New Year 2017 in 3 Countries!
January 2, 2017
Here I am again, 3am, curling up under my duvet, can't get back to sleep. Haih, let's face this jet lag mode when I have classes starting tomorrow which I bet I will get tired in the middle of them. I have an exam coming in the middle of January - the one that I postponed last September. Hope I can manage my time to study for this.
But, first, for the sake of new year, I really want to write something. :)
2017.
I started the year with an awesome experience - being on a plane when the clock passing 12am on January 1st. The captain said happy new year and off we go, taking off from KLIA to Istanbul. I was expecting many fireworks and yes, I can really see them from my seat. The fireworks look soooo tiny, like very small blinking spots. My friend said that we were passing Putrajaya when the biggest fireworks can be seen.
Well, the flight was uneventful and I safely arrived Istanbul at about 6am to catch a connecting flight to Prague, boarding at 7.30am. The clock on my phone still haven't been updated to the real local time in Istanbul - it still showed local time with daylight saving time (I don't understand why). Don't want to take any risk, I went straight to wait at the gate.
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| If you just want something sweet to eat, just go to any duty free shops and find this Turkish delight :D |
Then, another new adventure approached. I just realised I didn't have much experiences taking flight on a snowy day. There you go, snow started to fall when the Prague-bound flight took off. The sky were so brightly white and I can say that most of the Earth's surface I was passing over was covered with snow. T_T
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| A ha, yes, the plane was flying over Bulgaria, shown in this picture. Can you spot the snow? |
Approaching Prague, I could not really tell was the flight there yet. Suddenly the plane was already touching the runway. I was so amazed of how the pilots can land the plane safely on a foggy runway. Gosh, good job and thank you, guys!
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| -9 degree Celcius, body and mentally shock. |
I arrived home at about 2pm and it was white all the way from Prague to Hradec Kralove. After unpacking KFC chickens from my bag and I went to sleep for awhile as there were fireworks to catch at 6pm.
Oh yes, in Czech they celebrate new year just like the rest of the world on 1st of January at 12am. However, the official fireworks performances by the cities / towns would be on January 1st at 6pm. The reason is really something logical and I love how they approach this matter in this way. Well, kids enjoy watching fireworks so much. So, why should we let them enjoy the fireworks at 12am when they supposed to go to sleep at this time?
6pm. There you go.
:D
May we improve ourselves throughout this year :)
May we improve ourselves throughout this year :)
HK, Czech
170102
Bismillah Yang Hilang by Shafiee Hamzah
December 30, 2016
I've read few books (other than medical books) this year, not that much but well, it is already something I can be proud of myself. Hihi.
Title: Bismillah Yang Hilang
Author: Dr. Mohd Shafiee Hamzah
Pages: 160
Publisher: Must Read Sdn. Bhd.
Publication Date: 2016 (1st Edition)
I don't really know how to make a good book review so, I should say that I refer Fatin's blog while trying to create a good one. :) The difference is her reviews are more on fictions. Oh, I remember Siqah posted a review on non-fiction, let me check.
Yes, there is. Kanvas by Muharikah. Aha, please do check out their blogs; lovely bloggers I am telling you :D
This book is a birthday gift from Maryam, which I took about 3 weeks to read. So many things to ponder from this book in the mean time, I was struggling with exam as well. But, I think you guys can read it faster than me :)
So...
Basically from the title itself, the author wants to portray something that is so common to use in everyday life but we actually ignore / forget what it really means.
Bismillah; a word that we use to start any work, trying to get straight of our intention to do anything. A word that can make our daily prayers go wrong if we left Bismillah especially for Al-Fatihah. What does Bismillah mean in our life?
This book is a compilation of 30 short stories / articles that are very thought-provoking and self-reflecting as the author relates almost everything with our daily life. I love life analogies a lot, so this book really suits my preference.
There are few analogies that I will not forget insyAllah as they hit my heart so much. Let me share one of them.
Kail Bersalut Umpan
It's about fishing. For someone who really love fishing, he will provide himself with the best equipment that he can afford - the best fishing rods and the best baits on the hook aiming to catch the biggest fish. Not to forget, polishing his skills about the best environment.
Can you imagine if we, the human as the school of fish and the one who's trying to lure us with the best bait he can provide is the Satan. So, what can we do to fight the lure? Individually and as a group?
