Oh Malaysiaku

Malaysia is my home country.

In Malay terms, it is "tanah tumpah darahku". 

Throughout my primary and secondary school days, there was not even one person who would say, "I am ashamed to be a Malaysian". but things have changed. I see more and more people say those words, and being a patriotic Malaysian, it hurts to see ur fellow countrymen who would look down on my own country.

I was born in Malaysia and grew up throughout Tun Mahathir's era. I have and will always have so much respect for Tun Mahathir. Eventhough after he stepped down and all his dirty little secrets surfaced, my respect for him never waiver.

Why?

Afterall, he is now one of the most hated men in Malaysia especially amongst our Malaysian Chinese. 

Again. You would ask why? 

Let's just say Tun was the so called saviour for the Malays, and to the Chinese, they felt neglected during his era and yet, they could not voice out their frustration. Then, came Tun Abdullah, who was a mister nice guy, who then gave way to all the other races to voice out their concerns. He believed in transparency. 

and then came the 2008 election. Pakatan Rakyat won quite a number of seats, causing Barisan Nasional to lose their two-third majority.

Pakatan Rakyat grew stronger throughout the years. even stronger that many believed Tun Abdullah could not withstand the challenge, thus forcing him to resign and make way to DS Najib to be the Prime Minister.

DS Najib is another piece of work, of course. In my point of view, he has already been tainted with all sorts of scandals, causing many to lose their trust in BN. and yet, he continues to be the Prime Minister. DS Najib is still respected by many. but unfortunately the days of BN government are numbered, starting from the whole general election 2013 fiasco.

This is only the summary of the Malaysian politics transaction. It is painful for me to say that the government has been ever so weak since Tun Mahathir stepped down, and even more worrying when the opposition is growing much stronger.

I don't hate the opposition. Just that I don't see eye to eye with them on many different issues. and sometimes I feel like their style is "just oppose all the Govt policies no matter what". Makes it even harder for the government to carry out their policies. and even worse when the government makes the bad choices. 

If I am not with Pakatan, then am I with Barisan Nasional? Yes and no. Yes, I support Barisan Nasional as I still believe in the party. NO, coz I have a problem with DS Najib and his cronies and somehow it seems impossible to wipe them out clean and replace with the new blood. 

It is sad, when you think about it, back then, all these racial issues do not have a place in this country. No one dared to make racist remarks in public. but today, not only the politicians, but look at our citizens. on facebook and twitter. like a warzone hurling bombs at each other. racist remarks were thrown at each other as though it is normal in their daily lives. Alhamdulillah, I still have all my multiracial friends still close to me. yes we do have different political views, but whenever we meet up, it is like an unspoken rule not to discuss politics. 

So that's the recipe. Politics is what causes racism. We are not healing. We are living in fear. Fear that the political party we hate will continue/start to rule us. The agenda goes on for the politicians, but we as the citizens are bleeding. Bleeding due to the hatred and fear. 

I wonder, whenever they start typing nasty racist remarks on social media, do they ever take a step back and ponder what are the consequences of their action? Or was it just out of anger and hatred and for the sake of letting those feelings go?

Our country is progressing. Buildings are rising up, and I see development everywhere. But we, Malaysians are taking one step back every single time we get caught in our politicians' agendas. 

Time to face the facts. All of them have their own agendas. Why oh why are you so obsessed in supporting them? You are not a politician. That is their job. You can sit back and evaluate and when the next general election comes, vote for the one you think is right. You can raise your concerns if you disagree with the government's policies, whether they listen or not, that is out of your control. Your only control is your vote in the general election. 

What you as a Malaysian can do, is simple. Live your life and live harmoniously with your fellow Malaysians. get it? it's simple. even a school kid can do that. 

I'm back!

Thought I should re-visit my blog yang da berhabuk tak di-update ni.

Truthfully, I have not been that busy. but it's just that my free time has been filled with tv series and hanging with friends and family. I turn on my laptop to stalk people on fb or to religiously follow my favourite tv series. 

That's it.

Apart from that, I work 9 hours a day (thank God for the office hours only in SDMC) from Mondays to Fridays and 4-5 hours on Saturday. People pitied me for working on Saturdays, but I say, hey, I don't really know how to spend my free time these days besides those that I have mentioned above, might as well i just work right?

Life has been kind to me. Allah has been kind to me. all these blessings. and to be back in my beloved country. total bliss.

