Post Camp

I have a feeling that Blizzard has my timetable with them, coz they release major patches when I am not free. They released WotLK a week before my finals last year... and this time, they released 3.1 the week with my camp on the weekend.

Brief outline of patch 3.1:
Ul-doo-ar raid finally opens with new bosses and hard modes. Mobs actually are HARD to go through. Bosses are harder and much more fun.
New gear, especially T8 and legendary healing mace.
Argent tornament, new means to get pets and mounts. I still do not understand the story behind it as I was too busy to explore it.
Spell/talent revamp. Mana regen nerf. I hate it, but I hope my build is still viable as before.

So there's all these new changes but I have not fully emmersed myself in all of it. Heck, due to some changes in schedule, I don't actually have time to do more than just the raid this week. Somehow I get a feeling that these are all signs that God doesn't want me playing anymore >.< Right... and the reason why I was away during the weekend: 6th Year CAMP! Originally from another batch, I started out only know a handful of people there. I got there way earlier than the rest and I was so lost in that first hour. I didn't see anyone I knew and I don't know who the rest were, so I could not find where we were supposed to meet. Only when I saw familiar faces at the registration booth that I calmed down and started enjoying myself with the food and drinks. I probably drank too much wine too fast, and I ended up with a headache for the rest of the afternoon. A slight mishap, but I immediately I made new friends. As the sun was setting, we finally made our way to the boat to get to the island. This boat was different from the one I was on last year, and there were no seats out in the open. So I couldn't get a good shot of the sunset, but this was the only thing I could muster.



The stars were emerging as we started our walk from the jetty to the dorms. I got my wish, somewhat... to walk under the stars with her. We finally made our way to the dorms. The first thing I noticed were the herd of Quokkas in the courtyard. Last year, I really wanted to get good shots of quokkas, but this overabundance was just scary. Anyway, we all found beds to sleep in (I got a single room which was good) and we got ready for the night's party. Dress code: Mad Hatters.




There was supposed to be a prize for the best hat, so I put a little bit more effort into making mine. Sadly it didn't win me the prize, but I had fun. There were really good hats, and there were party hats on the table for those who were lazy to bring their own. After dinner, we all hung around gossiping, chatting, getting quokka's drunk, etc... What I really wanted at that point in time was to leave the rowdy drunk crowd and head to the beach and walk in the cold sand with the stars in the sky. It was sad to go alone, so I didn't. Sigh.

We ended up playing asshole 'big two' which I do not like at all. The fundamental flaw in the game is the winner usually stays the winner and it is hard for the loser to move up. Although I was very much against the game, I joined in anyway. I remained in the lower half of the rankings and hated it. Luckily, they did not include shots of vodka as a punishment just yet. However, when we DID include it, some of us were too tired to continue. heh.

The night was horrible. My room was at the entrance, so there were too many people walking in and out shouting and laughing every now and then. It took me a while to get sleep in the end, but I managed to in the end. UNFORTUNATELY, I was plagued by unpleasant dreams.

The next morning, I got up to a gloomy morning. The weather forcast was said to be thunderstorm in the late morning, and I can sense the incoming storm. In all directions, you can see the rain falling in the distance. There was only small patches of sky, and occasionally we'll see a ray of golden sun seeping through, reminding me that there is always light in time of despair... cheezey, but there it was. We walked her to the jetty that gloomy morning, as she was leaving on the early boat. We said our goodbyes and I was really sad to see her go...

Trip to Ipoh

I went to Ipoh the past two days. I managed to watch "The Spirit" (which I will write on later) and buy some of my new year clothes. I was also dragged to accompany my mother in a course to string beads/crystals into jewelry. I've posted up the final products on my facebook album, but I'll post two samples here:

This has a retail value of RM 190

This has a retail value of RM 120

Everyone says I have talent in doing handy crafts. I have inherited this from my paternal grandmother and my mother. And being a boy, I have broaden my interest in crafting stuff to robot models, particularly Gundam ones.

Me being good at handyworks is one of the reasons why I got into medicine. What does that got to do with being a doctor? Well, it is more of being a surgeon.

