The Instant Noodle Story.....
It was there, in 1958, that Momofuku Ando, a food industry executive who was appalled by the starvation he had witnessed in post-war Japan, boiled a batch of fresh noodles, fried them in palm oil and left them to dry into a solid brick: the cup noodle was born!

That year, his firm Nissin sold 13 million packets for 35 yen each at a time when the average monthly salary was 13,000 yen and fresh noodles were six times cheaper. But by 1970, annual sales had soared to 3.6 billion!!!!

The story of the Japan's "noodle king"
Momofuku Ando was born in Japanese-ruled Taiwan in 1910. He founded the predecessor to Nissin in 1948 and invented chicken ramen, the world's first instant noodles, at his home 10 years later. Noodles in a cup appeared in the early 12970s and now account for the bulk of Nissin's global sales.

NB: To the Japanese, the "cup noodle" isn't just a quick and easy snack - it is a cultural icon!

Mr. Ando, who retired as Nissin chairman last year, is the father of the instant noodle and is considered a national hero in Japan. WOW!

His quest to develop a quick and easy snack was inspired by the poverty he witnessed after Japan's defeat in the war, when people queued for hours outside ramen stalls.

"I invented instant noodles.... because I could imagine how happy people would be if I delivered ramen they could eat any time, anywhere, and safely. It was as simple as that," he said.

Wow! (*in awe*)

Job application personal/key statement #3.
Dealing effectively with pressure/challenge: Describe an example (not necessary clinical) of a time when you had to deal with pressure OR overcome a setback/challenge. What did you do and what was the outcome? (6)
I found moving from comforts of familiarity challenging. Adapting from climates described as “pressure cooker all-year round” to temperate Glasgow brought bouts of homesickness. That was compounded by financial strain that I was (quite honestly) unused to. The relative affluence back home was in stark contrast to Spartan lifestyle I adopt here. While securing a loan helped, a part-time job did an extra of broadening my horizons. Despite having school holidays dictated by festivals of Malaysia’s many ethnic groups, Glaswegian cultural diversity is still distinct from its Asian counterpart. Add that to unfamiliar medical system, hospital protocols and communication problems (we seem to speak a different “dialect” of English back in Malaysia), I felt like an alien mistakenly teleported from Mars. I finally found common-ground in the international language of sports. Through bonds of friendships and experience, I started to enjoy the discovery of life as here and of myself.

The Kelvin Ensemble - 15th Anniversary Concert
Conductor - Kenneth Woods
Viola - Veronika Toth

It was a cold and rainy evening.. (as usual..) hahaha..
However, the sound of music beckons me to Bute Hall, University of Glasgow on the 2nd of December 2006 (7.30pm)...

The Kelvin Ensemble is a student-run chamber orchestra of the University of Glasgow. It was set up in 1991 by a group of enterprising students with the main aim of providing a forum for musicians from all faculties of the University to perform challenging music to the highest level and present public performances led by professional conductors.

How good is that?

Concert Programme
Tommy Fowler - Rappezzatura Barocco
William Walton - Viola Concerto (Viola - Veronika Toth)
Antonin Dvorak - Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op.88

Rapezzatura Barocco
The music opens quietly and slowly with "majestic grace" featuring the lower strings and the solo winds. As the harpsichord joins the "play" the volume builds up with the full strings emerge ebbing and flowing adding up to the intensity... A splendid performance indeed!

William Walton - Viola Concert0
The first movement, Andante comodo, beings with a lyrical melody in the viola that suggests both major and minor harmonies. The second movement, Vivo, con molto preciso, is a brief, dizzying scherzo. The viola trades fast rhythmic figures with the orchestra, until the brass introduces a second, equally energetic theme. A solo bassoon introduces the triplet-heavy first theme of the final movement, Allegro moderato. Both the solo viola and various sections of the orchestra take it up, until the viola introduces a new, more plaintive theme. The final fugue is a tour de force of compositional planning, including some portions of all three themes, then ending with an epilogue in which the soloist returns to a melody from the Andante, while a bass clarinet (originally the cellos in in Walton's earlier version) plays the first theme from this Allegro underneath. The piece ends quietly, once again contrasting both major and minor harmoniesm and focussing on the viola's greatest strength.
~ Heartfelt, moving and captivating performance by Veronika Toth!

