Lagenda

So I guess I spent my Sunday pretty productively...

Had a nice family breakfast and lunch with the closer bunch of cousins and aunt. Brought them to my apartment and showed them how I have been living like for the past year. (close to a dump-slash-bachelor's pad somewhat)

I guess even people related by blood need to renew the bonds and camaderie once in a while. Even better so, when done, over endless brews of premier Tianjin Oolong cha, heart-attack-inducing hypersugary cupcakes and wantan noodles.

The weird mix, describes befittingly the identity of my maternal family (in the extended form). Bamboo shoots growing waywardly (towards Savoy maybe) yet heavily rooted to the China-ness and watered upon by the local torrents. Ooookay, another odd analogy huh?

And then I went to watch this...


Yup, me did successfully acquire pretty good (and pricey tickets) for the very hyped-up, sensation of the local theatre scene, P. RAMLEE THE MUSICAL at Istana Budaya! [Honestly, I gotta thank CK (good friend and part of the stellar cast) who leaked out news about the extra tickets available after a corporate booking yang tak jadi!)

Also, thank the magnificent powers of STUDENT DISCOUNT!!! I got the best tickets (cos they were the only ones left) RM200.00 at RM161.50 (RM1.50 ticket handling fee) 20% discount wei!

Note: Food at the cafeteria at the national theatrette TOTALLY FAIL AND CANNOT MAKE IT! Yet mahal cam nak memufliskan segala pelanggannya!


Yup, the oh-so-famous Royal Albert Hall songbird of Malaysia, Dato' Siti Nurhaliza who is coincidentally a Datin made a special appearance as one of the 5 main leads, playing Azizah, muse to P.Ramlee from his younger, waaaayyy younger days.

One wonders why is she a main lead although her total stage time did not exceed 10 minutes (even if it includes the final cast acknowledgment at the end) in a production that is approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes long. It comes with the name I guess. Branding of the Made-in-Malaysia kind.

I am not really qualified to make a proper review on the show but I loved it. Spectacular with an excellent cast, wonderful songs, a kinda cogent storyline and sufficient excitement in store.

But I gotta say, I love love love the love duet between P. Ramlee and Azizah in the first Act. Very the mushy, sweet and pulling heartstrings at all the right places.


Me is still trying to decipher whether the 'd' lookalike on top of the Dato's signature meant Dato'? or <3?

Sean Ghazi did very well. Well with his voice and demeanour, he'd make anyone swoon. But I think the leading ladies of the show STOLE ALL THE LIMELIGHT!!!

The Jealous Junaidah (1st wife) , The Numbing Norizan (2nd wife, former consort of some Sultan) and The Seductilicious Songstress Saloma (love of his life? 3rd and final wife)

Loved the portrayal of Junaidah (or Junainah? Dah? Nah? Dah? Nah? LOL) by Atilia... ooohh somehow I can't take my eyes off her. I love the whole lady-in-kebaya image! Had hoped for a longer stage time for her though. Aww, too bad.

Melissa Saila totally blew me away with her role as the 2nd wife. Modern, never seen in a Melayu outfit, and very independent. Yet succumbing to be a lonely, neglected wife at the end. OMG WOW the confrontation between P. Ramlee and Norizan when they gaduh besar till I nearly thought he would shout talak tiga, was my fave break-up scene EVER!

And of course, Liza Hanim as Saloma... Hmm, I cannot imagine anyone else playing that role any better lor. Voluptous, sexy in a totally abiding-by-the-holy-books way, and an artiste in her own right. The chemistry between her and Sean Ghazi was scorching!

What I cannot get is why some guys in the seats behind me whistled everytime she golek-ed? EVERYTIME OKAY!!!

Like, this is NOT TV3's Karnival Sure Heboh lah?

[After the show] As we were broke from the tickets which were still off-budget for students (even after Student Discount), The Boyfriend and I had packed chap fan for dinner under the lights of this national pride.

Saloma sings this at the end of the closing act:

Dan siapakah dia
yang telah berjaya
menghuni di hati
kita semua?
Dia telah membawa
Makna dan kenangan
Cinta yang pertama…


But yeah, I have like NOT fallen in love with P. Ramlee (with all due respect, he was a great influence on terrestrial TV as I was growing up) but I have gained a whole new respect for the local theatre scene ... as impressed with the Season 2 of Puteri Gunung Ledang - The Musical last year.

It's corny and stuff, but somehow, I believe that if the trend of Malaysian arts is progressing continues this way, then maybe, just maybe, this industry can exclaim Malaysia Boleh!

Gelora

Langit malam tidak mampu sembunyi,
Terang bulan yang berseri-seri,
Ku bersaksi sakti gelora ini,
Indah, melampaui bidadari.

Disini resah jiwaku tenggelam
Terluah jatuh disambut bayu malam
Bulan jadi cerminan diri,
Idami bintang mencuit hati.