But it is going take a while before I can use my hands for that. So in the meanwhile, I am just going to indulge myself in making these stuff.

Oh yeah, the jewelry, I am selling them, so if you are interested, please let me know.

Other than that, my trip to Ipoh was uneventful. Except for a glimsp of beautiful girls. Which made me feel more lonely... and desperate...

Curse of the Photographer

I can't sleep. It's 1am in the morning on a Tuesday.

Anyway, I decided to blog. This is what happened last Sunday.



I can't really tell you much. By random chance, I was bestowed the opportunity to organize a gathering for the IMU student/doctors that were currently in Perth. It took little planning. I kept thinking that it was easy to organise a BBQ. Get sausages, book a pit, cook, eat, leave.

I started the invites earlier in the week, giving them notice to book their calendars. Then I started thinking of what my menu should be. This was what I started out with:
Sausages
Salad
Pizza

Easy stuff. Buy sausages, buy salad + dressings, order Dominoes on that day.

Then I decided that I crave for sushi. I didn't want to order those and decided to make it instead. I still think it's not a bad idea, but the people involved would tell you it isn't. Well... I'LL DO IT AGAIN! So, the ingredients for sushi? seaweed, japanese rice, vinegar, salt, cucumber, zucchini, egg, sugar, tuna, tartar sauce, japanese mayonese. Time taken... 2hours.

As I worry that we would not have enough food, the sausages became 3 types of sausages to a total of about 50 pieces, 20 slices of bacon/ham and 20 pieces of premarinated chicken wings.

As for salads, it became coleslaw which I made, fruit salad which I made, and potato salad which Wei Kuei made. All of which had so many left over, it was my breakfast lunch and dinner for a few days.

Luckily I didn't order the pizzas.

Also, I had Evelyn make eggtarts for me. The eggtarts, though, ended up to be eggtarts and fruit tarts. Effectively, the amount of food doubled or tripled the amount I set out for at the beginning. I had so to take home all the leftovers, it's not even funny. Not to mention the bottles of coke, fruit juice, marshmallows, gummybears and Doritoes that were left unopened.

So, the bill...

Meat stuff (sausages, bacon, chicken wings)
$39.56

Sushi stuff
$17.43

Salads
$13.98

Eggtarts
$21.60

Unopened food
$25.13

Sauces/Dip
$9.80

The look of everyone's faces and the joy of having organising a BBQ?
Priceless
$127.50

Oh yeah, the title.. basically means that as a phtographer, you will never get good shots of yourself.

Rubik's Cube Party

I came across an article in the Reader's Digest in my GP the other day. It just struck me as interesting and something that I would definitely like to try one day. I just need at least 8 other crazy friends willing enough to participate in this outrageous idea. If you are not familiar with a Rubik's Cube...

"As you know, the Rubik's cube has six sides and six corresponding colors: BLUE, GREEN, RED, PURPLE, YELLOW, AND WHITE. Unless religious obligations mandate a monochromatic wardrobe, I expect you have some clothes in these colors. You should try to wear as many items of clothing in as many different colors as possible, in effort to vaguely mimic the appearance of one side of an unsolved Rubik's cube. Your goal will be to leave the party wearing only one of the aforementioned colors, thereby solving the puzzle. To achieve this goal, you will be expected to exchange items of clothing with other guests. As with a real Rubik's cube, this is a puzzle of strategy. Negotiations (often involving alcohol) are likely to take place, along with the inevitable underhanded tactics and coercion normally practiced only by the ballsiest politicians."
Full article here

Its just whacky.

Speaking of colourful, I found this the other day:



If you're puzzled over why this ugly looking insect I put under colourful, it actually is a larva of a lady bug. Its been ages since I saw one, and I just happen to come across it on the way to work. Neat, huh?

Have a colourful day!

Rottnest

After 22km of cycling carrying 10kgs on my back, being in the cold and wet form the rain, getting painful swollen gluteus maximus from an uncomfortable seat, having friends shouting at me to hurry up, and going through 2 runned down camera batteries later...

The day started, just as any other,
But 6am on a Sunday was quite a bother,
Back aching from sleeping on the floor,
Cold damp weather seeping through the door.

