One Hole Tighter Please!

Hell yeah! I have 2 good news to post in my blog today. I just can't wait to share it out!

During the Raya holidays, I continued doing my work-outs at home because I was so worried that I might put on weight at my hometown. My father used to term me a "cockroach" as I tend to finish up just about any food in the house if I am ever present at home. Both my brother and I are very well-known for our extensive stomach capacity that would put any Sumo wrestler's appetite to shame, honestly! So after the one week long holiday, I packed up and got back at my hostel. On Monday morning, I remember that I woke up and got ready as usual. My daily morning routine is to wake up at the third alarm ring, brush my teeth, shower, read the morning news, check my Facebook newsfeed and got dressed for class. So I was pulling on my pants and adjusting my belt when I realized that the hole that I usually used for my belt was actually too loose for me. I was shell-shock for a moment as I double-checked my belt. Goodness, it's the same hole that I have been using all this while and now it's too loose for me! The same hole that was a bit tight for me just a month ago! I actually needed to go one hole tighter! I could not help but to feel on cloud nine - it was a very special feeling, a feeling of accomplishment, of victory. To be honest, my weight was actually going up and I was of the opinion that I had put on fats! But now I'm pretty sure that I have put on muscle instead. Way to go!

The best thing about losing weight and getting fitter is having other people to actually acknowledge it and compliment you about it. There were two recent occasions - yesterday my friends were commenting that I have indeed lost weight and today, I was walking in Mid Valley when I met a friend of mine, Pearl; and her first reaction was, "Wow! You look so good!" I have not met her for a long time and I was quite taken aback by her sudden outburst of compliment that I did not know how to respond appropriately. Never before have I been praised in such a way. But that kind of compliment gets you going, I remember I spent the same night at the gym going one step further and pushing my body beyond my normal limits as I was extremely motivated to get even fitter. Now my body is feeling sore all over as I am typing this blog. I can only imagine how sore it will be the next morning. It's alright! No pain no gain, buddy!

Okay for my second piece of good news!

Guess what? Apple has finally approved a replacement for my iPad2! After all the hard fought negotiations I have been through these few days, I have finally achieved what I have been fighting for. I can still recall the words spoken to me by the Apple representative, (in American slang) "Dear Loi, since your iPad only sustained minor damage, we are pleased to inform that you have qualified for a warranty replacement. Please contact your nearest service center and inform them the case code for reference." Those words are still ring in my ears up till now. I could barely believe my ears when I heard that and the next thing I knew, I was on my way to Mid Valley, smiling from ear to ear and appreciating how beautiful the scenery was along the way. The only reason I could think of, at that time, why the scenery was so beautiful was that, on the day it was created, God must have been in an exceptionally good mood. Of course, the songs that I listened to on my iPhone sounded better than how they usually were! Speaking of Jay Chou, he always sounds awesome to me, but today, he sounded awesome-r!

So I got my iPad traded in and now I need to wait 5-7 working days till my new iPad2 arrives. Mmm, life has never been so good! Err, am I supposed to insert a smiley face here?

iPad 2 Exorcism!

In coincidence with the Chinese seventh month, all of the sudden, my iPad2 started behaving as though it has been possessed by an evil spirit. It just moves and types by itself (you can see how my iPad misbehaved in the YouTube video that I have uploaded). Earlier, I thought it was due to the screen protector but the problem persisted even though I have removed it. I tried restoring my iPad but to no avail. Giving up, I ran a Google search to see if there is anyone on the net that happens to share the same problem. I was surprised that apparently this is a very common problem for iPad users. Most of them got their iPad exchanged for a new one right away. 

So since my iPad is still under warranty, I decided to try my luck at the local Machines store.

Last Sunday I went to the Machines store at Mid Valley and lodged a complain regarding my iPad. Without even looking at my iPad, the guy in-charge gave me a set of directions that I should visit their Service Center instead and as it was Sunday, the Service Center was closed and I have to come back the next day. Not satisfied with the way I was treated, I tried the Machines store at The Gardens instead. This time, the guy in-charge was considerate enough to take a look at my iPad and tried to repair it to no avail, of course. But I really appreciate the concern and the effort to resuscitate my iPad unlike the other guy at Mid Valley.

It's just like being a doctor. Some doctors take some time to chit chat with their patients every morning during ward rounds and some would just walk from bed-to-bed without a single smile to the patients. Which doctor do you prefer if you happened to be the one lying on the bed? *Touch wood*

After a few fruitless attempts, the guy who looked into my iPad gave up and told me to visit their Service Center the next day. Fine.

On Monday, I went all the way to their Service Center only to be greeted with a really long queue and only 2 working counters out of 4 available. It was already almost 5pm and their center closes at 6pm. And by 5:45pm the queue only got longer and it was only at that time when they obliged to open up all their counters! I mean, how can you have only 2 counters running when you have tenths of people waiting for their turns and you actually take 15-30 minutes to serve each customers right? Speaking of efficiency here.

So after 1 long hour, my turn came and they guy who served me was very polite. He told me that such problem is very common and he has seen loads of them. However, he warned me that I have voided my warranty because I have damaged my iPad...

...Pause. I just gave him the blank look.

He turned my iPad and showed me the slight dent at the top left corner.

"It doesn't matter if you have dropped this iPad or bang it against a hard surface, but Apple will not accept your iPad for an exchange for a new one if it is not in a good condition."

Fine, I thought. But it was such a small dent and I could not remember any accounts when I have actually dropped the iPad. Otherwise it looked brand new. I tried to reason my way out but he told me that he was just following the protocol.

So I need to speak to someone with more authority, I thought.

I left the Service Center, headed for Starbucks, The Gardens and snapped a few photos of my iPad (you can scroll all the way down and look at them yourself). I proceeded to calling the Apple Customer Service. The receptionist who greeted me told me exactly the same thing that I have voided my warranty due to the slight damage on my iPad. This is ridiculous.