There's a reason why we are different than animals - we can think wisely.
Another snippets :)
It is really nice to read. This is my first book with MustRead publisher so I'm not sure when can you find it, maybe normal bookstores?
Salam Jumaah everyone :)
Salam Jumaah everyone :)
SS, Perak, Malaysia
161229
Things We Should Learn From These 3 Monkeys' Emoticons
December 29, 2016
Have you been in an awkward situation when at the end, you decided you would pretend you were not in the scene?
Like..
You saw things that you supposed not to see.
You listened to bad things that you should not listen to.
And you would not speak any single comment about that situation.
That's what I thought about when I used these emoticons.
Do you guys know that actually, there are historical reasons behind these three monkeys?
See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
They are called the 3 wise monkeys. The one covering his eyes is Mizaru (who see no evil); Kikazaru is the one covering his ears (who hear no evil) and the one covering his mouth is Iwazaru (who speaks no evil).
These images originated from Japan but, with they are simplified from the influence of Confucius who stated that:
"Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety".
Propriety simply means appropriate, polite acts.
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| 3 Wise Monkeys on Barcelona's beach - Credit |
For me, it does not matter on how you interpret these emoticons as people think differently. But I just want to share with you that they are not made as emoticons for fun. There are meaningful reasons that we should know, I think?
I don't hate monkeys that much, but I don't have good memories either with them as they always steal my food during my high school. I studied in a boarding school located quite close to a zoo and surrounded by forests and hills, where you can expect a lot of monkeys around. I still remember we need to close the hostel's main door all the time and even all windows were equipped with very small grills so that monkeys will not get in.
And I'm sure you don't want to imagine what will happen when they succeed to ambush the hostel.
It. Was. Disaster.
However, to be in positive side, I believe I can learn something at least from these monkeys' emoticons.
- See no evil.
- Listen no evil.
- Speak no evil.
From these points, I think the one that we can try to control is to avoid speaking bad words. It is obvious that the things we speak about derived from what we have been trained - from what we see and listen to.
Not to see and listen to bad things are sometimes beyond our control. Benda jahat ada kat mana-mana kot. But we can changed our interpretations or reactions to those points. Restrain ourselves from spreading bad things (even though they may be correct) about others, for example. Itu mengumpat namanya.
Speak nothing but the truth.
Do you know that this is really hard to do especially when we are in a situation that may benefits one party and destroys the other one? Things become more complicated when both parties are people you know and love.
Do no evil either.
SS, Perak, Malaysia
161229
How To Survive Overnight Bus / Train Ride?
December 28, 2016
My longest bus ride was from Prague to Amsterdam which took about 14 hours. Meanwhile, my longest train ride was from Hradec Kralove to Warsaw / Krakow, about 10 hours. My next target is Trans-Siberian train to conclude my life journey in Europe by taking that train to return home, for good. For that, I need to finish my exams on time and think what should I do with my 30' hard-covered luggage.
Anyway, how many of you have tried any overnight bus / train ride?
I don't fancy bus ride much due to motion sickness, but it is acceptable for cheaper cost (for accommodation). For train ride, if I can get the bed, it will be awesome.
1. Food and drinks.
First of all, we need to admit that bus and train ride are different than taking a flight. On the plane, we can have most things, just politely ask the cabin crew. If you are hungry or thirsty, just go to the back of the plane and ask them if there will be any snacks or extra food. I never felt hungry during my flight (low-cost flights like AirAsia may be different, I think). Sometimes, I even packed my left over food for long transit in the airport.
So, please prepare snacks and drinks if in case you will be hungry in the middle of the night. Don't bring smelly food like petai, durian or anything similar. Yes, you may like it like I do, but some people can't tolerate the smell. :)
2. Toilet.
I am not sure if most buses in Malaysia have been upgraded with toilet. Most companies that I've tried, don't have toilets on board. Toilets are kinda important to me as I love drinking water. To stay hydrated, we need to drink a lot even though we don't move much in the bus. Dry air from the air-conditioner will make us dehydrated.
Keep alert when the bus driver stop anyway for a break / dropping or picking up passengers. Use that time wisely to do our business. Make sure you let the driver know so that you will not be left :D
Before the ride, please don't eat foods that can trigger our bowel system. Like for me, I will never drink caffeinated drinks, they act as laxatives to my body. To keep going to toilet is a nightmare if I'm travelling alone.
