Postcards from Sydney Part 2

Day two in Sydney also very sunny - which is good compared to the cold and windy Melbourne weather. A good day for the zoo! ~

First stop today to the Fish Market for some fuel before the zoo trip. Tucked into fresh and yummy-licious oysters and lobsters and sashimi.

Then hopped on a cruise to the zoo - passing by the harbour bridge and opera house along the way.

Taronga Zoo very nice coz its on a island. Giraffe here want escape to Harbour bridge also cannot coz it can't swim. Too bad a few exhibitions closed due to renovations. Not to mention all the hibernating animals. Its like one sleeping wombat. Two sleeping wombat. Three sleeping wombat...

After that went to Pancake on the Rocks for pancake. Tasted as good as it looks.

Night time trip to Sydney Uni. Loved their campus. Really like scenery from 'Love in Harvard'. Quaint old-fashioned pharmacy building too.

Went for ice-cream afterwards. Don't think I will describe how it taste like. Don't wanna you all be Incredible Hulk.

P/S:

New fact of the day: Didn't know gals can devour pancakes so quickly. Dinner finished in less than 15 minutes.

Interesting fact of the day: Forgot to mentioned that we took the train - the train here are double deckers and the seats are reversible!

Postcards from Sydney Part 1

At last can finally go online after almost a week of non-existent Internet connection. Highlight of the hols this time round is of course the trip to Sydney. Since still in holiday mode, I'll let the pictures do the talking. As you may have noticed, these posts are back-dated to the day of visit.

Reached Sydney on 1.7.08 - flight delayed one hour. First stop was backpackers, then walked to Darling Harbour. Nice scenery.

Then went to see their casino - the casino in Melbourne is still way better.

Dinner at Seoul-Ria. From name should figure out its Korean. Food not bad. Warm and hearty.

After that walked to see what I actually went to Sydney for - the Opera house!! Really magnificent work of art.

Of course also need see the harbour bridge. Then strolled around city also.

P/S:

New fact of the day: Darling harbour not same place as harbour bridge. I always thought otherwise.

Interesting fact of the day: Walked a total of 8km+ today. Fascinating.

Holiday!

And to acknowledge the fact, the Internet connection decided to go on strike.

So cool. It cuts me off the cheapest way I can find friends to do things and plan stuffs. When I finally got the time to do them.

Now the telcos can smile all the way to the bank after ripping me off my SMS fees. Mind you, its not one cent here as in M'sia.

Nevertheless it was a fun day today as a few of us managed to get together and play a game of Frisbee. Albeit the wind is not really helping at all, making the Frisbee turns and twists at awkward angles.

But I find this game very special as I guess it is the first time we had pharmacy students from three different year levels (plus a PhD student) having fun together.

It something I guess I will cherish a lot, because I never got to do this with my seniors and in fact only knew a few of them. I guess one of the reasons I took such an initiative to know the juniors and help them whenever possible is because I wanted them to have a richer Uni life, to make sure they have what I don't have when I'm still in the first year.

Later in the evening, some of us had a meeting with the Senior Principal Assistant Director of pharmacy in Malaysia. After me complaining of the don't-care-much attitude of JPA, it is good to know that at least the Pharmacy department cared about us. She gave us quite a good picture of what to expect in Malaysia and some of the options we can take. She told us how the training will be like, what exams we had to take and how much our salary will be (We will be really earning RM3800 per month).

It was quite enlightening to find out that the pharmacy profession in M'sia is not as 'backwater' as first thought. That they really do more stuffs then just counting and dispensing pills. That they are here to learn more about stuffs like Home Management Review.

The future is not as dark as it seems.

3 course meal

Saturday special column on food:

A food critic sampled and weld his mighty pen on the flavours of the current exams.

 

Starter:

A nice mix of fresh taste and tried and tested flavours. Too bad the waiter was too hasty to clear the plate before the last morsel was eaten. Or else it would be near perfect. 