OK. I shall return again with the next post. get ready for my posts on Malaysian politics. blergh. I actually hate that word "politics". but I guess it has been somewhat synonym with our daily lives since everything that is happening in Malaysia HAS to be politicised. 

Don't even get me started. til then.

It's called time management

Studying..

Working..

Two different worlds.

After two months working, I still find myself dwelling over my student life. It's not like I'm not over it, but life seems so simple back then. hmm.. maybe simple is not the right word to describe my student life. Should I say amazing? Even when it's boring, my friends and 1 somehow find things to make our lives interesting.

Working life, on the other hand, seems more complicated. I think by far, this week has been most challenging. I have been working for two months, and yet, I face new challenges everyday. every single day. Especially this week. There was never a day that went by without a problem to be solved. Gosh. Lots of problems. But so little time to solve. And you need to solve it straight away. there and then. And the patient is just right in front of you. So how? 

You see, working, you get tested all the time. every moment is precious. and working in a private hospital means working in a fast pace, but at the same time maintaining a high level of accuracy and efficiency.

Tough.

So, in the midst of all the stress at work, I'm still glad that I have my family and friends to go to and rant about the problems I face. And somehow, it makes everything better. Everything seems to be OK and suddenly you realise, work is work. when you need to spend quality time with your loved ones, leave all your work-related problems behind. Maybe rant once. and then move on.

So, for those of you who seem to not have time for anything else other than work, think again. you need that quality time with your loved ones. make some time for them. I know for those who work more than 10 hours a day, this seems impossible. but at some point, you have to realise, work is work, and you have to have a life too. so take an hour or two out of your weekend and go meet up with some friends or family members. I personally believe, a good work-social life balance could improve your mood at work, hence increasing your work efficiency. I know exhaustion is an excuse to ignore your social life, but seriously, from my own experience, friends and family help to lift the burden off your shoulder. just by talking to them, really. or maybe a good laugh too.

Owh dear Malaysians, what have we become?

Recently, we witnessed the outrage against the infamous Sharifah Zohra, whilst the famous Ms Bavani became a somewhat national hero.

I never for a minute condone to this act by Sharifah Zohra. It was undoubtedly very rude. But the reaction showed by fellow Malaysians regarding this event was even more upsetting. Not only did the audience in the hall clapped and cheered for her made us feel sick to our stomach, but I myself felt sick reading people's spiteful comments towards the woman. Yes, what she did was wrong, but  it's even worse to watch the rest of the nation stoop down to her level. 

For our dear Bavani, yes, she gave out all the facts, but I'm sorry to say the way she conveyed her message was a bit too over the top. Yes, freedom of speech is what we're fighting for in this country. But I think, there is a better way to convey a message than how Bavani did. 

Our country is going through major changes in terms of politics and social. We want this and that, asking for all sorts of things. But we as Malaysians, what have we done for the country so far? Does that question ever come across our minds? Nowadays, everything that happens in Malaysia is somehow related to politics. literally, EVERYTHING. Malaysians are segregated by which political party they support for the upcoming general election. Sometimes, I wonder, when willl we ever stop pointing fingers to the government, and admit that certain things are our fault? 

I raised this question to my friends: "I don't understand how some of my patients can't speak English and Malay". And a few of them answered : blame the education. 

FYI, the government does not shape the upbringing of our young generation. It comes mainly from your own parents, how they shape you and how they raise you. Kids only spend about 7 hours in school from Mondays to Fridays. The rest of the time, they are under their parents' care.

How can you blame the education provided from the government when we actually learn English and Malay since the tender age of 6? Even kindergartens teach the kids in English!

So, dear Malaysians, when will ever look at ourselves and say, "hey, it's my fault my kid can't speak English. coz we don't speak that language at home".

My parents insisted on having my primary and secondary education in Subang Jaya, eventhough we live in Shah Alam. Why? Because they wanted me to be able to mix with all races and at the same time be in a healthy, competitive academic environment. And of course, a better chance to learn and speak English amongst my friends. Not to say that I wouldn't get the same benefit in Shah Alam school, but gotta admit, 90% of the population there is my own race. At the same time, my parents never stopped preaching about the importance of speaking good English and how that skill can bring you far especially in your career. 

So, looking back, would I do the opposite of whatever my parents did? Hell no! and FYI, I had my primary and secondary education in public schools (only form 4 and 5 I was in KTJ). I turned out alright, didn't I? And so did all of my close friends and many others that I know! 