I mean, it is just a slight dent and if such small dent can cause such a big and significant damage to an iPad, doesn't that makes iPad sounds useless to you? If people around the world can have the same problem without even scratching their iPad, does this means that I am at fault of causing this problem to mine instead? In my humble opinion, it actually means that the problem is with the hardware itself, Apple is at fault for this. It has nothing to do with the slight dent on my iPad don't you agree? I would not mind if you exchange another dented iPad for me as long as it works!

I tried my best to reason my way out, of course. No way I am giving up this fight.

So the receptionist connected me to someone of higher authority. So this gentleman (with American accent) who spoke to me was considerate and kind enough to request photos of my iPad for consideration (I expected that). I told him that the photos were ready and I would e-mail them right away. He was glad to hear that and told me he had 1 more hour at work and could actually take some time to look into my case. He further advised me to drop my contact number at the e-mail itself so that he could contact me after reviewing my photos and case.

Without any further ado, I e-mailed all the photos to him after hanging up the call and sat there at Starbucks waiting for his call...

1 hour passed with a blink of an eye...No call yet...

2 hours...My phone was almost out of battery...No call yet...

3 hours...I gave up and left...

Up till today, I am still checking my mailbox or my phone once a while hoping for a respond. I do not know what is there left to do. My iPad is seriously sick and I need a proper respond from Apple regarding this matter. As for now, I can only leave the case to the hands of the gentleman who promised to review my case and photos. I am keeping my fingers' crossed for good news. For your information, there are only 23 days left on my iPad warranty. I can see why they are reluctant to exchange my iPad for a new one.

Don't tell me that I have to chuck this iPad2 away and reuse my iPad1. And iPad1 is not iOS6 compatible! Sigh...

Raya Holidays @Singapore

Wonderful Singapore - taken from Esplanade

Yeap! I spent my weekend enjoying myself at Singapore. For your information, that was my first time at Singapore and it's a shame because I am a Johorean and Singapore is not really far away from me. Been alive for 23 years and I have not even seen Singapore! Most of my friends would laugh at me for that, I know. But really, I have always thought that Singapore (apart from being cleaner than Malaysia) is about the same with Kuala Lumpur - so why bother going right?!

How wrong I was.

I was not really excited about the trip at all. It so happened that 3 of my sisters would be there plus my parents, so I thought it would be fun to join them. Otherwise, I would be home alone. My flight was at Saturday morning. I bought Malaysia Airlines instead of Air Asia because I was anticipating a hectic Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) due to the "balik kampung" fever. So I opted to pay extra to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) instead. Flight was scheduled at 9:20AM and I reached KLIA at 8:15AM. I was whistling away as I looked forward to getting my Sausage McMuffin breakfast while waiting for the time to board the plane. 

Halfway to McDonald's, I saw the big crowd at the Passport Customs downstairs and I knew I have no choice but to gobble up my breakfast as fast as possible and join the long queue at the Customs. I could only imagine a bigger crowd at LCCT to be honest. Trying to stay optimistic, I continued making my way to McDonald's only to be greeted with another set of long queue at the restaurant itself! The next thing I knew, I spent 20 minutes waiting for my turn to purchase my McMuffin and by the time I walked out from the restaurant, it was already 8:40AM. I had not eaten my McMuffin, I packed my breakfast up and decided to eat them on the plane but I had to finish my hot Milo as it was not allowed onto the plane.

So I was queueing up at the long Customs line waiting for my turn and I took that opportunity to nick a few sips on my Milo. I had to apologize to a few Muslims who were around me as they were all fasting and to drink right in front of them might be a bit rude and unpleasant, but I guess they were all in Raya mood to be caring about me drinking Milo right? So minum saja lah!

The queue was painfully slow. The lady in charge of my line was taking her own sweet time clearing the passports and a few old men behind me were already groaning. Still, I managed to board my plane on time, and enjoy the orange and guava juices offered on board with salted beans and of course, my McMuffin! Even the air stewardess was teasing me, "Ohhhh, nice burger!!!" I could only reply her with a weak smile as I was looking forward to getting off the plane. The journey was kinda unpleasant as the craft was old and the air-conditioner was not cold enough. The businessman behind me did not heed the "turn-off-your-mobile-phone" order and his phone rang halfway taking off. The small kid sitting 2 seats next to me kept looking at me munching at my McMuffin as if hoping that I would dish out another set of McMuffin from my bag and gave it to her.

The plane landed at Changi and I took the MRT to Amara Hotel, Tanjung Pagoh. My parents were already there. We checked-in and started exploring the city. It was a very awesome place to visit indeed. If I were to walk in a shopping complex at KL, I would see loads and loads of ladies in "tudung-s" but in Singapore, there were no "tudung-s" at sight! (Probably gone home for the Raya holidays) A lot of the people there are either Chinese or foreigners. Even if there are Malays, most of them are not dressing up like the Malays at KL, I was even surprised to see a Muslim lady dressing up with a mini-skirt and a bare-back top! 

And since we were constantly walking under the ground, my father termed all the people around as "termites". I could walk from City Hall to Suntec or Esplanade without seeing the Sun. The Chinese here speak English compared to Chinese at KL who would commonly speak Mandarin or Cantonese. It feels good, really, as I prefer to speak English rather than Mandarin. (I was raised from an English-spoken family). The waitress at my hotel were mostly Koreans or from Mainland China. I really enjoyed shopping in Singapore. Okay, the standard of living is higher plus the food is more expensive and the "wantan mee" is really bad here, but these did not really affect me significantly. The sight of the awesome Garden by the Bay, view of the city from Esplanade were enough to enchant me and make me wanna be back with my loved one in the future. Indeed it was so romantic at night that many young couples were hanging around the place.

Speaking of young couples, there is also another drastic difference between Singaporeans and Malaysians - the PDA level. My PDA does not stand for the medical term "Patent-Ductus Arteriosus" but rather for the term "Public Display of Affection". I remembered I could see kissing couples, cuddling couples everywhere at public. I remember how uncomfortable it was for me to stand next to a kissing couple and hearing the smooching lips-to-lips sound while I was trying my best to ignore that and continue taking photos from the top of the Esplanade. Or walking around at the Garden by the Bay and all of the sudden, a couple at a bench close to you started cuddling and kissing. Most of the PDA scenes were at night, probably because they could not hold their lusts any longer. I don't know, really. 

