Namesake

I supposed you can call it a strange habit. Or just plain weirdness. That I tend to look out for my name as the credits roll at the end of a movie...

So, someone shares my name. Big deal huh?

Oh yes, especially if you're not Jessica, or Emily, or Sarah.

I guess I just like the coincidental, light-headed thrill of chancing something uncanny :)

Time and time again, I've been on the lookout for another Adeline, but I haven't been close. The nearest hit was probably Adele, of which there were a few.

This evening I watched "And I Hate You So" on Veoh.com, a HK rom-com that has been around for ages (I'm sure). I don't get to watch as many Chinese movies as I do Hollywood ones, so naturally, I didn't pass up the opportunity of viewing one when it's totally on the house. =P

Cheesy, predictable, but entertaining is what I thought of the movie. Not your average "boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl have conflict, boy and girl end up happily ever after" romantic comedy. Something a little different.

And there. Just when I wasn't expecting any familiar names, I saw 诗敏.

Hmm, I should have bought lottery today...I reckon I'd strike big :)

7 Days

In the last 7 days...

I bade Theresa goodbye. She left for China to do a short course on Traditional Medicine and I wish her all the best.

In the last 7 days...

I experienced real muhibah-ness when I joined in Raya celebrations at a Malay friend's house. Was swept away by the kuih batik he made. Damn, I can't even bake anything and I'm a girl...pah!

In the last 7 days...

I attended a birthday do for 2 of my coursemates and had a marvellous time eating yummy Mexican food, acting silly and discussing about cute guys in MPharm IV (namely 'loceng', 'Kaya BaikMenang' and the new kid on the block...shoot(!), what's his name?)

In the last 7 days...

I experienced a choking feeling as deadlines got the better of me.

In the last 7 days...

I was drawn away from my comfort zone time and time again and I don't like that.

In the last 7 days...

I wished I could punch her bulldog face and tell her to take her rotten who-do-you-think-you-are attitude away with her but I'm glad I didn't. Haha, I could actually sabar...not bad not bad :)

In the last 7 days...

I slept for less than 6 hours on 3 occasions and I snoozed my alarm clock 3 times the following morning. How I still reached class on time is a wonder.

In the last 7 days...

I became someone I wasn't. Maybe in my dreams I was that, but in real life I know I am not.

I 'defended' a 'criminal' 'in court' and was later told I gave a moving closing speech. The truth is that I was only putting up an act. Literally.

In the last 7 days...

I kept thinking about this which have no answer.

You said it right Des'ree. Very right.

Listening to: Life (Des'ree)

Thankful thought of the day: That I'm Alive. And Kicking!

www.davidbeckham.com

I am serious. No joke. He really has an official website!

I googled Becks a while ago for an upcoming post (hehe) and found myself at his website, reading his blog!

Well, nothing fancy. Just short and sweet messages for kei po chis like me :)

Here's one of the latest posts...

Hello everyone,

Firstly, I’d like to apologise for not updating my blog over the past week or so, but as I’m sure you understand, with my dad being taken ill the only thing on my mind was to get to him as quickly as possible.

Thank you so much to all of you who sent messages of support, flowers and cards to the hospital. They were greatly appreciated. Along with my dad and my family, I would also like to thank the doctors, nurses and ambulance staff who were amazing in their care of him. I’m back in the States now and will be continuing my treatment on the injury.

That’s all for now - I’ll update you again soon.

Thanks

David


Oi Becks, what about pharmacists?

When I read that Beckham senior had been admitted to Whipps Cross Hospital following a heart attack, I wished I had applied there for a training place. Who knows maybe in the future I'd come into contact with Beckham senior himself, advising him on his medicines? And in return for my excellent patient care, he'd introduce me to his son and and and...

Okay, time's up. Enough day-dreaming for the day. o.O

Happy Raya

Was told by my classmates that the Muslim community here celebrate Raya today (whereas it's tomorrow for those back home), anyway, regardless of dates, here's me wishing all Muslims Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, or Happy Eid-Ul-Fitr!

Looking forward to open houses and yummy food ;)

Stye

I have a stye in my eye
And all I can do is sigh...
I'd very much like to bid it goodbye
I hope the time is nigh!

Woke up this morning and my left eye felt gritty. There's this uncomfortable feeling everytime I blink. Went to the mirror to have a look and saw a tiny red bump on the eyelid.

Having learned about styes in my first year, I didn't feel so panicky at the sight of one. For those not in the know, it's essentially an infection at the base of the eyelids. Nothing damaging, as it's all external, but the accompanying tenderness and pain is definitely not welcomed either.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Stye02.jpg

Styes are self-limiting, fortunately or unfortunately. It'll go away on its own without medication.

I sure hope it'll disappear entirely by tomorrow evening as I'm out for dinner with some friends, and am very likely to have my beautiful face captured on cameras...hmm, maybe I'll just stand rightttttttt at the back so that no one can see my "weird" eye... :(

Trial Run

I went to the courts today. Cardiff Crown Court. For a trial.

Ooohh...

Witnessing lah, not trying! Choi choi choi.

It's all for our Expert Witness assignment. My friends and I figured that since we are so pathetically clueless about the judiciary system here, it'd be good to go and sit in on some trials, since the Crown Court is a stone's throw away from Redwood. And it's free. :)

The first trial we witnessed was so anti-climax. The guy pleaded guilty barely 5 seconds into the whole hearing and the next thing we know, we were out of the courtroom. That quick.

But that wasn't what we're here for, I exclaimed! We wanted to see lawyers cross-examine witnesses and present their case so that we know what to replicate in 10 days time. In front of the whole class.

Completely unsatisfied, I told Jinal I was staying put. I'm not leaving until I saw another trial. 2 of other friends had commitments so they left. We went back to the drawing board and checked out the other trials that were in progress. The next available trial was in court 5, and so we went.

This time around, it was a series of preliminary hearings, which is a bit like appointment-booking if you ask me. Basically, the prosecutors gave a background to the case and asked the judge for x amount of time to service the paperwork before proceeding with the case. The judge then looked at the present schedule and fixed a later date to resume the trial.

Full stop. All rise.

What???

Nooooooooo, that again was not what I woke up early for! (We agreed to go at 10am).

This time, Jinal wasn't staying. She had a group meeting back at Redwood at 12pm and she left.

Still unsatisfied, I stayed back at Court 5 antiticipating more action.

I want to see fights! I want to see heated arguments! I want to be wow-ed!

True to form, the next hearing was indeed a trial. 3 guys were tried for assaulting someone... or er, something like that. The jury were called in and they each took their oaths.

I rubbed my hands with glee.

The prosecutor stood up.

"Your honour, I am Ms X, prosecutor for this case and may I introduce my learned friends, Mr Z, Mr Q and Mr R who are representing the defendants."

...
...
...

She said some technical stuff I couldn't remember, and then my worse fears were confirmed.

"The witnesses were originally told not to attend the trial until tommorow. I'm afraid there won't be any provision of statements from the them today and would therefore like to ask Your Honour for this case to be postponed till tomorrow."

*&%#!!!!!

But I have a class tomorrow at 10am! And I'm booked up for the whole week! I won't have time to poke my nose in the Crown Court till next week, which will be too late for my assignment!

Sigh, my whole morning was wasted. If I had seen some cute lawyers then I wouldn't feel so bad, but this? Totally unacceptable.

And later on when I recounted the incident to my friends, I said our 'outing' was a bit like trial and error. We just have to try enough times to get the right case!

Yes yes, I like puns ;)

Humpty Dumpty? There's one right here...

I last heard: Melodi (Sheila Majid & Lin Yu Zhong)

I am reading: The Expert Witness (R H Mildred), The Expert Witness In Court: A Practical Guide (C. Bond)

I am thankful for: the herbs mama dearest packed for me last month...so that I could reconstruct her "Luk Mei" soup 6600 miles away from home...although it's nothing like the real McCoy!

Whenever nosy people asked about my middle name, I'd almost always say gorgeous, or stunning or some other similar superlatives, but the truth is, it's klutz. That is my (unspoken) middle name.

I can't begin to describe how clumsy I am. I can walk with most confident stride you'd ever see and the next thing you know, I'd be bumping my feet against the edge of the rubbish bin as I take a swerve away from it. Ask my sister, she'll tell you.

Just this week, I've had 5 clumsy moments.

First, I jammed my index finger between the shower door and the hinge (if there's such a word). How the hell I managed that is beyond comprehension.

Then when I was working in Aberdare Hall's kitchen, I dropped the huge plastic dish-washer rack onto my feet. Imagine the ouch.

On the same day, I accidentally brushed my fingers against the metal food container before I put on my gloves to take it out from the dish-washer. OOoohhh.

I hadn't even recovered from all that and I injured myself again. This time, I bumped my head against the kitchen sink as I got up from picking some residue on the floor.

5 minutes ago when I was in the shower, I noticed a blue-black patch right below my knee.

You know what? Don't ask.

Just don't.