Antonin Dvorak - Symphony No. 8 in G Major, Op. 88
The symphony begins with a hint of darkness to come, with a long lyrical and melancholy melody played by the cellos (I love the mellow 'voices' of the cellos!). In this symphony the cellos carry so much of the melodic weight that they take on the role of something like a narrator. The finale, which begins with a bracing fanfare in the trumpets, is made up of a series of wild variations, summing up everything in the symphony so far. Having said goodbye for the last time, the music storms back to life, and ends in the highest possible spirits.

A very entertaining evening indeed.

For photos, please visit: http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g198/peterchai82/Kelvin%20Ensemble%2015th%20Anniversary%20Concert/

Pain - as a "5th vital sign"?

The mind may
undoubtedly affect
the body;
but the body also affects
the mind.
There is a re-action
between them;
and by lessening it on either side,
you diminish the pain
on both.

Leigh Hunt, 18th century poet

November in a Nutshell
Time flies..
Seconds.. minutes.. hours... days...... weeks.. and months fly by just like that!

November... a power-packed month for me...
Did soooo many things!!!!
Hmm..

Was in Dublin for an afternoon on the 17th...
Went to New Lanark on the 18th...
http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g198/peterchai82/New%20Lanark%20-%20UNESCO%20World%20Heritage%20Site/
Played in the Scottish Universities Table Tennis Championships in Herriott Watt University, Edinburgh on the 19th...
http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g198/peterchai82/Scottish%20Universities%20Table%20Tennis%20Championships/

Last weekend was just as busy... hmmm..
Oh yea.. went to watch the Bank of Scotland - International Badminton Championships last weekend.. It was alright.. but not as good compared to the two previous ones... Looking forward to Sudirman Cup - World Team Badminton Championships (10-17June 2007) ... it's all happening in Glasgow!!!!!!

Attended a lot of symposiums/conferences as well this month..
Neurology, Internal Medicine, Paediatrics....
Really good..

And last but not least.. I am having a wicked time doing paediatrics at Yorkhill.. the teaching is excellent.. people are nice.. patients are cute..
How can you say a kid is not cute? except my flatmate Yao Pey (weird guy... just as 'weird' as me! perhaps weirder..) who says that neonates look scary!
'Neonato-phobia'...

What else? Oh yea... We (my table tennis team) are doing very well in the West of Scotland Table Tennis league!!!! I've got my very FIRST treble... 3 in a row!!!! never done it before.. due to my fickle form..
sometimes 'hot' --> smashing form, sometimes 'cold' --> play crap.... commiting a string of unforced errors.. in short.. commiting 'suicide' in table tennis.. kamikaze..... eeeeeek... urrrghhh... splat... falls flat on to the ground... :P

17/11/06
5am: Streetttcccchhhhh.... time to get up!

Oh man.. today's gonna be an adventure for me!!!

7.45am: Yorkhill RHSC hospital grand round at 7.45am in the morning. Then had teaching after that by Mr. Walker (paediatric surgeon). Really good start to my day!

Left for Koko's house at noon to help him sort out his stuff/project... "business plans"! It's no ordinary business plan! It's a 25kg suitcase FULL of business plans (all paper)!!!! No joke!

Left for Glasgow International Airport..
Departed at 1405 from Glasgow International...
The flight was really cool.. super nice weather.. even managed to take some photos as I was at the window seat! That's one of the very few times that I've managed to stay awake throughout the whole journey!!!

Puffy clouds.. just like cotton.. floating above the sea...
Forming a carpet..... so soft.. that you feel like walking on them... or having them as your bedsheet! :P

Reached Dublin at 1530. Hey presto! Managed to find a taxi! It was a really good trip.. as I had a very good / chitty-chatty taxi driver... :P A very nice chap.... So there we are.. I had an afternoon with my chauffeur/tour guide/taxi driver Tony.. Who presented "Dublin in a nutshell" to me! haha.. talked about Guinness etc... How to differentiate between a quality brew from the rest....

The airport lies North to the city.. and the drop-off destination is far south... away from the city centre... had a good 'volume' of traffic.. on top of the small roads...

The journey towards the drop-off point wasn't that bad.. took us 40 minutes to reach there.. But the return journey was around an hour!

Passed by the city on our way to the enterprise... Dublin's really nice.. Very "European".. with their trams.. etc.. the roads are pretty narrow.. but it has retained its "Old Charm".... just a very different feeling.. compared to Scotland..