Got up, got dressed, prepared nonetheless,
Packed up just as Sichang arrived with the rest,
So down to the train station we headed,
“Expect several showers,” was what we dreaded.

It rained once, on the train to Fremantle,
But when we got there, the weather looks settled,
We were all excited as we marched on board,
But the moment we sat down, we all got bored.

So we took out the cards and played ‘Bluff,’
And got seasick as the sea was rough,
It rained the second time, whilst on the ship,
I wondered how many showers we’ll have on this trip.

Luckily the rained stopped when we docked,
Straight to the bicycle hire shop we flocked,
All seems wonderful, all sunny and dry,
But it rained again, made me want to cry.


We flocked to Dome, to have some hot drinks,
Now ‘weather’ was taboo and became a jinx,
When our last companion finally arrived,
Our excitement and enthusiasm was somehow revived.

The first thing that we did on the trail we rode,
Was to get lost at the very first fork in the road,
Map-reader was blamed and we should reappoint,
But anyways, we ended up at a nice lookout point.

Victory was short-lived, as it rained again,
Got under a hut, to shelter from the rain,
Seriously, it was becoming a pain in the butt,
At least there were posters on quokkas in that hut,

Finally, “Screw it, we are wet anyway,”
Said Chua, as we were fed up to pray,
So we cycled in the pouring rain,
Both the weather and us, were insane.

There was no shelter that we could see,
But the rain stopped in 15 minutes, thankfully,
We made a stop, and took some great shots,
But it rained again, this time LOTS.

We pursued and we endured to our next stop,
Up a hill to the lighthouse at the very top,
The lighthouse was white, plain and classic,
Standing tall, but was closed to the public.

Luckily, there was a little quokka nearby,
It looked wild, but it was not at all shy,
As we said goodbye, and zoomed downhill,
King’s bicycle broke and he had a bad spill.

A 4th year, a 5th year, a 6th year and an intern,
And having no first-aid kit was a concern,
Luckily a guy passed by, with some bandages,
And King survived with abrasions and scratches.

We continued to pursue and endured,
All wet, tired, aching, and with one injured,
And the winds were strong and hammering,
Even with my weight, I was staggering.

But finally we reached the furthest cape,
Celebrating and enjoying the scenery with mouths agape,
But then it hit me with this annoying fact,
We had to cycle all the way back…

Reluctantly leaving such a beautiful place,
Making our way back to home base,
But with such an uncomfortable seat, alas,
It was, literally, pain in my ass.

After a total of 22 kilometers,
Body aching, down to all my toes and fingers,
Camera batteries were all spent,
Glad that that was the end of the torment.

We got some rest and something to munch,
And some Quokkas joined us for lunch,
Too tired and not bothered to chase them away,
Phang gave them chips to keep them at bay.

After returning the bicycles we rented,
I still felt a little discontented,
We went to the beach, to serve my need,
We found a place, with lots of seaweed.

We laid down our bags on the nice beautiful sand,
And I went to test the water firsthand,
Then I stripped down, not wanting to care anymore,
Jumped in, and was frozen to the core.

So everyone instead, decided to play with the sand,
Chua engraved our names in the sand,
Sichang architecturally made a ‘man’,
And I castrated it with a swift back-hand.

As we head back towards the jetties,
Phang exclaims that he lost his keys,
People starting to crowd, to catch the last ferry,
And it was also becoming drizzly.

Despite fighting against a horde,
We managed to get on board,
But the waves were brutal with another rain,
Making us sea sick all over again.

And at the end of the day,
Butt and back aching to my dismay,
I just want to curl up into bed,
Wishing that I had spent the day here instead.

Pets

Hi. Meet Fluffy. He's a cat. He's a beautiful cat.

Fluffy doesn't belong to me. I don't know who he belongs to. He doesn't have a collar. But he is very friendly. He visits me almost everyday. On rare occasions, he manages to get past the fly screens and roams the house. He would sit on my lap automatically while I play or study at my desk.



