Hati Mau Kuat

Jalan-Jalan Ostrolia #1

2012-01-19T11:05:00.001+08:00

Hah! Long over-due!

Immediately after Singapore Marathon, I went for a trip down under. A bit challenging because I lost my wallet a day prior, so the morning of departure day was a helter skleter getting my credit card done. IC tak sempat buat, so trully travelling as an immigrant. Haha.

Tak sempat shopping-shoppang. The 20kg allowance pun dapat fill up to 8.5kg je. Sangat merugikan.

I'm not big on touristy things that tourists do. Travelling to Australia was really to meet my friends there. I visited Saiful and his family in Melbourne and Faiz in Adelaide.

Saiful is my childhood friend. We go waaaaaay back. I think he's my first friend. Yeah. And I've mentioned him on the blog before. I was his best man for his wedding with Ana.

Faiz was my housemate when we studied in Seremban. Him, myself and Rizal made up the second generation of Jalan Rasah Phat Pad.

Ini Resolusi Serius, Okay

2012-01-18T12:26:00.001+08:00

Nahh! Oregano bread roll. Tapi still far from being perfect.

How to Bake Bread in 5 Tweets

2012-01-18T09:48:00.001+08:00

Remember the 2012 resolutions I made? Well at least I'm keeping up with one of it. Baking bread.

In the words of Jamie Oliver, bread-making is the most fulfilling and rewarding experience a man can ever have. And it is very simple.

Is it possible? 5 tweets? Of course. It is really THAT simple.

1. Basic bread recipe: 500g flour. 320ml water. A packet of instant yeast (11g). 2 heaped tablespoon if sugar. 1 leveled teaspoon of salt.

2. Place flour in big bowl. Stir the rest in smaller bowl for few secs. Then add what's in the small bowl into the big bowl. Knead for 10 mins.

3. Dust your hands with flour to lessen the sticking.

4. Let the dough stand for 1 hour (first proof). Then knead again for 5 mins. Divide dough to egg-sized rolls. Place on dusted pan.

5. Let stand for another 1.5 hour (second proof). Pre-heat oven for 10 mins. 180C. Bake for 30-35 mins. Bottom tray.

Done. 5 tweets. Any man can do that.

This recipe makes about 8 medium-ish rolls.

The only downside of basic bread is that it gets stale very fast, because there's no fat. It gets hard as soon as it gets cold, about an hour. So consume it immediately.

But hey, stale basic bread is GREAT stuff to mop up soup, curry or hot milo.

Give it a try.

2012

2011-12-31T17:08:00.001+08:00

Another One Bites The Dust

2011-12-31T17:03:00.001+08:00

Selamat meng-game over-kan diri anda, Fairuz. Semoga kekal bahagia bersama isteri tersayang. Nanti dapat anak, kasi nama Azman kat dia. Orang nama Azman ni biasanya hensem dan baik-baik belaka. Biasanya laa.

Gambar adalah ihsan @_ym_n

2012 Resolutions

2011-12-31T10:23:00.001+08:00

Tweethandle dan tweetname terpaksa didakwat hitamkan untuk mengelak stalker di twitter. Haha. Selamat tahun baru.

Singapore Half Marathon 2011 #11

2011-12-28T23:58:00.001+08:00

Lepas tu gi semayang kat masjid dekat Orchard Road. Masjid ni sangat win. Posisi pili air dekat tempat wuduk sangat ergonomic. Tak perlu terbongkok-bongkok ambik air sembahyang.

Ekceli rasa macam nak tido je dalam masjid tu terus. Tak larat dah nak jalan.

Tapi lepas tu directly pegi Novena. Sampai sana, aku lepak makan nasik beriyani, Ayman gi opis bas ambik tiket. Sori la, Man. Aku dah penat gila time tu. Tak berdaya aku nak berjalan dah. Penat macam badak.

Lepas naik bas, aku baring-baring atas seat sambil layan movie guna headphone Ayman. Haha. Banyak betul aku nyusahkan orang trip nih.

Disebabkan posisi aku baring atas seat bas, wallet aku jatuh and never to be found again. Selamat jalan MyKad, adios ATM card, sayonara credit card dan goodbye forever cash mau dekat RM300. Sekarang pakai IC sementara. Bagus jugak. IC lama gambar tak cun dah.

Maka itu lah my account for Singapore Half Marathon. Will I run there again? Never!!! It's too commercialized. Aku tak main la mainstream nih. Gua underground. Haha.

Dan kerana aku minat underground, the next day, I went for a trip Down Under. Haaa. Itu dikemudian hari lah ye.

Singapore Half Marathon 2011 #10

2011-12-28T23:38:00.001+08:00

First stop, HMV!! Rambang mata nak pilih. 'Metal' section je dah ada 3 rack. Tarikan utama adalah album 'Lulu'. LOLOLOL. NOT!

Dalam banyak-banyak metal bands nih, Zee Avi jugak yang aku beli. #DomesticatedJantan

Singapore Half Marathon 2011 #9

2011-12-28T23:33:00.001+08:00

Masa sampai hotel, dah dekat noon. Mandi, pack, check out within an hour. Penat gila. Makan kat kedai (?)mamak ran by Chinese couple. So apa definisi kedai mamak sebenarnya? End up paying about RM140. Macam makan kat Tony Roma's!

Ali terus naik bas gi JB. Aku dengan Ayman nak MRT dan menapak pi Orchard untuk shopping-shoppang dan cari masjid (ya, di Orchard Road).

Singapore Half Marathon 2011 #8

2011-12-28T20:39:00.001+08:00

Ok. So 21km in 4 hours. Kalau power walk pun lagi laju.

Anyways, bila dah balik hotel, first thing I did was celebrate dengan makan blue cheese. Beli dekat (you guessed it!) Mustafa. Cuma 5 dollah!

Deep, sharp taste. Bau macam muntah. Rasa macam stokin dan ketiak. Tapi the after-taste lepas telan cheese tu sangat best. Lagi-lagi tekak dibasahi dengan minuman anggur berkarbonat tanpa alkohol.

Ayman suggest makan dengan burger. Cadangan yang bagus, tapi sampai hari ni tak berkesempatan. Mungkin tok dah buang cheese ni. Hmmmph. Dia tak sedar ikan pekasam pun busuk jugak.

Intermission

2011-12-28T20:29:00.001+08:00

Okay. Terlampau banyak gambar Adidas kot. Haha.

Singapore Half Marathon 2011 #7

2011-12-28T20:18:00.001+08:00

Okay. This part will be wordy.

Ali ajak aku pegi Singapore Marathon ni sebab it's one of the most organized marathon lah. Memang betul pun. Registration mudah. Cuma perlu cepat. 5 months before the run, the 21km slots has actually been filled up. Gila tak gila.

Number collection pun was a breeze. Close to 60 counters were available for 4 days for runners to collect their race kit. Like Ali said, "kalau kau kena beratur lama pun, kau takkan marah punya pasal they've done their best."

And that's where the good stuff ended. Haha. Race day was quite kelam kabut. Singapore Marathon got so famous, I think it collapsed under its own weight.

To begin with, I hate the route. There were 19,000 half marathon runners. And on the first 3km, there were sections that were only 3 meters wide at most. Aisehmen. How can lah like that. Bottleneck gila baboons. Ok lah granted kalau route tu selebar-lebar Autobahn pun, aku still lari slow, tapi not fair for those who were aiming for a personal best time and had trained hard for it. Dah lah mahal registration fee.

I didn't like the stretch within Universal Studios. Rather, I don't like the runners there. A lot of runners stopped and blocked the way to take pictures with Po, Shrek and Bumblebee. Hampeh betul. Satu lagi aku menyampah, berhenti ambik gambar kat distance marker. Arghh!! Benci siut. Mesti newbies yang buat kerja macam ni. (Okay, aku tak lah veteran/seasoned sangat kot, but I've moved on from the phase posing dengan distance marker)

The worst part of the half marathon run is the overall layout. You start in a damp, humid area densely covered with trees. That's when your body will pour sweat out and lose water by the buckets. And towards the end you run on the highway, uncovered, totally exposed to the noon sun. The heat finishes the job that the humidity left behind. Habis. Sau tong. Tutup kedai.

After the 14km mark (2/3rd of the way) I think only 5% of the crowd were actually running. The rest were walking, talking about lunch.

Termasuklah yours truly. Hahaha. Ekceli aku dah start jalan waaaay earlier.

Hasilnya? 21km in 4 hours. Amat cantik timing. Macam mula-mula run dulu.

So in a nutshell, I think Singapore Marathon is good for:

1. Slow runners (like me). You never run alone. That keeps you motivated. Sebagai contoh kalau hang slow, first time runner kat Port Dickson Half Marathon, menangis la sorang-sorang run at the end of the pack kat jalan kampung tengah-tengah kebun rambutan.

2. First time runners. 21km is actually quite difficult to comprehend. So first time runners tend to underestimate it. In a run where most people walk, it's a safe bet to get the gravity of the distance.

3. Rich runners. Registration fee is expensive, considering the exchange rate. And everything in Singapore (with the exception of Mustafa) is expensive. Memang mahal, tapi berbaloi berkorban sebab......

4. Mengusha awek. Seriously. Awek Semenanjung has got the chest gene but not the ass. Awek Sabah has the ass gene but not the chest. Awek Singapore has got both (mati aku ayah aku baca benda nih). If you're single and has got eagle eyes, this is the place to be. So Ali takleh, sebab dia dah kawin dan dia mata sparrow. Ayman orait. Haha. And I'm sure them aweks has got good personalities too (ayat selamatkan diri).

And don't run Singapore Marathon if you are:

1. Aiming for a PB. Run the Borneo International Marathon instead. It's a flat route, scenic and road is wide all the way.

2. Claustrophobic.

3. In wrath with them distance markers photographers!! (Nak ambik gambar ok, tapi jangan la block jalan, please. Dah la jalan sempit)

And with that, sila enjoy gambar posing maut. Konon berlari la, padahal been walking for the last 8km before crossing the finish line. Last 25 meters baru purak-purak lari. Haha.

Singapore Half Marathon 2011 #6

2011-12-28T19:18:00.001+08:00

Ready to rock and roll!!

(More like walk and stroll)

Singapore Half Marathon 2011 #5

2011-12-28T19:16:00.001+08:00

Kitorang tido kat budget hotel. Hotel 81 Selegi kot nama dia. Ntah la. Nama lebih kurang macam tu la. Sebelum tido, susun kasut, amik gambar cantik-cantik.

And bila dah jantan-jantan berkumpul, mula la aksi budak sekolah 15 tahun. Walaupun dah berkahwin, beranak-pinak sekali pun, laki bila dengan geng sendiri, akan jadi macam budak form 3.

Singapore Half Marathon 2011 #4

2011-12-28T18:32:00.001+08:00

I also found crotch cup in Mustafa. Only come in two sizes. Small and extra small. Haha. Singaporeans.

Singapore Half Marathon 2011 #3

2011-12-28T18:30:00.001+08:00

Mustafa also carries the 2.25L soda bottle. Each costs only SGD1.90. And they're HUGE!

Singapore Half Marathon 2011 #2

2011-12-28T18:20:00.001+08:00

Sampai Singapore, kitorang pegi shopping dulu. Ali kerja Singapore, so dia tau la selok-belok sana. Pergi Mustafa.

I don't know why Singaporeans flock JB to shop when they have Mustafa. Everything you need is there. And majority of stuff are way cheaper than in JB. Adidas deodorant goes for SGD2.80 each. Here, it's RM13.90.

And Mustafa has the largest display of body wash I've ever seen.

Singapore Half Marathon 2011 #1

2011-12-28T00:49:00.001+08:00

The next few posts will be about my not-so-recent half marathon that I ran *ehem*bullshit*ehem* on the 4th of Dec.

Journey began with a train ride to Singpore. Naik train senandung malam. Boleh guling-guling tidoq.

Travel dengan Ayman. Carbo load makan mekdi.

Terasa macam pelarian pulak, tirai semua kaler camo. Apa dalam beg plastik tu? Used diapers!! Hampeh punya next door neighbour.

Hujan, Hujan, Hujan, Hujan

2011-12-27T00:19:00.001+08:00

Antara kes-kes yang boleh dijangka bakal mengunjungi Jabatan Kecemasan kelak:

Mangsa banjir.

Mangsa tanah runtuh.