Main:

The portion served was fit for a hungry family of four. However, rather ruefully it was not matched by the freshness of the produce. It also suffered from a lack in imagination and not worthy of its exorbitant price. Nevertheless a satisfying feed.

Dessert:

Hmm.. still waiting for it. Seems like a long wait already. Hopefully it will be something to be fondly remembered...

That's what a food critique will say. In layman's term, there was not enough time to finish the starter, which consisted of a combination of fresh questions and past years.

The main was an insult to intelligence because the bulk was rehashed past years. To think I had studied for it till the material crept into my dreams and gave my a sore back for sitting on the chair for too long. Even though I think I can do the questions well, it was just not challenging enough nor worth the effort.

The dessert had not yet been served. But really hoped that they waiter bring it out now and cut this painful waiting. I want my holiday! It had been such a long semester..

Mumblings

I am sinking amongst tons of notes, which packets of chips and tubes of ice cream to get me going. It's a monstrous subject, 53 lectures and all, and it seemed that I can't finish them all. I should be scared and running hard, but yet there is this calm in me - a defying move to show the exams who's the boss - that it can't rule my life; a stubborn streak to prove that studying is only a part of life. As important as spending my time cooking a slow dinner. Or watch a movie. Or have a meandering walk around. Or a ten hour sleep. Or play badminton. Or waking up in the dead of the night to watch Euro 2008.

Is it an act of short-term satisfaction for long-term gain? That will be lived to be regretted? If study for one more extra hour might get one more mark. Who knows.

Just hope that I wouldn't crash and burn.

Oh yeah, actually just wanna write something to wish my Dad "Happy Father's Day". Time to live a life like this. I just don't really like sending e-cards, Mum.

Its all about the exams

I'm sitting right here in front of the laptop, thinking of something to write while enjoying a delicious piece of lemon cheese cake (still eating it, sis - nearly half gone). Seems that my whole head is preoccupied with the oncoming exams. So might as well rant something about it.

My exams start on Monday, so there's still a few more nights to go and try cram it all in. I'm always interest in how to study and get really high marks in exams - something that I had failed to do consistently. It is better by just to understand the concept behind the text? Or just try to memorise everything? Or is it that my exams answering technique are not up to scratch?

Alarmingly, I discovered that my memorising skills are deteriorating by the year. Once I can memorise all the key points and have some photo memory of the lecture notes. Nowadays I am lucky to get 75% of them in. Must be due to my advancing years.  Now that's a good excuse for getting low marks.

Since I got a good measurable diagnosis criteria of my problem and had diagnosed it, I decided to subject my brain to some treatment. As my brain doesn't believe in the first line therapy taking health supplements,  I decided to try some unconventional non-pharmacological treatment: web-sudoku tds; adding up numbers on cards bd and using my non-dominant hand to move the mouse. All these have anecdotal evidence in  promoting better brain function. However, the duration needed for this therapy to work is not documented. Hopefully its not too late.

Perhaps the best thing to do now is constant remind myself that marks are not important at all in life. It's meaningless once you start working. It's not that you will get a higher salary and faster promotion if you get high marks. High marks are just for personal satisfaction.

Moving on... just wondered why we often wish each other "Good luck" before exams. Now in what way does a person need luck in the exams? Luck that what he studied will be on the paper and what he didn't does not? Luck that his shooting accuracy will be spot on in multiple choice question? Luck that whatever he do, he will get high marks? Where does luck comes in?? I only ever got lucky once in exams, and that's real luck because one of the essay I memorised was on the exam paper. That's 1 in a million chance it will happen again.

Okay enough ramble. Next post should be between my first and second exam. I had 9 days break between them. Very considerate of the lecturers because the second subject had 53 lectures (others around 20).  One last thing: Wikipedia is getting indispensable for studies.

The Birthday Chronicles

Birthdays are the time when your friends and you come together to say "hey, glad that you were born!" (I hope).