So dear friends, I know it's that time of the year when we get so passionate about the political parties we support and how we like to just point at the government "it's their fault we turned out like this!". Everytime I log into my Facebook, it's all about hating the government and supporting the opposition. I get it that everyone wants the opposition to rule. But, when did we ever take a second to think and be grateful for what our country has achieved since independence and how much it has developed? When did we ever think that Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor is the least of our problem and there are more problems to be solved amongst us?

I think we Malaysians have a huge problem. The problem is RESPECT. I feel like many of us are harsh, ignorant and disrespectful. Well, this is what I noticed since working in a hospital. I deal with harsh patients and also colleagues. Not to mention, ON THE ROAD! So, when will we learn to screw this word "RESPECT" into our heads?

Try

When you're back in Malaysia, you are definitely stuck with the radio stations like hitz and flyfm, which play the same songs over and over again. I have a bad habit of not being able to drive alone without listening to music (pls don't tell my mom). 

So the current addiction is Pink's latest song called Try. The chorus keeps on playing in my head.

Where there is desire
There is gonna be a flame
Where there is a flame
Someone's bound to get burned
But just because it burns
Doesn't mean you're gonna die
You've gotta get up and try, try, try

I appreciate songs with deep, meaningful lyrics. Maybe most of you interpret this song as for someone who gets screwed over by a guy, basically a song for heartbroken.

But I interpret it differently.

It's mainly about overcoming your problems and telling you to keep trying eventhough you feel down, or worst case scenario, feel like committing suicide. every problem has its solution. Do not let it burn you til you wanna die. 

2012: Year of success, 2013: Year of ?

2012 has been really kind to me. 

I think year 2012 has taught me a lot, and also I had achieved a lot. 

Alhamdulillah. His blessings have been non-stop, i couldn't be more grateful. 

I know ppl do all this new year's resolution. but i never did, and probably never will.
I don't think I would like the feeling of breaking my resolution.
it ain't cool like that.

owh owh. btw, i'm on a short holiday. started from Saturday afternoon til today. and work again tomorrow. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.. and tomorrow the jam will start. with everyone starting work and school. traffic is gonna be hell. let's just hope for the best, 

I may not have a new year's resolution but one thing that I pray and hope for is that I'll be a fully registered pharmacist by end of this year. Insya Allah I shall continue working at SDMC. 
I guess 2013 is a mystery. 
I can't wait to explore the year.

2012 : The year when we became adults!

We all go through different phases in life.

I think, right now I'm officially an adult.

WHY?

1. I graduated
2. I'm working
3. I got my first pay
4. People start to ask when is my turn to get married
5. My close friend got married. and more wedding plans to come.

It's funny when you reflect back on the past years, the person you were, and the person you are now. May be the same person, but different in many ways. We all go through changes at some point of our lives. 

And i guess it is safe to say, that i'm proud of the change in me.

It's funny how the conversations you have with your friends now have somewhat change. though, sometimes, I have the tendency to bring up whatever high school gossips, just for the sake of being childish and young. *we do need some gossips in life, dont we?*

But yeah, the main topics nowadays are work related stuff. when can we ever be like we used to be? I guess, NEVER is the answer.

This year, i'm 23. at my working place, I'm the youngest. 

Next year (2013), I'll turn 24.

And I wonder, how much more do we have to change?

Well, this post is basically just a shout out to all of you youngsters out there. Enjoy your youth while it lasts! Coz once u turn into an adult, there's no time machine to turn back time. 

Pharmacist - Learn to swim when you're thrown into the ocean

As a pharmacist, my main priority is to ensure that the patient rteceives the best pharmaceutical treatment possible. Yes, the doctors are the prescribers but don't forget, that behind every successful doctor, there is a pharmacist. We may not get as much credit as doctors do, but really, our pharmaceutical knowledge, no doctors can beat. That's the truth.

