The Psychic Connection

Have you ever had someone calling you just when you were thinking about that person? Or people coming to see you because they suddenly felt like it when at the same time you just thought that you wanted to see them too?

How about the bad vibes; the ones where your whole being just tingles and you know deep inside that something is just gonna go wrong or something has gone wrong?

I don't know what all these feelings are and I can't really explain them, but I've been having them almost all my life. Some of the time I just disregard them because they made no sense at all, but most of the time they are right on. Confused? Yeah well I am too...

Just recently had an unexpected call from a long lost friend. Lately I've been wondering about how that person was doing and if there are any new developments in his life when BOOM! Suddenly today I got a call from him out of nowhere... And this had happened to me more times than I could remember. Not with the same person, but with other friends and family too.

But the one thing that I never want to experience again was when my father passed away. I don't know how or why, but the truth is deep in my heart I knew exactly when it happened. The dread and heaviness and emptiness inside me just got worse and the bad feeling just would not go away that up to a point I even told my friend that I knew something bad had happened and I think he's dead. Spooky? Heck yeah. There was also this one time when I was very young, my grand-aunt told me how I couldn't stop crying like as if I was spooked (macam kena sampuk she said) and at that same moment my mom was actually involved in a car accident somewhere else. Crazy huh..

And don't get me started on my dreams. As weird as they are, some actually did come true. And deja-vu? Well, it's getting worse nowadays because they are getting more and more frequent.

Is this normal? I'm sure a lot of people experienced these before. It's not a biggie, right??

I don't know, maybe these are all just coincidences. Maybe my connection with people close to me are strong. Maybe. Or maybe, I am slowly and gradually losing control of reality and losing my mind...

But don't worry, no need to get me into the straight jacket yet. I am still sane. I think. At least for now.

Home is where the heart is

Since I've been home, this is the only time that I actually have time to surf the net leisurely; before this it always in a rush and on the go. Yeah, that busy I was, but no complaints though, I am treasuring every second of my time here. A lotta lotta things have happened, and they all happened so suddenly time flew so fast that I didn't realise that I'm almost home for 2++ weeks now.

What I've been up to? Well, the usual; attending trainings, weddings, family gatherings, outings with old friends, meeting and making new friends, chauffeur-ing, nanny-ing, etc etc... my time hasn't been my own since I've been back. And I am predicting after this things are gonna be more hectic and crazier.

On top of that, I am falling sick! The worn out body and humid hot dusty weather combo is disasterous I tell ya. My cough has been getting worse and I've lost my voice courtesy of severe chesty hacking night and day. Plus runny nose plus slight fever. Am currently medicating myself and hoping that it'll all go away soon.... Sigh, what I wouldn't give for a couple of days of rest doing absolutely anything..... :(

There are still a couple of things that I wanted to do that i haven't got around to doing. See lah how it goes, hopefully I'll have time before I leave.

Oh did I mention that my beloved cousin got married? Yeah, the cousin whom I am really close to since we were small is now somebody's wife, finally. i am really really happy for her, seeing her happy makes me happy too. I think the wedding deserves its own post, so I better save all the juicy details for next time ok.

Last week there was also another surprising news from a beloved friend. It was really unexpected, but seeing her happy and glowing makes me happy too. And I am still waiting for some news from a faraway friend, but I sincerely hope that it'll be a good one. All of these ladies are very dear to me, and they deserve the best that life has to offer in terms of love and it's enough that I share their joy and wish them all the happiness in the world.

As for me, even though I've been getting quite a lotta inquiries about my bachelorhood these past few days, it didn't bother me as much as I would have expected. Maybe I'm already immune to it although I've run out of plausible excuses, or maybe I've come to a point in my life where I just done care anymore about whether or not marriage will be in my future. For now I have one thing and one thing only to focus on; finish up my studies, sit for the entrance exam, practice my skills, specialize and stand on my two feet up to a level that I could support my family if it's warranted. Ultimately that's what I want, and that's what i am going to focus on. No point sitting around moping about the state of bachelorhood, it is better to channel all the energy towards something more productive, yes?

Oh, and if before this I get irritated when others try to be matchmakers, nowadays I am merely amused when my mom or aunts or mom's friends try their luck. Sukahati lah belalang, asalkan diorang bahagia... ;p

NB: Tempting nya bila tgk Deghoyan, Sape nak belanja makan sushi ni???