Mangsa rumah atas air roboh tenggelam dalam laut dipukul ombak dan angin kuat.

Orang bodoh kemalangan memandu semasa mabuk.

Orang bodoh luka-luka teruk bergaduh di kelab malam ketika mabuk Tahun Baru.

Orang kesian yang turut dibelasah bila cuba mengaman orang mabuk yang bergaduh (kalau ada orang bergaduh, jangan kacau. Habis terer, ko jerit je "Polis! Polis!" Orang gaduh ni kecek agah je. Gertak sikit, terkencing la).

Pesakit asthma.

Pesakit COPD.

Pesakit minta MC nak extend cuti. Long holiday la katakan. Alasan utama yang digunakan adalah migraine. Siapa bongkar rahsia ni? Migraine macam mana nak buktikan? That's why kalau orang datang mintak MC pasal migraine, tapi still boleh tersengih macam ketiak masam, I make them do funny stuff which is not even in the clinical text book. Walk in line sambil mengepak-kepak tangan macam burung. Touch your nose then your ear repeatedly. Spin around 3 times. Ye lah, nak MC kan? Entertain me.

Oh last night I discovered a way to calm an aggressive drunk man in the Emergency Department. Picit je tetek dia. Minimal effort. Maximum control. Tak payah struggle-struggle pegang tangan, kaki dia.

Sh*t

2011-11-30T19:29:00.001+08:00

I'm currently at Sandakan airport, waiting to board the flight back to KL. Singapore Marathon is on this Sunday.

As I was putting on my shoes before leaving the house, I noticed some part of the sole is loose. A few steps later, the whole thing came off.

Sh*t.

Will 3 days be enough to break into a new pair of shoes?

Who Knew Teeth Could Grow Sideways

2011-11-23T12:06:00.001+08:00

I knew I have impacted molars on both sides for 5 years. It never gave me problem until 3 weeks ago. Rasa sengal je kat sebelah left jaw. A visit to the dentist and she gave me an appointment to extract both molars (38 and 48 [dental terms] yesterday.

How local aneasthesia works never fail to impress me. I hope whoever discovered it was given the Nobel prize.

It was relatively painless..... Until it wears off. Gila babeng sakit siol!!!!

Then there's dexamethasone. Aaahhhh. You gotta love steroids. And then there's etoricoxib. Next dose is due in a few minutes. After that, it's another 10 minutes before I ride the high.

Though I think I'll gain a few kg with the steroids and recovery ice cream. I hope I can shave those off in time for Singapore Half Marathon which is in 10 days.

Hari Tidak Selalu Senang

2011-11-18T22:11:00.001+08:00

Kalau anda baca blog ni, barangkali your idea of working in Emergency Department ni rileks-rileks goyang kaki kuki-kuki tergelak-gelak kesenangan. Ni pasal the real situation tak pernah dihebahkan. Bukan apa, pasal bila dah busy tu, mana ada sempat nak capture the moment.

Situasi sebenarnya agak berbeza. Selalunya memang busy G.I.L.A. B.A.B.I. Yes. Khinzir pun tak gila macam ni kadang-kadang.

The picture that will be shown at the end of this post was taken about 4 nights ago. Ada kereta berkapasiti 7 orang yang dipandu seorang pemandu mabuk (read: bodoh tahap syaitan) merempuh sebatang pokok besar.

Ni dalam resuscitation room. 3 orang dalam tempat ni. 2 orang kena intubate (kasi knockout, letak tube dalam airway, mesin yg kasi nafas) sebab head injury. Sorang lagi ada multiple fracture.

Masa ni baru settle intubate. 2 orang MO jadi tukang intubate simultaneously. Lepak kat tepi, cari ilham apa nak buat seterusnya. Amik gambar sat sambil tenangkan fikiran.

Memang seronok kenduri resus malam tu.

So, yes. Most nights memang macam ni.

Selamat Hari Jadi Kepada Hadi

2011-11-16T23:03:00.001+08:00

Adik gua berumur 35 tahun hari ni. Eh, maksudnya aku lagi tua la. Tak, tak. Dia 27 tahun.

Maka normal bagi orang yang sudah berkahwin dan approaching 30 ditanya soalan begini:

Jimat Duit

2011-11-16T13:09:00.001+08:00

Lately, in the last few months, I've noticed ada banyak duit lebih. Mikir gak mana datangnya. Nak kata aku main Premium Beautiful, tak jugak. Aahaha.

Sekali baru la terperasan sekarang gua dah tak beli air botol. Dulu seminggu mau spend dekat 25 ringgit seminggu beli air je. Time giat running, lagi banyak kena spend.

Sekarang ni kasi didih air je. Seribu liter tak sampai seringgit. Jimat duit yo. Botol plastik pun tak pakai. Kalau tak dulu tiap-tiap bulan mesti ada aktiviti keronyok botol masuk dalam beg sampah.

Kenny Sia Nails It

2011-11-15T15:51:00.001+08:00

Another Before & After in ED Doctors Mess (quite literally)

2011-11-14T10:47:00.003+08:00

Lama dah tak buat benda macam ni.

The first picture was taken before puasa, some time in July. The second picture was taken last night (before hell broke lose in the ED).

Amacam? Aku tengok macam sama je. Haha.

It Is Finally Complete, I Think

2011-11-13T19:55:00.002+08:00

So these are the applications I use at work. All of them are free except MedCalc which costs 99 cents (USD).

Wheeehehehehehe

2011-11-13T15:40:00.001+08:00

hehehehehehehehehe.

Petang ni kita pi running lagi.

Set Me Free

2011-11-12T20:09:00.001+08:00

By Dungeon East & Whild Peach

Dengar lagu ni sambil skipping ropes. Baru fighter.

Train hard; Fight easy.

Apa pasal?

2011-11-02T07:55:00.001+08:00

Apa pasal la batuk, demam, selsema kau datang KECEMASAN pukul 3, 4 pagi?

Apa pasal la kau dah sakit 2 minggu hari ni baru nak datang?

Apa pasal la kau dah makan ubat darah tinggi, kencing manis bertahun-tahun tapi tak tahu-menahu nama ubat langsung?

Apa pasal la kalau sakit tu, ko pegi sapu bawang kat badan? Tau tak bawang tu busuk.

Apa pasal la kau sapu serbuk kopi kat atas luka kau tu?

Apa pasal la kau letak kicap/colgate/garam/susu pekat kat luka melecur kau tu?

Apa pasal la kau biarkan anak kau telan guli, skru, paper clip, paku dan duit syiling tu?

Apa pasal kau tak bawak referral letter daripada bomoh yang gagal rawat bini kau yang tengah eclampsia tu?

Apa pasal? Apa pasal? Apa pasal?!!

Tragulus javanicus? Doppleganger?

2011-10-27T18:01:00.001+08:00

While listening to Derek Trucks Band, can't help to notice muka Mike Mattison macam muka aku. Haha. Gila vain. Ada serupa?

Looking Good

2011-10-27T00:10:00.002+08:00

Doctors in our department don't have a formal uniform. But today three of us came to work in the same colour - shirts and pants. And black on dark brown looks good.

The Hustle, I Can Handle...

2011-10-11T02:27:00.001+08:00

I fret about work time and again, but it's not that bad, really.

The one thing I can't handle is being away from my family and friends.

Reading Ali's & Izrin's blog, I came across a picture that sums up the things I miss most; camaraderie and companionship.

This picture was taken while Tok Kadi was giving talkin, eh, tazkirah before Ali's nikah.

We both have the same intensity on our expression, when it should only be on Ali's.

This picture is me saying "Bro, through thick and thin, I'll be with you."

Blog Plug-In: Blog Begins At Forty

2011-10-10T10:30:00.001+08:00

Lama dah tak buat plug-ins. This one of the blogs I stumbled across during one of those sleepless nights. Tulis blog guna iPhone tak boleh buat link, so you have to select, right click and jump there: http://www.blogbeginsatforty.com/

Please visit. Memang sangat unique dan interesting. Vanity at its most subtle. Haha.

Premisnya sangat simple: a photo of yourself everyday. Bunyi macam senang, tapi to do it everyday and make it interesting is challenging. Uncle Gedek makes it look so easy.

Rasa macam bersalah pulak panggil Uncle pasal Mr Gedek masih muda lagi. 40 maa. Still power. Here are some suggestions how power Mr Gedek can be (cuba teka mana satu yang ori. No prize there).

Breautiful: Brain + Beauty

2011-10-02T00:36:00.001+08:00

If you're cute and laugh at this, I wanna date you.

#PerghCakapMacamPower

Playing Host

2011-09-18T19:53:00.001+08:00

A group of friends from uni came down to Sandakan yesterday to attend a wedding of one of us. It's good to see them again. It was great considering very little co-ordination and planning was done. Everyrhing sorts itself and just happen.

We managed to visit almost all of Sandakan touristy spots. The wedding was awesome. Great food. If only I wasn't postcall and feeling too tired.

Seeing old friends again and hearing how each of them have become successful in their respective hospitals and discipline, I can't help to feel proud of IMU. In the midst of sharing experience and stories, I feel thankful to my lecturers and the university support staff.

All the success stories shared that day belongs to the uni and the faculty.

From IMU Alumni Team North Borneo, we salute our teachers!

Selamat Hari Raya

2011-09-13T12:51:00.001+08:00

Maaf zahir dan batin, ikhlas dari Hati Mau Kuat.

Sori la lama tak post benda. Busy kerja beb.

Tahun ni raya dekat KL dengan adik perempuan and her family. Beraya di hospital sebab dia bertugas. I understand the feeling, which was why I stayed back in KL for raya.

Raya ni tak dapat berkumpul semua anak-beranak-berucu all at one time. Time orang lain semua ada, aku tadak. Time aku ada, ada orang lain tadak. Tapi dapat la berjumpa semua orang.

Third year beraya bila dah bekerja ni, terasa isu kemaafan tu lebih penting.

I'm sorry I'm a jerk at work, selalu marah-marah (to staff, colleagues and patients alike), tak sabar, tak berterima kasih.

I'm sorry I didn't spend more time with my family.

I'm sorry I'm still single (Not! Err, yes. Eh, not. Yes! Ntah la).

Oleh itu, saya menyusun sepuluh jari memohon ampun maaf sekiranya ada terkasar bahasa, terasa dalam, termakan hati. If there's a way to make thinga right, do let me know.

Lastly, sori dah tengah bulan Syawal baru nak ucap selamat. Haha.

Aiseh

2011-09-13T12:21:00.001+08:00

Why did the pictures end up at the end of the post? Aiyaaaa. And why are they centralized? Aiyaiyaaaaa.

Blogger iPhone App

2011-09-13T12:15:00.001+08:00

Ok. So I'm gonna try a new blogging app. The previous one, BlogMe, is very limited to posting one picture and writing a single-line caption.

Let's see if this is better.

Picture 1.

Picture 2.

Picture 3.

Ok? No? Let's see.

orange guitar keychain

2011-09-08T22:25:00.001+08:00

this orange guitar keychain was given to me by imran. he bought it during his china trip. it's a present i value the most.

slowly disappearing

2011-07-10T19:42:00.001+08:00

this sorts of clears me of having any delusion. i bought this pair of jeans in december. at that time, i could never pull it up pass my knees. today i was walking around town in it; properly worn of course. that's 8 inches off the waist. give or take 24 off the weighing scale.

who would've thought

2011-07-09T18:22:00.001+08:00

i am involved with sandakan palestine liberation initiative roadshow. escorting a prominent local (malaysian) figure around sandakan giving talks about palestinian occupation and the siege of gaza and al aqsa. today i've been to places i otherwise wouldn't have gone and met people with life stories that inspire.

in support of the environment and my pocket

2011-07-04T00:31:00.002+08:00

all these while i've been buying bottled water. that's because the tap water in my old house was nasty. water from the new house is ok. so i'm boiling water now. these glass jugs cost 2 weeks worth of water. we'll see if this is sustainable.

goodbye toenail

2011-06-29T13:25:00.001+08:00

one down, nine to go. ok so this is very eewwww. runners would understand.

shift malam and tido dua jam

2011-06-27T07:11:00.001+08:00

again, it's towards the end of the night shift and the department is empty. senang kerja macam ni. not like the previous night shift. 4 resus case masa matahari nak terbit. the thought of boss buat round made me zikir 'shit' every 2 minutes.

rak serbaguna 1.1

2011-06-24T23:34:00.002+08:00

the d.i.y rack did not go to waste. it's now entertainment central. believe me. it's a lot sturdier than it appears.

rak serbaguna 2.0

2011-06-24T23:30:00.002+08:00

this is much better than the d.i.y cardboard rack. rm155 delivery charges included. as tall as i am. from top to bottom, left to right: toiletries, stationery, everyday item (wallet, phone, keys), underwear and socks, glasses and bottles, plates and food, towels and kain pelikat, bags, medical books, cleaners amd wipes, hand tools, non-medical books.