I've just started working for 3 weeks. Everyday has its own challenge. Like today, I thought my main challenge was charging the prescriptions into the system.. it is a challenge when you watch your colleagues do 5 times faster than you. it is a challenge when your colleagues patiently wait for you to charge and not complain even a bit. it is a challenge every time you do a mistake and having to re-charge into the system. it is an even greater challenge to read certain doctors' handwritings. so please to all you future doctors, do not burden us with your handwriting

I think i have quite a nice group of colleagues. yes, some may not be as warm and nice as I expected, but i guess majority matters most. One thing about working in a hospital with many staff is that : 

1. you have to meet with patient's expectation

2. you have to meet with your colleagues and other medical staff's expectations

3. and i think for me the most challenging part is meeting with my own expectation

On daily basis, errors in prescriptions and dispensing are really common. for me, it's even annoying whenever  i see myself making errors and thankfully my colleagues are not the type to scold menjerit2 and what not. I suppose, everyone makes mistakes and just have to learn from it. 

but I guess as someone who just started, it's a learning process and throughout the learning process, shit happens. ok, no major shit happened so far, so fingers crossed. i'm glad that i haven't got scolded by a patient. that is one of my biggest fears. I guess it doesn't matter how much your colleagues scold you, but once a patient scolds you, that will hit you hard.

By the way, apparently today SDMC was super busy because the occupancy was up to 97%. And plus, many staff were on leave so it is even harder to ensure that patients get their medications as fast as possible. a staff actually had to wait for 3-4 hours to meet a doctor. surely they do not want to wait any longer for their medications. sorry patients, if only SDMC has the electronic prescribing. it would be easier for all of us.

Ezan Alia

One of the many things that I am grateful to God is the bunch of friends He has sent to me all these years. I may not appreciate the relationships I had in life, but I think that is compensated by having such amazing companions.

A great friend is someone you share your happiness and sadness with at all times. like my best friend Shera always says, "through thick and thin". Last weekend, one of my closest friends, Ezan Alia got married. It was exciting for me and my other girlfriends coz she was the first but the youngest amongst us to get married. 

Ezan and I knew each other since KTJ. I was her senior by one year and we were in the same house, Irinah. I knew Ezan since she was 15 and it was interesting to witness her growing up and change into a woman throughout these years. One thing that I never stopped saying to Ezan til now is, "I'm so proud of you". It's amazing to see a person to be able to withstand all the challenges in life and yet, still come out smiling and strong as ever. Ezan is the epitomy of beauty inside out.

I treat Ezan like she's my own little sister. For the past two years, we shared about each other's lives like we never did when we were in KTJ, hence why I felt some sort of an attachment to this girl. On the day of her solemnization, I couldn't stop tearing up from the moment we sat down after bringing the dulangs in til the solemnization completed. I was shocked myself, but I guess it was because I witnessed such a beautiful ceremony and of course I was so happy that she found someone in such a short time but I could see such a great love between them. On that day, I understood the meaning of true love.

So our baby girl Ezan got married, leaving four of us (we call ourselves the attap girls). I wish her all the happiness in the world. I'm so glad that she found someone who can take a good care of her and who loves more than anything in the world. Alhamdulillah. we're gonna miss Ezan in our joyah sessions, of course she may not be able to join all the sessions but I'm sure once in a while her husband doesn't mind heheheh. 

Congrats Ezan Alia! you know i love you! =)

p/s: sorry this post is a week late.

First week of PRP training in SDMC

Hey guys, I know a lot of people has been asking me about work as provisionally registered pharmacist in SDMC. I shall give an overview of the pharmacy department and which rotation i'm currently at.

As you all know, SDMC is one of the most well-established private hospitals in the country. So, I felt it is a privilege to be part of the SDMC healthcare professionals. As for the pharmacy department, it is surprisingly HUGE! like the government hospital to be exact. I'm currently posted at the outpatient pharmacy at the ground floor. there are also satellite pharmacies as well at each floor in the outpatient building, but this does not mean that the ground floor is not busy! may be less hectic, but between 11am to 2pm, prescriptions  come in non-stop. on average, the ground floor OP pharmacy dispenses over 800 items a day. and that's just at the ground floor. sometimes, if the satellite pharmacies don't have stock for certain items, they have to send the patients to ground floor to get their medications. owh ya, not forgetting inpatient pharmacy in the other building,CDR, store. all those are in the pharmacy department as well.

The hospital also has a very extensive medication formulary i.e the list of medications available for dispensing.    most of the medications there are branded products i.e  EXPENSIVE products and not generic.so during my first week, it was important to familiarise myself with the different types of medications available there. 

In terms of colleagues, I think most of them are nice and friendly. there were 3 other new pharmacists who came in to join the department. So I was not alone.