This year's birthday was very special to me, partly because it is likely to be my last b'day celebrated with this current bunch of people, partly because I have more then one celebration for the first time, partly because my sis got to celebrate it with me here.

The first celebration was a real surprise. I have no idea it is a birthday celebration - thought it was a routine post placement catch up dinner with my pharmacy friends. Some people just have the ingenuity to have my birthday celebrated exactly 13 days before the actual date because I like the number 13.

And someone had the gall to put "uncle" on my cake. Thank you for reminding that I'm getting chronologically advanced.

One day before my real birthday, when out to celebrate with my sis. Went to this place called Laksa King where we need to wait nearly 1/2 hour to get a seat. The laksa was okay, but the ingredients were quite fresh. Then we had a drink at Starbucks and she presented me with a self-made birthday cake. This was the very first time I knew she can make a cake. It was a real yummy lemon cheesecake.

 

Then on the actual day itself, I went to celebrate with my JPA friends and associate in Hallah, which is a Korean restaurant I liked a lot. Nice change of scenery after having the last two birthdays celebration in Thai restaurant. It was quite bittersweet, as it is likely to be the last year we came out eat as a group. Next year everyone will be everywhere pursuing their dreams. Time really flies.

 

Blowing my 23 candles on the cake.

A birthday post wouldn't be complete without some spiel about presents. Someone actually read my blog and brought me an ipod this year..wee~ next time better draw up a wish list.

I received four bottles of wine this year. Okay I got the hint. I am somewhat an alcoholic already? Didn't realise. Better change my image. Thanks for the chocolates, perfume, books and Lego figure too.

I would also like to thank all the people who sent in their greetings via card, sms, facebook, ecard, friendster, msn etc. I felt so touched. You always need friends and family to make your birthday special. Thanks for just doing that. =)

Autumn

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolour, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.    ~Stanley Horowitz

 

I shared the sentiments of the above quote, as autumn is by far my most favourite season of all.

Realising that this may possibly be the last autumn I'll spend in Melbourne, I took the opportunity to take some pics of the beautiful season before it ends.

 

Autumn is always the most romantic season. The rich colour and romance of the season always makes me feel like doing a spontaneous dance in the middle of the park.

It's a season of observing leaves dancing, frolicking and cavorting in the breeze, their flashes of different hues a feast for the eyes.

It's a season of hearing them whistling and rustling, singing a unique tune of nature under the conducting baton of the wind.

It's a season of breathing in the substance of the leaves, with their earthy hint of a summer long gone.

 

Best of all, it's a season of crisp crunch crunch crunch as I indulged in my favourite pastime of stepping on these leaves.

If only there's autumn in Malaysia...

I can't resist

Can't resist just to take a moment to write this post even though I got a ton of assignments waiting for me to finish.

This is the just published Monash University Undergraduate Course Guide 2009.

Turn to page 126 and...

Yes, that's me! ^^

Now every prospective Monash students worldwide will be able to see my smiling face. Luckily the photo is circa end 2006. I looked younger then.

See what I had written in my profile one and a half years ago:

Beginning paragraph: "I chose to study pharmacy because it has great potential for growth in my home country Malaysia."

End paragraph: "Studying at the Victorian College of Pharmacy has vastly enriched my experience, which I intend to bring back home to Malaysia after finishing my degree."

JPA would love me so much!

Anyone wants an autographed copy?

Now back to assignments.. =.=

A rainy Saturday story

The last few days had been cold, but on Saturday, it rained without any signs of stopping.

After a very healthy breakfast of Avacado Salad (avacado + rockets + baby spinach + tomatoes + mushrooms + peanuts + red onions + lemon juice and a dash of salt), I went to Fed Square for the Buddha's Day Celebration.

They had this yearly event in Melbourne where people can go to pay homage and bathe the Buddha. Since it was held in a public place, the event attract a fair share of tourists and Ang Mohs.