Three Graduates & A Bride

Last Sunday was a verrry busy day. There was a graduation ceremony for the girls and a wedding of a friend. I was practically running around for both occasions, but in the end I'm glad that I did it although my feet were killing me by the end of the day.


The Wedding
Remember when I wrote about my friend, Ms.MCL's proposal during class? Well, they finally have all their papers in order and decided to register their marriage here legally. As she is of Romanian-American parentage and he is an Israelian, there were a lot of paperwork to get sorted out. But after all the hassle and running around, finally they were declared husband and wife on May 31, 2009 at the wedding registration place in town.

It was a really sweet occasion. Because it was all kinda last minute, they decided to forgo the pomp and frills and invited only close friends and family to the ceremony. I was deeply touched and honoured that she would include me in it and plus this would certainly be my first.

The ceremony itself was simple, short and sweet; practically hassle free and it took less than 30 minutes. The bride was really beautiful and glowing; she couldn't stop grinning all through it all, and I am really happy for them. As I said it was my first time in a Romanian-style wedding and was delighted to join in with the newlyweds-walking-under-flower-bouquets and rice-throwing thingy because before this we only got to watch how it was done from afar whenever we passed by this place while there was a wedding there.

It was a really really lovely affair, simple and sweet. No hassle no fuss. No frowns, only smiles all around. I wish I could have joined them after that when they went to Ciric to celebrate but I wanted to run back to the graduation ceremony before it's over. And so after giving her the flowers and gift I left the happy couple to join my friends in CUG.


The Graduation Ceremony
Got up early, got ready, and accompanied the soon-to-be grads to the university (5 minutes walk from our place) for a pre-graduation group photo taking session. After that we straightaway went to the Centrul de Providenta in CUG where the ceremony was to take place (which was very very far, according to Iasi's standard lah) and waited for things to get started. As I had a wedding to attend to at noon I had to leave and later on joined them again after the wedding.

It was nice to see all of them happy and excited and seeing some juniors coming to show their support, but I was quite bummed coz didn't get to watch them actually walk onstage, receiving their scrolls and reciting the Hippocratic Oath. Rugi gila lah, tapi takde rezeki nak wat camno... Eventhough people keep saying that our turn will only be next year, it's kinda hard for me to believe it coz it really felt like only yesterday that I had set foot in Iasi. Will I be ready to don the robe and cap and be a good physician in the future? Scary thought. Sigh, time flies so fast eh.....

I gave the girls white roses as a token of our (crazy) friendship which I had pre-ordered a day before and had asked the boys to pick 'em up for me and gave it to them because I wasn't sure if I could make it after the wedding. And after that we were just chilling out at the sistas place. Good times indeed, they were my travel buddies and also my partners in crime; I'll surely miss them when they've gone back home for good. Sigh, there'll be no more Gummu Girls escapades after this.....

Oh, and I am really glad that I came back to the graduation place. Surprise surprise, I got to meet a friend who was with us for the first 3 years but had transferred to Bucharest in our 4th year. He told me before that he had exams the day before and couldn't come, so imagine my surprise when I saw him there. And apparently most of my classmates were there too, but only managed to meet some of them because they left early.

Wonder how our graduation ceremony is gonna be like? Compared to my first convocation several years ago in UM which was a very formal affair (DYTM Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah yg bagi scroll tu tau) the ceremony here is, I would say, semi-formal. Takde org kenamaan, cuma org2 besar & yg penting drpd uni kitorang je. Which is a good thing I think. Less hoopla, but a bit dragging also lah. Tak kisah la belalang, asal jangan tergolek doq masa kat atas stage tu nanti udah ler. Isy, malu giler tak terkata gamaknya.....

So, to the new bride and the new MD graduates:

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Update: Was asked to stand in line for the bouquet-throwing thingy, but the bouquet flew into the hands of Ms.MCL's bestfren. Fuhhh, nasib baik... :))

Girls Day Out

As today was a beautiful sunny (albeit a little warm) day I went and accompanied my roomie to the nearby mall and market. She bought a pair of sandals, and some stuff for baking. I ended up buying a variety of vegetables from the market coz I was dyiiiiing for some. Now I can have rice and lauk-pauk after almost 2 weeks not eating it, been surviving on bread, eggs and instant noodles je, sigh...