First week was all about familiarising and understanding the work flow. there is an added pressure working in a private hospital compared to working in government hospital, in terms of cost and efficiency. As I mentioned, most of the medications in the pharmacy are branded items. Private hospital patients are brand conscious when it comes to their medications, hence why they're willing to pay so much for their treatment. they're willing to pay rm100 for a branded antihypertensive agent, when they can easily get an equivalent but generic product which cost much much less than what they're paying. in terms of efficiency, working in a private hospital means that you have to meet with the patients' expectations. medication errors happened and lead to lawsuits. So double checking prescriptions is really important. And must keep in mind - a simple error (not life-threatening) may lead to a lawsuit.

I'm working from 9am to 6pm on weekdays and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays. Quite tiring but at the end of the day, as long as you enjoy what you're doing, any obstacle can be overcome easily. Be prepared to get scolded etc, coz you are there to work and serve the patients. the main goal is to give the best possible treatment to the patients. afterall, they invested hundreds or even thousands for their hospital visits. surely, if I'm a patient, I would want to be treated well.

The Twilight Saga - Why people are crazy over it

I was never a fan of the Twilight Saga.

When watched the 1st and 2nd movies of this saga, I was annoyed.

I couldn't understand the craze over Kristen Stewart's dead acting. Or even Rob Pattinson's so-called charming character. Or even the oh-so-hot Taylor Lautner.

I certainly thought it was overrated, cheap hopeless romantic kinda movie. 

But... there was a love-hate relationship. I hated the acting and the storyline, though I find myself to be there at the cinema whenever a new Twilight movie is out. 

I started to enjoy the whole story a little bit when I watched Eclipse. I guess I liked the whole vampire-werewolf war thing going on. And then Breaking Dawn Part 1 came out. Minus the excessive highlight of intense but awesome vampire-human sex scenes, I actually thought the storyline was pretty impressive.

And watching the final movie today, I finally understood the whole obsession over this story. It's not particularly about the characters alone. More about the whole love story. Kinda gave us a tinge of hope to cling to whenever we're involved in a "forbidden love".LOL. That, was what I could gather. And it's even worse when you teared up watching flashbacks of the love story. ah dammit. 

Ok moving on to the rating. Personally I would give it a 8/10. The twist was unexpectable. I thought the acting improved and was more believable. I grew to like Bella the vampire. I guess I'm just drawn to strong women and not the hopeless and helpless women like she used to be when she was a human. Vampires are the living dead creatures but Bella seemed so alive. The whole movie seems to make even more sense. Believe me, I am a huge vampire fan since I was young. I grew up with vampire films. This may not be the best vampire movie, but it was good enough. Of course the excessive lovey dovey scenes were to me, a bit over the top, but somehow I got used to it already. Probably not as bad as the previous ones. 

So there you go. Goodbye Twilight Saga!

VAMPIRE DIARIES FOR THE WIN!

Fresh grad's Major Dilemma

Good news: I will be ending my unemployed life in less than 2 weeks! Well, I have been waiting for this for quite some time already, but you know being a human, we just get terribly anxious that we want something to happen fast. but when we get it, we get scared. coz reality just hits you. in the face.

As I have mentioned earlier, I had applied to both government and private hospitals. Not to mention, a job offer in Singapore that I had to turn down due to personal reasons. Also, I uploaded my CV on Jobstreet. Actually just for the thrill of it. And I actually did get one pharmaceutical company and a retail pharmacy that offered me job interviews. I turned them down since my main aim is to gain clinical experience in hospital first. 

Alhamdulillah. Pharmacists are highly demanded in Malaysia. And pharmacy in Malaysia is definitely growing and heading the right direction - people are actually recognising the importance of pharmacists and our role in healthcare. Slowly, and hopefully in the near future, pharmacists will be given the same respect as given to the doctors, which is the case in developed coutries such as U.S.A and U.K.

So referring to the oh-so-dramatic title, I actually received two job offers at the same time, which are from Sime Darby Medical Centre in Subang Jaya and also from government. Now the "fun" part was when I found out that government (KKM) has decided to send me to Johor. And even more "fun" to find out that gov is paying me higher than SDMC. Excuse for me being so money-minded, but salary is one of the major factors I look at. 

So for these past few days, I have been torn. Initially, I decided to go for SDMC because I want to be close to home. I'm not being a spoilt brat, but really I have been away from home since the tender age of 16 til just before I turned 23. But, govt hosp will be a valuable experience.