Don't You Read The Papers?!

I went to the library to do some research at 4ish this afternoon. On a Saturday. All for that expert witness thingy. Hmph!

As I walked down King Edward VI Avenue past Redwood to Bute, I saw rows and rows of buses parked on the streets. Ah, must be a match going on at the Millennium Stadium down town, I thought.

A few bus drivers were standing around, chatting among themselves to kill time as they waited for the passengers to come back up after the match. Which won't be till another 2 hours or so.

One of them saw me walking past, and out of boredom (I guess), he greeted me.

"You alright love?"

Ah, my favourite term of endearment.

"Yeah not too bad."

I decided to be friendlier.

"A match going on is it?"

He gave me a scary look. Like he was going to kill me. Oops, what did I say?

"Don't you read the papers love?" He bellowed, and the rest followed.

"Well, yeah but..." Actually, it's no.

He cut me short. "It's rugby my love. New Zealand vs France!!! Rugby World Cup!!!"

Oh...I see.


What? It's the world cup again? So soon?

Where has the last 4 years gone?

Searching My Soul, Tonight

So, I am now officially back in uni.

Completing my final year.

Ya-hoo!

Well, not exactly.

First day back and I'm petrified. The introductory lectures really did the trick the proprietors wanted them to. They've successfully reduced me to a bunch of fray nerves.

Presentations. Group work. Group project. Individual presentations. Class test. Exams.

Break?

None.

Our major major (have I said major?) assignment this term will be VPL. Actually, it's not called VPL, but we are essentially doing a project for VPL - Venture Pharmacy Limited - a venture capital company set up by lecturers to fund bright, feasible projects.

Hypothetical, obviously. There's no such company, but we have to pretend as if it's real.

Our task? Form a biotechnology company to research a drug for a given disease.

Each group consists of 8/9 students, 2 representatives from each of the research group ranging from chemistry, drug delivery, pharmacology and health and medicine. In lay men terms, there'll be 2 chemists, 2 drug formulation-ist, 2 pharmacologists and 2 clinical staff in the biotech company, and it's designed this way so that we each bring our respective expertise into the team to work this thing out.

My group? We're looking at developing new Hepatitis C treatment.

How?

NO CLUE.

Next up, it's this thing called Expert Witness. As pharmacists, there will be instances where we will be asked to go to court to provide, as the phrase suggests, expert opinion to help with criminal or civil cases involving the use and misuse of drugs. To prepare us for the REAL WORLD, they've designed an assignment in which we have 2 weeks to research and prepare for a 15 min presentation, which is supposed to mimic the adversarial situation, ie like how it is in court - complete with judges, jury, prosecutors, plaintiffs / defence.

How?

NO IDEA.

Just this evening, I bumped into a long-time-no-see friend at the hall. She came to visit a coursemate and knocked on my door on her way down. We got chatting for a bit and being a law graduate, I sought her opinion.

"You want to know about the judiciary system and law stuff ar?"

I nodded my head with so much vigour it almost broke my neck.

"Haha, er, I guess you can watch Ally McBeal?"

It doesn't take a genius to figure that she was actually kidding, but I took her words seriously anyway. Anything that would help me get a better idea of the LAW.

So I did. I watched Ally McBeal. Right from the start. The pilot of Season 1. Courtesy of a very generous veoh.com member. And I'm hooked.

It's all Lu Yee's fault!!! :)

But hey, don't roll your eyes at me...

As Ms McBeal herself said...

"I am admitting a difficulty. It will get easier in time."

How much time do you think?

My First Tag

Never really bothered with tags before but since Eunice tagged and called me Miss Cardiff University, Adeline is very flattered and honoured (cheh perasan-nya ku ni!!!). Sigh, why is it that Cardiff Uni doesn't have a beauty pagaent...

What were you doing 10 years ago?
- Moved from Kuching back to hometown of PJ. Sat for UPSR exams. Had a crush on a classmate. Wore the most studious specs you could ever imagine. Started learning about puberty. Sang along to Wannabe. Followed almost all Chicago Bulls games.

What was I doing 1 year ago?
- Pining for a very panjang and kacak Mat Salleh...


Five snacks you enjoy:
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Crisps / Keropok
- Fake Oreo (my sis and I call it 'fake' coz mom buys cheaplak Oreo from wet market but hey, they taste as good if not better!)
- Lindt Dark Choc
- Waffles / pancakes


Five songs that you know all the lyrics to:
5 only ar, how can? That's literally undermining my ability!
- How Do I Live (LeAnn Rimes)
- Always Be My Baby (Mariah Carey)
- Because You Loved Me (Celine Dion)
- As Long As You Love Me (BSB)
- I'll Be (Edwin McCain)

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
Well, it depends on how many millions I have...
If it's 1 million, see 1 and 2
If it's a few million, see 1, 2 and 3
If it's millions that one can easily lose count, see all


1. Dump money into the TAN family's bank account to buy whatever their hearts desire
2. Make sure I don't go back to being a non-millionaire
3. Bring Malaysian food closer to those abroad, at all cost!
4. Provide decent sanitation and healthcare to the poor around the globe
5. Build up Malaysia's infrastructure by contributing to national funds

Look at how much thought I've put into this...way before I'm even a thousand-aire!

Five bad habits:
- I moan (a lot)
- I sulk (a lot)
- I say lah (a lot)
- I worry (a lot)
- I perasan (a lot)

Five things you like doing:
- Dreaming about pretty boys
- Meeting new people, catching up with old pals
- Seeing the world, experiencing new cultures
- Stuffing myself with yummylicious food
- Playing with cute little children (and once they cry, I'll fly!)

Five things you would never wear again:
- Trousers that don't fit
- Red Lipstick
- School Shoes
- Blue Pinnafore!
- Super long earrings!

Five favourite toys:
Not really a toy person, so cannot think of 5...Johnny Boy and Mary-Anne are my 2 and only teddy bears

Alrightey...now my chance to tag people...hmmm...

Xin Yi, Felicia, Shin Kit, Sook Meng and Joyce...what say you?

Someday We'll Know

A wise person once said, "24 hours is insufficient not for the busy, but for those with ill-managed time..."

A-huh. Such as moi.

So much to do, so much to think about, so little time, so CLICHED!

How???

Yours truly have been back for almost 2 weeks now, but she's still in holiday mood, and mode. 4th year is hot on her heels and yet she's not in the right frame of mind for school.

How???

Since she's been back, she's attended 3 interviews for pre-registration positions (just know it as training jobs is good enough). One was good, one was bad, one was ok. People say it usually gets better but for her, it seemed to go downhill after round 1...

Why???

Her last round of interview (in Brighton) left her slightly scarred. It was for a hospital she's previously worked for and had gotten rather satisfactory feedback. Yet she was rejected a place.

Why???

Thankfully, she's been offered a position with Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospital NHS Trust, but the twist is that she will be spending 50% of her time (equalling 25 weeks) at Harefield Hospital (all the way in rural Middlesex) while the other 25 weeks will be at Royal Brompton in Fulham. It takes almost 1.5 hours to travel to Harefield from South Kensington (where hospital accommodation is based). 3 precious hours everyday merely for getting to and off work.

How???

Should she take it or leave it???

She is mentally tired. Yet couldn't sleep.

How???

She thought of watching some movies from her DVD collection to chill for a bit, but found that her D: Drive has miraculously removed itself from the system and she's left with no D: Drive.

How???

She looked at the pile of things waiting for her to clear. Documents, receipts, letters, timetables, 4th year module handbook. The last thing caught her eye. Maybe reading this may make her want to go to bed, and actually put her to sleep. But the light suddenly went off...

She realised the fluorescent bulb has fused, but the hall maintenance guy will only be back on Monday, so she would have to live in the dark till then.

How???

This song came on her radio player...

So many questions...Need an answer...I bought a ticket to the end of the rainbow...I watched the stars crash in the sea...If I could ask God just one question...Why aren't you here with me?...Tonight...

I guess Someday We'll Know, baby. Someday.

(Leaving) Home

Alas, my 45 day summer holidays at home has come to an end...

No emoticon or words could illustrate how sad I am at the prospects of leaving the comforts of family company, good food, nostalgic catching-ups, and human-friendly temperatures...

I'm going back to the UK rather early this year as I am anticipating a few interviews for hospital training jobs, but so far there's only one, and that's all the way in High Wycombe which is in Buckhinghamshire. Will update y'all on that when I have more good news.

I came across this question in a book some time ago - what is the meaning of life?

It's a good thing I've not been asked that in the face before, as I ain't got a clue. Or rather, I've never really sat down and think about something as blank-cheque as that (too busy enjoying myself haha?). Nonetheless, I've been prompted - and inspired - by certain things of late to be more reflective and inquisitive.

I'm not saying this is it, as it'll indefinitely be refined along the journey, but for now here's my take on that...

I think life is about having hope. It's about finding and seeking the good in trying times, and remembering that nothing is ever as bad as it seems.