Sentuhan luar biasa,
Seakan jiwaku terpisah,
Kembali bersatu, diijabkabulkan,
Apakah berakhir di syurga.

Takkan putus darah
Yang mengalir merah
Mengikat insan,
Jiwa raga dan pengabdian

Random

OMG the University Hospital is DAMN BIG LAAAA... [I am saying so cos I have been getting lost around the Nuclear Medicine Department waaay too often these days]

FYI, did you know that UMMC (Universiti Malaya Medical Centre) and UMSC (Universiti Malaya Specialists Centre) are two separate entities under different administrations?

Random, I know.

I have been spending a lot, way too much time, at my attachment-slash-training, learning Hypnotherapy... for Pain Management.

I wonder if it's okay for me to use the techniques to get Chad, into bed? *winks*

Seriously, last Saturday, I spent the whole night, trying to help a patient manage the pain from her boobies tumour (with a REAL doctor, of course), from 7.00pm till 3.30am.

I guess after spending nearly 2 weeks of reading page after page... after page (and actually absorbing the gargantuan psychotic, in more ways than one, info) of this book...


One needs to splurge on food like the ones below...




I kinda splurged on Iced Mocha and the infamous atherosclerotic Double Chocolate Cupcake with Marshmallow Ganache while waiting for my ordered food to be packed.

It was dinner for TWO, mind you!

Clockwise from top left,
1. Salmon Teriyaki with Cold Soba and Pickled Cucumbers (superbly done I must add),
2. Peking Duck Wrap with Hoisin Sauce (tomorrow's breakfast on the go!),
3. Caesar's Salad with Turkey Bacon, (top notch!)
4. House Dressing ala Malaysian-ised, (works well with everything I bought)
5. Calamari with Iceberg Lettuce tinkled with Lemon Essence, and
6. Garden Fresh selection Salad.

YUM YUM YUM!!!

50% off after 9pm!!!

(pardon me cos I am on a student's budget)

and i spent less than 30 bucks on a very very very sumptuous dinner... for two!

What's on My Desktop?

Okay, I am doing this meme request first due to several reasons:

1. Got tagged by TWO people (at least that I know of, thus far), Sam of Transmission08 and Adrienz. Like why the toot, ME?

2. Seems simpler and shorter to complete! Minimal brainpower needed.

3. Probably a considerably good transition phase from my heavily loaded with pictures recent posts!

sooo.... *insert anticipatory drumroll OR excitable thriller music* [whichever strikes your fancy, honey!]

TADAAAAA!!!

This is like a screenshot of my desktop as it is... like an hour ago! Haha

Thanks to the housemate-in-the-smallest-room who edited it for me cos me too lazy to do anything about it. Yada yada yada...

Hmm... the background picture is of two soft toys in a sexually suggestive position, don't you think? Both gifts from The Boyfriend, when he was shopping for groceries. Hump hump hump.

*how sentimental don't you agree?*

And yeah, that was the print on my quilt... till a few weeks ago! [Yesh, old picture this ish!]

I guess you can condemn me and say that my desktop is oh-so-messy/cluttered/disorganised. But I think it is more of A.B.A.N.D.O.N.E.D.

I rarely maximise the old of my good old desktop these days. Only a few programs are utilised frequently. Firefox for surfing. MSN for the much-needed virtual socialising. MS Word for typing reports/assignments. And VLC for watching my OMGawd-SO-COOL Gossip Girl Series.

So what you can find on the desktop is... the pre-set several shortcuts. My Computer. My Documents [a treasure fort of findings to be divulged at a later date! *winks*], and yeah RECYCLE BIN [hardly anything gets recycled from it la. Not compost bin anyway!].

Also, some shortcuts to kinda-neglected-rarely-used snazzy softwares like Dimsum (Chinese text thingamajig) and Limewire!

Hmm... guess what? Got the one or two rare media files downloaded on the desktop too. Randomly placed. Along with a folder or two from helping out with Dad's business ventures.

And of course, boring studies stuff and HOMEWORK/Assignments/PRESENTATIONS!!!

Ahem ahem, that is all then. Joshy has NO fancy artsy desktop background nor systematic arrangement.


Guess the randomness of the desktop reflects pretty accurately on the user, huh?

Random Pictures To Fill the Blog

and xiong honey, will do the High School Meme soon... before Raya hopefully lalalalalala

A Wave is Coming

I miss the coral blue sea. The music of the crashing waves.

Nothing's real until you let go completely.

I miss the sand in between my toes.

Swept ashore, burnt and abandoned.

At the end of the horizon, will I find a glimpse of me?

#$%(#&$^*%#$@

BUT I HAVE CLASSES TILL 6.30 p.m. TOMORROW!!! Grr... DAMN IT!!!