Oh yea.. about Guinness.. what determines a good pint of Guinness from a lousy/regular stuff? Tony mentioned that quality Guinness has a very thick froth that sticks to the glass... if you don't see the froth.. then it's not as good... oh yea.. he also said that the 'extra-cold' ones are not as good --> flavour-wise...

Due to time constraints.. I didn't manage to get my hands on some pure/quality/original Guinness in the country that produces it!
There's always another time! :)

Was in a real hurry.. After dropping off the goods.. I just returned to the airport.. heeded Tony's advice.. He was right.. the traffic was really busy... the return journey was way longer (in duration)....

You might wonder what's with all these taxi trips.. urgent flights etc..
It was a really important project! And I had all my expenses paid for :)
How good was that?

Initially I was supposed to be in Edinburgh with my flatmates for a symposium/conference on Palliative care... Had to miss that to help out my friend.. His project was actually due 2 days ago.. a lot of unforseen circumstances happened.. even DHL couldn't help them deliver the stuff in time! Due to the quantity/volume of paper!

You would ask.. why me? why did he not do it himself? it's because he needs to wait for one week to get his visa if he were to get there..
Now I'm glad to be Malaysian!!! :)

It was a really good day out for me... my first trip to Dublin.... with all travelling expenses covered by my friend's company. You know what.. Bruce Springsteen was in Dublin for a performance on the same nite!!!
Oh man... Wish I could go for the concert.. oh well... return flight fixed.. and it was a tiring day... I was "knackered".... shouldn't be so "greedy"! Tee hee hee hee

A very memorable trip indeed...

MY PROFILE FOR THE YEARBOOK!!!!
Hahaha.. some of my friends chipped in to describe me..

Name: Hsang Yu Chai a.k.a. Peter

Presenting Complaint: Mr Peter Chai. Akin to the infamous Peter pan - ever youthful and always dashing from place to place in the blink of an eye. If only he could fly too!

Past Medical History: Went out topless............. and screaming at the top of his voice for 30 minutes at 4 am in front of the medical school when it snowed in march 2006. He thinks it was GRREEEAAAATTTTT fun, we think he is a living proof that humans evolved from apes!

Drug History: Allergic to Kumar & Clarke and Davidsons.

Social History: We call him the racket games master (badminton, table-tennis, tennis, you name it, one would wonder why he is playing at an amateur level with his skills), music, photography, travelling, cooking (+eating), gardening, pet-keeping (esp. fishes), socializing, watching movies, cartoons…………

On Examination: Un-cooperative, unable to sit still, constantly feeling the need to move around. Wide eyed with a smile of impending doom. J. Otherwise, a certified fully functional body with no anatomical defects. I bet you begin to wonder who wrote this.

Prognosis: What am I gonna do in the future? Continue practice medicine.. maybe differently.. Hopefully somewhere exotic.. while sipping tea and enjoying good food under the banana tree next to a pond full of koi and tetras.. Or maybe venture into some other (NEW) areas that interest me?

MacCallums of Troon

My favourite fish shop...
is MacCallums of Troon.. It's got a very good variety of fresh seafood! It's very near the bowling place, AMF at Finnieston... Just ask for it when you're at McDonalds? Yeah.. that's the McD opposite PC WORLD... you won't miss the McD.. but MacCallums is a bit inconspicuous.. but you'll find it eventually.. once you know that there's such a place called MacCallums fish market! :)

It's not a huge fish market (they are not wholesalers).. So don't you worry.. you can buy anything from a wee little sprat... to a MANTA RAY.. they won't mind :P

Job Application: Personal Statement

Writing the personal statement is a mammoth (Big, heavy, furry and vague) of a task!
Initially.. starting the 'old rusty engine' is so slow that I was wondering what I'm doing staring at the questions in the key statements bit... In a dazeeeee... for a few dayzzzzz.....

Then.. yesterday.. A brilliant bright spark ignited my 'engine'....
Tried like crazy to squeeze all the 'creative' (might not be a politically accurate term.. coz since coming into medical school.. my creativity has dropped to a very very scanty level... the area of the brain responsible for creativity is in a moribund/dilapidated state!!! this is due to the fact that creativity is not part of any of the subjects or exams... HORRIBLE MEDICAL SCHOOL!!!! ) juices to answer the weird questions... brain cells stretched to the limit...