Heartiest thanks to the TAN family for all the TLC they've showered me with! To all with whom I have met up in the course of the last 6 weeks, thank you for the good (and food) times. Do keep in touch and I look forward to the next time we see each other again!

With best wishes...XXX

p/s: Will update my blog once I've properly settled down in Cardiff...I know I owe you lot some pictures!

I fit the bill, Hans!

Over the last few days, I've been leafing through a pile of newspapers at home, which is sitting there by the staircase, waiting to be recycled.

What was I looking for? Nothing much lar, just interesting articles that I might have missed out on in the last few months.

And it was probably Cupid's doing that I stumbled upon this particular edition of Sunday Metro. Dated 29 July 2007.

It features Hans Isaac! Currently Malaysia's most eligible bachelor, I think. Me and a girl pal was just talking about him the other day when we met up for lunch and here he is, right in front of my eyes, smiling!

What a heart-melting picture...

I quickly flip to the 3rd page to read the article.

It reads...

"He is adventurous, romantic, successful and good with kids. And the best part - the handsome Hans Isaac is single, and looking for an ideal life partner."

...
...
...

Han's idea of an ideal woman is: someone who is truthful, genuine, and adventurous.

Wait a minute.

I FIT THE BILL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I Do, I DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HANS ISAAC, LOOK NO MORE! HERE I COME!!!!!!!!!!

Oops. The entire pile of newspapers have fallen onto my skinny shins and it's hurting the bones out of me. Hmm, maybe I'm to be blamed because the whole thing had been tilted off balance after I dug out this Hans Isaac pullout....

You know, it's hard not to daydream about a guy who's a "self-professed neat freak who ensures that everything is spick and span around the house". "I am the sort of guy who has no qualms doing the chores. I can't really cook but my house has to be sparkling clean."

BRING ME THE PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And YELLOW PAGES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And while I look through 3 million phone numbers in Klang Valley for the man's line, here's something about Hans from the article...

Name: Gerald Hans Isaac
DOB: Aug 20, 1971
Hobbies: Football (me too!!), squash, diving (I don't mind!!)
Hometown: KL
Fav things:
Food - Mom's popiah (me too!! Anything by mummy dearest!!!)
Drink - Teh O Ais Limau (er, I think that's Iced Lemon Tea...yes yes, me too!!!)
Holiday destination - Kota Kinabalu (I spent a couple of years there, so can say me too!!!)Restaurant - Fatty Crab, PJ (haven't been there but I like crabs too, so me too!!)
Colour - Blue (me too!!)
Perfume - Bvlgari (no joke, me too!!)
Dislike: Dishonest and pretentious people (eh, me too lar!!)Ambition: To be the most successful film producer in Malaysia
Obsession: Cleanliness (OMG, me too!!!)

We share so much in common, we'd make a matching couple, no?!

First, I need his number...wuu-huu...

My School Make Headlines

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/articles/school-of-pharmacy-success.html

TLC

It's so typical.

So so SOOOO typical...

The weather always takes a U-turn whenever I leave a place. Like it wants to make a statement of some sort.

"So that I'll remember Oxford and think of it as a place with lots of sunshine..." I hear you say.

Oh yeah right.

Too late pal, too late.

I mean, 9 hours before I'm about to leave? What do you take me for, a person as fickle as the weather?

Give me a break.

The rain has wrecked so many of my plans I don't think I'll forgive it for some time. Not that it needs my forgiveness or approval that has to be said.

Right, ugly business aside, I'm all up for a bit of of Tender Love and Care (or is it Tender Loving Care? I can never tell...) of which I have been deprived, for too long...

Too long.

Scrubs

Let me take a 15 min break from my placement...and blog.

Went to the hospital theatres today to observe a lower gastro-intestinal surgery - laparoscopic anterior resection for those hung up on jargon. Being a non-medical student, that meant nothing to me and I had to pull one of the runner nurses to explain in English. PLAIN English.

"Oh, that's taking bits out of the gut, presumably coz it's cancerous and then rejoining the two sections at the end."

Ah, I see...

Yes I echo your thoughts, a pharmacy student has nothing to do with surgery, but my tutor - prior to my placement - asked if I was interested to have a theatre visit and I thought, a-ha, this would be something exciting! How often would you get a chance like this eh?

When I went in this morning, the receptionist asked me which type of surgery I wanted to see - paeds, trauma, upper GI or lower GI. To be honest, I have no preference. And being such a squirmy person, I thought I'd challenge myself and go for the most gross one :)

And what d'ya know...I didn't pass out, much to my surprise!

The operation was absorbing. After 4 hours and 45 mins, I was drained. If a by-stander like me (who did nothing but WATCH) felt drained, imagine how knackered the surgeons were at the end! I won't describe the operation because I don't know much (and don't want to sound smart and all :) but man, the human body is amazingly complicated. You'd imagine that a colonic resection is just cutting up the patient, chopping out the useless bits and then stitching him back up right? Well, that's the gist, but there was way more going on. Kudos to the nurses who were working alongside the surgeons. I suppose you could could say, behind every successful surgeon, there's a team of nurses!

I am naturally squirmy. Very. My eyes almost bawled out when they incised the patient and took the guts out. A nurse even dared me to have "a feel" of the colon and the cancerous tumour after they had been removed (with a pair gloves on obviously). I admit I wasn't comfortable at the thought of that, but at the same time, I didn't want to be chickenshit either, so I went ahead anyway (I wonder what gave me the Dutch courage...)

A shiver went down my spine when I first laid my fingers on the colon. It's geli if you know what what I mean. This piece of soft, slimy, bright red material that was 5 minutes ago suspended in the patient's peritoneal cavity, was now dumped in a plastic container ready to be sent to pathology.

"Go on, feel the tumour."

Erm. Ok.

I closed my eyes when I did that. Don't ask me why though. I suppose you could argue that I didn't see what I touched, but that's why we have 5 senses you see. Even if I didn't see it, I felt it. It was different. As you'd expect. Tumour. A mass of cells. Naturally more fibrous than a mucous membrane-y kinda tissue.

It was like a rollercoaster ride, you know. Once you've tried it, you want to do it again. And that was what happened with me. I kept touching the damn tumour until the nurse had to stop me.

Honestly, what am I like? Getting "addicted" to "feeling up" a removed tumour.... Gawd!

Anyway, that's about it. My eye-opening experience in the operating theatres. Makes me want to watch Scrubs now, actually. Haha.

Oooh, and buy the Snow Patrol album. They played the entire CD during the operation. Never knew they were this good!

Mun's Homecoming

I almost forgotten that I had a blog.

A friend recently asked why I hadn't been updating it, and it took me a while to answer.

"Blog?"

"Oh yes!"

Haha, that's old age for ya... :)

Nah, it's hard when you haven't got internet access. And when you're only given an hour a day to use the county library computer, you'd really want to maximise every minute of it for emails, travel-planning and weather-checking.

Don't get me started on that...bloody flood.

So yes, it's 3 days to the end of my second (and last) placement this year and I'm coming home on Friday. 27th July 2007. 2200.

12 hours and 25 minutes later I should be back on Malaysian soil.

Yippee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Goodbye"

I must have said that like a million times today.

And it tugs at my heartstrings each time I say them.

Truly, madly, sadly. Seriously.

A few friends left the hall today, and I myself would too, tomorrow morning at 10.

For those not in the know, I'm leaving for Worthing to do a 4-week placement beginning Wednesday, and after that, I'd be up at John Radcliffe Hospital for another placement. The latter is 3 weeks long and unpaid (cheh, so kiam siap).

This year, I'm coming home early. End of July if all goes well. I believe I have worked hard enough in the last two summers to warrant a longer break this time (only managed to have a max 4 weeks hols back in Kuala Lumpur the last 2 times, how sad).

Moreover, this will be my last summer hols before I join the working world next August (oh dear, is it really that soon?)

Time never makes its presence felt, does it?

Oh well, I'm too tired to be philosophical at this time. I got a feeling I kinda went overboard in the last few posts, so yeah, I better draw the line somewhere, because hey, I'm still only an undergrad, not a Doctor of Philosophy yet... :)

Time check. 11.12pm.

A shower and some last-minute packing later and I should be in bed.

Hopefully I'll be able to catch 40 winks because last night I only managed 20 :(

Not sure if I'm able to access the internet so frequently over at Worthing. If not, do take care dear friends and blog readers. To mates back home, I'll meet you guys up when I'm back. Make yourself free, please!

Pack'em

The internet has been pretty lousy yesterday. Wasn't able to surf the net to even do the simplest things like checking emails and reading the news, not to mention blogging too.

See, this is why I don't like blogging the next day. I have to scratch my head hard to recall all the 'fruitful' things I've done that dignified the day!

Alas, tis' was packing, packing and packing that yours truly devoted the last 18 hours of her Saturday to. I'm leaving for Worthing on Tuesday for my first hospital placement this summer hols, which was why I had to get all my stuff boxed up to be stored this weekend.

Packing is tear-inducing.