A new United jersey addition to my wardrobe!

Speaking of Singapore, a Manchester United fan would always think of the two official Manchester United store opened there - one at City Hall and the other at Marina Bay. I wanted to get my van Persie shirt from Singapore and the price offered at the City Hall store was SGD99. And worse still, they do not do naming customization. I did not want to wear a plain empty United jersey, so the guy working there suggested that I go to Peninsula Mall instead. I took his advice and headed to Peninsula Mall the next day. And it was a trip worth remembering.

Not being familiar with the place, I followed Google Map and was soon standing outside Peninsula Plaza and I was greeted with the most unexpected sight. The whole place was full with foreigners and most of them were Thais, Vietnamese, Bangladeshi and Indonesians. The plaza itself was very old. It was public holiday and that explained the amount of foreigners loitering around the area! Upon entering the building, I headed straight to the Info Counter to ask for any shops selling sports jerseys. The whole place was so packed with foreigners that I could not imagine finding a shop selling original United jersey around really! And to my surprise, the Info Counter itself was empty! So I had to explore the building myself. I took the escalator to the first, second, and third floor and I was greeted with unpleasant sight of foreigners loitering on the floor, and there was an unpleasant smell which none of them seemed to care much about. There was no jersey-selling shop at sight! Giving up, I left the building, making a mental note not to come here ever again in the future. Depressed, I planned to just buy the United jersey from Al-Ikhsan when I got back to Malaysia. 

However, I was still not satisfied, something inside me was telling me that I could get the jersey somewhere around the place (or maybe it was just my desire to get the shirt before the game against Everton on Monday). So I approached a lady selling shoes outside the building. She smartly noted that I had indeed come to the wrong place. In fact, there were actually two Peninsula buildings there. The one that I should go is Peninsula Shopping Mall and the one that i just went was Peninsula Plaza. Gosh, no wonder I was so lost inside the plaza!

So I crossed the next street and headed into Peninsula Mall and as I reached the first floor, I saw a jersey-selling shop. Smiling triumphantly, I entered the shop. An Indian man greeted me and told me that his shop offered name and number customization service. The United kit was priced at SGD89. Not bad. However, there was another Indian guy sitting at the counter. He seemed to be the owner, and was engrossed in watching his Bollywood show rather than talking to me. He was unfriendly and he snapped at me coldly that the customization service was not available as it was public holiday (just as I approached him to make my payment) and he added that I should come back on Tuesday. Without waiting for my respond, he turned his head back to his laptop and continued watching his show. Tactless. How do you expect to do business with this kind of attitude towards your customer? The Indian man who greeted me earlier looked at me apologetically. I smiled at him and left.

I headed upstairs and saw another 2 jersey-selling shop. I entered the one with more customers inside. This time I was greeted by an Indian lady and a Chinese man. Both of them were so friendly that I could not help being thankful that the guy downstairs rejected my purchase. And the United kit offered at this shop was just SGD80!

However for customization, it was SGD2/letter and SGD20/number. So after much negotiations, they agreed to sell me fully "van Persie-customized United jersey" at SGD120. I agreed on the spot. I was worried that the customization might take a long time and she assured me that it would take less than 10 minutes! I was very happy at that time. But it was the reaction from the Chinese man that caught my attention.

He seemed to be very unhappy that I wanted to buy van Persie's kit and was mumbling angrily when he handed me my van Persie jersey after he customized them.

Chinese Man: Why do you wanna buy his jersey? This guy is useless! He will be just like Owen! What if he gets injured tomorrow?!

Me: It's alright. My aim is to show this jersey off to my Arsenal friends.

Chinese Man: You dare to show off to me then I charge you more!

It turned out that this man's an Arsenal fan! No wonder he was so angry and emotional. We had great discussions about van Persie later to the point that he labeled van Persie as "van Pussy". I felt so sorry for him and the rest of the Arsenal fans. But I think you should all remember him for his contributions to your club rather than be angry at him leaving. If there is someone for you  to blame, it's Arsene Wenger. Do not be surprised if he sells Carzola next season!

So, I made my payment, collected my jersey and was soon jogging all the way home! I have finally gotten my van Persie jersey!!! I will definitely be back to Singapore in the future with my beloved one. But there will be no PDA from me, I can assure you that!

Fooling around with my new van Persie kit at Marina Bay

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder!

Which type of Medical Student are you? I am not going to tell you which type I am at this moment

Well, not really Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but close to one. Yes, life as a medical student is traumatic! Today I have teaching sessions with both Prof. Latiff and Prof. Rashid. If you do not know them yet, let me introduce them to you. Prof. Dr. Abdul Latiff Mohamed [MD(UKM), MRCP(UK), PhD(Cardiology)(Leeds)] is the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of my college while Prof. Dr. Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman [MBChB, PhD, MRCP(Ireland), MRCP(UK), FRCP(Ireland), FRCP(Edinburg), FNHAM] is the Chairperson of our Malaysia Hypertension CPG. Prof. Rashid is also known as Prof. ARAR among the students. Having met them back in my 3rd year, I know how 'mind-blasting' the teaching sessions with these two respectable professors can be. They are both very stern and they really expect a lot from us. So, today I was supposed to do a presentation on the Management of Chronic Renal Failure to Prof. Latiff in the afternoon during lunch time.

Prof. Latiff is excellent in making us understand the full process of a patient's condition and his main intention is to make sure that we treat the patient instead of the disease. I have prepared extremely hard so as to present well to the class and I am very satisfied with my performance today. Even though we could see that Prof. Latiff was not in good mood at the beginning of the day, it was indeed a relief to finally end the session seeing him smiling. All my hard work has indeed paid off. Phew, one big obstacle cleared and now for the other one - Prof. ARAR.