Oh yes, guess what Ms.Snuze, the strawberry season is here again! YAY!!
Both my roomie and I could hardly contain our excitement to see those juicy red heavenly aphrodisiacs that each of us ended up buying 1kg of them succulent berries at RM7 per kg! Murah gila, kan?? For sure mine will be finished by this weekend, muahaha... :D

Later in the afternoon I went out again. After yesterday's mental purging (yeah right) for the Tropical Infectious Diseases exam and the cancellation of Neurosurgery class today (because the prof was in a major surgery rewiring a guy's brain), we (G, Mnl & moi) decided to go to the other mall and celebrate the start of the weekend with a l'il bit of window shopping and makan-makan.

We walked and walked and walked around the mall; me KIV-ing some stuff while they bought some nice tops; sat down at the foodcourt and talked and talked and talked, had a mini self make-up session at the make-up counter and without us realizing it the time was already 10pm!! Gila lama lepak kat sana, kul 4 ptg sampai 10 mlm tu! Isy, isy, isy anak dara 3 ekor ni, apa lah yg korang buat kat sana lama2 ah???

All in all, although it was tiring and my feet is aching, I really had a great time. Being in the company of like-minded people sure makes my day.

Me is content.

The Moroccan Dream

One of my classmates is from Tangier, Morocco, born & bred. She's actually a Berber, and can speak several languages (jeles nya!). Eversince I've known her for 5 years now we have talked about lots of things, especially about our cultures, our homes and our families.

You see, I am an explorer at heart. I love getting to know about all these different cultures and their way of life, especially one that is so foreign from my own. I told her that one of my dreams is to go there for a visit, so that I can see the culture with my very own eyes and experience it, sample their cuisines while breathing the Moroccan air.
Sigh, that would be so lovely, wouldn't it?

Btw, I already have a standing invitation to go there. Tempat tinggal makan minum tak payah nak pikir dah, cuma kena beli sendiri tiket kapalterbang nakgi sana je. Bestnya kalau leh pegi.....


Disclaimer: All the piccas above are not mine. Click at the images to go to the original sites. Thank you.

You know you're already past your expiry date...

- when all your friends your age that you've recently met up in FB again after many years are married with at least 2 kids in school

- when the first question that they will ask you after 10 years is "Are you married?" instead of "How are you?"

- when you get together with your school friends and all they talk about is babies

- when you found yourself surrounded by guys way younger than you and see you only as an older sister, and most of them are already in a stable relationship

- when your friends try their level best to hook you up with their single guy friends (who are still way younger than you by the way)

- when your family tries to find for you a 'maplei'

- when married ladies start to give you the 'evil eye' even though all you did was having a decent conversation with their husbands (because you're a 'threat' it seems)

- when the once biological clock that had been ticking so loudly has now suddenly fall silent

- when concerned relatives stop asking you the "When is it gonna be your turn, my dear?" question at family gatherings (because they know that you're a hopeless case)

- when your most favourite sentence is either: "If it's meant to be then it's meant to be, if it's not, then what to do...", or, "I gave up already lah. Malas wanna think about it anymore..."


If you answer "Yes" to any of the questions above, then it is my utmost pleasure to inform you that you have definitely gone way past the expiration date and it is only time before you're being removed from the shelf permanently. Better be ready for the inevitable, folks.


**Pardon my cuckoo-ness. I think I'm just worn out. Better go lie down now. Tootles**

On Bended Knees

Today was a day of proposals. Why?

1. In real-time:
My dear friend and classmate, Ms.MCL is now engaged! And it all happened in Ophthalmology lab just now. Her bf (now fiance) actually got down on one knee, told her that she was the only woman that he wants to spend his life with, and asked her if she would do him the honour of being his wife! It was a lovely and sweet surprise; I knew I was gaping throughout and our lecturer (and some of the strapping macho guys in the class, heheh) were moved to tears. It was kinda like one of those Hallmark moments, because the love that they had for each other really shone so bright that it was almost blinding. But the best part of it is that I've actually had the chance of watching something like that with my very own eyes and not only on TV. How cool is that! I am really happy for her, and wish nothing but the best for both of them.

Congrats my dear MCL! May your lives together will be full of love, joy & laughter forever and ever...