So I had to list out both pros and cons of both job offers. To be honest, both are offering a good start in my career. though, a start in gov hosp would give me a greater exposure to the world of clinical pharmacy. in terms of location, SDMC wins hands down. and in terms of saving, I would probably save more money living with family. there are factors such as rents,bills, and groceries etc which I have to consider if moving to Johor. 

It was a tough choice indeed. but considering my 5-year career plan that I have planned, I decided to stick to SDMC. The training is just the same between gov and private hosps. We will be exposed to the same disciplines in hospital pharmacy. but of course, cases in govt hospitals would be more interesting. but guess what? when I work in SDMC, there will be times when I have to go to govt hospital to complete my rotations. you must be wondering what kinda rotations. well, once i start working, I will update this blog more on working as a pharmacist. afterall, the main goals for my first year of working are to pass my pharmacy board exam and complete the logbook and ensuring atleast 60% mark for each rotation.

Some of you may still be wondering, errr... what? Let's put it this way. In a nutshell, 1st year working as a pharmacist is not entirely working. It's like housemanship for doctors. As fresh grad pharmacists, we are known as provisionally registered pharmacists. and once we've passed all of the above after a year's training, we get to be fully registered pharmacists. Once we're fully registered pharmacists, career opportunities will be crazy, locally or even in the foreign countries. Crazy as in there are different types of disciplines that we can choose to pursue - be it hospital, industrial, retail, research/PHD, and even academic.

So that's it from me. Hope everyone is doing well. *Hugs*

Salam Maal Hijrah

Salam Maal Hijrah everyone!

It's a brand new year for us Muslims. 

For whatever that has happened in the past, let bygones be bygones.

We should look forward to a new year, with enthusiasm, hoping for a better year and of course to become a better person than the person you were last year.

I may not be the best Muslimah in the world, but I think every new year,one of the resolutions should be to become a better Muslim. Your definition of "better Muslim" may be different from mine. Regardless, as long as we're heading towards the same direction, we're all doing good deed there right?

Yes, physically I don't look like a Muslimah. I'm weak in that department (please don't judge), but whatever it is, I try my best not to neglect my daily prayers, besides remembering Allah during good and bad times. Bersyukur (grateful to Allah), is one thing that we sometimes forget. everyday is a blessing, and regardless how bad your life is, there's always a blessing in disguise.

Whoever you are, whatever you do, no matter how successful or big you or even your parents are, don't forget, that all that came from Allah. and we must remember, He can give easily, and He can also take it away in just a blink of an eye.

TGFAY! 

(Thank God for another year)

From Uni to Working Life

Today I finally got to meet up with two of my closest friends from Manchester, Nadia and Sue Jinn. It is ridiculous how much we get to see each other back in Malaysia. RIDICULOUS!!! Back in those days, Nadia and I were housemates for 2 years. Sue Jinn and I became close ever since we worked together in MSSM and somehow we got even closer after MSSM. And now since coming back to Malaysia, even meeting up once a month is hard!

I MISS MY GIRLS!

Since both of them have started working and me still unemployed, I decided to go as far as KLCC just to see them. Plus, it's Friday so their lunch break was up to 2+ hours. 

I have been so eager to start working for over 2 months now. I am not the type who enjoy doing nothing for a long period of time. But after listening to these girls talking about their working life, it is kinda scary, how it really is. Nadia comes back around 10 or 11pm every night. If she's lucky, she can leave at 8 or 9pm. Sue Jinn's working life is not as crazy but the fact that it takes an hour to travel to and from her working place, now that's super tiring then anything else.with the traffic and all, and plus waking up early in the morning. *damn please don't get HKL or Ampang Hospital*

In conclusion, as much as I am super eager to start working and earn my own money, I have to be mentally ready for EVERYTHING.I guess patience and determination will help me go through the obstacles. It ain't uni anymore. Coz uni somehow was a bit like finding a person's true identity and that's when everyone comes  out of their shells and learn to mature. Working life will be so much different.

Anyways, still no update on whereabouts am I gonna work. I'm waiting for a letter from KKM and also an email from SDMC. If both of them come at the same time, I will have to choose. I've been thinking a lot, both have their pros and cons. But I guess the main determining factors are salary and location. 