The mention of his name itself causes vibration (a term used by Prof. Hatta) or shivering down the spine among us, students. We were supposed to have Patient Management Diary (PMD) with him but it will be conducted like a Bedside Teaching session with him. My previous experience with him had not been a good one as I can vividly recall how a friend of mine cried after a case presentation session with him back in Year 3. But please do not get me wrong, Prof. ARAR is a very good and kind-hearted person, very much respected among the students, but he is just very stern towards the students during the class - BST especially.

So, having been in Internal Medicine for only the second week, this is the first time that we are having Prof. ARAR for PMD session in the 5th year. So we were in the seminar room of one of the wards in Hospital Serdang and I remember I was complaining about the faulty air-conditioner when I saw him approaching the room. The sight of him was enough to make me stand rooted to the spot. Even the lights on the ceiling tend to dim ominously at the sight of him. I started perspiring.

Me: Prof, the air-conditioner is faulty.

ARAR: Can't we use this room? (indicating to another seminar room)

Me: No, Sir. The nurses need to use the room at 2PM.

(Prof. ARAR handed me his expensive-looking bag)

ARAR: Come, let's go to the ward.

At that time, none of us could believe our ears. What? Ward round with Prof. ARAR? Goodness, we are doomed for sure! I do not think any of my friends who were in charge of the ward know all the cases well enough to present them to Prof. ARAR!

One of the distinctive style that Prof. ARAR has is that he expects the students to volunteer all the time. For example, when he needed someone to conduct a physical examination on the patient today, he would ask:

"So who wants to do the physical examination?"

Silence.

"Who. Wants. To. Do. The. Physical. Examination?" (higher tone)

Uncomfortable silence. Students started exchanging nervous looks at each other. But none would make eye contact with Prof. ARAR.

"I. SAID. WHO. WANTS. TO. DO. THE. PHYSICAL. EXAMINATION?" (ominously-life-threatening tone)

It was at this moment that we noted the danger sign. It was as if we were having a ticking bomb that would explode if we do not defuse it immediately. It was at this moment that somebody would raise his/her hand to volunteer to do the task. Oh, thank goodness, bless the person who volunteered. On average, none would volunteer at the first time of asking. It was not because all of us were not confident in performing physical examination, it was just that we were all too intimidated with Prof. ARAR breathing down our necks!

As usual, Prof. ARAR's session is really beneficial as we learned a lot from him despite getting all the scoldings. All he wants is that we become really competent junior housemen. He told us today that he was very disappointed with the amount of failures among our seniors and that he would like to conduct teaching sessions everyday if he's free. But since, he's having meetings everyday... But I have to admit that I have thought block every time he stared at me. If Prof. ARAR were to ask me a question without looking at me, I think I would at least be able to give a proper answer. But if he were to look at me with that unforgettable gaze from his eyes, I would stammer and started experiencing profuse sweating as though I am expecting an angina.

I remember how I got mixed up between Murphy's Sign and Rovsing's Sign during the class today. It is such a simple thing but the stress from the look of his eyes were enough to send my neurotransmitters going haywire. Oh, God. Despite that, I really enjoyed his session, I sat right in front of him today - I knew I was inviting him to keep questioning me by sitting there, but I just wanted to try out and fight that anxious feeling churning inside me. After all, this is a good training for my exam in Semester 10. What if I get Prof. ARAR for my examiner then? Better die now than later.

Nevertheless, there were a few quotes from Prof. ARAR that I feel worth mentioning in this blog for my future references:

"You are supposed to shake the ward so that good medicine is practiced! Give good suggestions to the staff!"

"You must think like a detective, argue like a lawyer! But your heart must be good."

"Year 1 is for you to learn the basic knowledge, Year 2 is for you to understand the knowledge learned, Year 3 is for you to apply the knowledge that you have learned and understood, Year 4 is for you to perform analytical thinking through Evidence-Based Medicine, and Year 5 is for you to synthesize and evaluate the management given to the patient."

Dear, Prof. ARAR, I have been trying my very best to meet your expectation as well as Prof. Latiff's so that I can be the Painfully Enthusiastic medical student as shown at the picture above. Tomorrow, I am having a class with Datuk Dr. Nor Izham Aziz, a Cardiologist from Putra Specialist Hospital, Melaka. I had few sessions with him back in Year 3 and I really like him. I will be presenting Infective Endocarditis case with him tomorrow and I really wanna make sure that I do my very best again. It has been a really hectic week for me. I did not have the chance to visit the gym today, I did visit the gym yesterday. I am really looking forward to class finishing early with Datuk Izham tomorrow so that I can continue building my abs and shaping up my body. A medical student needs to look good as well, you know. Furthermore, there will be Ladies' Session tomorrow, you know. Haha, just joking!

I'm No Longer in the 70s!!! Err...Kilogram...

No No No! I am no longer stuck in the 70s!

Well, my "70" means my weight actually.

So after a few weeks' worth of extreme gym sessions, I am officially below 70kg now! I remember the last time I weighed myself was around 74kg and right now I am at 68! My Body Mass Index is currently at 22.08 and I am going to lower it down to 21. I will update my next BMI in 2 weeks' time, I promise. Honestly, it really feels good to be losing weight. But, on the other side of the spectrum, it always feel bad to put on weight right?

So it's a public holiday for Selangor today and I got back to my hostel early so that I could visit the gym. There are 2 gyms nearby - the nearer one has lesser equipment and machines, and the further one is the gym that I have been frequenting from the start. So as usual, I packed up my stuff and rushed out. The gym is probably around 1km away and the trip to the gym is kinda tiring as I need to go uphill. It was around 4PM and the Sun was scorching hot, and halfway through, I was already perspiring and feeling thirsty as well. I stopped by a nearby vending machine and got myself a 100PLUS. Sugar, I know. Gah.