Besides that they had a cultural show, some cooking demonstrations and a food and fun fair. It was a great day to have fun, despite the cold and rainy weather. Besides, an umbrella is a great prop, as demonstrated below:

Me and Robin trying to do the best Song Hae Gyo impersonation.

I wore my new pink shoelaces out for the first time, and I felt that it looks great especially on my white shoes and some fallen autumn foliage.

On the way home, I saw this ad being posted on the window of a house. Sure is one of the best I had ever seen:

Wonder whether they will get such a hot flatmate in the real world.

At night had a gathering with some JPA friends and OWL's parents who are in Melbourne. Had a nice time catching up while enjoying dumplings, Nasi Lemak, fried beehoon and an extremely nice coffee liqueur. Too bad nobody remembered to take photos. A warm day despite the cold weather.

Reflections on a pharmacy placement

At last it was over.

For the last three weeks, I had a community pharmacy placement - in a pharmacy right in the heart of Melbourne city.

It was a very interesting placement, as I was unfortunately positioned in a pharmacy chain that is renowned in the pharmacy fraternity for viewing pharmacy students as free labour.

And it really was labour intensive. I got to run errands nobody wants to do - like moving stocks between the two stores (around 300 metres away, the record is 8 times in one day); moving boxes here and there, checking, security tagging and putting away stock (record of 16 boxes a day), post letters (200m walk), buy stuffs like stationary and food. By the end of the week, I know what the boss's  favourite coffee is (latte no sugar), where to get it and even got know the person who sells it (By the way, the coffee is really good). And I only got one 10 mins break and 30 mins lunch - at the unGodly hour of 11am and 2pm respectively (got one day even 3pm). And yes, there's even one day where I was required to work from 9am to 9pm.

The first few days I felt like the male version of Andy of The Devil Wears Prada, working for an evil boss. Only that the boss is not evil enough.

The Devil wears Prada and Andrea "Andy" Sachs.

Luckily all the other pharmacists and pharmacy assistants are also very nice and friendly, which helps a lot when I am inevitably stuck.

Total amount of money earned during the 3 weeks: $0. Total amount of money spent: >$100. Total amount of time spent: 120 hours.

In all fairness I did really learn a lot, especially about the cafes around Little Collins and Elizabeth street - ask me if you what to know where to get the best muffins or coffee around there. =)

I know that as students we are not supposed to do all those jobs - but somehow I don't feel angry about it - in fact I felt quite happy to have something to do. It felt purposeful that I am able to do something useful. There's a form of happiness derived from the fact that I know where to find things on shelves, that the speed that I check off the stocks are getting faster each day, that I can enter long stock sheets without error. I arrived early every day and leave late most of the days. Anyway these three weeks had me questioning the competency of my brain, because what kind of people in their right mind still go on their work happily even though they knew that they are being ruthlessly exploited?

Doesn't make sense but happy anyway.

Nonetheless I got to feel like a pseudo-pharmacist for the very first time, dispensing advice to unsuspecting customers with mock-up convincement.   I diagnosed and gave recommendations on medications for numerous customers struck down with cold and flu and cough and muscle ache, show them the best vitamins to take (and the cheapest) as well as counselling a patient on the usage of morning after pill.  I realised that being a pharmacist is actually a very powerful feeling, because you can instruct old and prominent looking people on what to do, and the best thing is, they really follow what you said.

After these two placements (the one above and another 3 weeks previously in Austin) I felt that my pharmacy knowledge is enhanced by leaps and bounds. I always believed that no matter what I experienced, all of it will be useful one day.

Pink is the new In

 

Pink is the inspirational colour today, and I felt myself falling in love with this cool, extremely funky colour. After receiving a cute pink Tupperware sandwich container and medal today, I go even further and brought a pink wristband and pink shoelaces. You bet I will wear them to Uni. Proudly.

 

I usually celebrated Mothers' Day at home, where we either go out to grandma's place for a reunion type potluck dinner or maybe cook a meal for mum. But since I am overseas, I found out another meaningful way to celebrate, that is by joining in the Mothers Day Classic run.