I know this sounds super silly and if my sis Dian finds out about this, she would literally shout at me. It's a well known fact that I watch various tv series online every week. THANK GOD FOR MAXIS FIBRE INTERNET! super fast internet so my weekly schedule is as follow:

Monday: Once Upon a Time

Tuesday: Gossip Girl, 90210, The Voice

Wednesday: The Voice, Pretty Little Liars

Friday: Vampire Diaries, Grey's Anatomy

Saturday: America's Next Top Model

Recently, I finished watching Game of Thrones and Keeping up with the Kardashians.

BUT, as unproductive as it seems, I have been reading blogs by fellow Malaysian pharmacists, just to prepare myself on what's coming. Dian said, TV is a stupid box that makes you even more stupid sometimes. So, I have to even out this stupidity by reading more pharmacy-related stuff.

Updates soon.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha

it felt as though Aidilfitri was just yesterday. 

so today, we Muslims celebrated Aidiladha.

Aidiladha is usually quiet for my family and I. yes. the tradition goes on with waking up in the morning and dressed in our traditional clothing, the Aidiladha prayer and of course traditional Eid food such as rendang.

nevertheless, Alhamdulillah, this year, I get to celebrate Aildiladha with my family, after 5 years being in the UK.

Just a few updates about me:

• turned 23
• successfully passed my driving test on first attempt
• I am still unemployed
• MOH said that I will get my PRP posting in November
• I attended another job interview with Sime Darby Medical Centre, SJ yesterday.
• Just discovered that the PRP training in both gov and private hospitals is standardised according to Lembaga Farmasi Malaysia. Private hospitals are trying to implement clinical pharmacy, but due to the  typical environment in these hospitals, this will be a very slow change.
• Now I am torn between working with the government or private. And also whether I should continue to apply to other private hospitals, just to have as many options as possible?
• I'm very anxious about this government hospital posting because there is a possibility that I'll be posted to other states. Any state is fine with me, except Kelantan and Terengganu. And if I do get either of those two states, I will definitely opt to work for private hospital.
• Apart from job dilemma, I am enjoying being a lazy bum at home. well kind of. but i do get restless.
• I practise driving around Shah Alam everyday. recently managed to drive from SJ to Shah Alam. hopefully by December, I will get to drive to other places like Bangsar and KL. Well lets just hope big boss allows me to do so.

So that's all from me. Hope everyone is doing great. 

Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha. Maaf zahir batin. 

End of Summer Break! Let's go back to Uni... NOT!

Raya month is over.

September has passed and now is October.

Summer break was over 2 weeks ago. some of my friends had already left for UK, and yet some remained here, like me. well looks like I won't be going back to UK for uni NO MORE.

I don't know whether to be relieved or sad. both, maybe? Relieved coz I completed my Pharmacy degree and graduated and I don't need to attend lectures in the morning and come home late in the afternoon. Sad though, coz I love uni life regardless of the piling of assignments and attending lectures. My social life was at its peak when in uni. late night supper and shisha. staying up late just to hang out with friends. playing cards or just plain gossip sessions. occasionally house parties and big parties at clubs. it was never boring. not forgetting, netball training during the weekends and trashing other teams at Malaysian games. owhhh how i miss! see it was never boring for me. 4 years it was. and now,all i can do is just keep in touch with everyone through whatsapp and bbm. and of course, reminiscing the good old days.

As sad as it may seem, it is time to grow up.

I am looking forward to working life. it may not be as great as uni life, but regardless, it is something to look forward to. 

Like everyone else who just came back from the UK, I am still waiting to get my hospital posting. I called MoH and the person in charge said that I will know by end of this month. Fingers crossed. I have already received the offer letter from SPA. so now, it's all about waiting.

Meanwhile, I have been googling on PRP posting. Been reading blogs by seniors on how working as a hospital pharmacist is like, the rotations etc. Interesting indeed, hence why I keep on moaning about not starting work yet.

You see, staying at home all the time is not rewarding. it is impossible to go out almost everyday like I used to. I feel so unproductive. the only productive thing i've been doing so far is learning how to drive. yes, i am turning 23 and i haven't got my driving license. My only excuse is that I had been away from home since I finished SPM and although I had 3 months of summer break every year, I chose to enjoy my summer to the fullest and also by working part time.So summer breaks were not as unproductive as you might think. I wish I could work part time now, but my license is my priority sooooo... tough luck.

Life is beautiful. Don't waste it on constant negativity.