Just for your information, it's actually Ladies Only Session from 3.30PM - 7PM on Monday and Wednesday at this gym, but since the number of ladies going there is very few, it is quite normal for the gentlemen to use the gym even though we are actually prohibited from doing so. And it always feel better to have ladies around, you know. *Mr. Bean face*

Alas, when I reached the gym, I was surprised to see that the door was locked. So the gym is closed on public holiday as well. So no gym, no pretty girls for me today - just kidding. Half-groaning, I started pacing my way to the other gym which is nearer to my home. Upon reaching the gym, I saw a stern-looking guard sitting outside the main entrance. It was at that moment that I had a bad feeling that this gym needs a membership card or something equivalent to join. But, the urge to do work-outs was burning heavily inside me. I had spent my entire weekend doing nothing and I was not going to let this guard stop me from entering the gym. So, I lifted my chest, and walked steadily and confidently towards the entrance, as if I have been there loads of time and I know the place well. I knew the guard was looking at me, and he must have missed the sweat trickling down my spine as I made my way towards the door, yanked it open and entered without looking back.

There were two familiar Chinese men in the gym. I have seen them before at the other gym. I slumped onto the floor and started wearing my pair of sneakers. At that moment, the guard entered and I turned around and saw him staring down at me. That short moment when both of us exchanged gaze could not have lasted longer than 2 seconds, but it seemed like an eternity for me. After what was like eons later, he dropped his gaze and went on to turn on all the air-conditioners in the gym (only two were on previously). Then, he walked out. Phew...That was a close one. I pulled on my sneakers, plugged in my earphones and started doing my work-outs.

After 2 hours of hard work, I told myself that I should call it a day. I changed to my sandals, packed everything into my backpack and walked out. The guard was still sitting outside the gym when I walked past him. He looked at me and immediately exclaimed, "Hey you! Come here!" as in the authority of a Bishop. I knew I was in deep-shit. Slowly and reluctantly, I approached him.

Guard: Mana kad you? You tau you kena ada Membership Card baru boleh masuk tak? I tadi tak stop you sebab tak nak ganggu you! You nak kena denda ke? (Where is your card? Do you know that you need to display your Membership Card before entering the gym? The reason as to why I did not stop you was because I did not want to disturb you. Now that you have broken the rules, you need to face the consequences)

Me: Oh, kena bayar masuk gym ini kah? (Really? Do we need to pay to join the gym?)

Guard: I tak kisah sama ada nak bayar ke tak. Janji esok you pergi Management Office dan daftar untuk satu Membership Card. Kalau masuk cam ni tak ada kad, mesti kena denda! (I do not care about that. What you need to do now is to apply for the Membership Card at the Management Office tomorrow. Otherwise, you'll be punished)

Me: Sorry lah, boss. I tak tau sebab I from gym lain. Hari ni gym tu tutup sebab holiday, so I try la datang sini. First time kat sini je. Sorry ek. (I'm so sorry, I'm actually from another gym and that gym's closed today. It's my first time here and I'm not aware of such rules. Please forgive me)

And I gave him the power of the hand.

The guard seemed to have soften down upon seeing my hand. We shook hands and he let me go. I can't believe my luck to be off the hook that easily. And it's not my first time to get off from a trouble like this. Just my Lady Luck I guess.

I got home and spent the night revising on ECG and heart murmurs. It's my new posting starting tomorrow - Internal Medicine. I think I need to pen off now and get ready for bed. My new posting will be at Hospital Serdang, and I need to get up early as it's not easy to get good parking there. Adios and good luck to me in my new posting!

Another Olympic Heartbreak for Datuk Lee and Fellow Malaysians

We are still proud of you, Datuk Lee

Once again Lin Dan showed why he is Datuk Lee's greatest badminton nemesis when he beat Datuk Lee en-route to becoming the first man on Earth to retain the Olympic badminton singles title. It is the second time in a row that Lin has stepped in between Malaysia and our very first Olympic gold medal. It was a heartbreaking moment for all the Malaysians who have given up all the work and things they would do on a normal Sunday evening, just to sit down in front of the television in hope to see Datuk Lee writing another new chapter of achievement in his career and most of all, I believe all of us want to witness the moment when a Malaysian is crowned an Olympic gold medalist.

However, quite harshly, we were told to wait.

Hopes were sky high for our badminton ace to deliver the nation's first Olympic gold medal and he did not let us down. Datuk Lee won the first set after being neck-to-neck with Lin Dan for the first half of the first set before pulling away and sealing it at 21-15. Most of us were not able to contain our emotions, we were cheering hard and loud as if we had indeed won the Gold Medal. Even Datuk Lee showed more emotions in his game today - screaming with happiness and punching the air in delight upon winning the first set. We thought the second set would be another close fight.

This time, Lin Dan proved us wrong.

He was more precise this time around and sharper, forcing Datuk Lee to continuously making series of unforced errors. And as Lin Dan surged to a big lead at 8-17, he was already brimming with confidence. The stadium was stony dull at the Malaysian end, only cheers from the Chinese could be heard, ominously loud. Datuk Lee appeared to have given up on the set as well as he gave up the next few points to end the game at  10-21. Lin Dan had done what he had set out to do - force a rubber set. 

The rubber set was another nail-biting affair as both of them breathed down each other's neck and they were soon tied at 19-19. I had my fingers' crossed. It's not about the public holiday, and it's definitely not about free Baskin Robbins; I don't wanna care about those. I just wanna witness an event that would go into our history, that I would be able to tell my kids in the future that I was there when we won our first Olympic gold. This gold medal would be a catalyst for other Malaysian athletes to do well in the international setting in the future as well. However, Lin Dan was the one who won the next point and he was leading 19-20. At that moment, I was feeling so nervous that my legs were shaking. I knew that Datuk Lee must be feeling a hundred times worse than me. One single silly mistake, would cost him the gold medal. 

The final serve started and it was quite a rally. Datuk Lee opted to play safe by playing at the net. Both of them were excellent at net, and all they did were to rally the shuttlecock at each other at short range hoping for the opposition to make the mistake. The stadium was quiet, everyone was holding their breath. However, it was a return from Lin Dan that proved to be the winner as Datuk Lee could do nothing but to hit the shuttlecock high up into the air to the back of the court. It was as if in slow motion that we watched the shuttlecock dropped. Halfway down, I was already convinced that it would be out, but I was in denial state. The shuttlecock had not even made contact with the ground when I saw Lin Dan screaming in delight and the Chinese supporters at the background cheering in approval.