Closing a Chapter and Starting a New One

2011-06-20T00:55:00.005+08:00

In the last a month and a half, things have really plateaued. While I didn't manage to gain any weight in that time (as a matter of fact, I dropped a kilo), I shouldn't get comfortable. There's a reason I was fat (still am!) and that's because I got comfortable with laziness (borrowing the concept of PFG - previously fat guys - founded by Simon Cross).

The next time you see me, please don't say "Wow, you've lost weight!" I appreciate that you noticed, but what I need right now is not to get comfortable. I would rather you say "Why aren't you losing more weight?" Just say it. I won't get offended.

Closing the chapter of The Final Frontier, this is series of photos that I took after every training session. Almost 5 months. 21kg lost on the weight. 6 inches on the waist.

Brewing is the plot of a new chapter. It shall be called Coming Home.

Yes. Another one inspired by the Iron Maiden.

salad

2011-06-19T22:36:00.001+08:00

ok la. maybe the dressing isn't so light.

7 heaven

2011-06-19T22:27:00.001+08:00

the last time i came here - more than half a year ago - i had 3 scoops of ice cream. those days are way behind me. tonight it's salad with light dressing. and iced water.

woooooooot!!!!

2011-06-12T07:34:00.001+08:00

no patients in green, yellow, red, obs bay and procedure room. and it's almost the end of the shift!!!! definition of a good shift.

being practical

2011-06-07T13:59:00.003+08:00

rak buatan sendiri yang almost costs nothing (maybe 4 hours of my time). design ada novelty factor. tapi sangat tak praktikal. and i HATE impracticallity! looks like gotta part with a few hundred ringgit for proper shelves.

The Best Man

2011-06-04T16:22:00.004+08:00

To date, I've become a Best Man for four occasions.

Saiful's Best Man on Ana's reception.

Saiful's Best Man on Saif's reception.

Ezran's Best Man.

Ali's Best Man. Ehem. Tengok betul-betul sikit. Dah kurus ok.

Now here's the kicker. If, in all four occasions, I am the BEST man, why the heck am I still single? Muaaahahaha (gelak kurang kewarasan).

The person who leaves the best reason in the comment section will win a VIP pass for the makan beradab in, errrr, my wedding kot. Muaaahahaaha (gelak evil genius).

emergency city

2011-06-03T19:21:00.003+08:00

green zone 0 patient. yellow zone 0 patient. red zone 0 patient. obs bay 0 patient. procedure room 0 patient. i rule! (in a humble way)

hi. meet my friend.

2011-06-02T23:14:00.002+08:00

ini sufi. dia ni rakan running saya. malam malam, dia jadi night shift manager di kantin hospital. sufi ni kuat orangnya.

how long can it go?

2011-06-01T22:38:00.001+08:00

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handheld blogging

2011-06-01T22:14:00.001+08:00

testing 1 2 3. apasal kalau testing mesti kira?

New Start

2011-05-28T02:37:00.005+08:00

With the change of plans this current holiday, I have few extra dough to spend on stuff I don't really need. Heheh.

(L) Megadeth - Youthanasia (sejak bila Megadeth ambil berat pasal youth in Asia? Muaahaha)

(R) Iron Maiden - Dance of Death

I was looking for Brave New World and A Matter of Life and Death by Iron Maiden but the outlet doesn't carry those. The two I got will keep me busy for the next few weeks. Yearrgghhh!! Slowly but steadily expanding my (original) CD collection. Tak main la download and chetak rompak. Hmmm. One day I should write about the collection.

Makan kat tempat burger overpriced. Then beli cassette tape. TROLLOLOL!

Not your usual cassette tape. Usha betul-betul. Woooot!

Ok. This also means I've changed my phone number. Those who are still holding on to my 012-3611XXX number, kindly request for my new phone number via my old number which I'll still be using till the middle of next month (if you guys think my number is worth getting la. Ye la, who am I la kan?). Either that or you can wait until I SMS you myself (assuming I still have your number). This business of getting a new phone is quite troublesome lah.

With the termination of my old number, I've severed all connections with the 'dependent Azman'. Right now, everything I have, own and use are under my name. Bank loan, phone, internet, online banking, car, road tax, etc. Now, it's gonna be the 'independent Azman'. Aptly so for a new beginning when I start work as an MO on Tuesday.

Cats in the Cradle

2011-05-25T16:28:00.002+08:00

I'm now blogging from a car while dad is driving back to KL. How cool is that? Meh. That's so 2007.

Along with us is an important package, and they're quite noisy and potentially smelly.

I think I'm getting an asthma attack.

Holiday and What's Left of It

2011-05-25T15:42:00.007+08:00

I still got 5 days left before flying back to Sandakan. I made big plans for this holiday, taking a total of 14 days off.

A huge chunk of it was allocated for my best friend's wedding.

I planned to run at different places this holiday, but that has to be scraped of the slate.

Currently I'm nursing this 'penyakit misteri'. My heel suddenly hurts, which causes me to limp when I walk. No idea what's causing it. I didn't fall or hit anything. It can't be a gout attack because the back of the heel isn't a joint. Bah! At least I get to ride the tramadol high. Note: the ankle guard does nothing to help the pain, but it makes my limping looks legit when I walk at the airport.

Speaking of airport, I flew to Terengganu last night to meet my Tok Che (grandma on my dad's side). She's doing ok, but can't manage to convince her to follow us back to KL. During day time when Ayah and Mak Su are out working, she stays alone at home, and I think that's not healthy for her. At least if she comes back to KL, Tok (grandma on mother's side) is there.

Also I've been eating out a lot during this holiday. Don't worry, always picking healthy options on the menu.

Chinese tea in Pappa Rich has to be the best drink in any kopitiam ever.

I was actually looking forward to get to know a new person, in my elusive quest to expand my social circle. However I don't think it went the way I expected. I'm not even sure if the getting to know part actually happened.

I ended up inviting two ladies back home.

Here are their pictures. One on the floor and another in bed.

Man, these girls are loud.

And I thought Ali was the one who got hitched. Haha.

Ali Marries Izrin: A Story of Tested Relationship, Late Night Guy-Talks, and The Best Man.

2011-05-24T23:44:00.008+08:00

Summer of 2005. I think that was when Ali and Izrin got together. They've known each other for quite sometime, but it was during their flight back to London from that summer Euro trip, Ali cunningly found out from Izrin that she harbours feelings for him, and the feeling is mutual.

As they say, the rest is history, but not so for these two lovebirds. Fate brought them together, and Fate also took them through tortuous and uphill terrain very early in the relationship.

Shortly after the trip, Ali had to come back home to complete his studies here, while Izrin stayed in Cardiff to complete hers there. Ali didn't start right away when he came back. He had to wait for the academic transferring process to clear before starting. As he began attending classes again almost a year later, Izrin completed her studies around the same time and came back. Job hunting ensued, and she landed herself a job shortly after, and this went on for another year or so.

Imagine that. Spending the first two years of a relationship being away from each other, and going through stressful period with each others life at the same time; Ali having to transfer his studies here, a frustrating and lengthy rigmarole, and Izrin starting a new job and getting used to working life.

A lot of revelations will be made throughout this writeup, and the first one shall be about Ali's temper. Yep, he had this problem. Those who know him well since school days, know this. Not many people are able to handle this sticky situation. And in the later half of the two-year period, when things got stuck in a temper-ego stalemate - get ready for revelation number two - Izrin would call me to vent her frustrations. I just listened and didn't do much, really, other than telling her again and again to be patient. 'Dia memang macam tu, sabar je.' That statement has to be one that I overuse. And thank God Izrin is one tough woman. Not only she has to be patient with Ali, she has to be patient with me telling her to be patient.

As I endured this, I witnessed true love unfolding right in front of my eyes. Not surprising. I knew this has got to be it for the both of them very early when they got together.

See, Ali and I have sleepovers when I'm around town. Sleepovers isn't exactly the right term because almost every time, I would lose sleep. Most of the time were spent talking, and most of the talking was about how happy he became when Izrin came into his life. The story of how they met and the Euro trip that marked the beginning of their togetherness was re-iterated again, and again, and again every time we have sleepovers.

I remember the eve of Subang Jaya 10km run in 2006. Ali put up a night at my place so that we could go to the run early next morning. He spent the night talking about this Euro trip, on how he learnt deeply about Izrin when they sat together on a pebbled beach in Spain, walking around Monaco. Again and again he told me about the flight back to London where Izrin sat next to him, and their mutual feelings were revealed. And not to forget when they arrived in their respective homes in Cardiff, Ali walked to Izrin's place to hand her something (it was either chocolates or medications, I can't recall exactly, but it was supposed to make Izrin feel better). This was told to me on many nights, and particularly on that night. We ended up running the next day without any sleep.

It's not really about the depth and repetitiveness of the stories he tell, but the reactions that he showed that says everything. Obviously I can't see his facial reaction, because when we talk he'd be lying on the couch, forearm across his forehead and I'd be lying on the floor with arms crossed, both of us facing the ceiling, staring at the rotating fan. It was all evident from his tone of voice. Unlike the serious tone he always has, when telling these stories, his voice was calm, the pace of speech was relaxed and you could tell that he is at peace. Very rarely you get to observe this. And as rare as diamonds are, what he has is something precious.

I guess true love perseveres and true love changes people. Both of them endured the difficult times, and grew closer, with each of their own advantages complimenting and filling in the voids of the other. He is a changed man, admittedly so.

Changes occur steadily, and when Ali so-call proposed to Izrin by means of asking her to join Kursus Kahwin, it is only apt. It shows that marriage is an eventual step in their relationship, and not a spike in the journey.

On 19th of May, Ali marries Izrin.

Panoramic view of the Akad Nikah, Ali and Izrin sat at opposing ends. Photo by Ismail.

I was made the Best Man, but obviously, I wasn't the typical one. By conventional standard, I was probably the worst Best Man ever. I left the mas kahwin bouquet in the car, forgot to bring an umbrella for Ali when it was raining during the Akad night, left his phone unanswered that night, lost one of the hantaran tray, and during the reception, I didn't interfere when the MC mistakenly called the bride and groom to cut the cake while the wrong song was being played.

I have a very different idea of a perfect wedding. What I was aiming for that night for the both of them, was the culmination of what the last six years has been, re-living those moments and tying them to the climactic event of the night. In the midst of everything else, I wasn't sure if that got across, but the both of them was happy.

You'll Never Walk Alone by Gerry and The Pacemakers was not played on the reception night, but it is still their song. It neither made the song less meaningful, nor did it make the wedding less memorable.

In the spirit of re-living those moments and having sight of the future, may I dedicate this song to Ali and Izrin.

To Ali and Izrin, I wish for prosperous days ahead for the both of you, and please do something we already know you'll do; live happily together ever after.

Photos are by Samsul Tahir of Kaseh Photography.

2011-05-22T17:29:00.000+08:00

HOUSE, GREGORY.

She's Back!

2011-05-19T01:34:00.002+08:00

Tok's recovery has been very dramatic. I wish all my patients are as strong as she is. Day 5 post operatively dah boleh balik rumah. Kalau masuk ward kat Sandakan, memang meet ward policy.

While recovering in the ward, she has been very compliant to treatment. Chest physio was done, she was fighting the pain to cough properly. Elderly people, after undergoing abdominal surgery, tend to get lung infection because the wound pain prevents them from breathing properly. Pain meds help, but it's the strong will that makes most of it.

The surgeon told her to eat a lot of protein and despite having a bad taste in the mouth, she took all the egg, chicken and fish bits. And when the surgeon ensured that the wound will hold if she walks, half an hour later, she's already doing it.

"Peace and love, bruv. I'm back in biznezzz. Syukur, Alhamdulillah. Now wherz de periuk? I need to make de dapur berasap again."