2. On reel-time
This was about something on the House tv show. Yeah, I'm fan, and have been faithfully following each and every episode without fail. I really love the show, but needless to say after the shocking (to me at least) twist in the previous episode (S5 Ep20) regarding the untimely and rather gruesome and tragic passing of one of my favourite characters, Kutner (he was supposedly to have shot himself due to unexplained reasons), I did not expect that the writers would come up with another surprise in the show in S5 Ep.21 when Chase got down on his knees and proposed to Allison! And this I watched on the telly just a few hours after the real-time proposal in class! Seems like spring and wedding bells are in the air.....


So, the conclusion is:
"Love is in the air, everywhere we look around...."


p/s: Am trying to compile plausible answers for one of the most dreaded questions that will defintely be thrown at me during my cousin's wedding party this summer. Ideas anyone??

Life, or I Think Something Like It

Things are good here, alhamdulillah. Of course, there are still a couple of unresolved issues with some thick-headed individuals that claim to be my friends but clearly don't know how to be one. But other than that, I have to say that things are really good.

Really really glad to be in my group this year. Actually, the school secretary messed up our names and so we ended up being in different groups compared from last years. But I have no complains, because so far I am satisfied with the lot that are in my group. And the fact that our group was assigned to the pediatrics cardiology clinic whereas the others were assigned to the pediatrics nephrology clinic has made some of the other peeps envy us just because we learn more in the department compared to them. Well, boohoo. We're all grown-ups, and we make our own choices and pave our own destiny. Eventhough we had rounds everyday, we still go for on-calls with the residents and attendings there because we wanted to learn more. So don't go blaming other people not teaching you enough when all you wanna do is rest on your laurels and whine. Be proactive, for goodness' sake. Ceh....

I am now the official counselor for Teddy, heheh... (Hey, dia yg nak mengadu dumba, I dengar je lah. I good friend what)... Started eversince he hooked up with his (ex)-gf and now till they broke up. I myself didn't realize it (if not for my roomie pointing it out) but almost every Friday we'll have our sessions via my Samsung. Life's a bitch, but I gotta say some gals are bitchier. Well, there's nothing else to do but to write it off as one of life's sweet yet painful experiences, right? And love makes you do many stupid things no matter how sane you think you are. How do I know this? Mind you I don't think I've ever really been in love, but close to it, yeah. And even being close to falling in love could make you go crazy, imagine if it's the real thing. Urghhhh, scary siot....

Patch and Kruger have been real sweet these days. Apahal ntah mamat dua ekor tuh semenjak dua menjak ni. Si Mummy pulak makin pelik. Hmmphhhh, sukati lah belalang.....

Aerobics Time!

Aerobics is a form of exercise that comprises rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness (flexibility, muscular strength, and cardio-vascular fitness). It is usually performed to music in a group setting led by an instructor, although it can be practiced solo and without musical accompaniment. With the goal of preventing physical illness, practitioners go through variable routines comprising a number of different dance-like exercises.

Formal aerobics 'classes' led by aerobics instructors are often divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced classes, with different routines and fitness goals for each, and many aerobics classes allow participants to select their level of participation according to their fitness level. A primary reason for engaging in aerobics is weight loss. Although aerobics is typically practiced to music, it is not to be confused with jazzercise or other dance-based workouts.

The word Aerobics means "using oxygen". When you do an aerobic exercise, like Soccer, basketball, running, or Aerobics, you are breathing. The oxygen passes through your body, as opposed to using up the bodily storage like you do during Sprinting, or bench pressing. Eventually, the muscles are filled with lactic acid, which then takes rest to flush away.

(taken from wikipedia.org, the free encyclopedia and pic courtesy from the world wide web)


Yesssss!!! Finally managed to drag my butt to the gym yesterday and attended an aerobics class. It goes to show how long since I've been to one and how out of shape I was when at the end of the session I was trembling all over and my knees were shaking, literally! Brownie and I really had a good time though, and we decided to sign up for their classes. They have aerobics, step aerobics, tae bo and also pilates. As we walked back home after gym (though for me it felt more like "floating" home, that light I felt my body was), we talked about the possibilities of going to the pilates classes too for muscle stretching and strengthening. Well, maybe not this week or weekend though, but maybe starting next week onwards I definitely wanna explore the classes that they are offering there. And it did help a bit that the instructor was cute! :D