There's no problem with trains I think, as there are toilets on board. But, have you tried toilets on the train? They can be your worst dream as well. Hehehe.
3. Good entertainment.
If you easily get bored, prepare yourselves with good musics or movies, powerbank etc. In Czech, most long journey buses provide small screen to watch movies, listen to songs (just like the plane). Not to forget, most of them provide good access to free WiFi. :D
I've tried buses in Malaysia with free WiFi but seem like I can't get my phone connected.
4. Sweater to keep you warm.
I realized most buses are very cold especially the overnight one. Wear comfortable cloth as well. Oh, bring neck pillow as well if you want a good sleep :D
5. Small pad lock
Lock your bags and always put them next to your body especially if you are a deep sleeper.
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One of unforgettable experiences about overnight train ride was when my friends and I were on our way back to Hradec Kralove from Krakow if I'm not mistaken. We had a very bad food poisoning, we took turns to use the toilets. Imagine the train in Harry Potter's movies - the one with lots of cabins in a train coach. Our cabin was kinda in the middle and the toilets were at both ends of the coach.
Fuh, it was a struggle. T_T
Wrap Up of HUSM's Memories
December 27, 2016
Kota Bharu is kinda significant to me. I've spent 2 weeks there in 2014 and this year, another 4 weeks. Not really 4 weeks haha as I went home almost every weekends. Another fact that makes Kota Bharu special is, my experience with domestic flights were all between Kota Bharu - KL (Subang, KLIA, KLIA 2) either with Firefly, Air Asia, MAS. :D
It has been almost 5 days I left HUSM, it feels a bit different when I don't have to get prepared early in the morning to catch the ward round, I don't have to walk from the hostel to the ward, I don't have to struggle to get online. But, I miss the environment especially the students there - they are way younger than me T_T but never mind, I love juniors.
I would love to express my gratitude to everyone I met there; the students, the doctors, the nurses and the workers. Without them I bet my life in HUSM would be dull and lonely. Hoho.
I spent most of my days with my lovely junior, Ika. It's been a while since we last met, but I am glad she is still the same Ika I used to know :) A stronger one. I enjoyed most food-hunting in Kota Bharu with her. We rented a car to get to KB Mall, AEON Mall or simply walk around shops in front of HUSM.
At the wards, I was closer to 3rd year students. Ana, Sameera, Faiqah, Rafidah, Rubiah, Shamim, Shafika, Tasha, Zhi Yee, Hafiz etc. Gosh, these bunch of lovely juniors were so welcoming. My days in the wards were never bored with them. They were new to clinical phase so it was easier to join them with all introduction to short and long cases - just to get rough ideas how presenting cases in Malaysia looks like. I joined final year classes occasionally for more detailed-presentations.
Towards the end of my elective like another one week and half, I met another 2 electives students from PMC - Ain, Adnin. The three of us were free to manage our own schedules, and actually electives are more about our own desires to learn. If we want to learn more, we can join more practical sessions, join the doctors for ward rounds or oncalls, join the HOs to do procedures. Our own initiatives.
Dr. Afaf, Dr. Afiq, Dr. Nahily, Dr. Preet, Dr. Tiqah, Dr. Adib, Dr. Wafy, Dr. Amry. I am totally glad that most HOs are about my age, it was a bit awkward to think how to call them but seriously most of them are so friendly than I can call them with just names. During on-calls, I can listen to their experiences while taking blood. When there's no new admission, I joined them for late supper.
MOs and registrars are helpful as well :D
I met them almost every weekdays for ward rounds. Even though they will not recognize me but I am so thankful to have chance to learn at least something from them - especially about all those mobile apps used to make life in the ward easier. Believe me, doctors cannot remember everything. Why not we just use those mobile apps?
Dr. Abu Dzarr - my supervisor. He works in Hematology (a part of Medical). I didn't meet him frequently as I usually spend more time in general Medical ward - more diagnosis and patients clerking to learn etc. But, I would love to thank him to keep responding to my daily reports.
Rasya, Kina, Hana. Thank you girls for allowing me to stay over your room for few days while waiting for my own room.
And special thanks to my high school ex-deskmate, Dr. Amyny. :D Thank you for spending your off day with me. So many things to catch up and it was really fun to listen to your experiences.