It took some time for me to register in my mind that we had indeed lost the match. As I stood rooted to the spot, I had my eyes glued on the TV screen but I could not remember much what happened next. I was blank. I could only remember seeing Lin Dan running around the stadium in jubilation and was soon joined by his coach. 

It was the same feeling when Man United lost the League title last season at the stoppage time. 

It's so close but yet so far.

Datuk Lee was unable to hide his grieve. So am I.

Datuk Lee Chong Wei, you are still our national hero. I am very proud of your achievement. Thank you so much for bringing the nation together. It feels good to see all the Malaysians; regardless of race, religion and creed cheering for our country. I am proud to be a Malaysian and I am proud to witness that we Malaysians, do not go down without a fight.

The Olympic gold medal remains a difficult target for us, Malaysians. We are now left to wonder who will be taking the glory and when? It is at this time when a thought suddenly occur to me - if only Squash is an Olympic event...

Skills win you medals, attitude wins hearts - ESPN commentator on Datuk Lee

Van's My Man

I am a very big fan of Manchester United.

van Persie for United?

This year's pre-season has been all about this man - Robin van Persie. I have been doing the same routine over and over again for the past few days upon waking up every morning - launching the Soccernet and Eurosport app from my iPhone, hoping to see the conclusion of his transfer saga. So this morning I happened to come across the latest update from Mail Online that Manchester United have agreed a £30million deal for Lucas Moura - and Sir Alex Ferguson is hoping to take his spending to close on £50million by ending the Robin van Persie transfer saga this week! That sounds too good to be true, really. I have learned not to trust all these news until I see them on the United website.

It reminds of me of last season when there were speculations leading Wesley Sneijder to United. There was even an article claiming that the transfer deal has been completed. I remembered what a fool I was to believe in that piece of news to the extent of even sharing that to my Facebook. 

Deep down inside me, I really want to see RVP in United jersey. The partnership between RVP and Rooney will be terrific. With the elegant Kagawa supplying them from midfield and both Valencia and Nani crossing from the wings, we are definitely going to cause troubles to the oppositions. Since Berbatov is out-of-favor at United, I was thinking should we exchange him with RVP? Berbatov might fit in very well at Arsenal, who knows. 

Will we be seeing these two men in action together next season?

It is also reported this morning that Lucas Moura will take the trek down from Newcastle for a medical and sign the deal (Moura is currently in the Brazil Olympic squad). Ferguson has stayed behind at Old Trafford especially to complete the formalities. Ferguson has indeed stayed out of tonight's friendly against Valerenga at Oslo leaving assistant manager, Mike Phelan to take charge.

I have not bought the latest United jersey (I do not really like the Home jersey, but the Away kit looks awesome!). The reason? Because I have to wait for the end of RVP transfer saga. I can't wait to have RVP United kit if he were to transfer to United. I'm still waiting for this to be over with. Let's keep our fingers' crossed.

I will end this morning's blog post with a really lame joke that I have been sharing with all my Man. City friends:

Q: Why is the United new Home Kit like a tablecloth?

A: Because it goes on top of the table!!! :>

Hell yeah! We are aiming for our 20th League crown this season!

I Don't Wanna Be Fat! (My First Gym Experience & Tips for Beginners)

Yes, the title itself is very self-explanatory - I don't wanna be fat!!!

I remembered back in high school, I used to grow so fat that most of my classmates were making fun of my body shape. The irony was that I did not even think that I was fat. But it was a sad experience, because it is so normal for a fat person to be mocked and laughed at especially during the primary/high school years. I remembered I was late for a tuition class once and when I walked in, I had to cross the room in order to get to my seat. So, from the moment I stepped into the class, I heard an outburst of excitement from my gang of friends. I did not really care about what they were really excited about, but upon reaching my seat, one of them actually patted my belly and the others told me how I have put on weight during that one week break we had had. It was depressing and at one point, even my own brother was telling me how big my belly was. That was the time when I started looking at the mirror properly, sized myself up and realized how broad I had actually gotten. It was scary as my school pants were getting too tight for me and my mum had to start getting me bigger ones.

So, I took the easy way out - slimming pills! I remembered how I would walk all the way to a pharmacy nearby my tuition center just to buy the slimming product, and it was not entirely cheap and I did not have a lot of savings either. I have to hide the product in my bag out of my friends' view and my family members' knowledge. No way I will ever let them know I am taking such product!

So for 2 weeks, I took the pills and sadly, I did not notice any difference on my size or weight. I did not know how to calculate BMI at that time, otherwise I would have known if I was obese or just plain overweight. I kept the pills safely locked in my cabinet in my room but the secret lasted only 2 weeks. On one particular uneventful day, my mum was tidying up my room when she came across the product and no words could describe how bad I felt when I received tonnes of lectures and scoldings from both my parents and my siblings. I myself agree that it was actually a waste of money. I do not know exactly how the pills work, but now that I am better-educated, I think that the product worked by neutralizing bile and prevent lipids from being absorbed into the body. As a result, I had 2 weeks good experience of passing out fatty stool every morning. In medical term, the presence of excess fat in feces is termed "steatorrhea". It has oily appearance and it is foul-smelling. You don't want to experience that.

So I resorted to doing constant exercises instead and they proved to be effective in burning fats but not building muscle. So after 8 months of doing the same routine exercises, I was down to just 50kg. I remembered an unforgettable reaction from my good old friend when he saw me after months of being apart, "Dude! Are you taking drugs or something?!" The funny thing is, there is one big difference that I noticed after I had actually gotten thinner - sitting on a hard chair is no longer a comfortable experience. When I was fatter, I used to have fats as cushion if I were to sit on a chair, but after I had gotten really thin, the first thing I felt, if I were to sit down, were my pelvic bones and it was not comfortable at all and actually took some time to get used to.

