I understand you have had problems with anxiety... Can you tell me what you mean by that? Do you feel tense, on edge, keyed up?
Oh yeah man.... tension la brother...
Do you have difficulty relaxing?
yeah lor..
Do you feel worried or nervous?
yes.. i do... this exam la... getting on my nerves!
Can I suggest some of the things you may be feeling or experiencing?
Do you experience any of the following?
1.Physical -tiredness, insomnia, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, ringing in the ears, tightness in the throat, dry mouth, feeling of choking, tense and stiff shoulder, racing heart, unable to catch breath, tight chest, fast and shallow breathing, churning stomach, feeling sick, tense muscles, sore joints, sweating, needing the toilet, loss of libido, pins and needles, weakeness in legs, legs like jelly..
Sometimes tired lor.. insomnia.. not really.. I sleep easily... no dizziness...vision 20/20... No loss of libido (hehehehe)... not really running to the toilet more often than I used to.... not feeling sick either.. but appetite's changed... been eating rabbit food lately..... lotsa green things... seldom eat meat.... hmmm... shoulders are tensed and stiff most of the time.... need to drink more water to ease off the dryness in my mouth... no pins and needles... tired... and weakness in my legs... quite pronounced.... was being trashed by Andrew Ong... moving like a jellyfish...
slow reaction.... loss of co-ordination.....
2.Thoughts - restlessness, irritability, poor concentration, fear of death, heart attack or nervous breakdown
Yeah.... been really restless... hehehe.. (as usual)
Nervous breakdown... touch wood.. don't need that now...
3.Behaviour - avoidance, running away from an anxiety provoking situation, these behaviours are maintaining factors
Yeah lor.. I've been avoiding the Sunday badminton sessions at Stevenson's building... in hope that I can focus more... anxiety provoking situations... erm... cannot run away... it's inching closer...
Circumstances of these symptoms
How long?
For a few months..
How often?
Every now and then
Where?
erm... at home? when I keep talking to Do, Re and Mi.... and they keep telling me stories.. very disturbing indeed...
When - triggers VS out of the blue?
A bit of both?
Discrete episodes of panic VS generalised anxiety
generalised feeling of anxiety.. fidgeting from time to time..
Avoidance.
Erm... can't avoid the exams!
Anticipatory anxiety
Yea man...
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO ENDING IT ALL...
erm.. i mean the exams... :P
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
General H. Guderian, Hitler's Chief of Staff, wrote, in Guderian: Panzer General that in February 1943: "Hitler's left hand trembled, his back was bent, and his gaze was fixed.“
Albert Speer, Hitler's architect and armaments minister wrote in Inside the Third Reich: "In 1944 Hitler was shriveling up like an old man. His limbs trembled, he walked stooped with dragging footsteps.....His uniform, which in the-past he had kept scrupulously neat was stained by the food he had eaten with a shaking hands."
General von Cholitz, the German Commanding General in Paris said, upon meeting Hitler in 1944: "Hitler had become an old man. His face was worn..... His shoulders sagged. He cupped his left hand in his right to hide the trembling of his left arm. But above all, it was his voice that shocked me. The hard raucous voice had faded to a weak whisper.“
G. Boldt, an intelligence officer on Hitler's staff, wrote in Hitler: The Last Ten Days, An Eyewitness Account, that in February 1945: "Hitler's left arm hung limply by his side, and his left hand trembled perceptibly.....He was not the vigorous, energetic Hitler the Germans knew, the Hitler that Goebbels, Minister for Propaganda, still depicted."
S. Knappe, an SS officer wrote in Soldat: Reflections of a German Soldier that on meeting Hitler in April 1945: "I was shocked by his appearance. He was stooped, and his left arm was bent, and shaking.....Both of his hands shook”
Albert Speer, Hitler's architect and armaments minister wrote in Inside the Third Reich: "In 1944 Hitler was shriveling up like an old man. His limbs trembled, he walked stooped with dragging footsteps.....His uniform, which in the-past he had kept scrupulously neat was stained by the food he had eaten with a shaking hands."