After the single bright spark.. There was a diarrhoea of words.. couldn't stop writing.. too lengthy for some answers.. well over the word limit of 150 words per question....

Was awake till 6.30am to finish up the first rough draft of my key statements... EUREKA!!!!!
Everything is still quite messy... But at least I can proudly say that "THE IDEA WAS THERE!!!!" Hahahaha.... Need a lot more editing/refining to do...

Some answers are a bit 'out' as well... need to recheck and redo the whole thing I guess..

Fingers crossed.. everything will be okay.. and I will go to work next year! :)

Wish me luck!

31st of October: The day I had 3 new room mates

My friend Alan Chan is leaving Scotland to go back to S'pore to work (for good). He has left his 3 lovely goldfishes ('Do', 'Re' and 'Me') to Peter Chai's pets foster-care centre.. Actually it's a farewell present la (and also as a belated birthday present?).. :P

They are really adorable...
'Do' is a Ryukin X Oranda mix
'Re' on the other hand is an Oranda (distinguished by the hump on his head.. he's the 'brainy' one.. big head!.. most people like him best! coz his face looks a bit chubbier?)
'Mi'... usually gets the least mention amongst the 3 of them.. He's a Comet... slender... thin.... hydrodynamic?.. the fastest / most graceful swimmer of the 3.

However, I love all 3 of them equally. They are unique in their very own way. Different behaviour/funny antics.. etc :P They keep me company.. day and nite... Lightens up the dull and gloomy days of winter.. with their hues of orange, red, yellow and white! :) Never fails to cheer me up!!!! :) :)

http://s56.photobucket.com/albums/g198/peterchai82/Glasgow/GINGYO%20Do%20Re%20and%20Mi/

Medical Training Application Service - Application form

These are the things I have to write/answer accordingly in my job application process.. It's not an easy job.. but.. oh well.. fingers crossed.. will manage :)

Recently, a new system is being set up for our job application. The (quality) of statements that we provide (see below/scroll down) together with the academic ranking provided by the medical school is used in assessing and scoring us --> all these will determine where we go (our allocation to a foundation school).

Key statements:
1. Relevant significant achievement: Give an example of a non-academic achievement explaining both the significance to you and the relevance to foundation training. (6)

2. Academic Achievements: List your academic achievements (4)

3. Dealing effectively with pressure/challenge: Describe an exampe (not necessary clinical) of a time when you had to deal with pressure OR overcome a setback/challenge. What did you do and what was the outcome? (6)

4. The patient as the central focus of care: Describe an example from your clinical experience where your behaviour enhanced the experience of the patient as the central focus of care. What did you do and what was the outcome? (6)

5. Working effectively with others: Describe an example from your own experience ( either clinical or non-clinical) that has increased your understanding of the importance of team working. What was your role and contribution to the team? (6)

6. Professionalism: Describe an example of a situation where you had to demonstrate your professionalism and/or integrity. What did you do and what was the outcome? (6)

7. Organisational skills: Describe an example of how your organisation and planning skills have contributed to a significant personal achievement in the last five years. What did you learn from this which is relevant to foundation training? (6)


*Thanks to Szel and Sawl for their ideas :) 3 heads are better than one! :P Come on.. I need more 'heids'... the more the better... haha.. just drop me some ideas in the comment box.. i don't mind weird and whacky ones..

"U be who u want to be;
Nobody has any say in that"
~ Wise words from a wee friend 7.11.06

So wee yet so wise..
:P

I love table tennis..

It's been a while since I have found some proper table tennis places after coming to Glasgow.. Met up with some really keen/enthusiastic paddlers near the end of last year.. when I went for the Scottish Uni table tennis open.. Didn't win anything la.. coz i play crap.. only managed to get into the quarterfinals.. then kena "Tar Pow" liao.. haha.. actually my fault la.. I actually "killed" all my games! Coz my opponent Henry was one of the most patient table tennis players that I've ever seen! So patient that you would fall asleep with his style of play.. he's very very focussed on each of his strokes/shots.. trying to minimise mistakes... calm.. cool... trying to take control all the time..
UNLIKE me! The aggressive and disinhibited one.. I either win it big.. or lose big time.. because of my style.. Hahaha... :P

Oh well.. It was great fun... coz I just wanna play table tennis.. not aiming to win anything actually la.. but overhere.. to play with the good guys you need to join them in their serious games la.. I just join la.. but don't really care.. Win, Lose or Draw... hahaha..