She really said that. Well, not really.

At Large In A Smaller Room

2011-05-16T20:21:00.003+08:00

I started my first official day as an MO moving into a new place. It's a room and I'm staying with a friend.

Moving from a house where I stayed alone into a single room with another friend is gonna be a big change. Now I have to berpakaian elok, if berpakaian at all. And I have to close the door everytime coming in and out of the room. And it's a rumah taman, which means the house opposite has a window that allows direct view of what's behind my window. Gile takdok privacy.

But I have a good feeling about this move.

For one, there's a stretch of flat, straight road that runs for 1.5km. That means a 3km lap. Nice. Memang akan jadi playground for tempo running. And the sports complex is nearer. Ada track sana. Finally I can berjinak-jinak with interval training.

Also, I begin my first 2 weeks of MO years being on leave. Muaaaahahaha. Currently sitting at the airport waiting for my flight back home. Cantek kan? Semalam baru fly KL-SDK, hari ni pegi balik KL. Gila babeng jet setter.

Ada apa plan 2 minggu ni?

Iye ke ni?

2011-05-15T15:41:00.001+08:00

For someone who stays by himself, I sure have a lot of stuff!

Emergency Leave

2011-05-15T01:50:00.004+08:00

Dua hari lepas gua terpaksa ambik emergency leave, not that kena apply apa pun, pasal pada hakikatnya memang dah lama apply ntuk leave yang asalnya tak emergency. Berbetulan dengan kejadian emergency yang tak dapat dielakkan.

For old time readers of this blog, you may have come across writings about my grandma, affectionately known as Tok among the family. Tok hasn't been feeling well for about 2 weeks, then a recent checks, the doctors found her gallbladder is infected. This means a certain hospitalization and surgery. She was admitted on Friday and a surgery to remove the infected gallbladder was promptly scheduled in the late afternoon.

I was still in Sandakan, and I know I must come back. Tak guna treat strangers untuk 2 tahun tapi bila family yang sangat disayangi sakit, tak boleh buat apa-apa. Terpaksa la beli tiket last minit yang terkenal dengan kemahalannya tu.

Mujur row tu dapat duduk sorang. Jawabnya, baring horizontal atas seat dan krohhhhh sampai KL.

When I reached KL, the surgery was already over and Tok was warded in the ICU. Nurse yang baik hati allowed me to see her at 1am, walaupun sepatutnya tak boleh. Thank you, staff nurse. She's stable, tapi at that time sedang sakit. Politely I asked for some analgesia to be given.

Lepas tu kena tido kat luar ICU, atas kerusi. Abis sakit belakang.

Sunrise pukul 7:30am. Gila jakun. Biasanya kat Sandakan, 7:30am dah terang-benderang.

McDonald's breakfast (sausage McMuffin, cheese on the side, supaya senang dilempar ke dalam tong sampah), sambil dengar lagu Jamiroquai. Memang pagi yang tenang.

Ramai datang tengok Tok. Semua anak and menantu dia ada. Gilir-gilir kitorang pegi tengok.

Alhamdulillah, memang boleh nampak Tok sedang recover.

Mula-mula heart rate dia stabilize, no longer tachycardic.

Lepas tu blood pressure makin cantik.

Doctor transfered her to High Dependency Ward (kira tahap bawah sikit dari ICU). Arterial line comes out.

Lepas tu NG tube drain turns from bilous to clear. The NG tube comes out.

She was allowed sips of water.

Lama sikit, just before I left the HDW a couple of hours ago, dia dah start passing flatus. Bowel patency established. Esok insya Allah dah boleh makan pelan-pelan. Maybe even get transfered to the general ward.

Moments after this picture was taken, Tok yelled "Imraaaaaaann!!" Mungkin masa tu dia tengah merepek marah Imran sebab tinggal baju sekolah atas lantai (to Kedahans, merepek tu maksudnya mengigau). Tengah sakit pun masih semangat lagi keeping everyone else in line.

Masa tok bukak mata and saw me standing next to her, she said "Man makin lawa." Agaknya dia merepek jugak masa tu kot. Mana ada lawa, Tok. Man makin hensem! Heheheh.

Right now, I'm waiting for my flight back to Sandakan in 5 hours time. I have to go back to settle some paperwork (report duty 'naik pangkat' jadi MO).

I also have to move out from the house, among other things. Tuan rumah halau. Nak naikkan sewa kunun. Piiiirah! I found a much cheaper and better house.

Then Monday, balik ke KL again. This time for 2 weeks. This one I've been looking forward to. Banyak aktiviti nih. Ali a.k.a Ali Botak (gila redundant) akan melangsungkan perkahwinannya in the coming week. Guess who is the best man? ;-) Also I look forward to see Tok recovering. It's very rewarding to use the knowledge and skills I've learnt to treat a family member.

2 minggu cuti ni kena plan betul-betul. I can foresee the temptation of nasik kenduri (ada 5 kenduri I'm invited to), Tony Roma's, Pappa Rich, durian, heck, makanan yang masak kat rumah pun dah cukup irresistable.

Nak kena run nih. Jom explore tempat running yang tak pernah pegi.

12 May 2011

2011-05-12T19:44:00.000+08:00

It is another monumental day. A day that marks few milestones in my life. In ascending order:

I have left the triple D club. Yes. My weight is now in the double digit figure. With clothes on, today I tip the scale at 99.5kg. Probably weigh 99 with only the undies on. So I have in total lost 21kg since 17 January this year. Lets hope we can stay in this side of the fence for good. Still, a very long way to go.

The day also marks the completion of my second year in Sandakan. Which means today, I complete my Housemanship Training Program. I am no longer an intern. I am now an outern. Hahaha. Ok, ok. No such thing.

With the late Firdaus, a memorable patient who have fought kidney disease valiantly.

Two years of enslaving myself in a commitment that hopefully will last a lifetime. Have I learnt a lot? Hell yeah. In the greater scheme of things, is it much? Not really. In fact I barely scratched the surface.

So what does the future hold as a Medical Officer now? More enslavement. I say BRING IT!!

All these achievements will not be possible if not for one person. And 12 May also happens to be that person's birthday.

It's my mother's birthday!!

Happy Birthday Mak!

When I am your age and if I'm half as successful as you are right now, I will be very, very pleased, even if my eldest son is still helplessly single. Hahaha.

Homaigod! Besarnya aku. Mak, kita kena ambik gambar lagi sekali lah.

Borneo International Marathon = BIM = Bring It, Man!!

2011-05-07T02:56:00.003+08:00

It wasn't just the BIM. It was a one-week holiday, siap with interstate visit lagi.

Major draggy post with a lot of pictures.

I saved up a large chunk of my leave for this trip. Us housemen only get 8 days of leave every 4 months, and we work on weekends too. Talk about cheap labour. So as always, my cuti was a jamak (jamak, bukan jimak) of a lot of things into one.

This trip served as one of my goals for 'The Final Frontier', a getaway from work, and meeting and catching up with old friends (like literally old and longtime punya friends. Haha. Rizal jangan marah. You have more hair than I do, I give you that).

Holiday started early, 4 days before the run. It kicked with a 6-hour drive from Sandakan to Kota Kinabalu. I took a cup of coffee, the first one since February. Needless to say, I was singing like a wild gibbon in the car. Caffeine has this weird effect on me, you see.

I wasted no time and surveyed the running route once I reached KK. The next day was spent buying running rations (gels and what nots) and a new running shirt. Pretty boring stuff.

Stadium Likas. Starting and Finishing line.

Jalan Tun Fuad Stephen. Very scenic. Very hot!!

Second day in KK, picked Doc Hisyam up from the airport and had dinner with him. Doc taught me a lesson on how to order soda water at a bar in a very cool way. Actually, there's no way. Haha. We initially planned to go water rafting together but due to unforeseen circumstances, rafting day was changed and it clashed with my Miri trip. Takpe Doc. More reason to come back to KK ramai-ramai again.

Then on the third day I took a flight to Miri to meet Rizal, a very close friend, the keeper of skeletons in 1203 Jalan Rasah.

Clouds preferring land over water. I need to look about this stuff up in one of those geography website.

The person who designed Brunei is surely OCD about having everything aligned.

The person who designed Sarawak (and Sabah for that matter) is surely OCD about oil palm plantation (read: money).

Disembarking on a roofless portable stairs (or whatever you call it). Wearing an Iron Maiden t-shirt, rasa macam member of Iron Maiden turun dari Ed Force One.

We went to have sushi in Brunei. Rizal has this theory that economic superiority brings positive change to everything. Judging from how delicious sushi in Brunei is, I kinda agree. Sushi was too good, I didn't take any photos.

Then lepak on a beach near a supermarket that sells Tim Tam for $1.60 Brunei Ringgit. Economic superiority at work. It was a sunny day. Very sunny day.

Errr. I think I need to get a new pair of pants. This one is falling off my hip already. And wearing a Maiden t-shirt and posing with a coconut tree is.... wrong.

Dinner was at this place called 'Kinky Fat Chef Kitchen' or KFCK for short. This place is such a gila place to find. It's actually a house, located behind a few houses, in a housing area where you have to circle around to get to. Orang gila apa bukak kedai makan ulu-ulu macam nih! (Ekceli orang yang pergi kedai tu la yang gile sebenarnya)

They sell homemade burgers. They make their own meat patty and sauce. It's sedap gila, you know. Patut la kedai ulu-ulu pun orang pegi.

Rizal agrees.

As an homage to 1203 Jalan Rasah, we tried to boil water in a watermelon for breakfast.

An experiment me and Vijay pioneered.

Still failed though.

A movie and a quick goodbye, I bid Rizal farewell. Weh lepas ni kita gi cuti kat Ostrolia pulak.

Went back to KK and went straight to the Pasta Party organized by the BIM committee.

Do you see it? A lot of strong runners!

Here's a closer look:

Naahhhh harun. Badan ketul-ketul. Lean, mean running machine.

Tak cukup dengan tayang body, depa tayang baju. Marathon finisher. Ada yang pakai 84km finisher! I think finisher t-shirts should be banned when there is a gathering of more than 5 runners. Either that or during the next pre-run party, I'm gonna wear a t-shirt that says 'Massive Cock Down There'.

Sesi isi perut terus bertukar menjadi sesi kecut perut. I felt out of place. Didn't know anyone in person. Quite difficult to start a conversation because everyone was wearing this 'Haha. This guy? Running?' face.

Chewed onto some food kasi cukup syarat and left to have dinner some place else.

There were books going out cheap in Suria Sabah. Aaaaahhh. Paradise.

Went back to the place I was staying and started to set up for tomorrow.

Jam yang dihiasi dengan estimated time for each KM. In the end memang jadi perhiasan pun.

Woke up at 3:30am for the race. Don't forget your Vaseline.

Doing 'number 2' was damn frustrating that morning. Arrgghh. Apasal la tak berselera nak keluar. Had to run with few extra grams. Dah tengah-tengah lari baru la terasa. Terasa apa? Terasa nak berak la!

The next 5 pictures were cilok-ed from Doc Hisyam's blog.

The race was brilliantly organized. Pre-race instructions were clear, distance marker every kilometer, water stations every 2 kilometers. The route was designed in such a way that no matter how far back a runner is, there are always runners around. And volunteers! They even have volunteers to cheer you on! Amazing! People were chanting 'Bole bah kalau kau!!' while we were running.

Water stations serving 100Plus and mineral water. Supply was always enough. Two supply stations along the 21km route served bananas. I took a drive along the running route few hours after the run and all the mess was cleaned up. Not a single sign of a marathon taking place few hours earlier. Amazing job organizers!

Runners coming and going. A very fun atmosphere.

Did I tell you it's hot?

Yaaaaa. Itu dia. Running with a bottle in hand macam budak sekolah. Kalau tarik Ezi Bag, lengkap for back to school. The adidas climacool running shirt is awesome!! The technology that keeps you dry really works. Mana tak. Harga hampir sama dengan dua kali on call. Do you think they make climacool underwear?

I actually had a hydration pack belt on, tapi the tugging at the perut made is so tak selesa. In the end pegang jugak botol tu. The hydration pack became a useful device only masa nak 'ease myself'. So I had both hands free to manipulate the hosing apparatus to aim accurately.