Meet the latest addition to the house. We're still in the process of naming them. So far, I've come up with 'Zerg', 'Terran' and 'Protoss', or 'Ken Rhee', 'Si Chang' and 'Phang'. My housemate on the right came up with 'Bai', 'Chi' and 'Chou'.

This is where they sit in our house.


The one that ate one of my seamonkeys, I name 'Terran'.


I like having pets around.
It reminds me how much I love animals.

More on that some other time...

9days?

So, I was in this group of players, and one of them asks, "How long is your /played time?"
I showed him this.


I dont think he believes me still.

Hi, I am a WoW-aholic...
forum post here

Loneliness

I wish not to be me,
I'm empty as can be,
I hate this pain & strife,
I hate not having a life.

No child to call my own,
Nobody my flesh and bone,
No one else in my house,
Coz' I don't have a spouse.

No one to share my life with,
No one to fill that empty rift,
No one to love and to hold,
No one to treasure like gold.

No one to turn to,
No one to talk to,
No friends I could call,
Nope, no one at all.

So,
I don't have a life,
I don't have a wife,
I don't have a girlfriend,
I don't have a friend,
I don't have a somebody,
I only have myself and me.

Exercise

Exercise is good for you. It helps your heart blah blah blah...

I'm currently doing my Cardiac Rehab option. Part of what patients with heart conditions have to go through as part of their recovery process is to go to the physio gym to get their twice weekly exercise. And as part of my learning experience I was forced to join them. I must say that it was a good workout.

I rose my heart rate to 190bpm.

Preciously, all the calories I have been burning is by pushing leys on my keyboard and clicking the mouse buttons. I would say that it is more than watching anime or tv programs.

Anyway, the purpose of this post is to show you this picture, which depicts the exercise I have been getting:

The Jelly Fish

Passively floating,
Aimlessly drifting,
Going where the currents flow,
Life's steady and slow,
Without concern or care,
Neither here nor there,
Always alone, ever so cautious,
Stinging those who approaches,
Going through the days,
Being pelted by waves,
The blazing sun scorches,
The icy water freezes,
Battered against the rocks,
Left alone under the docks.

The Next Step

Others would say that it is just sour grapes, but medicine is a really crappy course. I really thank my lucky stars that I am no longer taking it. No regrets failing the exam and no regrets not having a goal in life. I used to think that I was able to make a difference in the world as a doctor, but in actual fact, I never will.

Now that I am purposeless, I can now work and fund my expensive hobbies, mainly Magic: the Gathering and World of Warcraft. Haring a leeching partner also doesn't help the situation. And between work and play, there is practically no time to spend with anyone. Also, to keep fit, exercising along the river takes the remaining time and energy that I have. Yeah, I do not have a social life anymore.

I have recently taken things up to the next level. Everything that I'm doing, I am doing it at a higher level of commitment. For instance, I am leveling my WoW character to 70 and getting leet items and gear, replacing most of my old ones. Buffed, I have cam do lots of heals in a shorter period of time. I love this quote from my friend: “Druids are the best healers. Paladins are better. But Priests are GODS.”

I’m also taking Magic: the Gathering to the next level… to make profits out of it. I trade and sell cards, and make tons of money in the process. If I can find buyers, I would make more than I spend on them. Which is good. I’m getting there…

And lastly… to take my Sudoku craze and my Rubiks challenge to the next phase:

so much to say no words to describe

It's been a long time since I was here...

This is a brief summary of things I wanted to post about but never got around to doing it:

I drove a car in Perth!!!
We went on a road trip. Need to explore more...
I love taking photos. I just wish I had a friend who takes photos of me like I do others.
I drank more alcohol this year than my whole life before... Perth habit.
I have trust issues. I do not trust anybody.
We created a extended Bridge game.
I've been socializing. I love birthday parties.
I know more about everything than most people. I know lots of useless stuff.
I saw some dolphins in Swan River.
Ate veal. Missed out on kangaroo meat.
24hrs awake. Half of it in WoW. Slept while instancing.
Bought a new phone.

Books, books and more books

MI have lots of good news and I am enjoying myself so far...