That's what propelled me into joining the West of Scotland Table Tennis league under the Glasgow Student Collective A Team. It's great fun!
Get to travel to different places.. on away matches.... some which are soo soo far.. e.g. Kilwinning (by the seaside)...
But now too busy liao.. I'm only playing 'home' matches nowadays.. and perhaps this will end at Christmas break..

After Christmas break... fuhyoh...
Have to study like mad.. for finals! Actually have to study even madder than the mad.. coz.. my brain is so empty.. and I'm spending a lot of time doing extra-curricular activities.. (which keeps me sane/sound through these taxing years of medical studies)...

We are doing pretty well in the West of Scotland Table Tennis League.. Division 1.. :)
http://www.wosttl.org.uk/competitions/division1.aspx

But when it's time to step down.. it's time..
No if(s), and(s) or but(s)....
Main aim is to pass exam..
Not to play table tennis as a career!
But would love to.. (if I had the potential to become a superstar)..
Why not? Can appear on TV wor!!!
And say "Thank you mum and dad.." on TV3? haha... :P

#5 Space Makes You ThinkBy Neil Turner
Composition #5: Space Makes You Think
In general I am a fan of tighter compositions, but there are some subject mattters that are just crying out for space. An large area of foreground or background can lend an enormous amount of emphasis to an image. Placing a small subject in a large space helps you to tell a story. If you place a person in one of the bottom corners you might suggest loneliness or vulnerability, whereas placing them at the top may well imply the opposite.
This photograph of a child breaking loose in the grounds of a stately home suggests that he is really enjoying his freedom. The photograph was taken from quite a height (maybe 25 feet) to isolate the grass from the confusing background and the fact that he is nearer the right of the frame suggests that he has a lot more room to head into. Normally having the subject heading out of frame is a bad idea but it seems to work in this case.
If the space around the child in the photograph was full of details then the impact of the composition would be lost. You would inevitably give the image more than one subject and spoil the simplicity which is the real secret of the picture. Of course if the child's mother was in another area of the otherwise empty frame then that would give another message altogether, the space would still be making you think - but differently.
Cluttered photographs are much harder to pull off, simple images are often more effective and this image proves that simple doesn't necessarily mean tight.

http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Photography_Techniques/Composition/Space_Makes_You_Think_01.htm

Go for different "shooting" angles :)
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Photography_Techniques/Composition/Six_feet_up_is_bad_01.htm

#4 Have an Eye For DetailBy Neil Turner
Composition #4 - Have an Eye For Detail
The choice between taking the same photograph as everyone else and standing back and getting something different becomes a matter of survival when you work on a weekly newspaper and the other five photographers around you will be publishing the next morning. Even if that weren't the dilemma of every photocall I go to, I like to think that as a photographer I am an individual. It's a pretty useful mindset to sign up to, no matter how much or little photography you do.
This photograph of an elephant's eye is a classic example of taking a mental step back from the herd and shooting something different. It is also an advertisement for having more than one camera with different lenses on. There were five other photographers at the job. The story was about this young Indian elephant who paints pictures, and about how he was being used to launch an environmental art competition for schoolchildren. We were all trying to make the same picture of the elephant, three kids, some paint and an easel. The composition was looking messy, and there were just too many elements in it. We all had 17-35 lenses on and were getting nowhere. I was getting nowhere faster than the other five who would all go to press that night leaving me with two more days during which the story could easily get scrapped without a strong image. My second camera had my 70-200 on it and I grabbed it, zoomed in and the picture almost took itself. Strong, arresting, different and wide open for headline writers to do their thing. Just about every base covered. I shot some of a paint brush in the elephant's trunk too, but this was the picture chosen.
When an image is competing for space on a newspaper page it has to stand out. The enlightened editors at our papers allow images to arouse the reader's interest and don't insist that photographs tell the whole story all of the time. This approach works on every level, from the family album through e-mailed postcards to published images. Getting in close works.