I regret telling my floormate that I love packing, because although I can wipe all things clean and ensure they are spotless (this is a worrying symptom of OCD I'm afraid), I hate deciding whether they should go or stay. I can't determine which boxes they should be dumped into, or if they would actually be better off in plastic bags.

But I'm glad to announce that I've sorted my belongings. Found a friend who I could accommodate my stuff with until the end of September, which is when the opposite of packing will take place. *shudder*

I think I've gained a stone or two of muscle from all those lifting I've done since Saturday morning. And it's very welcomed because of all these weight I've lost in the last few weeks. I could tell even without the help of a weighing machine because of the new-found space in my jeans when I wear'em.

Gee man. Moi is already a size 0 (which is bad enough to begin with), I really hope I won't turn into what my friend had been teasing me all this while - a size negative!

Assorted

Pardon the blog title. Ran out of ideas.

So.

I finished my last paper today. That officially signalled the end of MPharm III.

I heard a girl exclaimed "YES!" the minute the invigilator said we're free to go. But surprise surprise, I didn't feel anything.

Not even relief, which one would have expected.

I called home straight after. Not sure why I did that since my family knew I was finishing today anyway. But I guess I just wanted to hear them say "it's ok, it's over now, don't think about it anymore."

This is officially the worse exams I've sat for in my entire 16 years of schooling.

Yeah, I know some of you might defy my premature predictions considering the results aren't even out yet, but if I say gut feeling, would you still defy it?

I don't think it's pessimism. Maybe it is, but I don't think so.

You see, if the papers were tough, and I couldn't answer them, then fine, I'll just sit back and hope for the best. But the actual truth is that I didn't have the best of preparations.

Concentration went AWOL, self discipline deserted me and self belief dumped me.

I was still holding up alright after the Clinical paper, but right after Chem exam on Friday, I hit rock bottom. Honestly have never felt so battered before. My entire self was defeated, and even thinking about it now gives me chills.

I felt really hopeless about questions I couldn't answer. And I'm not talking about those haha-we're-trying-to-get-you questions. I am referring to straightforward, it's-there-in-my-notes-but-I-can't-remember-well-slash-at-all questions. The kinda stuff I wished I had read more closely but didn't.

It sucks to know I could have answered it and yet I couldn't. It sucks to know it was in my hands yet I let it slip through my fingers.

Pharmacology wasn't until a week after, so the few days in between gave me some time to pick myself up again. But I'm not sure I liked those breathers in between. I'd much rather get it over and done with asap. I knew I lost a great deal of momentum, that's for sure.

Anyway, fast forward a week later, here we are, MPharm III is officially done and dusted.

I was one of the first to leave the hall. I couldnt' stand hearing all those post-mortems that were flying about. I bet my coursemates were taken aback by my not stopping by to say goodbye, as I usually do whenever we break for hols.

Sorry pals, I just had to leave.

I walked to town to run some errands. Came back and started offloading my books back to the library. Did some packing and cleaning before hopping over to 60 Colum Road for dinner with some pharm mates and uni mates. Must say it was really sweet of them to have organised a get-together. I had a great time catching up with people I've not met in months, one whose name I forgot and the worse bit? He remembered mine! Argh, imagine the guilt and paisehness! I usually remember people's names you see, but lately, I've been having memory like a sieve. It's called neurodegeneration. Can't help it :)

Came back and helped a floormate with some packing and managed to watch the England-Brazil friendly later in the evening. It wasn't too exciting I have to admit, but that's how England games are anyway. And as usual, the England goal came from set-pieces. The ex-skipper provided the new England captain with an inch-perfect free-kick to head into the goal mouth half way through the second half. As an England supporter, I was naturally thrilled to see the Three Lions net one against the mighty Brazilians. But in true English fashion (football wise), they conceded in the last minute and the game ended 1-1.

It's now past 12 and my room is in a mess. My eyes are heavy but I don't feel like sleeping.

If only I had such determination and 'energy' to stay awake during my revision period, I would be properly celebrating the end of exams right now, as opposed to crying over spilt milk...

Wannabes

What do you tell people who likes to sing out loud in public?

Sing in your own room?

But they are!

This girl opposite me has just bought a karaoke set (what GOOD timing), and has been testing every aspect of it since its arrival this afternoon. From belting "I Will Survive" to "You're Still The One" to "Unchained Melody", she and her friends have demonstrated how comparable they are to Ms Carey. Or Dion. Or Houston.

Granted, they can sing. I know they can sing. Everyone KNOWS they can sing, but why make the announcement now?

The lodge guy came up and gave them a warning earlier. An "oh I'm so sorry" + 2 hours later, they're back. With more energy than before.

And this is just 11.10pm. God knows how long my ears will have to put up with their shrill voices...

Okay fine, I sing a lot too, and off-key is an understatement, but at least I'm sensible enough not to use a microphone to magnify my vocal imperfections...

It's been a while since...

...I've heard this.

Was discussing PH3104 questions with Sola this evening and I told her not to take my answers too literally because I too, like her, am clueless.

"Pal, honestly, don't bank on it because that's just what I think. For all we know, I might be leading you the wrong way."

"Well, at least you have a clue. And in the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king."

It's been a while since...

...I've laughed so much.

Upon hearing this phrase, I thought of my dad, and how he first introduced me to that phrase. When I was little. Must be around 6/7. It was one of those bombastic phrases I picked up from him while sitting in the car, listening to his conversations with my ma. I still remembered thinking, "wah, adults go so much to talk about one ar...cheh, me and my school friend only talk about Barbie dolls, the class captain and what time to meet in the canteen..."

Fast forward 15 years and I am now an adult. Can't talk about Barbie anymore, there's no class captain that I fancy, and meeting friends up in the canteen? Boy I sure miss that.

It's been a while since...

...it's this windy, and cold. The wind has been whipping the trees like crazy since last night.

It's been a while since...

...I've had such 'under the weather' nociception.

I miss home.

And you, dear shadower.

p/s: Haha, the last bit is meant to be cryptic so don't try to figure it out!

Bugged. Literally.

I have just found out - while doing my Sophos clean up scan recently - that a virus was under quarantine.

According to the report, it came from my USB drive, which I could do nothing about because there's no way I can locate that damn folder in which the stupid worm was happily infesting before it sighted my squeaky clean laptop.

And I can't delete it either, because only the administrators (ie Uni Comp Service) have such functions. We don't.

Was thinking of backing my files up before they get corrupted, but the CDs a friend got me aren't working. Nero is always telling me to change to a new disc half way through the burning process citing reasons suggesting incompatibility . So out of the 10 she got me, 7 have been rendered faulty in the span of say 2 hours last night?

It's really tearing me apart thinking how that damn worm is eating my hard disk space away by the second. Everytime I check My Computer, the memory declines. Even after clearing every junk I could possibly dispose of, it's still going down.

Another friend suggested reinstalling my OS, but I haven't got my CD with me, and please, in the middle of my exams? I haven't got time!

Bringing it to the Comp Service is going to be just as bad because they're gonna need my OS CD to reinstall everything. And worse still, I heard it's gonna set me back about 40 quid.

The worse bit?

It's not even my own doing that had landed my precious baby into this mess.

It's like contracting a nasty cold from your room mate when you are already pretty run down, and facing the worst exams ever. What is a girl to do?

Too Good To Be True

Am very buoyed by Milan's win last night. Went online to dig stories and found this. Perfect icing on the cake for my afternoon tea...hehe...

Everything perfect in the world of Milan's Maldini
by ALAN FRASER - Last updated at 08:52am on 21st May 2007

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=456485&in_page_id=1779

What modern professional and global footballing icon would take a 50 per cent cut in his annual salary?

What player would eschew lucrative transfer bonuses and stay with the same club — his only club — for 28 years?

Scroll down to read more:

Who could swim in the gossip-infested waters of Italian football for an entire career and generate scarcely a paragraph of scandal?

The answer to all of the above is Paolo Maldini, arguably the greatest ever defender and certainly one of the game’s finest role models.

About the most anyone could ever say against him is that he owns 100 pairs of jeans but in Milan a well-stocked wardrobe would be considered a virtue rather than an extravagance. ‘I don’t know if he’s a saint, but he just may be,’ a close friend told Sportsmail.

Maldini, injured knee permitting, will line up against Liverpool on Wednesday night in his eighth major European final for the club he joined while still at primary school. He made his senior debut at 16.

Earlier this month he played his 600th Serie A game, a landmark in Italian football celebrated by his two sons, Christian and Daniel, wearing T-shirts proclaiming ‘600 Dad’.

"I am proud of Maldini, VERY proud of this guy," declared Ruud Gullit with capital letters in his voice. The Dutch triumvirate of Gullit, Marco Van Basten and Frank Rijkaard joined Milan while Maldini was still a teenager, although already a player of considerable repute.