First was the dreaded midyear exams. I went in not knowing what to expect and came out still the same. I thought I did worst in Pharmacology and best in Pathology, with IE the most ambiguous... After a few days of relaxation, our results were out. Thankfully I passed everything. I still don't think I deserve it with the amount I put into studying, but I still am thankful that I passed. And I did best in Pharmy and worst in Path... I still passed.

Next was my psych remediation last month. It really went well. I was given very good encouragement from my remediator, Dr. Gliozzi. She guided me well and I really had fun being under her for psych. The patients were crazy, but willing to be spoken to and quite nice to talk to. They really have interesting things to talk about, if you are willing to listen. So in the end, I was given an ungraded pass, which is still a pass. So KenJ, I got one too ^_^

While doing my remediation, I was having my Geriatrics posting. I was actually posted to the Orthopedics ward where lots of the cases were the frail lil' ol' ladies with osteoporosis. I did more Gen Med than Geriatrics I reckon. I had a case of Guillain Barre syndrome, lots of osteoporosis and one suspected pheochromocytoma/diabetic/cardiac cause of fainting spell. I still don't know what it was, but it was an atypical presentation of the fall. Geriatric patients just have a long list of medical problems with a long list of past surgical/medical history plus a long list of medications. Anyway, after handing in my case report, I got really good grades for it. This will be my first thing that I was ever happy with in terms of marks and the only thing that I know I definitely passed.

Aside from studies, another news would be that Grace is in Perth now for a holiday and completing her journey across the latitude. She is basically been doing what my parents have been telling me to do... EXPLORE. And she has been to more places than we have in Perth... And I have been giving the same old excuses; no transport, no time, no money. Which are really just excuses. Anyway, its great to have a familiar face visiting, aside from hearing a familiar voice ie Raj.

And while Grace is here, she found out interesting stuff to do in Perth like the German dude's Human Body thingy. I last heard about it was by Raj and YP when it was in Singapore. It was so exciting as we approached, but Alas! it was over just the day before... Disappointed, we went to cd, dvd, and book fair instead. We bought a total of 21 books and 5 cds... Books for AU$4 each. There's my manic episode for you.



So with Grace helping to bring over my convomag and a copy of Talley & O'Connor... I have a huge list of reading material to last me my stay in Perth... Thanks Grace!



























And my current past time:

Adventures in World of Warcraft


That's me... and Raj way way ahead


Same trip, flown a bit further...


My other character on his ride

Making girls cry...

I really feel guilty, that I was a part of making a girl cry. Maybe it's just inate in me to make girls cry >_<, but this is probably the worst I felt. I'm SORRY!!! It got me thinking though... about why people cry. For some, crying is a sign of weakness. Like how they say men should not cry, as it is showing that you cannot handle the situation emotionally. I recalled, during the process of making that someone cry, that when I was little, I used to cry often. I was usually bullied by my siblings or my cousins, as they took advantage of me. We got along, but when it comes to the games like Speed, and Chess, I cried whenever I lose, feeling that things are not fair. How many people can actually take unfairness and still have a smile on their face? And how long can that smile last?

Maybe I cried because I am sad? Sad that I lost? Sad that I could not prove to them that I am of equal standard? But being sad is everywhere. I can cry at movies, watching that hero sacrifce himself at the very end to save the world, at the sight of the creature fighting for his life but still die... But I didn't cry at my grandmother's funeral. I don't know why, but I was sad. I guess it still comes back to fairness; whether it was fair for her to be taken from us.

Another reason for crying would also be for attention. When I lose, I want the game to be my win and I cry so that the other person will give in to me. I cry so that I will win next time. But that rarely happens... but still, crying to gain pity is a very common thing to do. So does sulking, throwing tantrums, giving the cold shoulder, etc... but they still are different forms of crying. But...

What she showed, was a differnt kind of crying. I could only think of how mature she was when she cried. She didn't throw tantrums, she didn't want anyone to be spoiling her, she didn't demand that things were done... she was just crying to herself and jumped back on her feet. She even talked things out and everything worked out well in the end. I really wish you well and God bless you even more.