Think outside the box! :)
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Photography_Techniques/Composition/Have_an_Eye_For_Detail_01.htm

#3 Use a FrameBy Neil Turner
Composition #3 - Use a Frame
Keeping the viewer's interest within the confines of the edges of a photograph is not a simple task. There has been a lot of research into "Joe Average" and his attention span and the news for us photographers is not good. We have to use a selection of techniques to keep our viewer looking at our image for as long as it takes for him or her to understand what we were trying to say.
One of the simplest ways to hold attention into a picture is to incorporate a frame into the image. This photograph uses a none too subtle window in a child's playhouse to form a border - a kind of psychological barrier to the straying eye. All kinds of things can help with this task in compositional terms and because of the left to right, top to bottom bias with which we westerners read everything the top and right are the most in need of our help. Windows, doors, abstract shapes, blocks of colour and shadows can all perorm this elementary optical trick but there bis rarely an absolute need for the bottom of the photograph to have a retaining feature.
There are some other basic rules that may well be worth remembering too (all rules in photography can be broken) - such as avoiding having people looking out of a frame or cutting through joints on human (or animal) limbs. It's best to avoid having pointless details on the edge of a photograph or having the brightest point in a corner.
Like everything in photography, the best way to learn is to a). have a go, b).get it wrong and c).learn from your own mistakes. Digital photography gives us un-precedented opportunities to experiment at little or no cost, playing with elements of composition is one of the most useful and rewwarding things to practice.

Frame your picture :)
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Photography_Techniques/Composition/Use_a_frame_01.htm

#2 Six feet up is badBy Neil Turner
Composition #2 - Six feet up is bad
It is very easy to hold the camera to your eye and take a picture. Good photography requires us all to think about where we are taking the picture from as well as what we are taking. The best photographs are made when the photographer chooses a vantage point to suit the subject, and it is surprising how few subjects are suited by the height of a human standing at their full five to six feet. This is compounded by the fact that when someone views the image they will see pretty much what they themselves would have taken because they haven't been told about bending your knees or climbing a ladder to shoot better pictures.
It is no accident that many of the world's best photographers wear denims most of the time, and I take pride in the fact that I spend so much of my time kneeling that I have "housemaids knee". Sooner or later I will end up flat on my face or up on a chair to give something extra to a composition - namely a point of view that the person looking at the image would not have seen themself.
This image was shot in the beautiful University City of Oxford on a Canon G1 using the swivel LCD to get the camera at ground level without having to lie in the dirt myself. The lens was less that two inches from the cobble stones and this ultra low angle gives the image a dynamic quality that would have been missing had I been standing at my full five foot ten inches. The photograph is different from most pictures taken of this tourist magnet and I'm sure that my antics were the reason for the puzzled look on the passer by's face.
My point is that when you get your camera out think about the height of the lens. If you end up shooting from a standing position, well that's OK - but I will lay good money that 90% of pictures are better when taken from below four feet or over seven.

#1 Keep It Simple
By Neil Turner

Composition #1 - Keep it Simple
The text books will all tell you that there are a number of rules for composing a photograph (or a painting for that matter) and it isn't a bad idea to follow these rules 90% of the time. Working on a newspaper has taught me that simple compositions often work the best and that there are several ways of keeping it simple. One of my favourites is to work with a small depth of field. The human eye will always be drawn to the subject that is in sharp focus with a simple out of focus background. Usually this will mean that the background doesn't contribute to the image, but every so often an out of focus background forms a really important part of the image.

This picture of four year old boy at a kindergarten learning about the creatures that live in the garden is a perfect illustration of how throwing the background out of focus gives an enormous boost to the composition and helps to tell the story of the image. The snail is in focus, but because the lens (180mm on a 70-200 f2.8 zoom) was wide open at f2.8 the boy becomes an interesting blur. The added 1.6x focal length multiplication brought no change in the depth of field but narrowed the angle down to a 35mm equivalent of 288mm. On this particularly sunny day that meant a shutter speed of 1/4000th of a second on 200 ISO.

Techniques are there to be used, altered, modified and adapted. This one should become really useful to you once you have mastered it. When you are struggling to make an interesting composition it's always worth considering narrowing your depth of field.