Mothers Day Classic is a charity run to fund Breast Cancer research. It was held in all Australian main cities, with 60,000 odd people taking part in 4km and 8 km runs or 4km walk. It was the second year I joined in under the Team Monash banner, which is pretty cool this year because it's Monash's 50th year birthday and they have a new sports shirt- as modelled by my running mate Kush below.

For the record, I finished the race in 48mins (equal to 10km/hr) and in 8637 steps.

There's also this whiteboard in front of the Hallmark marquee, where you can write your dedications to Mum and stick it up for all people to see. Freda and Hui Bing wrote their part...

And so did I. Happy Mothers' Day!

Pretty right? and no, I didn't stick it over another person's card. In a burst of inspiration, I did a double layered card. One and only. =)

On a side note, hopefully in the near future, there will be a Fathers Day Classic to fund prostate cancer research. We are in the era of gender equality rite? I did my part by liking the colour pink!

Mothers Day

To my beloved mum, I am dedicating today's run for you.

Happy Mothers Day!

The morning after

That night was never meant to go too far. But it did.

It begin innocently enough, with just the slightest hint of skin brushing against each other. But it grew and progressed, progressed and grew. Seductive glances, longing stares. Beer bottles dropped on the floor, lips met. Undies peeked, articles slipped. Hands everywhere .

Flashing lights and warning sirens popped up in their heads. Isn't it going too far? No. Just this one time.It feels so right. So it happened. The time when two became one. Double happiness. The next door neighbour can't sleep at all.

For he and she, the sleep was blissful enough, but the morning dawned a nightmare.

When's the last time you saw blood? 10 days ago? 15? Not sure? Idiot. What to do now? Panicky and shrill voices echoed across the wall. Gosh, the neighbour thought, they never stopped.

And now frighten, worried and unsure, they wandered around the city like a pair of lost children and ambled into the very first pharmacy with the lights on in the still dark winter morning.

It had to be a MyChemist, because they are the only ones which opened at 7a.m.

The great pharmacist was summoned.

I love my girlfriend very much. But we are too young. You know what I mean? he started, whispered and stammered.

Er...no?

We...we...too young to get married. We..

Oh snap it. We did it last night. And I don't want a baby. How can you help us? She interjected.

So you are after the pill.

What pill?

The morning after pill.

Morning after?

Yeah the pill you take in the morning to cure all the nightmares that happen after you both did you-know-what at night. Just fill in this form.

So they stared at the big white sheet of paper and started to answer the questions.

Q1: Usual mean of contraception: The oral contraceptive pill/condoms/rhythm method/none

Q2: Reason you need the pill: contraceptive failure (split condom)/missed pills/sexual assault/didn't use contraceptive.

Q3: First day of menstrual period? Usual duration of bleeding? Usual number of days in cycle?

Q4: How many times you have unprotected sex during the cycle? Hours since last unprotected sex? Dates of unprotected sex?

Q5: Are you taking any medication at the moment? Do you have any serious medical condition? Had you have a pregnancy test recently?

Oh great pharmacist, we had finished.

Then they stood there watching the pharmacist peruse the paper like school kids waiting for their teacher to check their maths homework.

So you did 7 hours ago. Excellent. Then you have 95% chance of success not getting pregnant. Here's the two magical pills. Take the first one now and the second exactly twelve hours later. Understand? Great. Be more careful next time okay? Good. Please pay at front counter. Good luck!

He and she walked to the counter with the magical pills, knowing their nightmares will be cured. They feel as light at feathers, a bounce in their steps. Their skins started to brush against each other again.

Good morning. Big smile. Beep. Scanned through. That will be $32. 2 miniscule white pills. You want the water also? That will be another $2.50. Money parted hands very reluctantly. Thank you very much. Ouch. That's a lot of rubber.

For more information about the morning after aka the emergency contraceptive pill, click here.