Doc looks too good, so he had to sembunyi half his face when taking the photo, just so that I can outshine him for a moment. A very cool company to hang out with. Nanti balik KL kita pi Plan B Rock Kapak, Doc. Thanks Doc H for the pictures.

I was aiming for a sub 3 hours, but that was shooting for the moon lah. Kalau budget ikut training, memang ngam-ngam habis. Tapi tak pernah try pun. Kejadian sebenar 3:28:03 (official time) for a half marathon. Hahaha. Officially juga the last man crossing the finishing line within cut off. Read that. WITHIN cut off. Wow. That's a first. Selalu hujung-hujung dunia, mau dekat 4 jam. 4 jam tu orang buat full marathon.

I was actually off by 3 minutes at the first 4km. Lepas tu baru jumpa running pace yang dicari-cari. At U-turn, the time at hand was 1:34:++, kira memang ikut budget lah. Tapi sampai je 11 to 12th km, bonked gila. Terus run, walk, run, walk. Belasah je. Memang uncharted territories pun.

Consolation was I didn't experience any muscle cramps and was able to hold my hands up high and smile when crossing the finishing line. Kalau dulu, pedulik. Nak tercabut nyawa rasa.

Post race, terus cari tempat nak soru.

Marry Brown is soooo much better than KFC. I don't know why their chain is not as extensive. Marketing kot. Oit, Marry Brown. Here's a suggestion for your tagline. "Some people say our chicken tastes much better." Nah! All you need is one idiot to try your chicken and actually liking it, and the the word will spread virally. Serious ayam korang lagi sedap.

The next day jumpa Hady for dim sum breakfast at Karamunsing Capital. Kerja kat Hospital Kota Belud dia nih. On call boleh kata every night (doctors know what that translates to. Heheheh). So sekarang ni minum air pun kat Starbucks.

Hari Selasa baru drive balik ke Sandakan.

Driving into the clouds, macam my little pony.

Stopped at Kundasang for a breather. Fuuhh. Cantiknya. Cerah terang-benderang, tapi sejuk. Kalau dapat minum Teh Boh mesti best.

Entrance to Kinabalu Park.

Asyik berjalan sorang je. Tak bosan ke?

340km and 6 hours of driving back. Enjoyed every km of it. Sapa cakap jalan kat Sabah tak bagus? Korang je bad drivers, tak tau nak appreciate jalan.

It was an awesome 7-day trip. Could have actually done more, but who is keeping count?

With the conclusion of BIM, I've checked all my goals in 'Final Frontier'. Is it really the end? Of course not! Kita set goal baru la. Blueprint tengah... errr... printing.

Last one to mark an achievement on the Final Frontier album. Training resumes... errr... soon.

Malam tu tido pakai finisher t-shirt. Maklumlah, first time muat pakai finisher t-shirt without having to sedut perut.

JUST BRING IT!

2011-04-30T22:04:00.000+08:00

Kit set up, hydration pack loaded. Time to sleep. Tomorrow, WE BRING IT!!!

Route Recce di KK.

2011-04-28T23:12:00.005+08:00

Sampai KK semalam. Stay rumah kawan.

Pagi tadi pegi recce jalan. Ikut route map yang post sebelum-sebelum ni.

Jalan memang flat habis. Peluang yang sangat bagus untuk ditinggalkan di belakang sekali.

Half marathon starts at 5:30am. By 6:15am, sini dah terang. 7am dah terik gila baban.

So? So panas la! Route tu only about 20%-30% je covered dengan pokok. The rest is jalan togel.

A 'short' stretch between KM 7 and 8 is a 3-lane highway.

Probably the best thing is at just before KM 14, at the Tanjung Aru Resort entrance. Sana ada man-made waterfall. So tengah-tengah panas, boleh mandi situ.

The hardest part is probably the last 2km. Memang not covered. Time tu mesti dah panas gila. Pasang booster left, right, center pun, ntah bergerak ke tidak.

Aih. Biar betiq aku ni. Bawak kereta pun naik penat. Kalau lari, ntah apa la yang naik.

Apa-apa hal, Abang Rock cakap, JUST BRING IT!!

Abang Rock pun nampak tak convincing jek. "Iye ke dop, mung ni, Mang? Keng yu smel wak de rok is kuking?"

Worldwide Pants

2011-04-26T22:41:00.004+08:00

As I was (still am) packing for my trip to KK, I came across something I had not seen for quite a while.

My pants before I began my 'Final Frontier'. With much malu tersipu-sipu, those are with a 46-inch waist. Got a few pair of those before coming to Sandakan.

I use to fit snuggly in them. Colours pun buleh tahan. Black, beige and brown. Konon jejaka terkini lah.

Taadaa! Sekarang sesuai dibuat pakaian untuk anak-anak yang baru berkhatan. Roomy dan anti-friction.

I think it is time I let go of my past and brace for a better, healthier future.

Good bye pants. I will miss you, I wish you well and I hope to never see you again. :)

To those who are geared to change your life, I endorse it 100%. Borrowing from what Simon Cross has said, don't wait for Monday, don't wait for a new month, DO IT NOW!

And get ready for a brand new discovery! Hahaha. Gambar ni memang WINRAR capub kuasa dua. Haha.

To Kota Kinabalu with a mission!!

You Are Always On My Mind

2011-04-24T23:56:00.003+08:00

Tiap-tiap hari, sebelum tidur, aku mesti spend at least seminit dua pikir pasal benda ni. Boleh ke habis? Sempat ke habis? Habis tu nanti berdiri ke merangkak? Or naik lori sapu? Or naik teksi? Ahooo!

Dan setiap malam jugak, aku akan jawab semua persoalan tu dengan "Ah, bedal aje lah!" Atau dalam bahasa omputehnya, "Just bring it!" Heheh. Perasan The Rock kejap.

Hari ni sepanjang hari tak senang duduk. Logged on to mapmyrun.com and did this:

Borneo International Half Marathon Route.

Map is available here for public view.

Elevation is negligible. Total gain is 56m for the whole stretch of 21km. Any flatter, it can be used as a landing strip.

3D flyover map tengah loading.

Malam ini mungkin tidur dibuai mimpi (ngeri).

The Final Frontier World Tour, Finally

2011-04-19T23:29:00.005+08:00

Terlupa pulak nama blog ni azmanrocks.

Yaaa. It means Azman listens to Rock. Ini kali rock yang keras sikit. Keras sampai jadi besi. Dan besi itu logam, dan logam itu METAL!!

This has been delayed far too long, but the excitement of that night can still be felt.

The Iron Maiden.

I saw them live. It was surreal. It was unbelievable.

This is an account of the trip that started it all. In some ways, this journey changed my life.

15 Feb 2011. I will never forget that date. The day started with a super smooth taxi ride to KL Sentral. Smooth sebab hari tu public holiday. Journey partner is metalhead Ismail, member sekolah, juga ahli geng Meggi Goreng Bukit Indah. At the airport met Doc Hisyam, who was also flying to Singapore to catch Iron Maiden.

First meal dekat Singapore. Nasi Beriyani Zam Zam. Naik MRT, lepas tu jalan kaki semata-mata nak makan kat sini. There is a mosque opposite the restaurant, so singgah semayang Zuhur + Asar jama'. Elok tengah pakai kasut nak chow, azan Asar berkumandang. On the way out ada pakcik tegur "Jom semayang sekali." Errr... macam mana aku nak jawab kat pakcik ni aku dah semayang. Ah main jawab je la. Dengan baju hitam Iron Maiden berkepala syaitan, aku tak rasa dia percaya. Haha.

At the stadium, met with this crazy group of metalheads. They have been lining up since the previous night! Nampaknya bukan aku sorang je Iron Maiden fan yang juga merupakan seorang geek tersohor.

Haaaa. Benda ni aku memang tak puas hati. LAMC (the organizer) apparently managed the entrance for Pen A ticker holders (read: tiket yang paling mahal malam tu) very very poorly. Mula-mula kitorang dah beratur dekat satu area, which in the end memang entrance yang sebenar pun. Tapi signage merapu-meraban. No one had any idea where to line up.

So they make us tukar tempat beratur lagi. Semua rushing nak line up depan sekali.

Lepas tu tukar lagi! Suruh pulak beratur belakang barricade kuning tu.

Tunggu punya tunggu punya tunggu. Berapa lama mau tunggu daaa.

Mael pun dah naik bosan.

Still waiting. Sampai botak brader depan aku.

Lepas tu, suruh lagi tukar tempat beratur kat luar!! Anak harun betul.

Last-last sekali, with all the beratur and shifting, ORANG YANG BERATUR BELAKANG YANG MASUK DULU!!! Aku rasa metalheads kat Singapore and Malaysia ni memang dari breed yang sopan santun ah. Kalau tah, memang lama dah kena hentak organizer nih (pergh, ayat ganaz!).

But all the frustrations subsided once we got into the concert hall. The opening band was already playing. Rise To Remain, headed by Bruce Dickinson's son. Tapi tak layan la metalcore ni. Can't even make out the lyrics. Vocals semua bunyi 'OOORRRRHHH OOORRRHH ORRHHH OOOORRRRHHHHHHH!!!!!!' je. Masa mula-mula masuk, agak terkebelakang jugak la.

Punya ramai makhluk!

Mael dah penat tunggu. Sesi karaoke masa lining up kat luar, sape tak penat oi.

Tapi kepenatan tu hilang once Satellite 15 started playing. Satellite 15 was played from a recording track. Can't help to think how majorly awesome it is if it was played live. Semua start angkat tangan, falshing the devil horn sign.

Few moments later, THE IRON MAIDEN HAS ARRIVED!! Surreal. Bruce, Steve, Adrian, Janick, Dave and Nicko were right in front of my eyes! First song was The Final Frontier. What an epic opening.

Look closely at Bruce. He loves that spot, right in front of the bass drum. Agaknya best rasa gegaran kat situ.

Dance of Death. The first song that made the crowd go 'OOOOO OOOO OOO OOOOOOO!!!' This song is like an incantation. Macam wiseman atas bukit tengah baca jampi.

The Trooper! Nah!! Makan bendera nih!

When the Wild Wind Blows. Intro yang mellow, siap boleh duduk lagi. Lagu ni best. One of my favourites from the new album.

"Yaa.. Yaaa.. Tima kasseeyyy!"

This is as close as I got to the stage. About 10 people away. I can't push any further. Steve Harris looking good!

"Scream for me, Singapore!!"

This picture was taken close to the song "Fear of The Dark". By far, the best song from Iron Maiden to me. The sing-a-long "OOO OOO OOO OOO OOO OO OOOOOO!!!" makes you feel you're a part of the band. No pictures taken during the song. Too busy melayan head banging.

This was during encore. Hallowed Be Thy Name. Excellent excellent excellent.

Mael akhirnya muka puas hati.

Bersantai kat Changi Airport. The most comfortable reclining chair I've ever sat on.

Photos from Mael's camera:

Jumpa je group pakai baju Maiden, stop amik gambar. Diorang ni dari KL.

Bruce Dickinson

Steve Harris.

Dave Murray

Janick Gers!!

The only picture with Nicko McBrain's face. Tuuu ha belakang drum set tu.

Adrian Smith.

Muka puas hati plus plus plus.

Pemenang award baju paling unique. No one else wore this print on that day.

Abang-abang metal from Penang. Nampak ganazzssxxx. Baik hati je semua orang ni.

Nasi Beriyani Imam. Kat sebelah backpackers hostel. Mantap. Ehem, notice gua minum air kosong aje ye. Prinsip mesti ditegakkan.

It was the anticipation of this concert that made me start eating healthy, running regularly and generally lead a more healthy, sustainable life. The Final Frontier aptly captures this journey. This is My Final Frontier. It's either this, or nothing at all.

It was an experience of a lifetime. Thank you, Iron Maiden. Through the hardest times and the lowest lows, your songs have pulled me out of the slums of darkness and kept my going further.

UP THE IRONS!!!!

11 April 2011

2011-04-17T16:32:00.004+08:00

11 April lays many marks this year.

It's the first time I ran a 6 min 30 sec pace, the fastest I ever run (yeah, yeah. I know people who warm up with 6:30 pace).

It's also the day I accumulatively lost 17kg. 17 is my favourite number, along with 3.142... and 1.618.... No secret I have been weighing myself. Comparing pictures doesn't work as good indicating weight loss when every photos now look almost alike.

And most of all, it's the day I turn 28.