And for self advertisement:

This is how I used to look like














and if you donate some money, that will go to the Leukemia Foundation

I will look like this:










So please make a donation ^_^
www.worldsgreatestshave.com

My Manic Episode

Mania is characterised by:
A. having a period of abnormally and persistently elevated mood.
B. (1) inflated self-esteem, (2) decrease need for sleep, (3) more talkative, (4) flight of ideas, (5)easily distracted, (6) increase in goal directed activity, (7) excessive involment in pleasurable activities.
C. impaired social functioning

This episode can be a defence mechanism which hides the fact that I am internally distraught and chaotic. I have been more talkative than necessary, having trains of ideas, I'm not paying attention in lectures, and I almost got involved in a shopping spree.

And this is what I had been up to the past hour or so:


Meet Linda.

(picture has been removed)

And of course, me.

This is what she did to me.

And this is what she did to me further.

It was fun to get a free hair cut. Heh... (hum Queer Eye for the Straight Guy)

This is a break from my very agitated self. I didn't do well for my Psychiatry Exam and I am set to have practice interviewing sessions later in the year. So I can brush up my skills. It may be a bore and chore, but I think this is a very good opportunity for me to really be serious about things and do well. I don't have a problem being empathetic (I think...) but I think I sacrificed too much of the goal directed questions.

I also plan to get a job soon, and buy a bicycle. At least I will have a source of income and a mode of transport. And it would be a good experience and a method of exercise.

Oh well. We'll see how things go.

^_^

1 Month Late...

In conjuction with my psychiatric posting, I have listed the MSN nicknames that I have used over the past two weeks. Each nick name has it's own story and I guess it's a way for me to recall them after the weeks gone by...

Which animal do you like?
Which ladder am I in?
Cereal Killer and Murder Mister Rhee
M.A.S.C.A.R.A.S.P.
Psychosomatic or Somatopsychic?
Med Dinner
King of Clubs, Queen of Hearts, Jack of all Trades
PINARDS, SPRAIND, RAPIDSN
Angels: Delusions or Religious
Beach & Bleach
Is this conversation recorded?
experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Psychiatry is a very colourful subject. There is something new every day and there is still much to learn. It has been an up and down journey being in this ward. There are times when I feel that I have Bipolar disorder. There are times when I feel at the top of the world, and there are times when I feel like I don't know anything. I do don't know anything...

other happenings:
My birthday was on Thursday, and as usual, I can't think of anything special to do that can actually be done. I thought of disappearing for the day as there isn't much to miss. But of course there were things that I cannot disappear from. Thursdays are always busy for us. We have lectures and people actually dress up for lectures. or dress down, whichever way you see it.

That night, we went out to the cafe by the riverside to have a late night snack. That was my celebration. It was good enough for me.

Then of course they surprised me with a cake on Friday. It was the beginning of the weekend and everybody could stay out later. I had a nice cake: spongy. I had nice candles. Had chilli mussles, spaghetti and garlic bread. It was nice. The funny thing about birthdays is that I don't believe in them. It's just another day for me, but it is a time for me to be older and be depressed about it. It's nice to have friends over and everything, but we do that all the time. I do thank them though. I like friends over, but yet I like to be alone on my birthday. Ironic, isn't it.

That night, we rented movies and watched it over at the girls' campus, with a big wide screeen and chips and vodka. The first movie was a "based on a true story" movie with no story. If you have watched House of Wax, this show is much worse. The bodies were never found and there was only one survivor who has no idea what happened to his friends. He escaped without the bad guy knowing and was found out in the desert. So the story was most probably made up and the heroic acts by the two other girls might not be real. They died anyway, so we don't actually know the truth. There was a courtcase but there were not enough evidence and the killer was set free. Do not ever visit or watch Wolf Creek

The second movie was Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo. I've watched it already, and it's not as good as the first one. But hilarious. And as a psych rotation student, the main highlight I saw was: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

On Saturday we went to the beach. We rode the waves and it was FUN! Never in Malaysia were the waves this big. It was 38 Degrees, but it was worth it. And we stayed until the sun set, something I have not done. It was nice watching the sky turning red and melt into dark blue.

On Sunday, I finally got to try Sarawak Laksa, courtesy of Grace's cousin, Rachel.

Well, that's a summary of what happened over the last weekend.