So after that I entered college and I think a lot of my college mates who have seen me from the very beginning can actually recall how skinny I was. But after five years in college, I have noticed an increment in my body size as well (I stopped exercising from the moment I stepped into college). I remembered exactly one month ago when a few close friends started commenting on my body size. It was at that moment, as if a sense of deja vu swept all over me, that I recalled the moment when I stepped into my tuition class few years ago. At that particular moment, I got home, got undressed and looked at myself at the mirror - I started noticing how flabby my arms were, how chubby I actually looked, how weird that my waist were wider than my chest. As if to make matters worst, a lot of my Facebook friends happened to be sharing photos of Big Bang just because they are coming to Malaysia for concert. The sight of the members' fit bodies made me even gloomier.

It was from that day onward, my self-confidence dropped - I started having paranoia feelings of people taunting or even mocking at my body size. It was not a pleasant experience at all.

I am currently staying in a rented room in a house full with people of different nationalities. I have housemates from Nigeria, Iran, and Kazakhstan. So this Nigerian friend of mine (his name is Dreams by the way), - he has an extremely fit body, complete with 6packs that any men would be envious about; and I approached him and voiced out my worries. He told me not to be worried about it and offered to bring me to the gym. With renewed vigor, I rushed all the way to the nearest store the next day and bought myself a new pair of sneakers, got home and knocked on Dreams' door and told him how eager I was to head to the gym at that very moment. Dreams, as if taken aback by my sudden appearance, agreed on the spot and within 5 minutes, we were on our way to the gym. At that moment, I was so excited, motivated and I was of the opinion that nothing could stop me from succeeding at the gym.

How wrong I was.

My biggest mistake was that I had a heavy dinner before that. But that was not the issue at the beginning. Dreams opened the door and I was greeted with sight of several extremely fit body-builders working on weights as if those weights were made of feathers. I shrunk on the spot. I was going to be the only fat guy in the gym! Nevertheless, Dreams ushered me in and started instructing me on the various gym methods to perform, I obliged with extreme difficulties. The weights were extremely heavy and after a few minutes, I was indeed breathless! And sure enough, after a while I started feeling nauseated and had the urge to vomit my entire stomach content. Dreams did not know that I just had my dinner and he was not impressed when I admitted that. He opened up a window and told me to get some rest and fresh air. He did not allow me to continue. I was not even looking forward to continue at that moment, I was actually hoping to get home as soon as possible. After feeling a bit better, I got up and we started walking back home, but halfway through, I was feeling all nauseated again and we had to stop while I rested. I almost passed out. By the time we got home, I rushed all the way into the toilet and sat there until I was feeling better.

By the time I stepped out from the toilet, Dreams was still sitting at the house lobby waiting for me. He was worried and he told me not to feel bad about my first experience at the gym because he saw how miserable-looking I was. I was actually feeling so embarrassed that time. Dreams told me to cool down and maybe do a Google search and start reading on the blog posts of many people around the world about their first day experience at the gym as well. He also warned me that my body will ache the next morning and that I should not give up just because of my bad first day. I promised him I would not although I was no longer convinced that I was ready for the second round. I got to bed that night, did a Google search and presto, Dreams was right! There are just so many people who had bad first day gym experience other than me. So I am also writing this today to tell you that it is very normal to have bad experience at the gym if you are a newbie but never let that bad experience stop you!

The next day, after class, I got home, packed up my bag and knocked on Dreams' door one more time. He was actually quite delighted to see me ready for my second round. And sure enough, this time, I performed better and as the days passed, I am now going to the gym alone and doing everything myself without Dreams' guidance. But I am glad to have him with me at the beginning.

So after 2 weeks' at the gym, everyone started noticing and commenting how much I have actually gotten thinner. Even I myself have started experiencing a change in my body proportion. The shirts I am wearing have started to feel tight at the chest and the sleeves instead of the abdomen. I termed this condition, "chest tightness" referring to medical term used when a person experiences chest pain, chest pressure, or a feeling of burning or fullness of the chest; however, my "chest tightness" literally means that the shirt is feeling tight at the chest.

After a while at the gym, an instructor there who have noticed me for a long time approached me and offered me to join his club as he was impressed with my dedication and diligence (I visit the gym almost everyday during the week days and I am always one of the last to leave) and that he would guide me in building my muscles. Dreams, however, was not impressed with the way I frequent the gym. He told me to give my body time to rest and I have to admit that he was right.

After like a few weeks at the gym, I started making friends with familiar faces around and we helped each other in the gym. It is indeed a very good experience for me and I really look forward to continuing my journey of shaping up my body. The gym that I am currently visiting has lots of very wonderful, friendly people. Sometimes, the gym is empty especially during dinner hours or holidays, but during peak time, it is full to the extent that you have to wait to get hold of a machine.

This is the gym that I am currently visiting. taken late in the evening when everyone has gone home. The best thing about this gym is that it is free!

So for beginners, I would like to take this opportunity to give you a few tips so that you can have a better gym experience. First time gym experience can be scary but do not worry too much as you will do just fine.

Tip 1: What to Bring?

If your gym does not provide lockers service, do not bring any valuable items. As for me, I just bring my sneakers, towel, water bottle, my iPhone and a pair of earphones. My iPhone acts as my music player and timer. Just make sure your music listening device is one that does not hinder your workout. Many people use arm bands or waist bands to put their devices in. As for me, I just put my phone in my pocket.

Tip 2: What to do Upon Your Arrival?

Do not start immediately, since it is your first time at the gym, try a short detour around the gym and identify the different types of machines available and how others use them. Once you are done and think you are ready to start, I would recommend you to start with cardio machines - treadmills, bikes, stepmills etc. This serves two purposes as you can perform your warm-up and continue surveying the gym. Of course, you must always care to check the availability of the machine. Just make sure that the machine is completely unoccupied before using it. After you have gotten enough warm-up, you can start doing the weights and the rest of the machines. Be very careful if you are doing it without personal instructor as you tend to injure yourself due to unfamiliarity. Try to ask for advice or guidance from other people in the gym. From my experience, they will be glad to help you out just like me being happy to help anyone new to the gym right now.