Keep it simple :)
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Photography_Techniques/Composition/Keep_It_simple_01.htm

"There is this little song I wrote; I hope you learn it note for note; Like good little children; Don't worry, be happy. Listen to what I say; In your life expect some trouble; But when you worry You make it double; Don't worry, be happy...... Don't worry don't do it, be happy Put a smile on your face Don't bring everybody down like this. Don't worry, it will soon past Whatever it is Don't worry, be happy :) " ~Bobby McFerrin

"I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,I can see all obstacles in my wayGone are the dark clouds that had me blindIt’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)Sun-Shiny day.I think I can make it now, the pain is goneAll of the bad feelings have disappearedHere is the rainbow I’ve been prayin?forIt’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)Sun-Shiny day.Look all around, there’s nothin?but blue skiesLook straight ahead, nothin?but blue skiesI can see clearly now, the rain is gone,I can see all obstacles in my wayGone are the dark clouds that had me blindIt’s gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)Sun-Shiny day. " ~ Johnny Nash

Hmmmm.. why both songs?
They help to make you stronger in Glasgow..
The land of incessant rain...
Combined with early sunset and late sunrise for the winter months.. It can make most people feel quite crappy..

But then.. You can't change the place or the weather could you?
So...
Just live with it lor.. develop webbed foot/hands?
haha..

Get some waterproofs (jacket, pullover trousers, shoes)
To keep yourself dry lor..
Don't say sien la.. when it rains.. coz doing so won't help/change anything..

And for winter.. a fleece or jumper with proper materials (wool, thermal stuff) is required.. cannot be Kedekut la.. coz you'll only need 1 each.. unless you wanna be fashionable.. wear different colour la.. different style... etc..

If that's not a problem.. should invest in good ones.. that'll last you throughout your stay in Glasgow..
:)

haha..

Finally.. don't be sien.. be happy :)

Obstuctive Sleep Apnoea-Hypopnoea Syndrome

Normally hor.. when we are asleep, the muscles in our body relax la.. but our airway (the pipe that connects to our lungs) stays open allowing to breathe normally. However, for some people, the airway doesn't stay open (Aiyor.. sei lor.. die la..) - often this is because there is pressure from fat around the neck - which stops them from breathing (apnoea) or, if their breathing is only partly blocked, the airflow is reduced (hypopneoa). This interruption of a person's breathing will cause them to wake up repeatedly through the night gasping for air. The most common sign of obstructive sleep apnoea or hypopnoea is loud, irregular snoring - the sound made as air passes through the narrowed throat and windpipe (the airway). Apart from there are also long pauses when the person doesn't seem to be breathing at all.. (oh no.. sudah mati kah?)N.B. the person him/herself would not recognize these (snoring + long pauses without breathing). So most of the time, girlfren la or boyfren la... husband or wife will give details regarding this.. e.g. "aiyor.. my husband hor.. snore like a pig la.. beh tahan.... sometimes hor.. he stops breathing... I think he mati liao..."If a person suffers from problems such as daytime sleepiness, poor concentratyion and mood changes as a result of their sleep being disturbed by obstructive sleep apnoea or hypopnoea, then this is called obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea syndrome (OSAHS).OSAHS is pretty common; although it occurs more frequently in middle-aged ('Fei Lou') men, although it can occur in all ages including children and in both sexes.Dun play play wei..OSAHS is 'dangerous'... Snoring itself is not dangerous la.. but it can cause problems between sleeping partners... Frequent sleep apnoeas or hypopnoeas mean the boy repeatedly doesn't get enough oxygen... this can lead to higher blood pressure and heart problems. Anyone who suffers from uncontrolled excessive daytime sleepiness or lack of sleep may be at risk through falling asleep in dangerous situations, such as when driving, operating machinery or during lectures (with a fierce and ferocious lecturer).... Hmm.. So how ah? apa macam... Change your sleep position lor.. sleeping on your side may make it less likely that the airway will close. Losing weight will help if extra flesh around your face and neck are causing or worsening your obstructive sleep apnoea-hypopnoea. Taking medicines to clear congestion in the airway?Using continous positive airway pressure (CPAP)... a mask is placed over the nose forcing air into the airway through the nostrils (lubang hidung) and keeping the airway open... Using a mandibular splint? this is a device placed inside the mouth to keep the jaw in a position to maintain an open airway during sleep. SURGERY!!! in some patients... surgery can help for instance by widening or repositioning the tissues in the mouth-to-throat section of the airway or by repositioning the jaw.. *Ouch!* This is only used as a last resort la.. dun really wanna copy+paste+cut+stitch someone's face... unless there are no other better alternatives in solving the problem...

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