Happy Birthday me!!

The effort of holding a 6:30 pace can be seen with the amount of perspiration.

Okay. Enough of that. Time to hit the road!

Satu Sudah Kena. Lain Bila Lagi?

2011-04-03T18:17:00.004+08:00

Di Ampang, Selangor, terdapat sebuah kawasan perumahan bernama Taman Bukit Indah. Di Bukit Indah, ada sebuah restoran menjual makanan ala mamak. Restoran tersebut diberi nama Restoran Bukit Indah Food Corner (dah restoran nak food corner lagi). Salah seorang pekerja di restoran ini bernama Rakesh (atau Arkesh, bergantung seberapa 'high' mamat tu sewaktu bekerja, biasanya waktu lewat malam, dia lebih 'high'). Rakesh ni biasanya menjadi pelayan tetap bagi satu kumpulan remaja yang digelar 'Geng Meggi Goreng Bukit Indah' jika dia bekerja pada shift itu.

Geng Meggi Goreng ini terdiri daripada mamat-mamat sekolah di sebuah sekolah di Kampung Pandan. Ketuanya juga adalah bekas presiden PAISAB. Sebenarnya geng ni takde ketua, tapi sebab dia yang selalu bawak kereta ambik semua orang, dia adalah de facto leader. Dah nama pun bekas presiden PAISAB. Jangan main-main. Dia ada kuasa untuk mengharamkan tarian poco-poco dan tarian yang seangkatan dengannya.

Dari umur 17 tahun hinggalah kini, ahli geng ini hanya bertambah tua dari segi kronologi sahaja. Pada dasarnya, ahli-ahlinya hanyalah lelaki-lelaki gasar moden, yang berkaca mata dan menggunakan peranti teknologi informasi untuk memburu torrent wayang-wayang perang dan siri F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

Hinggalah tiba hari ini.

Salah seorang ahli Geng Meggi Goreng telah melangkah ke alam dewasa (walaupun dia telah bersunat berbelas tahun lebih awal). Ahli permastautin tetap Taman Bukit Indah ini telah mempelopori bidang eksplorasi, kajian dan pembangunan rumahtangga.

"Baris! Barissss sedia!!!" pekik ketua komandan Rumah Temenggung.

"Kopi RADIX! Gerenti best!" yakin presiden PAISAB.

Tahniah diucapkan kepada Ikhwan a.k.a. Hadi kerana berjaya melepasi tembok psikologi sindrom tua-tapi-tak-sedar-diri. Sori aku tak dapat datang. Servis sampan Sandakan-KL tergendala akibat sampan bocor dicucuk landak yang diseludup dari Filipina.

Semoga bidang yang diceburi kini mendatangkan seribu satu makna baru dalam kehidupan seharian dan selamanya.

Perhatian: Insiden sindrom yang disebut nampaknya telah mula surut satu per satu. Bulan depan ada lagi ahli geng yang bakal mendaftar untuk program yang sama.

Heh heh heh.

Two Months

2011-03-20T18:59:00.003+08:00

This will be very brief.

Here is my 2-months report card.

In the last few runs, I ran with few other people. It's nice, because running with others push you to go faster (ego boost la katakan). But I also realized that I'm not that strong. My running buddies siap boleh lompat-lompat, running sideways, bersembang macam biasa, and I was hanging on to dear life macam nak putus nyawa. Haih. Still a long way to go.

And in the last two months, I've only worked out on the average once every 2 days. I could definitely do better. So that's a plus point. At current pace, I think I've made good progress, and there is still a lot of room for improvement.

This injury that I'm having, it's a tough thing to shake, but it's getting better.

One thing that I find exhausting is sticking to the plan. Simon Cross calls it the Mojo. I'm slowly losing it. Working out is starting to become an effort, and results are trickling in (not that I'm monitoring closely). It's still fun, but not as fun. At one point it all happened naturally. Now I find that I'm dragging myself. I'm halving the frequency of my meals, halving the portion of the meals I take, and to be frank, I miss a good can of ice-cool Coca Cola.

I was walking around the house today and noticed this:

Ye. Periuk atas katil. I had popcorn for lunch. Plain, unsweetened, unsalted, no butter popcorn mind you (I also had tuna, so don't worry, I'm not starving myself). I don't dare pointing the camera the other way because the house is a complete wreck. If I leave stuff around for another 2 weeks, a new species of amphibian will emerge from the trash bin.

I think I will have a normal dinner tonight. A normal portion nasi goreng kampung with sup ayam and cold water. Yeah, I'm still sticking with the no-refined sugar diet.

Gotta find that Mojo back.

Here Comes 6 Again

2011-03-12T22:22:00.002+08:00

Borneo International Marathon will be 6 weekends away. That's excluding this weekend as I am currently in my favourite phase of training called 'rest', enduring my least favourite part of training called 'injury' and 'falling sick'.

In my last 2 runs, I really took it hard. The former run, I did my fastest run ever [(I think) which is still relatively slow] and the latter run, I ran the longest since.... since... 4 years ago maybe.

In between those two, I was down with a fever, and at the moment, I'm nursing two painful knees, which I think is caused by bursitis. Things are okay when I walk, but when I kneel in prayer or walk down the stairs, my knees feel like bursting.

Bursitis is no good. It means I'm going too fast, too soon, and I don't have much time left!

Poetically, I was brewing a new training strategy while sipping tea - without sugar of course - in a teahouse (very the orang puteh). Harap-harap menjadi lah.

Solution to my problems are:

Drop more weight
Do stretching exercises everyday
Core muscles strengthening 3 times a week
Tempo running on weekdays
Distance running on weekends (Sandakan gets less daylight. It's pitch black by 6:30pm. Work ends at 5. That's major bummer)
Low-cal, low-fat, high-protein, good quality carbohydrate, once-a-day diet. Fruit snacks when I'm hungry.

No pictures today, the laptop just recovered from a flu as well and I'm still putting stuff into place. Everything's a mess. But here's a video:

Iron Maiden - The Wicker Man

Something I listen to again and again when running.

"Your time will come! Your time will come!"

I'm sure Bruce meant 'your time will come when we throw you into the fire', but having him operatically scream it out repeatedly, kind of revs you up.

6 is a Beautiful Number

2011-03-01T23:57:00.003+08:00

This is going to be short and simple. It's late and thinking of stringing words to make is sound nice is, well, tiring.

It's been 6 weeks since I embarked on my journey to self-improvement whereby I vehemently put my foot down and vow to pedantically bla bla bla bla... *simple words.... simple words...*

Anyway, it's week 6 and this is my progress so far.

The tummy is getting smaller. Chest is also flatter. The hips don't lie, those are still big.

You should also guess by now that I'm a big fan of Adidas, and I don't have much running attire to go around.

And, yes, I have registered for Borneo International Marathon, signing up for 21km event. What have I done.

Training starts today. 60 days to go.

Oh by the way, IRON MAIDEN IN SINGAPORE WAS AWESOME!!!!!

SCREAM FOR ME, SINGAPORE!!!!!!!!!!! AAAARRRRHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Iron Maiden Countdown

2011-02-08T23:31:00.003+08:00

Around this time next week, I will probably be riding the high of watching Iron Maiden live. Yes. I'll be in Singapore next week to witness a historic event; Iron Maiden concert, live for the very first time in South East Asia.

The Giant of The New Wave of British Heavy Metal will be coming in for a landing in Singapore this coming Tuesday.

Raise your Goblet of Rock and pay tribute to the Titans of Heavy Metal.

UP THE IRONS!!

The Thing That Re-Ignited It All

2011-02-07T19:47:00.006+08:00

NB: A lengthy, wordy post. If this is not your cup of tea, at least read the quoted article between the asterisks.

Today I managed a 5-km run, the longest I've ran in the last three years. Before that (during Seremban days), 5km was staple. In fact, I was lightest during my time in Seremban, weighing only double digit at one point.

Housemanship really ruined that lifestyle. Ironically, working in the healthcare industry can be a very unhealthy way of living. Work starts early, finishes late and you never have time to eat. Difficult people are always around, sucking the good life out of you, leaving behind a tired, moody, hungry and angry person.

At that point, when time is limited, companionship is non-existent, support is scarce and rationalization able to defy logic, people (well, at least me) will turn to what has always been a true friend, a loyal companion during thick or thin; food.

Large portions, fatty, savory, high-calorie, comfort food was the order of most days. I remember shopping for provisions and ditching anything that is labelled 'low-fat' or 'low-sugar' and carting those with 'extra creamy' and 'free 25%' on the packaging. Somehow, irresponsible eating helps.

Once I was sitting in Pizza Hut alone with two regular pizza in front of me, each with different toppings, chicken wings on the side, while saying to myself 'Hambik kau! Kerja macam nak gila. Time to balas dendam!' And since revenge is a dish best served cold, the session ended with an ice-blended mango yogurt frappucino.

I wasn't really sure to whom the vengeful thought was for, but something did pay the price; my body.

Under the false reassurance of 'good' food yields good mind and body, I soldiered on with a spoon in my right hand and a fork in my left. Yes I felt good after every meal, but dread on calls and worse, post calls. My stamina and endurance was severely affected, so much so I became the only person who openly embraced post-call shift pm (those who've worked in the Emergency Department will have an idea what this is). Basically it's a choice where you work the same hours, but waste one day with the benefit of a short rest. I needed the rest because my body can't take the stress. Others could take it, and they easily work and still get to live the day. My body was a mess. I was 'injured'.

Almost a year and a half of that, and I regained whatever weight I've lost during my first few months here (housemen anywhere, starting with any posting will shed some weight during the first 3 to 4 months of working life).

Then come January, where it all began to take a turn. I was sitting in Pizza Hut (ironically) having my dinner while catching up on my reading. I had the November 2010 copy of Men's Health in front of me and was reading the editor's note. What Dave Zinczenko wrote made my heart skipped a beat. I wasn't able to finish my cheese-laden dinner after that. Zinczenko wrote:

* * * * *

Imagine that some crazed fashion designer created a magical tunic—a hideous garment of grotesquerie, a Technicolor Nightmare Coat—that caused debilitating physical effects on anybody who wore it.

Now imagine that wearing this jacket doubled your risk of heart disease, increased your risk of diabetes by more than 1,000 percent, and tripled your chances of becoming impotent. And that it also boosted your chances of dying of cancer by 62 percent while at the same time increasing your risk of asthma, osteoarthritis, and high blood pressure. Imagine that once you donned this toxic tunic, it locked itself onto your body like a straitjacket, and escaping from it would take years of hard work and deprivation and possibly even expensive, dangerous surgery.

Now imagine that this tunic was so cheap and readily available that a third of Americans were already wearing one, and another third had it on order. Oh, and these killer coats had one more negative: They were universally recognized as being unattractive.

Now imagine the craziest thing of all: that when the government stepped in to sew a label on the garment warning consumers that this clothing could kill, an enormous backlash erupted and the blogosphere was filled with angry people defending their right to wear the magic ugly suit and

An insane fantasy, perhaps. But if you saw this chaotic state of affairs as the result not of demented fashion choices but of a series of poor food choices, then you'd be living in America, circa 2010. In a world where a third of us are already obese and another third are well on the way, we're seeing a backlash against labels on food. Monsanto, Cargill, and other giant food companies are funding "grassroots" movements to argue that the government shouldn't meddle in our diets; they're also fighting attempts to require calorie counts on fast-food menus. And we have a fat-acceptance movement that's arguing that discrimination—and not the physical effects of a corrupted food system—is the real problem overweight people face.

This month, author Richard Conniff takes on the "embrace the bulge" movement in his feature "I Hate Fat People." If you winced just reading that title, then Conniff has already made his point: Antifat bias is the last refuge of acceptable prejudice. But just how wrong is that prejudice? And just where is the line between accepting obesity as a physical problem and treating it as though it's just another lifestyle option?

I'm not saying you should hate fat people. You shouldn't hate anyone. But loving your fellow men means pointing out when they're harming themselves—and showing them a better way.

As for you and me? Well, we need to go out and make our own fashion choices.

* * * * *

And just like that, a spark ignited the long lost flame. Cue 'Gonna Fly Now' from Rocky (click 'play' for dramatic effect).

What Zinczenko wrote was sincere and it brought me down to reality. My experience working in a hospital, seeing patients who could have survived and lived longer if only they've made the right choice years earlier, cemented that reality.