Tip 3: Be Familiar with Gym Etiquette

Just like a medical officer where we need to observe medical etiquette, a gym has it's own set of conduct that you must follow as well:

• Ask if you are unsure. Always ask if you are unsure of how a machine works. There is nothing more embarrassing than to break a machine down or injuring yourself due to your own carelessness. As for me, I always observe how others perform their work-outs on the machine before I used it. Normally, I would ask an experienced member to observe me on my first time using the machine.
• Proper Hygiene. Bring a towel and always wipe away your sweat from the machines after you are done. There are others waiting to use them.
• Confirm availability of machine. If you think someone is done with the machine but is still standing next to it, always confirm with him if he is still using it. If you do not know how to ask, here are two examples, "Are you done with the machine, Sir?" or "How many more sets, Sir?" From my experience, if they are not done with the machine, they will always invite you to share; meaning that you two get to take turns using the machine. By doing that, you also get to make friends with him. If he is someone with experience, you are in for a treat as he will help you if he thinks you are doing it the wrong way, or give you a few tips on how to improve your work-outs.
• Observe the dress code. Of course you need to wear proper attire during your session at the gym. Otherwise, you will need to get accustomed to getting a few stares from the people around you.
• Re-rack your weights. Always place the weights back to the racks after using them. Ask for help if the weights are too heavy. There will be lots of keen helpers around, don't worry.

Tip 4: Go With a Friend

It is better to go to the gym with a friend, an experienced friend is better. As for me, I had Dreams with me on my first two visits to the gym. It really helps if you have company and I am glad I have Dreams.

I hope my tips can aid you in your first time visit to the gym. You might be scared or felt lost at first, but that is all part of the game. After a while, you tend to see fresh faces around with the same scared look that you used to portray. Just remember to help them if you feel they are lost, they will really appreciate it. Do not be scared of making mistakes or dropping the weights as most people at the gym are so concerned with themselves, they are not the least bit concerned with what you are doing, honestly!

My First Ever Blog Post

This is my first ever blog post. I think I should start by introducing myself.

My name is Kai Seng and I live a wonderful life of two different personalities; very much like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (well, not even close actually). One decent side of me: I am a medical student under PETRONAS scholarship currently studying my final year in one of the most awesome medical college in Malaysia. Honestly, life has been wonderful being a medical student, quite hectic and at times, stressful; but definitely an enjoyable one. On the other side, I am a gamer, not just a normal gamer as many medical students play games themselves; I have been to the World Cyber Games and won the First-Runner-Up prize once. My life as a serious computer gamer has been a really joyride as well, getting to know loads of virtual friends and enjoying a different kind of life, a complete 180 degree turnaround of life every time I launch the game from my desktop.

I used to be 50/50 - 50% a medical student, 50% a professional gamer. But now I realized that, I have got to emphasize one side of my life, I cannot stay in the middle forever as it would jeopardize both worlds, I need to choose which of the life that I really want to succeed in; and therefore, I have long time ago, made up my mind to reduce the time that I spend on my games. It was painfully hard at first because you tend to see loads of your virtual friends improving while you got stuck at the same level all the time - the envy of the limelight they get upon achieving new scores, the agony when you see your record broken by those who used to lose to you, and of course, with lesser time you spend on your games, the time you spend chatting with those who used to be close to you tend to go down as well - in the end, losing the warmness of a friendship. Nevertheless, I knew it was the right decision (and I am a final year medical student now), and I know what is more important in my life.

I come from a small town, have a wonderful family, excellent friends and life has been awesome to date. I spend a lot of my time reading blogs of other wonderful people - admiring their life, sharing their joy, and most of all, it feels good as you get to know the person better even though you have never talked to him/her.

So why do I blog?

Honestly, I used to despise the idea of blogging, due to my personality - I preferred to keep everything to myself, or my closed friends/relatives than to share them out on the net. But somehow, along the way of becoming a medical student, I have realized that I have changed a lot over the years. I used to dress to impress as I was always very particular about how the public would judge me, be it in shopping malls or just a short visit to the mamak stall for supper. I used to be a very cold person, being cool in public and frowned more at people instead of smiling. But right now, I am a more jovial person - I can smile at a total stranger, greet any doctors I meet in the hospital. Maybe it is the aging process, maybe it is just how I am being nurtured as a medical student at my college, maybe it is God's way of preparing me into becoming a better doctor - I don't know but people do change when they age, and I hope I change for the better.

So I was bored and was kinda sad that Malaysia Badminton Men's Doubles just lost in the semi-final of The London 2012 that I started browsing the net for something to kill time while waiting for dinner to be ready (remember, I do not play games often now). As usual, Google presented itself spectacularly as I launched my Chrome (Google has always been my Homepage and my best friend), and this time, the words that I keyed in at the search bar was my college name and blogspot. The search loaded quite a lot of my fellow college mates' blogs, some of them my seniors but most are my juniors. However, one junior's blog caught my attention and I spent the next hour reading a lot of her blog posts. They are all beautiful stories of her life and at that instant, I told myself that I need to set up my own blog at once, Not for others to read, but for myself. It would be wonderful to read this post twenty years from now, don't you agree with me? It would be so nostalgic, like a rewind of all the old tapes if you were to read all your old blog posts again from the very beginning. I want that feeling and so I am setting up this blog today (I hope it is not too late), and share my experience along the way till I'm old. I will be so happy if I am able to inspire other people along the way, that's a bonus.

Even as I am typing this, I felt like I can go on and on as I have so many things to say and share right now, but I have to control myself ad-mist all these excitements of writing my very first blog post. I guess, it is the same excitement that almost all of the bloggers had on their very first post. It is the same excitement when you embark into something new in your life - remember the very first time you rode a bicycle, got on the airplane, kissed somebody, bought an iPhone - it is the same kind of feeling that is causing the adrenaline rush inside me at the moment. Oh, I am definitely looking forward to my next blog post and more to come.

So, I am penning off here at the moment as it is time for dinner. Pardon me for my not-so-perfect-English and a very good day to all of you who happened to be reading this in the future. Adios!