"For all that he has achieved, he’s a lovely guy," said Gullit. "He’s the spirit of Milan. You have to admire a footballer who stays with one club. I’ve spoken to him about this many times and he has told me that, in some ways, he regrets not having played for another club when he has had opportunities. But he loves Milan. He is proud to be at such a club."

Maldini shows little sign of leaving the field, never mind the club. Four years ago he volunteered to take a 30 per cent wage cut; last week it emerged he would carry on for his 23rd league campaign, with a cut in pay from 5million euros to 2.5m.

But first, he will go to Belgium for an operation on the troublesome knee that will receive painkilling injections before the European Champions Final. Paolo Maldini will be 39 next month.

When eventually he retires — and it should be noted that Alessandro ‘Billy’ Costacurta said farewell only on Saturday at the age of 41 — it will mark the end of an era.

The extraordinary Maldini dynasty, however, seems certain to carry on.

It began with his father, Cesare, Milan’s pivotal defender and captain in the Fifties and Sixties, and it is likely to continue with Paolo’s 10-year-old son Christian, already the pivotal defender in Milan’s Pulcini Regionali youth team. Milan had originally announced the No 3 shirt worn by Paolo Maldini would be retired with him, but the plan was amended so Maldini’s son will inherit the jersey if he progresses to the senior team.

"Retirement won’t depend on motivation, but on my body," said Maldini. "I like the atmosphere in the dressing room. It’s a place that becomes your home." Milan has been his home all right. The club are in his blood.

The Milan defence was built around Maldini’s father for much of his 13 playing years at San Siro. He was said to be so skilful he would make occasional hideous errors born of over-confidence. There was even a name for such a lapse — a Maldinate.

Milan won four Italian titles in that period, lifting the European Cup at Wembley in 1963; 40 years on, Paolo was to raise the European Champions League trophy at Old Trafford, his favourite footballing moment.

It was only during a two-year stint as Italy coach that ‘Big Cesare’ became a figure of fun with his farcically dyed and parted hair, negative tactics and siege mentality.

"I don’t remember him as a player," Paolo, the fifth of six sons, says of his father. "I played under his instruction in Milan youth teams but I learned more from him about being a man, about a correct attitude to the game than from a technical point of view."

Paolo made his Milan debut in January 1985 as a half-time substitute and still jokes about his first touch being a back-pass to the goalkeeper.

"Get yourself ready, boy," said manager Nils Liedholm to the youngster. "By the way, which side do you prefer to play on?"

"On the right, please, mister," replied Maldini. Like his father before him, Maldini was a right-footed right back. But few realised as much as he became the greatest left back of his generation, equally proficient with either foot, part of that legendary defence of Franco Baresi, Mauro Tassotti (later Marcel Desailly), Costacurta and Maldini which conceded just 15 goals in 34 Serie A matches in 1994.

Who can forget those galloping runs up the left touchline which ceased only later in his career when he moved into the centre of defence? As his father had done.

Mark Hateley was at Milan when Paolo emerged. "I remember when he came into the team as a 16-year-old, like Baresi before him," he said. "Both destined to become one-club men, captains and with long playing careers. It’s the Milan way. It’d be no surprise if his son does the same.

"Paolo is a really nice guy, a family man, not a Flash Harry. His private life has always been his private life. He plays and captains as he lives his life. He never charges about, never argues, always remains in control."

That is echoed by his current team-mate Gennaro Gattuso, who does enough arguing and charging about for an entire league.

"He’s still got the same passion after 20 years with Milan," said Gattuso. "He’s a true leader, he never raises his voice and he never shouts at anyone. Even away from the pitch, Paolo never loses his temper."

Off the pitch, Maldini — tall, athletic, elegant and impossibly handsome — has looked after his body and his reputation. He is co-owner of a Milan nightclub, Hollywood, but more likely to spin records than spin the bottle; he met his wife there, the Venezuelan model and beauty, Adriana Fossa. He also owns a clothing line, Sweet Years, with ex-Italy forward and great friend Christian Vieri. But Maldini is not ready to give up his day job.

"Liverpool know very well how it went last time," he said. "I bet that today they are thinking more or less: we won’t win a game like that again. "I have won four European Cup finals and lost three and I have no intention of levelling the score." Settling a score is different.

****

Ok, you know what. I have to put some pictures up. I can't help it!!!

Armani's man...

sourced from www.kingmagazine.se/upload/37558/maldini-stor.jpg

Like Father Like Son...

sourced from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=456485&in_page_id=1779

Okay, last one...

sourced from http://en.ce.cn/subject/06cup/groupphotoB/200606/14/t20060614_7336801.shtml

And with that, Adeline has officially fainted...

Federer to take on Sampras in Shah Alam...

...On Nov 22 2007.

And I won't be there...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sob sob....MUAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!

This is such heartbreaking news I tell ya, given that

a) I'm a huge Federer fan and
b) I live only MINUTES away from the Melawati Stadium...

Sigh, dear God, I already know what "so near yet so far" means, do you really have to make it crystal clear? :-(

Nope, am blogging not because exams have finished, but I just needed to let this disappointment out of my oesophagus because it is very sayang...(sorry, no other English word has quite the same oomph). Haven't found anyone that I can shout this out to either without them going "Yeah, ah-huh, big deal?", so my faithful blog will have to do.

I hear you asking about my exams....hmmm....well, it hasn't kicked off in the style that I had hoped it to be, and I'm currently fighting a lot of demons, both external and internal, so pray that I get through this tough time with my sanity intact.

Later, folks.

p/s: Milan, I am in need of inspiration for my remaining 3 papers. Say you will do me a favour by winning tonight, yes?

Taking a Break

Ok folks.

As exams are impending, I foresee I will be burying my nose deep in my notes for the next few weeks, so before people think I vanished into thin air without a post in weeks, let me take my leave now.

Blogging for the past 6 months have been very therapeutic, and thank you all for your custom, and comments!

Before I get too emotional as if one is retiring from the cyberworld, let me quote Mr Terminator himself...

"I'll be BACK, and Hasta la Vista!"

Best wishes, Love, Warmest Regards, Hugs and Kisses
Sze Mun aka Adeline

You Must Be KIDDing Me

A pharm mate and I went to see Dr EK yesterday about 4th year project titles for next year.

Not that I really want to work with Dr EK coz as most pharmys know, she can be tetchy and sarcastic. This is THE lecturer who - prior to giving her one and only lecture to us back in Year 1 - laid down ground rules and said things like "you can go and ask your 3rd yr seniors, they'll tell you I'm mean, and I am".

Man, who would come into a class and say things like that? Dr EK, naturally.

But her titles are interesting. 2 on Alzheimers and 1 on bone cells. I don't know if I'll choose her as my supervisor at the end of the day, but I have to admit that  her projects "had me at hello".

We talked a bit about choosing our research area - there are 4 : Pharmacology, Medicinal Chemistry, Health and Medicine, and Drug Delivery - and how they will do the allocation and all the rest of it.

Speaking of allocation, she confirmed that it was going to be down to exam marks, which we both thought was only fair.

She then asked us how we did last year, and we told her we did ok. Borderline 1st class. But before we could reaffirm that we aim to repeat the feat this year - if not do better - she dropped the bombshell.

"Well, be prepared that your marks are gonna fall. You might get a first class last year but they are usually lower in the 3rd year."

Oh Dr E, tell me you're KIDDing?!

But I have to prove her wrong. There's no other way.

SHINE! International Student Awards 2007

A few months back, I took part in this competition organised by the British Council in which we had to "write a letter home, depicting our time here in the UK and how we made the most of it".

Just last month, I was informed that I've been named one of two runners-up for the Wales Region. There were, in total, 12 regions, and all the 12 winners competed against each other in the finals, for a grand prize of 2000GBP, as well as the "International Student of the Year" award they so deserved.

As a runner-up, I've been invited to attend this prestigious ceremony at Delfina Studios in London on Wednesday. Hosted by Moira Stewart, a renowned journalist, the ceremony was also graced by Lord Kinnock, the Chairperson of British Council and our very own Professor Dato Jimmy Choo, an international alumnus of the UK who needs no introduction.

My guest for the night was Jacey, a high-flying friend who's doing her PhD at Imperial College. We set out at, well, the plan was to set out at 6pm to be in time for drinks and mingling and the rest of it which began at 6.30pm, but just when we were about to shoot out of the hall, someone got trapped in the lift and Jacey being the dutiful sub-warden of Piccaddilly Court that she is, had to stay behind until the repair people came (yes, I know YOU know what I mean by the repair people ;P).

Not sure when they eventually arrived, but we got to Bermondsey Street just 5 minutes before dinner. Delfina Studios is a corner lot building minutes from London Bridge, not very high-end but big enough to accommodate everyone quite comfortably that night - VIPs, British Council delegates, winners, runners-up, past winners, guests etc.

The lights in the background sure gave it a romantic innuendo, no? Hmm, something's missing from this picture though...yes! A (handsome) man! Eh, I say handsome man lah, not cameraman!

