must say this is my favourite of the 'new' Star Wars films. It keeps you at the edge and wanting more after watching it. Some of the scenes and lines were a bit cheesy but that's what Star Wars is all about. The acting of some of the characters are a bit weak too. *cough* Hayden Christensen *cough*. However, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman and Ian McDiarmid were great! And Yoda rocks my socks!

The highlight for me were the graphics and effects, which were amazing! I can't help but wonder how the older Star Wars would look like given the technology today. I can only remember bits and pieces of the films from when I was 5 or so. This movie made me wanna go and watch all the other 5 episodes again but I've got an exam to look forward to =(

This must be added to my 'to do' list in the summer.

_________________________________________________

Jo: Thanks! Do I know you? hehe.

Crave

2005-05-19T00:51:00.000+01:00

Hmm.. the dim sum girl song has made me think about food a little too much. Oh, what I would give to have some of these:

Yummy Dim Sum

Unagi with garlic rice

Strawberry milk tea + pearls & coconut jelly

Less than 2 months to go! *trying to make myself feel excited although I know it's a long time =/*

Unmotivated

2005-05-17T16:08:00.000+01:00

Aarghh! I can't seem to concentrate at all! I must have attention deficit disorder or something. I can't focus for more than 10 minutes! LoL.

Anyway, take a look at the then beautiful and curvaceous Lindsay Lohan:

and this is how she looks like now:

I think someone should feed her KFC or something. At the rate she's going, she's gonna look like Skeletor soon!

Do girls actually wanna look like this?

Dim Sum Girl

2005-05-13T23:20:00.000+01:00

Firstly, click here and check out this song. Some funny shit to help me de-stress. Hehe.

Anyways, the presentation itself went alright. But the discussion bit after that =S. I had trouble answering a couple of the questions that the professors asked. Sigh... so much for hoping to get a good grade in my project. Now I need to focus more on the exams. Just less than 3 weeks away! SHIT! I'm so not ready.

Can't wait for it to be all over! Then I won't have to write another ESSAY ever again! Woohoo! Looking forward to my summer plans =).

___________________________________

S: Is Sister Huber cool or what!?
Shyemzz: Guess lah hehe ;)
Ji: Good luck for your last exam! It's all over for you but I still have 3 more weeks =(

Tomorrow...

2005-05-11T22:52:00.000+01:00

I have a presentation tomorrow in front of the whole department! *nervous breakdown*

I can't seem to concentrate and remain focus. Arghh, can't let my nerves get the better of me!

*waiting for the guy/gal to finish his/her half an hour shower so I can get refreshed and practice for tomorrow*

Random Stuff

2005-05-10T19:28:00.000+01:00

More AI

Take a look at this. The website was supporting Scott Savol and now that he's gone, they've switched their support to Anthony. lol. I must say they did quite a good job to get Scott into the top 5. Hehe.

Harry Potter!

I can't wait for the new book to come out. I'm glad I have some reading material already this summer holidays. =D

These are the 2 covers that will be sold:

(Children's edition) and (Adult's edition)

I think it's a no-brainer which one I would choose :P.

Also can't wait for the Goblet of Fire movie later this year. This is my favourite book of the series and the trailer looks amazing!

(The maze where the Triwizard tournament took place)

(The dragon)

Trust your nose

(click the nose)

According to research, our nose is highly skilled at sniffing out suitable sexual partners. So what are you waiting for? Go out and sniff around! ;)

________________________________________________

To a soh friend of mine, Happy 20th birthday! Hope you have a great year ahead of you =)
Bazza: Thanks, I promise I won't blog so much =P
S: Thank u.
Ji: Happy belated birthday again. Hope you make good use of *ahem*
Kimberly: who is Mrs. Dash?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Idol Talk

2005-05-09T23:04:00.000+01:00

Controversy?

Anyone who hasn't heard of American Idol must have been living under a rock the last 4 years. It has since become the highest rated reality show in the US. Being able to witness and choose your own "Idol" must be a hell of an incentive to make you watch. Not to mention when the Idol becomes huge, you want to know that you were there from the beginning.

However, the show has had its fair share of controversy as well. Let's see:
Season 1 - Rumours of poll rigging started once Tamyra Gray got kicked off from the final 4.
Season 2 - Corey Clark got the boot from making the finals because he failed to reveal he had an assault charge against his sister.
Season 3 - Frenchie Davis got kicked off the show because she posed topless for a website.
Season 4 - Scott Savol and Bo Bice both had an arrest record. Paula Abdul accused of substance abuse.

It seems that Corey Clark is back in the spotlight again. He had just admitted that he had an affair with Idol judge, Paula Abdul, claiming that Abdul coached him on song selection, bought him stage clothes, paid for hair styling and eventually initiated a sexual affair while he was a contestant in Season Two's preliminary rounds. Now I would be sceptical about this news coming from the mouth of a 'loser' and 'liar' but there were phone records of their conversations.

Conveniently, Clark has an album and book on his Idol experience coming out soon. Coincidence? I think not. This is probably him trying to stir up some interest in his upcoming releases. Even if Paula did have an affair with him, so what? Corey is 24, a freaking adult! It's not like you're 12 and got taken advantage of. This is concensual sex, and you're just coming off as a slime for kissing and telling. That's just LOW.

So do you think Paula should be kicked off the show? It'd be a shame if she was actually booted for this reason. Paula has already came out and denied the claims. I think she should stick around eventhough she hardly gives any constructive criticism to the contestants. She provides a good balance to the nasty Simon Cowell who can be straightforward but is just plain ruthless. I think Paula helps make the contestants feel less embarrased if they performed below par that night. But I do think the three judges are getting very predictable now and it's getting a bit stale. If AI do come back with a fifth season, I suggest they should spice things up a little. Maybe try re-introducing guest judges or even replace all 3 of them!

Anyway, I got carried away. Let's get back to the final 4 of this season. To me, there aren't any 'stars' this year, as opposed to what Simon so oftenly talks about. Carrie definitely has a good voice and excellent control but her stage presence is completely lacking. Vonzell, on the other hand, can be a bit sharp here and there and needs better control but she has the best stage presence than the rest of the contestants. It's just so fun to watch her. And with that personality, how can you not like her? Bo looks like a seasoned performer but his 'rock' performances sound exactly the same as the last one. He redeemed a little this week though. Heaven and Stand By Me week probably his best performances to date.

Oh... and Anthony? Just go home next week.

Side note: I can't get enough of Felicia Tilman on DH!

There's always a first time...

2005-05-09T02:42:00.000+01:00

Testing 1-2-3.

I know I shouldn't be doing this but I need some outlet to vent my boredom. Yes, revising for exams must be the most boring thing in life! I know it's a way of gauging how much we have learned the past year... but it still doesn't change the fact that it's b-o-r-i-n-g! Since I have no lectures these days, I should have plenty of time to revise for this oh-so-dreaded exams. How I wish =(

I succumb to temptations easily. So during the course of 24hours, I probably end up spending only about 4-5 hours doing actual revision. Here's what I find a lot more interesting than burying my nose in books (well, more like my notes):

1) Sleeping. I spend half the day in my bed. It's so comfy. I don't wanna get out. Maybe I should make it less comfy.
2) Eating. I ♡ food, period.
3) Surfing. I can't help it! My laptop is right in front of me the whole time! :P
4) Chatting. I ♡ my friends and family.
5) Gunbound-ing. This game is addictive. Help!!!
6) TV shows. You name it, I probably have watched it.
7) Tennis. This is probably the only sport I can play at this time of the year and it's hard to find people who's free to play!