General von Cholitz, the German Commanding General in Paris said, upon meeting Hitler in 1944: "Hitler had become an old man. His face was worn..... His shoulders sagged. He cupped his left hand in his right to hide the trembling of his left arm. But above all, it was his voice that shocked me. The hard raucous voice had faded to a weak whisper.“
G. Boldt, an intelligence officer on Hitler's staff, wrote in Hitler: The Last Ten Days, An Eyewitness Account, that in February 1945: "Hitler's left arm hung limply by his side, and his left hand trembled perceptibly.....He was not the vigorous, energetic Hitler the Germans knew, the Hitler that Goebbels, Minister for Propaganda, still depicted."
S. Knappe, an SS officer wrote in Soldat: Reflections of a German Soldier that on meeting Hitler in April 1945: "I was shocked by his appearance. He was stooped, and his left arm was bent, and shaking.....Both of his hands shook”
Thursday, March 15, 2007
# There are no hopeless situations;
There are only men who have grown hopeless about them. #
Clare Boothe Luce (1903-1987)
See what a dog can do! :) .... bark? woof woof woof.....
Nothing is impossible? ..... We'll be seeing flying dogs more often....
Don't say you're hopeless anymore....
ok...
It's a deal....
There are only men who have grown hopeless about them. #
Clare Boothe Luce (1903-1987)
See what a dog can do! :) .... bark? woof woof woof.....
Nothing is impossible? ..... We'll be seeing flying dogs more often....
Don't say you're hopeless anymore....
ok...
It's a deal....
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Say "Yes" - Chage & Aska
余計な物など 無いよね
すべてが君と僕との 愛の構えさ
There is nothing that is redundant about our love
which is made up of everything and completeness.
少しくらいの嘘やワガママも
まるで僕 を試すような
恋人 の フレイズになる
A little lie or wilfulness,
as if to try me,
are only games played by lovers.
このままふたりで 夢をそろえて
何げなく暮らさないか
Shouldn't the two of us place our dreams side by side,
and without thinking deliberately, live a life together ?
愛には愛で感じ合おうよ
硝子ケースに並ばないように
You should use love to feel the presence of love.
Please do not enclose your love inside a glass case.
何度も言うよ 残さず言うよ
君があふれてる
I will say it no matter how many times. I will say it without reservation.
My heart is filled with you.
言葉は心を越えない
とても伝えたがるけど 心に勝てない
My words of love just cannot get beyond my heart.
No matter how much I desire to let you know,
my heart cannot get the upper hand.
君に逢いたくて 逢えなくて 寂しい夜
星の屋根に守られて
恋人の切なさ知った
In this lonely night when I wish so much to see you
and yet cannot see you, watching under the roof of stars,
I understand the sadness and anxiety of a man in love.
このままふたりで 朝を迎えて
いつまでも暮らさないか
Shouldn't the two of us wake up to our mornings together,
and until eternity, live a life together?
愛には愛で感じ合おうよ
恋の手触り消えないように
You should use love to feel the presence of love.
Please do not let this feeling of love be lost.
何度も言うよ 君は確かに
僕を愛してる
I will say it no matter how many times.
You are really in love with me.
迷わずに SAY YES 迷わずに
Don't be perplexed any more. Say Yes.
Don't be perplexed any more.
愛には愛で感じ合おうよ
恋の手触り消えないように
You should use love to feel the presence of love.
Please do not let this feeling of love be lost.
何度も言うよ 君は確かに
僕を愛してる
I will say it no matter how many times.
You are really in love with me.
Say "yes"
:)
余計な物など 無いよね
すべてが君と僕との 愛の構えさ
There is nothing that is redundant about our love
which is made up of everything and completeness.
少しくらいの嘘やワガママも
まるで僕 を試すような
恋人 の フレイズになる
A little lie or wilfulness,
as if to try me,
are only games played by lovers.
このままふたりで 夢をそろえて
何げなく暮らさないか
Shouldn't the two of us place our dreams side by side,
and without thinking deliberately, live a life together ?
愛には愛で感じ合おうよ
硝子ケースに並ばないように
You should use love to feel the presence of love.
Please do not enclose your love inside a glass case.
何度も言うよ 残さず言うよ
君があふれてる
I will say it no matter how many times. I will say it without reservation.
My heart is filled with you.