If Dave Zinczenko's article at least makes you question your eating and physical activity habit, then he and I have done our job. If the article inspires you and in the long run changes you, then it's a job well done. I hope this article will land the same effect to you, dear readers, as it did to me. To those who are looking for the moment for things to kick start, I hope this is it. So what's your 'fashion' choice?

The Greatest of All Time

2011-01-31T18:44:00.006+08:00

Sandakan was hit by a spell of continuous rain for the last 4 days. Much of those time was spent indoors as driving posed the hazard of getting your car stuck in the mud flood. So much so I walked to a restaurant for dinner (something I've never done and should do more often).

Those time spent at home, I was doing research (read: google, wikipedia and youtube search) on Muhammad Ali, one of the world's greatest boxer.

What intrigued me most was that his career took off after he won the gold medal in the light heavyweight boxing in the 1960 Olympics. Underline, caps lock; AFTER.

After winning his first World Heavyweight Championship title in 1964, Ali kept on pushing the limit, attempting to prove that he is the best in what he does and succeeding. Yes, during his fighting days, Ali was loud and annoying but that was his persona. He boldly claims that he's the greatest 'until he's about 50, then maybe others will stand a chance to get him'.

"Everybody stop talking now. Attention!"

Here is a man, who knows no limit. A man, whose balls probably weigh 20 kilos, who used the Olympics as a stepping stone. A stepping stone! The Olympics! Insane or what!? Ali's life story is truly inspirational.

For a quick motivation-in-a-box, watch the movie Ali, released in 2001 starring Will Smith as Muhammad Ali and directed by Michael Mann.

Here is a soundtrack from the movie, which also happens to be one of the best song I've heard probably in the last 5 years or so:

Week-1 Report Card

2011-01-25T18:55:00.006+08:00

So I've been running regularly for the last one week, eating healthily and eating less, giving up on drinks with calories, getting enough sleep and brushing my teeth regularly. Here is a boost of motivation and maybe a bit of bragging rights.

Any difference? OK la. Tiny bit of bragging rights only la.

I didn't weigh myself because I think weighing scale is evil.

Indeed I feel much better. I feel more energetic. Runs are less painful the day after. My back hurts less. And I don't get hungry even when eating less.

Lets see how long I can keep this going.

Blue Suede Shoes

2011-01-17T18:38:00.002+08:00

I have started running again. Nothing big. A small 1.5km uphill. Macam nak terputus urat perut. Now enjoying a glass of ice-cool air kosong (I've also given up drinks with calories, sigh).

Short term aim: To be able to head bang during Iron Maiden concert in February without tiring myself out.

Mid term aim: Half marathon in Borneo International Marathon in May 2011.

Long term aim: Not die of acute coronary syndrome or cerebrovascular accident. Four months working in Emergency Department, I've seen enough.

A Quick Recap

2011-01-05T00:20:00.009+08:00

It's been a while since anything was written here. Indeed I've been out of touch with those who frequent here (not saying there are many, but ada lah sekerat dua).

The 'I'm back' I wrote previously doesn't mean I'm back home in KL for good. I'm still in Sandakan. I'm back resurrecting this blog.

To do justice to those time lost, here is a quick update on things that has happened in the last one year or so.

Started work in Sandakan in April 2009. Here is some of the first large batch of house officers. 28 of us when this picture was taken (some were not in the picture). Now there are well over 60. Very happy the family is growing. Less work to do. They train us well here. Almost everyone is capable of doing a spinal surgery.

Here is the Male Medical Ward (MMW), my favourite ward.

MMW on a good day.

Work has been insane. I think I devote 70% of my life to work and another 20% to things related to work, up to a level where self-sacrificing becomes self-destructive. Looking at the big picture doesn't really help when the system is far from perfect. The poster of who's who in the Health Ministry has become my personal Most Wanted poster. So I go micro; change the world, one patient at a time.

This is my house. It's an old apartment. Probably built in the 70's. This picture was taken during the early days. The house is cleaner and more organized now, I think.

And whatever precious free time I have, I tried to make full use of. Here are some hobbies I tried (and for the most part, fail to maintain):

Woodworking.

Working out, which didn't work out.

Taking pictures. This is, in my opinion, the best photo I've taken (see, I told you I fail at so many things). Black and white photos memang best. Tak payah risau pasal warna-warna.

Collecting CDs. Original aje ye. This is becoming successful as it is frustrating, because CDs are expensive.

Becoming a foodie. It's quite hard to do this because I keep going to the same place and eat the same food. This is ikan bakar from the *ehem* world-famous Pasar Sim-Sim Ikan Bakar. Ikan Bolu rocks yo!

Tried the travelling thing. It doesn't come naturally to me. The only good thing about travelling is that you're far away from the work place. This is me having an epiphany while being hoisted on a parachute and pulled by a speed boat. Every human being should try parasailing. It's the utmost serene experience you'll ever get (without breaking a sweat).

A lot of things has happened outside my own tempurung.

Brother got married. Game over.

Another brother got married. Another game over.

Best friend got married. Yeah. Also over.

And where was I when all these happened?

Curi lauk pengantin la.

And remember my sister who got married few years ago? She became a mommy, thus I became an uncle!

This is baby Michaelangelo. He's well on his way to becoming a ninja. I can't remember his real name because I keep calling him Michaelangelo.

And it's amazing amidst all these hustle and bustle, I still manage to spend quality time with my...

Family:

Friend:

And more friends:

And also animal:

I've finally managed to like cat. Now at least I can look at one and not feel like giving it a good kick or stepping on its tail. This is Gila. Yes. I call it Gila because unlike other cats that jump when you wiggle something in front of them, Gila jumps at nothing. I think he's schizophrenic. Just look at it. He's definitely psych ward material.

So there. A year or so worth of update. And it's 2011.

Let's kick-start this year with a BANG! Wooot!

This picture is wrong at so many levels.

The Final Frontier

2010-12-06T02:04:00.004+08:00

It has been too long, far too long.

I'm back.

Best Advice

2009-10-06T01:21:00.002+08:00

It's been a while since I rode a bike. And it's been decades since I last ran (gilak!).

Today I read a comment on a facebook photo and instantly the spark came back.

Probably I was too ambitious and trying (to look) too hard previously that everything burned out and semua benda masuk angin keluar asap.

It's supposed to be a long-term, life-altering thing. Not a one-time glory schmlory.

It's an advice given by a triathlete who has always been on high gear when it comes to training to another person who has recently been introduced to triathlon.

I found the advice applies to everyone.

To Ishsal, you make more sense than those tri/cycling books out there combined.

Read what he had to say:

"Ok bro, now that your first milestone is over yesterday, its time for balanced workouts. Emphasis on swim and bike 75-80% and rest run. Reason is swim is non impact and takes long to build efficiency. But damn good cardio and total body workout head to toe. Bike is also non impact and grt cardio. Plus you need lots more confidence/handling skills there.

Run is very important but since you may have knee etc issues, the next few mths put more emphasis on cardio via swim and bike. Hopefully after body parts strengthen via those, will have less chances to obtain injury in run training and races. Since you have a gym, best to run more on threadmill to begin with. Softer on joints.

I found in my first year 07 had lots of leg issues from run. Only when it strengthened in 08 that I could run (not faster) with no issues of recovery/injury after.

Take time, don't rush it. Wanna be doing this till 65 if we harbour dreams of that ticket to Kona :p"

That's it lah. Imma packing my running shoes when I come back home this weekend.

Oh yah. Did I tell you I'm coming back on the 10th? :P

Maiden Medical On Call

2009-10-01T13:22:00.001+08:00

Tonight will be my first medical on call.

A tribute to a maiden ride.

Hopefully I'd be able to sleep when it's 2 minutes to midnight.

Today is Very Testing.

2009-09-05T15:56:00.003+08:00

Yesterday I was post call. Couldn't go back early because patients in isolation ward needed reviewing. Buka puasa with nasik hospital and ikan hospital and sayur hospital. Only had one glass of air bandung and one glass of mysterious green cordial.

Came back home, absolutely tired. Fell asleep the very moment I lie down in bed.

Woke up today at 4:50am. Sahur finishes at 4:45 am.

Damn.

Memang terasa macam tak nak puasa. Tapi takpe, pergi je kerja, mana tau kerja tak banyak, tak la penat mana pun.

Kerja banyak.

Sambil kerja ada lagi admission.

The dehydration, hypoglycaemia, ketosis. The whatever crap cough I'm having since last week. Memang aku rasa macam nak mati. To the patients yang aku marah hari ni (and sorang yang aku marah kaw kaw), aku mintak maaf (tak guna pun aku tulis ni pasal diorang bukan baca pun. Saje je nak sedapkan hati).

And work wasn't easy. MO on call was a 'difficult' one. Easy work becomes difficult. Difficult work becomes impossible.

On top of that I cheated myslef.

To work faster, I said if I get back home before 2pm, I can buka puasa with that bottle of Pepsi Twist in the fridge.

To keep fasting, I went back late anyway.

Every drop of that 1.5L ice-cold Pepsi Twist is still in the fridge.

Aku tengah bergelimpangan tangan dan kaki atas katil sambil kipas berdiri sedang meniup full blast direct air flow.

Apasal la puasa ni susah.

Selamat Hari Kemerdekaan Malaysia yang ke-52

2009-08-31T00:00:00.002+08:00

Selamat la hendaknya.

Aku tak merdeka. Merdeka Day aku on call.

Updates? Nanti lah. Takde apa nak cerita. Hari-hari bangun, gi kerja, buat kerja, balik kerja, tido. And makan bila-bila teringat nak makan. Nak update apa sangat lah pun.

H1N1 sucks by the way. And the condition is only gonna get worse. The first wave is dying off, but many predict there will be a second coming. And it will hit harder.

Wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze and wear a 3-ply mask.

People say it's no more dangerous than the ordinary influenza virus, but say that to me again after you've worked in the isolation ward, with H1N1 positive patients standing right in front of you. Ketaq lutut beebbb. Aku pakai 3-ply mask 3 lapis, effectively making it a 9-ply mask.

Aku dah la ada co-morbidities. Asthmatic and obesity. Muaahaha. Habih la.

There's Just Something About Me and KFC

2009-08-17T16:52:00.002+08:00

I'm online with the very first laptop I bought using my own money, and I'm using the free WiFi in KFC. There's just something about me and KFC.

More to come.

My Parents Came to See Me

2009-08-03T20:24:00.002+08:00

Last weekend my parents came to see me.

They came with tok and my youngest brother.

They brought a lot of things. Toto mattress, fried peanuts and even durian.

Whoa man. Durian in Sandakan is such a luxury item. I gobled a few straight away. I didn't even bother to clean my mouth.

When people in Sandakan smell my durian breath, they know I mean business.

We had a lot of fun. Dinner on the day they arrived was in Pizza Hut.

Nice right?

Coming all the way here and had pizza as their first meal. Of course ikan bakar wasn't always available at 9PM.

We went to Sepilok to see the orangutans.

The pictures you see on the postcards are rip-offs. Those close ups are the works of huge camera lenses.

The truth is you can only look at the orangutan from far, and I mean very far.

The trip to the souvenir shop was actually more exciting.

It was a truly makan visit. We had lunch at Sim Sim Ikan Bakar twice.

Dinner was in Ocean King, a very famous restaurant in Sandakan made popular by a very famous Egyptian. Heheh.

Other than makan, we did what we normally do. Fart jokes, underwear jokes. Normal family stuff.

2-day trip was very short indeed. My heart was very heavy as I send them back to the airport.

I bid farewell to my family, stretching my neck high as they walk into the boarding gate, getting a good look and trying to catch every last glimpse of them.

As I walk back to the car, the cool night breeze agreed with my mood.

Turning on the engine, re-adjusting the air-con blower directing each one to me, I asked myself, "when will I adjust these blowers again for my parents?"

I turned on the radio, Coldplay was playing.

Fix You.

Damn you, Chris Martin.

I couldn't see the road driving back home.

Lagi-lagi Jam 3 Pagi

2009-07-17T03:40:00.002+08:00

On call lagi.

EOD.

Benci.

Sakit hati.

Mengantuk toksah cerita-ceriti.

Aku tengok patient, patient sengih tayang gigi.

Aku pening, muntah keluar air kopi.

Haih, entah la labi.

Sape suruh jadi doktor, baik jadi orang jual DVD.