We walked on the red carpet (it actually looked more fuchsia than red) and into the hall where they had a mini exhibition on all the worldly International Alumni that the UK are proud to have links with, eg: Bill Clinton, Mahatma Gandhi, Imran Khan etc. And while I was glancing at all the posters, this caught my attention...

Arnold? I'm sorry Tunku, but everytime I think of the name Arnold, I think of the Governator! Urgh!

As Jacey and I were making our way through the crowd, we spotted Dato Jimmy Choo, and we managed to exchange some brief words with him before he was pulled over by everyone who wanted a snapshot. Man, meeting him in person was an honour. His calmness, soft-spoken-ness and most of all, his humility amazed me. For someone of his stature to be sooooo humble is indeed a rarity, and I am, not to mention, very proud to call this respectable man my fellow countryman!

I was seated at Table 15, the furthest from the stage ;( together with a few other British Council people and some students. I got talking to Qing, fellow runner-up from Bath, and Christine, who was a guest of her friend, a winner from last year. We had a good time having cultural exchanges (Qing is from China, and Christine is a Kenyan). It was nice to have met some new friends.

Dinner ensued and erm, yar, don't ask how it was. Tahu-tahulah, typical western meals... but I was rather impressed with the main course though. "Roasted guinea fowl with lemon-scented mash, chargrilled artichokes, petit pois, broad beans and sage burnt butter". Haha, I have no idea what half of those were, I just stuffed them into my mouth and let my tummy interpret it however it likes. I mean it was oklah, at least Jacey and I didn't have to ta-pau any supper on our way back, guess that tells a lot...

Moira Stewart kicked started the award presentation after dinner with her very professional and posh style of EmCeeing. We were first entertained by a short video clip of all the finalists, who were later called up the stage one by one to receive their prizes. Initially, I thought the runners-up would get to go up the stage too but later realised we weren't gonna. Was quite disappointed but oh well, the winners take it all...

Haha nolah, I was happy enough to have been invited to attend and I am glad I did. After the winners received their prizes from Dato Choo, they were quizzed by Moira - who had an array of questions ready for them with the spotlight on, ranging from why they decided to do the course their doing to how they got to creating awarenes for bone-marrow transplantation at their univeristy and the difference between living in the UK and back home etc...and for those of you who are keen beauty pagaent followers, yes, it's a bit like the Q&A session...albeit slightly longer and not so much about world peace :P

As I've mentioned, all these 12 people were competing for the grand prize, and they were judged based on the impression they've left on the judges during the informal chats they had earlier in the morning. The stuff Moira picked their brains on, so to speak, were just a formality. I think they had already decided who the winner was long before then.

Speaking of the winner this year, he is Yu Huai Zhang, aka Neo, from China. An enthusiastic young man from Queen's Belfast University. I can't even begin to describe how impressive his list of achievements are (it'd take rolls and rolls of 'virtual' space), but do check him out at http://www.educationuk.org/shine/index.html. I think they should be putting up his profile very soon (if not already).

For now, it's Adeline signing off with a few pictures of some very inspiring people who have really lived up to the word SHINE...

...we're from Boleh-land!

...the Spice Girls, oops sorry, Qing, Moira and Christine

...all 12 finalists
Yalar Jacey, it was a shame we didn't have a group photo where we can see the (cute) Aussie guy's face in full :(

...with 2007's International Student of the Year Neo

If I Didn't Love You

Listening to : If I Didn't Love You

I don't know who Tina Arena had in mind when she sang this song, but I would like to dedicate it to pharmacy.

Yes, you saw it right.

So good
When it's good I wanna spend my whole life lovin' you
But I'm tired
And you don't know how close I've come to leaving you
You try my patience
And you race me to the wire
It takes every ounce of my will and desire

If I didn't love you
If I didn't love you like crazy
If I didn't love you baby
As much as I do
I'd just walk out the door
I couldn't take it anymore
I wouldn't put up with what you put me through
If I didn't love you

It's hard
But you won't give up 'till you push me to the wall
But I know
You're the only one who'll be there for me when I call
I can't help believing
That it's worth it somehow
Cause I've worked too damn hard
To wanna give up now

When you love someone
Nothings black or white
When the riptide runs
There's no wrong or right
I'll sail with you but I'll refuse to drown
So don't you take me down!


Only 3 more weeks Adeline, come on! Jia You! Berusaha! Vamos! Allez!

My Sunny Friend(s) and Me

Sorry Sting, I don't like that song but have to borrow the title for a sec...

While I am glad we are getting more sun in this naturally gloomy country, I can't help but beg the honcho not to wake me up at me at 6am in the morning with its glare...I know you're up and raring to go but I'm not!

Sigh, my sleeping pattern has been topsy-turvy of late...sleeping at 2am, waking at 6ish (you know who to thank, don't you? Well, I know I do!), and then struggling to hypnotise self to go back to bed only to wake up at 10 feeling so unenergetic and wishing to sleep again but absolutely cannot because my books are calling...

This morning, my sunny buddy decided to expand my social circle by introducing Bee to me. Nope, not Busy Bee (although I do need prompting from that guy coz Lazy Bug has been tainted me too much with its influence), but Bee, the Busybody.

Busybody came by to say hi this morning, buzzing around my windows under which is where my bed lies. Man, I tell you, that guy is way to persistent for my liking. God only knows how long it's been hovering outside my window. Eventually I got up, opened the windows, flapped my curtains and THEN he got the message.

And thanks for thinking I can get back to sleep again because I couldn't. I am not as lucky as some who can just flop their backs on the bed and snore away...

So who's coming tomorrow Sunny? Pretty O' Butterfly? You might as well tell me now so that I can give them a grand welcome...

The Girl Who Wears A Ring...has a man?

Stumbled on a few online forums on badmintoncentral.com lately and the stuff people write about the players are just incredible.

"Do you guys know what his friendster address is?"
"Where do they usually hang out?"
"Is he of X religion?"
"I saw him wearing a ring. Does that mean he has a girlfriend?"

Dear dear me, how's that your business?

Incidentally, I have a question.

Does wearing a ring means one is attached? No, seriously, I WANT TO KNOW. ANYONE. PLEASE.

The truth is, I love rings. If I can have my way, I'd follow Phoebe Buffay - the LOTR of Friends, but as jewellery don't come cheap (even the cheap ones don't), I have to be content with two that I have at the mo...

But I don't understand. Why do people associate ring-wearing to a person's 'relationship' status? And I don't mean that on the ring finger (obviously).

I dare say that because I've been a 'victim' of it countless times. Just this year, I sported a lovely celtic ring on my middle finger at the beginning of term, and the first thing a friend said to me, instead of "How have you been?" was, "Wah, you're wearing a ring? Oh..got boyfriend already is it?"

WHAT???

And believe me, he wasn't the only one who had that presumption, pharm mates have been harrassing me with the "So Adeline, when are we going to meet your boyfriend?" question for far too long.

Which is why I wonder, what's with ring and BGR?

Can't one wear ring(s) because one wants to?

Time after Time...

Dear God

So far today, I'm doing all right,
I have not gossiped, lost my temper,
been greedy, grumpy, nasty,
selfish or indulgent,
I have not whined, complained,
cursed or eaten any chocolate.

I have charged nothing on my credit card.

But I will be getting out of bed in a minute,
and I think I will really need your help then...



Okay, you'd be forgiven if you thought I came up with that (although I have ALL it takes...no no no, not the creative bit, but every single thing she claims to be guilty of above...)

Cheh...I said it's a she, who knows it could be a he?

Anyway, as much as I'd like to claim credit for such classic poetry writing, I have to give it to, let's see...aiyar smarty pants didn't leave a name...

Ok then, credit given to the reluctant author who submitted this wonderful piece of work to Easy Living Magazine that was published in the latter's January issue...

How jobless can I get that I'm reading back issues of magazines???

Sigh, I'd do anything to procrastinate I tell ya...

Manchester Trip Part 2 and a 1/2

Erm, yes. Sorry. I am not finished with Manchester yet...but will be, very soon!

Went sight-seeing. On Good Friday. On my own.

You see, Hua had to rush a 25,000 worded essay in 6 weeks (or something like that), and being the exceptionally hospitable host that she is, she had already spent so much time hosting me and bringing me around, that I thought it's not fair for her to waste anymore second so I embarked on a self-guided tour.

Man, that was VERY brave of me. I say brave because heck, I don't know Manchester at all! And I pretended as if I knew which bus to take and which tram to hop on and where to take pictures etc.

Like Oxford, I had done NO PRIOR PREPARATION/READ-UP/RESEARCH/ whatever you want to call it. The only thing I know about Manchester, is that it's spelled M-A-N-C-H-E-S-T-E-R and it's an industrial city which boasts of 2 premiership clubs. City and United. One of which I used to support. :)

So the very smart Adeline. 7 hours to kill before she boarded the train back to Cardiff. So, what's the plan?

I was so bold, I didn't even have a map on my hand. The only information I managed to source, with Hua, sitting in front of her lap-top giving "Visit Manchester" a good Google, was Salford Quay.