Oooohhh....it feels so good to do something that releases the endorphins, that makes nothing else matters (including the fact that I've been getting weird vibes from someone close and seems to make me feel invisible lately, dunno the reason why though *shrugs*). Oh well, I guess that's life. You can't please everybody and it's unrealistic to expect everyone else to follow your standards. But even so, a little bit of respect as friends and a little bit of give and take would be nice, don't you think? Maybe I am just too tired of playing head games, gossiping and discussing about trivial matters when there are other more important things that you have to deal with. Hmmm...guess I am a bit too old for these young and able bodied individuals here around me. Sometimes I just had to stop myself from shaking them and telling them to grow up! Patience, Melle, patience....Those would be the times that I had to reach down inside of me and reminded myself that maybe even I was that irksome and annoying when I was at their age. Though we all might go through the same things, we are all different, there's no two individuals that are alike. And if we find like-minded souls that understands us, then we would be truly truly blessed....

Uh oh, I've digressed. The point for this post was supposed to be about aerobics.

And so, I just wanna say.....

IT'S AEROBICS TIME, YEAH!!

Another Day In Paradise...Not!

Wow, Surgery class was good. Had the chance to watch a laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedure carried out by our prof. Initial investigations showed only cholelithiasis, but during surgery they found out that the patient's gallbladder is filled with pus - empyema. Other than that he also had adhesions from previous abdominal surgery. Oh, and I think somebody is pissed with us because the prof seems to be paying more attention to us than their own kind. Hah, tough luck. Normally we will be sidelined but at least this time we rule! *laughs evilly*

Hmmmm....Was feeling a wee bit carniverous today, so it didn't take a lot of persuasion by Pinkie to have brunch at one of the halal joints near the uni during the break. Heavenly meat, alas. FYI this was my first proper meal in, oh, 4 days I think. Been surviving on fruits, chocolate bars, cereals and yoghurt these past few days. Too lazy and got no time to cook. Bad Melle, very bad...

Was and still am feeling baffled when friends and classmates started to come up to me and telling me that I've lost weight. I mean, come on, it can't be that I've lost that much kilos in one weekend, can it? Hmmmm....maybe it's due to the fact that there had been a fair amount of walking done in these past 2 months. Since it's a nice walk from home to the not-so-near hospitals and when the weather is superb, I much prefer to walk rather than taking the bus/tram. I guess those 20-30 minutes walk uphill/downhill really did me good, didn't it? But the funny thing was, I wasn't even trying to lose weight though I've wanted to but could not really do it in the past. Someone even made a remark saying that they noticed that I eat more when I'm depressed and less when I'm happy. Well, I guess it's true. And go figure, I am content nowadays. Content with my life, content with the fact that I am living the life that I've chosen for myself and doing the things that I wanted to. My life is my own to dictate, and I couldn't care less what others whom are so wholly unrelated to me want to say. The only thing that matters is that I value what the people that I love thinks, and that's what most important for me. Other than that, they can all go fly kites as far as I'm concerned... Hah!

Teddy didn't come to Urology class today. Hope he's ok. Am still in bemusement whenever I'm recalling yesterday's conversation with him. I was so touched when he asked me if things are ok and told me that he will do whatever he can do to help if only I asked for it. Said that he knew something was wrong at the beginning of the semester itself, but he didn't want to intrude. Awwww...so sweet... But, sorry Teddy, it was too personal to share it with you. Maybe one day, or, maybe never :)

Patch and Kruger made a remark in class that made me laugh. They told the prof that their friend, Bahlul, was absent. It was in jest of course, and the guy in question wasn't around. But the thing that was funny was that they thought no one else except for their own kind would understand the word. That's why when I first heard it I thought I had heard it wrongly, but when they kept repeating it I couldn't help myself and just burst out laughing! You should see the expressions on their faces when they realised I understood it. Haven't I told them like a million times that our language had incorporated their mother-tongue long long time ago? Talk about clueless, tsk tsk... Alamak, takleh nak ngumpat depan-depan diorang lah pulak lepas ni. Aiseymen... :(

Oh, and another thing, Pinkie and Brownie are considering to have a new hairdo and asked for my opinion. I told them to go for it if they really want to, but just make sure that they go to the right stylist to get the look that they want. Else it'll be a disaster. Mmmmm...well who knows, I might be considering cutting my hair too! But of course, it'll be done by none other than yours truly, as usual. Oh well, we'll see how it goes.