Business tak bagus, balik rumah enjoy sendiri.

Ha ha ha. Hi hi hi.

Patah gigi tinggal gusi.

Ada new admission kemari.

Klinik ibu dan anak tak pernah pergi.

Tak perasan ke perut tu dah besar macam ba**?

Apasal asyik dok rumah tengok TV?

Stress. Frust. Lagi dan lagi.

Arrrgghhh!!! Mana aku punya syrup MMT!!!??

Jam 3 Pagi di Hospital Duchess of Kent

2009-06-20T03:10:00.002+08:00

Halo everibadi!!!

Mind the excitement, I had coffee today. To those who know me very well know that I'm very very sensitive to coffee. I'm so jittery, I have to press backspace every 10 letters.

Currently still using the PC in the sister's room. I'm on call tonight. Admissions are ok. Crazy things happen here in Sandakan. Too many things happen in fact. So much so, the MOs here are pretty cool when handling 'crisis'.

Just an hour ago I was in the labour room taking care of a mother in labour. Her CTG (some fetal monitoring device la) was not so nice. To those who know CTG, it was showing fetal bradycardia, type 1 deceleration that drops down to 65bpm (!!!) and lasts for nearly 3 minutes. Os was only 7 cm (!!!!!!!!).

Back in Seremban or Batu Pahat, people will be jumping up and down trying to hasten the labour. Here, 'wait and see' is observed like eating food, especially by the MOs. I informed my MO near 2am about the patient, she, just woke up from sleep (grumpy of course) came into the labour room, took a look, and was very calm about it. She put on her glove, did vaginal examination, korek-korek sikit. 15 minutes later, the baby came out.

Amazing.

Pernieum intact.

Double amazing.

And talking about opportunities. Here we get that a lot. Studying in Seremban and Batu Pahat, I've only seen 2 eclampsia (pregnancy-induced seizure) in 4 years. Here, I see 2 in less than 24 hours. Happening right in front of my eyes.

Of course things here aren't too rosy. It goes both ways. There are good MOs, there are bad MOs. There are nice MOs, and there are the not so nice ones. But what the heck. That's life. Just chill and enjoy the ride lah.

I better get some sleep while I can. Esok boleh balik after morning rounds. Woot woot. Sim Sim Ikan Bakar here I come!!!!

Aaarrgghhh!! A referral just came in. Prolonged second stage of labour. Gotta go!

Zee Avi, Will You Marry Me?

2009-05-29T14:17:00.001+08:00

A Very Quick One, From Sandakan (Heck! It rhymes!)

2009-05-27T22:13:00.002+08:00

It's 10:10pm, and I'm still in the ward. Curi pakai PC kat bilik Sister. Muahahaha!! So this is going to be a very quick one.

It's a thrill to be here. The first shocked I got was when I found out there were only 5 housemen in Sandakan. And I'm the sixth to join. To put it in perspective, Batu Pahat has about 360 beds. Surgery deparment alone has 5 housemen. Sandakan has 400 beds. The WHOLE HOSPITAL has only 6 housemen. Haha. Best ke tak best tu?

But work here has been fun. And of all postings that are available here, I'm starting with.... yep.. you guessed it. Obstetrics and gynaecology. Hahaha. Apa la punya nasib. There are 2 housemen in the department. A lady I met during BTN course and myself (oh yah. Speaking of BTN, that stuff is a load of shit. Induction was fun, however).

Here we get to do a lot of stuff. At first it was pretty scary, being given a lot of liberty as a very the merry junior doctor. But I guess confidence is stressed in the housemanship training here. The saying goes 'assist once, do forever'. I'll write another time if you want details.

We get to see crazy things here too. Imagine, a mother coming in for labour with no previous clinic encounter. All that is in front of you is a screaming woman without any information.

A premature labour took place yesterday. The mother did not attend antenatal clinic at all. The only thing I could get from the mother was her last menstruation date, which I used to estimate the duration of her pregnancy. No other info was available.

She was screaming, the baby was on its way out. And I had to inform the on call Paediatric MO of what's happening so that he can standby and come see the premature baby.

It was one of those crazy moments where your brain freezes.

Through the phone, the MO asked: Can you describe the baby?

Me: Errrr.... The baby is very... errrr.... small.

MO: Haha. Very useful information. I'll be there shortly.

6 years of med school, and I could only come up with that. Hahaha. And that was just one incident. Working here is gila I tell you. But it's fun. And most of the MOs here are very cool and calm. They take training and mentoring seriously.

Oh goodness. I got to go. Need to passover the high risk cases to the houseman (housewoman?) on call.

My tagging finishes tomorrow. Then I'll be heading back to KL for my graduation. Woot woooot! Sape kat KL jom Carl's Jr. Aku mau telan 2 burger. Btw, my weight dropped so much, my seluar is sweeping the dust and blood on the floor.

On call starts Monday. Bring it on!!!!!!!

As Life Unfolds

2009-05-10T08:32:00.002+08:00

I am posted to Sandakan, Sabah. And I like it.

These are the words I can muster:

To the well-wishers: Thank you for your encouragement and pleasant words. Though I've been hearing seafood in Sandakan is the best, I'm sure they won't be able to match your advice and kind wishes.

To my family: I won't be there forever. Don't worry. I'm looking at four years, and you and I know four years will just go by. And I'll try my best not to marry a local.

To my friends: Come to Sandakan. Fun time may resume there. To those whom I owe money or makan session, wait till I get back lah. To those who can't wait, jom datang Sandakan. Air Asia flies direct.

To whomever in Sandakan: Ada orang baru mau join orang Sandakan, bah. (Lesson 1 in speaking the Sabahan dialect: Add a 'bah' at the end of every other sentence. Muaahaha. I hope I got this right)

To everyone else who just knew about my posting 'abroad': Surprise!!

Hope to be able to write from there as soon as possible. For now, I wish for a safe journey.

Go forth, Sabah!

azmanrocks.blogspot.com Is Taking a Break

2009-04-18T00:02:00.005+08:00

To those who thinks azmanrocks.blogspot.com is getting boring, please put your hands up.

SAYA!!!!!

Haha. No surprise there.

It's true. Even I've noticed it. The blog is getting stale with every post. Partly because it's not that interesting to begin with.

Then it's got something to do with me not seeing more of the world. Which is why I am taking a break from blogging and go out to see what's out there again.

I hope this won't be too difficult. Heck, it won't be difficult at all. I'll be thrown into hell and am starting work soon. I'll be going for BTN Nationalism Course on the 19th of April, followed by Induction Course into the government service on the 24th. If the scheduling is correct, I start work on the 11th of May.

Now that is a story to tell.

So. Don't miss me too much. It's not good for your health. You know, diabetes, hypertension and stuff.

*Picture is taken from http://pentictonvees.podbean.com/

What to do with your borang SPA?

2009-04-17T18:58:00.008+08:00

This is a community service reminder from azmanrocks.blogspot.com. So quit calling me! (As it is my holiday has been cut short!)

You'll be given 4 forms:

1. 3 copies of SPA 6A
2. 1 copy of SPA 6B
3. 1 copy of medical check up form
4. 1 sample copy of Surat Aku Janji

What to do:

1. Fill in all SPA 6A forms. Keep one copy. Send one copy to SPA Putrajaya. Send one copy to the Pengarah Hospital where you will be posted during your first day of work.

2. Go see a commissioner of oath and complete form SPA 6B. Send it to the Pengarah Hospital where you will be posted during your first day of work.

3. Go to either private or government clinic, and complete your medical check up. Please fill in Bahagian A and get a witness to sign it first. Anyone who knows you can be a witness. Your mama, papa, baby or sayang, doesn't matter. Make sure you go to a clinic with x-ray facility. Send the completed medical check up form to the Pengarah Hospital where you will be posted during your first day of work.

4. When you see the Pengarah Hospital on your first day of work, don't just kiss his/her ass. Ask for Surat Aku Janji. He/She will give you the original copy, then you fill it up and send it back, along with what were mentioned in 1, 2 and 3. Hand in also your MMC certificate.

Any questions, DO NOT CALL ME! Don't fret your holiday is cut short. At the very least you still have 2 weeks. I got ONE DAY left.

On matters related to BTN and Induction, just wait. Quit asking me how long will the letter come. 2 weeks? 3 weeks? 4 weeks? I got one day left. Do you think I care?

When you get your BTN and Induction letter you'll get few things:

1. Reply slip
2. Borang Kursus Induksi
3. Borang Kursus Kenegaraan
4. List of things to bring.

What to do:

1. Fill in the reply slip and fax it to this number 40427363 (add an initial 03 if faxing from outside of KL). The number given on the slip may not work.

2. Fill in the Borang Kursus Induksi. Keep it and hand it in when you report for induction.

3. Fill in the Borang Kursus Kenegaraan. Keep it and hand it in when you report for BTN.

4. Make sure you bring what are prescribed. Don't complain what stupid dress code la, what baju melayu la, what baju kurung la. Dress code is dress code.

Other FAQ:

1. What is BTN?
BTN is Biro Tata Negara. They conduct Kursus Kenegaraan. Supposed to instill patriotism and other bullshit government wants you to believe lah.

2. What is Kursus Induksi?
Kursus Induksi is similar to corporate training lah. Like if you work with Starbucks, the first few days you have to sit for lectures, they tell you history of Starbucks, their company's policy, vision, mission, whatever lah. So induction is something like that. They are introducing you to the company you will be working with: The Government.

3. Which one comes first? BTN or Induksi?
Both are separate courses but either one can come first. BTN then induksi, or induksi then BTN. Either way, both courses are back-to-back. Generally BTN is a week and induksi is 2 weeks. Altogether will be a stretch of 3 weeks or so.

Ok now? Can I enjoy my last day of holiday in peace? Thank you very much.

Have a nice day.

Do YouTube?

2009-04-13T16:23:00.002+08:00

I've always thought YouTube is a great tool looking up for music or video that I used to watch when I was growing up. Yesterday I found a new use for YouTube; listen to music I would otherwise never listen to. And no, I'm not talking about the post-modern emo rock bullshit.

I set search when I learnt that Steve Vai wrote a song after he was inspired by a Bulgarian folk song. And I came across this:

This dude owns. Checkout the ownage beginning at 1:30. It resembles the outro in Steve Vai's Freak Show Excess. I even think Steve might've ripped it off this one.

Another ownage. Check out the facial expression on the gadulka player. No expression? Exactly! Such calm and composed conduct. Good luck finding a guitar player as cool as this guy. Main tak seberapa, tapi ekspresi muka macam sembelit 2 minggu tak berak. Konon feel.

The Song of Seikilos. It is claimed to be the oldest completely manuscripted music, dating all the way back to the first century. The manuscript was written on a tombstone. I'm sure the claim can be easily disputed when people dig deeper into Chinese soil, but that doesn't make this song any less captivating.

Speaking of China, this is something I really like. I've heard of it previously. A senior in uni knows how to play this on er hu, and I still think he plays it better. This version is somehow different. The percussion, quicker tempo and the recording quality makes it sound like this was recorded in the Wild Wild West. It's as if after the performance, this guy in the video gets up, look at the camera and says "Well, ni hau ma, partner?"

Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Far too excellent, I'm out of words.

Working... Very Soon

2009-04-10T16:54:00.004+08:00

Yesterday before lunch I received a phone call from the Ministry of Health. The lady on the other end told me to not make any plans beyond 19th of April because.....

*drum roll*

I'll be starting my BTN course on that day.

Bu-dum ching!!

Yeah right. Bu-dum ching my ass. This was my first reaction:

Recorded on MSN voice clip few minutes after the phone call.

Yes my friends. I'll be working very soon. BTN course will take a week. Followed by 2 weeks of induction. Then it's work. If everything is according to plan, I'll be working on the 11th of May.

I have mixed feelings on this. Part of me is excited, part of me is frustrated. Frustrated because out of 70 something people in my batch, only 8 will start BTN on the 19th. The rest are still waiting. So I wont be seeing most of my friends during BTN and induction. And that sucks. Plus my holidays are cut short. That isn't a nice thing either.

On the other hand, if I go for this one, I'll be one of those few who are already working on convocation day. And being able to say "I tell you guys, especially you [insert name of gullible friend], you'll die wei" and watch their reaction is a priceless moment.

Whatever it is, for the time being....

AAAAAaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!