"Oh yeah, I heard of that. But err, what is there?"

"It says the place is home to Imperial War Museum North, The Lowry, Lowry Outlet Mall, Salford Watersports Centre. It's also a stone's throw away from Manchester United football ground."

Okay, so I found somewhere to go. Armed with that, I walked down Oxford Road and stopped in front of the Manchester Library at St Peter's Square to take the tram.

But wait, where to stop?! Luckily for me, there were a couple of tourists going to the same place, so I just tagged along. Eventually got to the Quays at Greater Manchester about 10 mins later. Oooh-ed and aaah-ed about how scenic the whole place was and basically just started my journey from there.

I walked across the bridge to get to the Lowry and started snapping away like a Jap. Ok, bad joke. The Lowry, I figured, is something like an Istana Budaya. "An architectural flagship with a unique and dynamic identity...bringing together a wide variety of performing and visual arts under one roof". Yup, the wonders of cut and paste. But before I get caught for plagiarism, it's http://www.thelowry.com/AboutTheLowry/.

Literally opposite this chun building is the Lowry Outlet Mall, a high class factory outlet store. Cheapos like me almost died of happiness when I saw the big Nike swoosh logo on the outside, and the words "50% off everyday" somewhere else, so the agenda for the day had already been set.

But aiyar, shops not opened yet...how? Continue to jalan lor...

As I walked ahead, I saw the tourists who I followed earlier. They were now in the middle of a striking bridge, taking pictures and marvelling at something , which I thought must be worth seeing, so I followed suit.

Man, what I saw when I got to the bridge, was picturesque beyond words. It overlooks a serene man-made lake by the side of Lowry Outlet Mall. With not a cloud in the sky, one could really just soak up the sun and start dreaming away. Which I think I did for 5 minutes. 5 stressed-free, relaxing minutes.

As I extended my sights further, I saw...

...

...

OH. MY. GOD.

I let out the shriekiest shriek of delight I never knew I was capable of. Everyone on the bridge turned and looked at me. But I didn't care.

I saw Old Trafford from where I stood.

I saw Old Trafford!!!

Old Trafford!!!

Part of the reason why I was so shocked was because I didn't expect to find it. You can't take the meaning of "a stone's throw away" too literally, can you? And I guess because I didn't expect to have a chance of seeing the stadium, it made it extra special!

It didn't take me long to get to Sir Matt Busby's Way. I followed the roads and figured my way by constantly looking up to make sure that Old Trafford was getting bigger as I walked, not smaller.

I always thought people were joking when they say they see things that make them go weak in the knees. I have personally not seen a man that has such effect on me, but I dare say I've seen a building that did.

If people had caught a glimpse of me, they would have thought I had Parkinsons or something, because I was shaking, all over. Standing in front of the Theatre of Dreams, with Busby's statue welcoming Red fans and non-Red fans alike, was simply awe-inspiring.

I bought a combo ticket for the stadium and museum tour, where a guide brought a group of us around Old Trafford, starting from the stands, to the player's changing room, to the lounge, the press room, tunnel and dug-out area. The tour guide told us interesting anecdotes along the way making the tour very lively.

FYI, the United squad actually train at the Carrington Ground and not Old Trafford, which is a good thing because I would have fainted if I saw anyone of the Class of 92 or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Wayne Rooney. I seriously would.

When I went for the tour, I got talking to this lady called Shamilla, who took her nephews to Old Trafford as a birthday gift for one of them, a Cristiano Ronaldo-resembling young boy of 11. I swear it was his gelled hair. No mistake. Given his Hispanic genes, you really can't fault me for saying he looked like the former because he did.

I told Shamilla and she laughed. "I bet he'd be over the moon if you told him that. Big Ronaldo fan. Copies his every move."

Ah, I don't want see a peacock in the making so I kept my mouth shut. She was nice enough to ask me if I wanted to join them for lunch at the Red Cafe, and seeing I was hungry, I obliged. I paid for my meal of course, I'm not a leech!

I left soon after lunch. If I had a choice, I would have stayed and camped there all night until I was satisfied, or rather, until all the adrenaline has worn off its effects, but time was pressing...so I had to go... *sniff sniff*

Nonetheless, itt was a TRULY OVERWHELMING 2 and a 1/2 hours there. And I guess I felt a sense of pride because I SUPPORTED UNITED.

ONCE DID.

The older pals of mine might have known it was because of this guy who used to wear the number 7 jersey. But the truth was, although it started off with an interest in Beckham (ok fine, not interest, obsession), my support for Becks and United went hand in glove back in those days. The partnership remained whole until 2003, when I jumped ship over to Arsenal, whose fluid football captured my imagination (much unlike the mundane style United was trading at that time).

But I guess the MAIN causative factor was the decision to sell Becks lah, which I, a 'bigger than life' David Beckham fan couldn't swallow, so like my hero, I parted ways the same time he did.

In hindsight, I may not have supported United for long, but those years had inspired me, imparted a lot of passion into my life, and gave me so much to cheer for. But most of all, the memories I have of the United years is something I can look back on as MY theatre of dreams.

Manchester Trip Part 2

Hua and I went to town in the afternoon after my conference had ended. We walked past St. Peter's Square and were admiring the amazing architecture of the Cathedral yards away when an old man (about 60ish I'd say?) came and interrupted moi, who was halfway zooming her camera lens to take a picture of the WHOLE (tall) building.

"Sorry, are you Chinese?" [What??? Are you telling me I don't look like one? Ok Adeline, give face lah, let's just amuse this old man...won't take 2 secs...]

"Yes I am. Malaysian Chinese."

"Oh right I see. So, are you a tourist or..." [Don't mean to cut him short but my camera was still on and batt was running low.]

"No, I'm a student."

At this point, Hua - who had finished appreciating the building - joined us in our 'conversation'.

"I came to visit her."

"Ah, speaking of visiting, do you know who came by today?"

"Erm, no?"

"The Queen. She came by today. You know about Easter?" [Yup yup, save your breath]

"Erm, a little?"

He went on about the last supper Jesus had etc, and mentioned about money.

"Mourning??? Who were they mourning for?" Apparently, he was talking about Maundy money, which they give out to old people (I think as tradition), and I, for some unknown reason, misheard as mourning...must be the northern accent I tell ya...

At this point, I thought a-ha! It'd be a good "right ok, ba-bai now" moment, but man, could I be more wrong? He enquired after the courses we did, why we decided to come here, commented on how he thought Hua looked Japanese with her rather short stature (which really irked her) and then covered up by saying how good he thought her English was blah blah blah.

And then he turned his attention to me and asked me about Malaysia.

Haha, bad move old man. BADDDDDDD move...

I won't bore you with details, but if I say religion, I trust you'd be able to work that out? He kept wanting to be negative, but after a while, he got the message and switched the topic. I must have done well with my body language.

Then came the most interesting part.

He asked us why we never see Asians rising above the stereotype (which according to him, is working in Chinese restaurants and doing blue collar jobs). "Why is it that you don't see many Asians having a high public profile here, making a scene in politics?"

I think Hua must have had enough of this nonsense, which was why she gave him a verbal equivalent of rapping of the knuckles.

"Maybe it woud be a different story if the British society is less conservative???"

Fooi-yor man!

He was stunned, to say the very least!

I seized my moment. "Plus, this isn't OUR country, it wouldn't be wise for us to mess with the political issues of Great Britain, would it?"

He gave a nervous laugh. "Haha, I guess maybe not." [honestly what else can he say?] "By the way, I'm meeting a young Chinese lady online, someone your age, on Skype at 5pm. I'd better get going. Enjoy your holiday!"

We almost passed out. Skyping with a chinese lady of 20? What a psycho!

Moral of the story? Stop trying to entertain maniacs on the street and if someone comes up to you the next time (bar those asking for help), just say "me er no speaking Englisher!"

We spent the whole walk to Chinatown talking about that old fool. Hua couldn't believe his guts about the whole Asian thingy, which I wholeheartedly agreed. She blasted him through and through, from English to Mandarin to Min-Nan (which was her own dialect)! Man, I enjoyed every second of it!

Before we knew it, we were already in town, which was huge, needless to say. Good thing all the shops in the UK are rather similar (as in you get Dot P, M&S, and New Look everywhere), so I didn't go crazy. I just quietly acknowledged how the store sizes are 10 times that of Cardiff outlets as I walked them by.

But Arnsdale shopping mall is impressive. It reminded me a lot of the malls in KL, don't know why. And I didn't know they have a Selfridges Co store here!

I darted Hua a look. She darted me a look.

Sigh, great minds think alike...what can I say?

Obviously, we skipped almost every floor until we got to the top, where they housed designer items with a more humane price, shall we say. It was quite uncanny how both of us love Karen Millen, and I guess the big difference is that one has at least a few items from it, while the other is still looking to buy her first article from this classy label!