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At the beginning of the elective, I listed down my targets throughout those 4 weeks. Alhamdulillah, after checking back, I managed to expose myself to each of them.
- To expose myself with working environment in Malaysia as I plan to work in Malaysia after completing my study (HO tasks, oncall, ward round etc)
- To gain more experience with blood taking as this task is more likely to be done by nurses in Czech.
- To familiarize myself with common diseases in Malaysia and how to approach these patients, especially dengue, leptospirosis, melioidosis etc.
- To do history taking with Malaysian style - for this one, I have approach few USM medical students to help with the guidelines.
- To join classes for USM students for short and long cases.
Some techniques and approaches are different and I can say students here learn very detailed practicals.
Okay, freshly graduated doctors will start their work as housemen, well we need to admit the word 'fresh' as less working experience. Housemen are more known as HO (house officers) or interns. From what I know, during 2 years of housemen-ship, HOs need to fulfill 5 postings (4 months each).
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Pediatrics
- Medical
- Orthopedics
- Surgery
My 4 weeks in HUSM was only for medical posting. In this department, I met patients with diseases of heart, lungs, kidney, digestive system, blood. Basically, almost every major organs in our body. Even neurology patients (saraf) can be in this department as well. In this ward, you can expect the most sudden deaths T_T when everyone need to struggle to give CPR to the dying patients.
Most patients are elderly but younger one is frequent as well. T_T I learned that before I approach a patient, I really need to check his / her age. Kadang-kadang perasan muda padahal patients umur sebaya or lebih muda. I still remember a doctor (age around 40+) called a 50 year-old patient as pakcik. Haha, formality maybe.
Going back to Czech soon. :)
The Five Love Languages We Should Know
December 23, 2016
The first time I heard about these 5 love languages was during my 1st year in Czech, it was during a medical talk with Dr. Harlina (she just got promoted to a title of Professor!) :D I don't remember why she mentioned that in the talk but to know that there are different ways to approach people is an interesting fact we should explore.
Different people, different lifestyle, different preferences, different needs - these make us unique.
'The Five Love Languages' is actually a book (I haven't read though). Based on the author, Gary Chapman, the love languages are about ways to experience and express our love.
- Words of Affirmation
- Acts of Service
- Receiving Gifts
- Quality Time
- Physical Touch
5 years ago, my interpretation of love was more on my parents, my siblings and my friends. Maybe now I need to think about love towards different gender. I am glad I didn't explore much about this topic during that time. I was so immature and struggles to study abroad was more important to think, for me.
Well, at least I managed to apply these love languages on my family and friends. One of the best thing I learned during my early days in Czech. To my friends, I may not know exactly your love languages but please know that I am still trying :)
Quality Time.
For me, personally, the biggest point for myself is this.
To walk home from school with a good friend is something I always love to do, even though I have a bike. Maryam, if you are reading this, please know that I really love to walk with you after school <3 And to my hiking mates (these people keep changing haha), thank you so much for lending your ears to hear my stories, complaints, sharing throughout the hiking trip. Can you imagine how much we can know our friends when walking at least half a day in the forest without any disturbances?
Well, at least I managed to apply these love languages on my family and friends. One of the best thing I learned during my early days in Czech. To my friends, I may not know exactly your love languages but please know that I am still trying :)
Quality Time.
For me, personally, the biggest point for myself is this.
To walk home from school with a good friend is something I always love to do, even though I have a bike. Maryam, if you are reading this, please know that I really love to walk with you after school <3 And to my hiking mates (these people keep changing haha), thank you so much for lending your ears to hear my stories, complaints, sharing throughout the hiking trip. Can you imagine how much we can know our friends when walking at least half a day in the forest without any disturbances?
Besar pulak gambar ni T_T
If you watch The Return of Superman (TROS), a Korean variety show, seriously you can find all these features via interactions between parents-parents, between parents-children, between child-child. My favourite babies are obviously the triplets, to move on after the episode when Song Il Kook decided to withdraw his family from the show was a hard thing to do. :p
Find your love languages - you may have more than 1 actually.
Explore them as well on people you love as well or simply ask them, I guess? :)
Salam Jumaah, everyone.
May you have a blessed day. <3
May you have a blessed day. <3
Kota Bharu, Kelantan, Malaysia
161223
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