言葉は心を越えない
とても伝えたがるけど 心に勝てない
My words of love just cannot get beyond my heart.
No matter how much I desire to let you know,
my heart cannot get the upper hand.
君に逢いたくて 逢えなくて 寂しい夜
星の屋根に守られて
恋人の切なさ知った
In this lonely night when I wish so much to see you
and yet cannot see you, watching under the roof of stars,
I understand the sadness and anxiety of a man in love.
このままふたりで 朝を迎えて
いつまでも暮らさないか
Shouldn't the two of us wake up to our mornings together,
and until eternity, live a life together?
愛には愛で感じ合おうよ
恋の手触り消えないように
You should use love to feel the presence of love.
Please do not let this feeling of love be lost.
何度も言うよ 君は確かに
僕を愛してる
I will say it no matter how many times.
You are really in love with me.
迷わずに SAY YES 迷わずに
Don't be perplexed any more. Say Yes.
Don't be perplexed any more.
愛には愛で感じ合おうよ
恋の手触り消えないように
You should use love to feel the presence of love.
Please do not let this feeling of love be lost.
何度も言うよ 君は確かに
僕を愛してる
I will say it no matter how many times.
You are really in love with me.
Say "yes"
:)
Monday, January 15, 2007
HONEY-OVERDOSE
When the revolutionary jazz flutist Eric Dolphy was touring in Europe he arranged to have lessons with Severino Gazzelloni during his stay in Italy. Already the possessor of an awesome technique, Eric Dolphy became extremely interested in the experimental work being done by Gazzelloni. (Listen to Eric Dolphy's composition `Gazzelloni' on the album 'Out To Lunch' dedicated to the great Italian flutist). Gazzelloni in turn was impressed by the adventurous rhythmic innovation used by Dolphy in his improvisations. Eric Dolphy was also deeply inspired by the sounds of nature and seriously studied how to reproduce them on the flute. Some of these sounds, such wind and bird songs, he later incorporated into his solo improvisations and cadenzas. Eric Dolphy was a work-a-holic who practiced at every possible opportunity, even during the breaks between sets. He neither used drugs or drank alcohol. His premature death was caused by the fact that he was unaware of being a diabetic. Having started a natural health diet, he ingested large quantities of honey while on a particularly long and arduous European tour. The intake of so much sugar led first to sickness then quickly to a state of deep coma from which he never recovered. In the turbulent drug-ridden jazz environment of the sixties it is ironic that Eric Dolphy should die from an overdose of honey. His flute was bequeathed to his close friend, the legendary saxophonist John Coltrane, who played it on one of his last recordings.
When the revolutionary jazz flutist Eric Dolphy was touring in Europe he arranged to have lessons with Severino Gazzelloni during his stay in Italy. Already the possessor of an awesome technique, Eric Dolphy became extremely interested in the experimental work being done by Gazzelloni. (Listen to Eric Dolphy's composition `Gazzelloni' on the album 'Out To Lunch' dedicated to the great Italian flutist). Gazzelloni in turn was impressed by the adventurous rhythmic innovation used by Dolphy in his improvisations. Eric Dolphy was also deeply inspired by the sounds of nature and seriously studied how to reproduce them on the flute. Some of these sounds, such wind and bird songs, he later incorporated into his solo improvisations and cadenzas. Eric Dolphy was a work-a-holic who practiced at every possible opportunity, even during the breaks between sets. He neither used drugs or drank alcohol. His premature death was caused by the fact that he was unaware of being a diabetic. Having started a natural health diet, he ingested large quantities of honey while on a particularly long and arduous European tour. The intake of so much sugar led first to sickness then quickly to a state of deep coma from which he never recovered. In the turbulent drug-ridden jazz environment of the sixties it is ironic that Eric Dolphy should die from an overdose of honey. His flute was bequeathed to his close friend, the legendary saxophonist John Coltrane, who played it on one of his last recordings.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
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*)
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*)
Monday, December 04, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
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/
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/
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Thursday, November 30, 2006
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
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
Friday, November 17, 2006
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...
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...
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
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?
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?
Monday, November 13, 2006
MacCallums of TroonMy 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
Sunday, November 12, 2006
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/
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
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..
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..
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
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
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
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