Hua has a keen eye for fashion. She's one of the trendiest and smartly dressed people I've ever known. "Simple, but elegant", that's how I would describe her. A classy young woman with impeccable taste!

But even this lady who shops at designer shops were lamenting about how stuff in Selfridges are way out of her budget, what about cheapos like me? "No need to see lah", I told Hua, "let's just get out of here before we get too depressed to walk back. And plus, shopping is supposed to be a therapy, us having upturned mouths isn't gonna do it justice!"

Determined to feel better, she said she knew JUST the place to take me to.

A place that will offer bountiful comfort.

Yup, you've guessed it. If it's not shopping malls, if it's not handsome men, it's gotta be food.

We went to a bakery in Chinatown on our way back, and indulged in yummylicious cakes. Man, it was probably after I stepped into the confectionery shop that I realised how much I miss Malaysian bakeries. Like how you can choose from Kaya bun to Tuna bun to butter bun to cakes with fresh cream and made to order. How you can stand in front of the freezer thing and choose your pick. How you can have every other thing but BLT sandwich or pasties for lunch...

And those of you lucky enough to study here (or have studied here), please don't say "we have Greggs what".

The 30mins that we spent savouring every bite of our fruit cakes, as we watched people walk us by in the small bakery, at 6pm in the evening when the sun was still lingering around on a beautiful spring day, was a bliss. Utter bliss.

Yes, Janet J. Best things in life are free.

In MY face

I went to the post office yesterday to make a claim on a letter lost in the post. The item sent was actually a National Express coach ticket for a pal who's coming to visit me in May, hence the urgency.

15 working days have elapsed since I posted it and yet still no signs of it anywhere, so I thought, you know what, I'd better lodge a claim.

Went to Albany Road branch Post Office and told the counter guy what happened.

Actually no. I showed him the proof of postage first, then only explained my case.

The moment he saw the word Malaysia, he gave the most disgusted look I've ever seen.

"Hmph! Malaysia??? This country is known for doing this kind of thing."

I LOOKED AT HIM.

AS IN I. LOOKED. AT. HIM.

What does he mean by "known for" and "this kind of thing"? I've sent so many stuff back home through the post in the past and they've never once failed me, so what's his problem?

Anyway, you know me, I am "known for" being tetchy when it comes to "this kind of thing", so I told him straight.

"Yes sir, thank you for enlightening me. THANK YOU."

I think he sensed my sarcasm, so he quietly turned round and got me a compensation form to fill.

Just as he was handing it to me, he asked what it was that I sent. I said a coach ticket. Again, he launched into a tirade of "this country is known for doing this kind of thing"...

Oh no baby, you shall STOP RIGHT THERE.

I grabbed the form form him, gathered my stuff and said "You know what sir? I've heard enough of this kinda thing for today. But thanks for your help. THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED" and left.

Pah! It wasn't so much of what he said that cheesed me off, it was HOW he said it. Fine, we might not have the most efficient postal system / administration in POS MALAYSIA, but that's for us to sort it out. If he had said something like "ooh miss, this has happened a couple of times in the past with some of our other customers, so I'm afraid you might have problems retrieving it" etc, I wouldn't have minded so much.

So, dear post-office counter guy, if you can't think of anything nice to say, just MYOB!

Manchester Trip Part 1

I never thought of blogging as a commitment, but if it is, then I'd better write up my dues before someone labels me a commitment-phobe!

Ok, where should I begin...

Ah yes, was away to Oxford on Wednesday for an interview at John Radcliffe Hospital. Yup, you've guessed it, placement stuff again. The interview/informal chat with the principal education pharmacist went quite well, thank you very much. Nothing out of the blue that they wanted to pick my brains on, and I guess the only blip was the question about what I liked AND disliked about the course. Pah! Never saw that coming and erm, haha, found myself a little tongue-tied. Can't exactly remember what I said but I think I blabbered something about how I "enjoy" learning about the different disease states and the respective therapeutic management etc etc etc. Doubt I sounded convincing at all but what the heck...they either take my answer, or leave it!

You know, it's actually rather unusual for me to take an instant liking to a hospital on a first visit, but that's how it is with JR. No major "urgh I don't like this or I don't like that", just generally a modest, new, well-maintained and brightly lit hospital (this girl just can't stand dim hospitals FYI).Looks to me a good hospital to working in...

Haha, that was, of course, a very superficial observation on my part...it might be the exact opposite when one DOES actually work there...who knows?

Anyway, more news about placement at JR later.

My train to Manchester from Oxford wasn't due till 6 in the evening, so I headed back to town straight after the interview. Didn't manage to do any sightseeing because, well, my fault for not checking out the places of interest prior to my trip, so I had to make do with just going around in city centre...

Ooohhh, Oxford is pretty. Many of the buildings are historic-looking (or maybe ARE historically signifcant themselves), adorned with nice, intricate carvings that stood the test of time. The city centre itself isn't exactly huge, but shopping looks great. Comparable to Cardiff if not better! And if I may add, students are everywhere! All these brainiacs I tell ya...

And after a brief walkabout in town, I left for Manchester in the evening as planned. A signal failure that happened 2 hours ago delayed many FGW trains and the backlog left many people stranded at the station. It was rather chaotic, with stewards shouting at the top of their lungs, and blowing whistles like mad just to maintain order. But thankfully I was on Virgin, so that didn't set me back much. In fact, I arrived at Piccadilly earlier than scheduled because I boarded the earlier train by mistake! Talking about blessing in disguise...

But I didn't bother hurrying my friend who was to come pick me up, so I found the nearest seat and sat my butt down. Spent the entire time just taking in the granduer of the train station really. Yeah alright, it's not THAT big, but it IS very modern-looking. For some bizzarre reasons, it looks a bit like a mini-KLIA from the inside, with all the glass ceilings and spatial design!

Oklah, maybe I was just tired, and dreamy!

I didn't have to wait long before Hua came to meet me, and we walked back to her halls in Grovesnor Place which was only about 20mins away. Hua and I actually met 2 years ago when we went for student warden training together. She graduated from Cardiff last year and is now at Manchester Uni doing a Master's course in Marketing. She was kind enough to host me while I am in the city to attend a conference on Thursday.

The conference was organised by the British Pharmaceutical Students' Association, and they invited quite some speakers to give us talks on pharm-related issues, and all the career stuff. Very insightful :). Sola - my pharm mate - was supposed to join me for this conference thingy, but being the good girl that she is, she decided she wanted to use the time for exam revision, so it was just me, myself and I.

Do you remember yonks ago, well, it was only last month I think, I mentioned about the McNeil's Responding to Symptoms competition in Birmingham? Yeah, I didn't make it pass the semi-finals, but as kismet would have it, one of the finalists pulled out in the last minute, and so they approached the nearest substitute, which was moi! Was rather shocked when I got the text from Sian a few days before the finals, which was to be held on BPSA day, the day of the conference, in Manchester. She asked if I was interested to take the girl's place, and I thought, well, since I was already going to be there for the conference, why not? And as far as I was concerned, I had nothing to lose!

Haha, it turned out that I had much to gain...coz I actually won the competition!

The words "dumbfounded" and "stunned" and "flabbergasted" were nowhere near the emotions I felt when they announced the winner at the conference. Okay, I know this is going to sound weird, but I don't actually know what were the sort of criteria they judged us on...Communication skills? Content? Relevance of advice? Oh well, I guess that probably explained why I was so shocked to find myself emerging as the winner, for I don't even know where I did well, if at all!

But not bad for someone who wasn't meant to take part in the first place...and to the other 3 finalists, I'm truly very sorry!

...to be continued

Happy Easter!

Here's wishing those who celebrate Easter a Happy one, and any leftover Chocolate Eggies are welcomed to be sent here!

p/s: Will be updating blog v soon...haven't procrastinated enough yet... :P

Those are the songs, aha aha I like it...

"He took me to the future in the flux thing and I saw everything, Boybands and another one and another one ... and another one!"

If you know your lyrics well, you would have noticed that the 2 lines were actually pinched from Busted's Year 3000.

Yo dude, no need to fast forward to year 3000 lah, just rewind back to the 90s and you'd see exactly the same thing!

Not that I am complaining...coz heck, I grew up with them. 90s / early noughties wouldn't have been the same without pop culture defining the decade.

While I wasn't one of those who draped her walls with Nick Carter or Justin Timberlake's torso-showing posters (err, if I had gotten my hands on Taylor Hanson's I would, but that guy is now married with kids...*sniff sniff*), I admit to following their songs...very closely!

I was once so into pop music that I know almost every song there is to know. List a few words from the lyrics and I'd tell you which song it is and who sung it. Name the album and I can tell you when it was released. Name a song title and I can describe what the video is like and so forth.

Haha, it sure gives people the impression that I was rather jobless, don't you think?

Just today, I went onto imeem.com to look for more long lost songs (which has become more of a permanent feature since J introduced it a week ago...thanks gal!). I stumbled upon so many catchy tunes from the 90s that I still seem to be (shamefully) bopping my head to...dear dear...