FARK FARK FARK!!!

pardon my sudden impulsive need to cuss!

Clickety-Clack Shebang-Bang Da-Wham!

Hmm so I have started the second year of medical school, very well for slightly a month already. Ha most probably flunked my mid-terms I had last week. But still, it is good so far.

It has been tumultous, with a lot of fun, not-so-fun and a little so-not-fun bits. I really look forward to whatever entails in the future. But darn, I am not a very far-sighted person. My plans most likely just involve whatever's outside my bedroom door.

The first year was rough. The second appears to be an uphill hike.

But I doubt anything can top what happened in the 3 months break in between.

Yup, I have done so many things and looking back, WHERE DID MY HOLIDAYS GO? I am still grateful though. In that time period which most people might use to plan new apartment renovations or even a lightning wedding, I guess I grew.

A week away from civilisation, on a world-famous idyllic resort island. YET NOT SPENDING ANY MONEY (except the transportation there and other basics) I also cut a huge chunk off my celly's bill that week. But more importantly, I learned to appreciate Mother Nature more (yaya... very high school essay on "MENCINTAI ALAM SEKITAR" right?)

You didn't really actually bought that right? LOL

I will spare the details... but surviving a speedboat ride in a thunderstorm out in the open South China Sea, with NO SATELLITE PHONE, NO NEAR JETTY IN SIGHT... AND NO TRAVEL INSURANCE!!! Well, it just made me WHOA! Trust me, it was exactly like a stormy scene off any Pirates of the Caribbean flick or any Titanic-ish shows. Minus the fiction+CGI part... Ah yes, a lot of screaming was involved. And bum-banging too!

I WAS REALLY CAUGHT IN A THUNDERSTORM IN THE OPEN SOUTH CHINA SEA IN A TINY SPEEDBOAT! AND I SURVIVED!

GUESS WHAT! I conquered Mt. Kinabalu the NEXT DAY!!!

The place has become so commercialised, anyone can google and learn about the experience, so i refrain from being redundant on the World Wide Web. So I will just describe in single word sentences.

Crazy. Never-ending. Cramp. Raining. Non-stop. Bonding. Cold. Wet. Liberating. Perseverance. Pain. 5-minutes-at-the-Summit. Sunrise. Clouds. Lotsa. Clouds. RM15-NasiGoreng.

Nearly-DIED-ed [cos ma friends decided to take the LONGER, HARDER, MADDER WAY].

And I'd say it's a ONCE IN A LIFETIME thingy cos I am (most likely) NEVER gonna do it ever again! Especially hardly anyone would be so crazy as I was, conquering this peak with an injured KNEE!

FYI, some freak did it in less than 3 hours!

Hmm... What did I do after that? Ah yes, just followed doctors around in a hospital in Penang for a week or so. Literally being their trolls. Lived the life of real doctors, different types of them (work ethics and personality, I mean, not specialty) Loved it.

The life that awaits.

I love the bonding and friendship that exists between an internist and his/her patients... yet I love the excitement of the craft of surgery. [Most of the time, I just stood in the Operation Theatre while banging my head to the Funk music blasting from the surgeon's iPod. Yes, periodically nodding and "Umm, Yes" when he tells me about some ligament/joint/muscle/anatomical structure which I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NEVER HEARD OF!!!]

Like WTF is the supraglenoid tubercle of the scapula?????

Well, I later proceeded to help Malaysia win some award at a medical conference (my contribution was borderline minimal =P) Eh, that makes me a 'everyday hero' of sorts, right? Er, maybe not.

Shh, let you in on something... HONGKIE MED STUDENTS ARE EFFING SCORCHING HOT STUFFS (both genders, I must stress!) [But Indon ones SO CANNOT MAKE IT LAH. Never seen so much ugliness congregate and mis-represent their nation] There must be like an unwritten rule that one has to be HOT HOT HOT to be admitted to med school in HK.

Evil.

"It's amazing how one learns on the job" I quote a friend. Hospital postings with gullible patients, ever ready to expose themselves to be examined by semi-qualified med students, walao... people treating me like I actually know stuff. The me who totally SUCKED crappily in clinical skills practice sessions, totally ROCKED in the real setting! *phew*

AHEM... time for the [shitty] POO POO parts.

The times were trying for me lovelife. Sank down in the deepest well of misery. But I got up.

Things don't always go the way you want it to.

How often does one get crushed by the burdens of faith anyway??? I handled it much better than I had expected. Gotta fight for something we believe in right? Right.

I have lots of things to cherish. Simply stick to status quo and see where that leads. Worry not bout issues out of our control innit?

So yeah, more or less that's my recent life recollections... in a nutshell.

Life. Mine to live.

I just cannot stand still
'Cause the world keeps spinning round and round

And my heart's keeping time to the speed of sound.

And yeah I grew. Horizontally, even more. =(