Let's go hunting!

Well I promised you that I will post an update on my job search.

I am still unemployed! and I don't like it!

I need to earn some money to survive the high cost of living in Malaysia. 

A lot of you must be shocked, since I have been living in UK, known to be as an expensive country to live in.

Well, to be honest, you are wrong.

Have you been to the supermarkets lately?

When I went there, I felt like everything is dead expensive.

I went grocery shopping in Manchester every week. well you can imagine if you literally live above a supermarket, who wouldn't?

In Manchester, I spent on grocery + toiletries about 50-70 pounds a month. and to those of you who know me, I eat like a man. I have a huge appetite. but 70 pounds is sufficient.

For instance, toiletries - i can easily get good brands e.g Garnier, Loreal and Palmolive at just below 2 pounds per bottle. 

Chicken - 10kg of chicken legs = 12 pounds.

chocs and biscuits - from 50p to 2 pounds. 

dead cheap. right.

go do yourself a favour and go to the supermarket.

plus, you can't leave the house with less than 50 ringgit these days. what's going on? once i start working, i will just eat at mamak and gerai tepi jalan to save money.

Anyways, about the job hunting.. so far I got a job offer from the Institute of Mental Health Singapore. Decided to turn it down because I don't want to be specialised in psychiatric straight away. So, I thought I've decided that I'll just stay in Malaysia to the PRP, with the fear of getting posted to rural areas. Went to the interview already but I don't know when will I start. Apart from that, I had to miss another interview at a hospital in UK coz i'm back in Msia and damnnn they dont allow skype/telephone interview. owh well.

so that's the long story.

til then, keep eating people! it's still raya!

The Spirit of Aidilfitri

Salam to all,

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri! 

Maaf Zahir Batin!

So the month of Ramadhan came to an end and we welcomed Syawal just yesterday.

Another great year to be grateful for.

Alhamdulillah I am back home to celebrate Eid with my family. but like the past 7-8 years, Eid is never the same coz my family and I don't go back to Taiping.

When I was young, Eid was different. more fun, and something that my cousins and I looked forward to every year. We  went back to Taiping a few days before raya, buka puasa together and celebrate raya together. During the morning of first Syawal, we were excited that we woke up early in the morning, took turns to shower coz there were only 3 toilets and there were like more than 20 of us in our grandpa's house. after that we dressed up in our traditional clothes, ate and collected our duit raya from each aunt and uncle. then we would go from house to house to collect duit raya from the neighbours. at night, we played firecrackers or the elder cousins would bring us to eat in town. hehehe. it was loads of fun.

We stopped going back to Taiping just 2-3 years after my grandma passed away. Plus, my grandpa was more keen on going down to KL to celebrate raya. So since then, we celebrate raya around KL every year. Now that my grandpa has passed away, to see all my aunts, uncles and cousins to gather together under one roof seems impossible. coz we don't gather at grandpa's house in Kelana Jaya anymore.

As sad as this story may seem, I still look forward to raya every year. may be boring compared to my childhood days, but the spirit of raya itself is strong. but this time, i would disturb my mom in the kitchen, see how she cooks. i would ask my dad whose house are we visiting and i would ask my sis where will she be on first day raya (with in law or with us). it's different, but it's still raya. you only get the raya feel once a year. and it's the best feeling when after you fast for a month, you get to stuff your face with delicious but fattening food. 

SO HAPPY HAPPY EID MUBARAK EVERYONE! ENJOY PIGGING OUT AT PEOPLE'S HOUSES AND OF COURSE COLLECTING DUIT RAYA! 

Thought of updating my job search but it's ok. it's raya post, so I'm not gonna spoil it.

*hugs*

Miss Unemployed

First and foremost, Happy Ramadhan to my dear Muslim friends! 

it's been awhile since I last updated my blog. 

I guess a lot has happened over the past 3 months.

So the latest news is that I am back for good in Malaysia! 

Secondly, I am officially holding a degree in Masters of Pharmacy (MPharm). So my next step will be following my sis' footsteps to do PhD. err... hold your horses. not yet.

well the real plan is to start working in Malaysia. I have to do a one year pre-registration a.k.a provisionally registered pharmacist (PRP) in order for me to be a full-fledged licensed drug dealer.

yes.. drug dealer. no don't get me wrong. I am your licensed drug dealer. so it's legal. I will be pushing legal drugs to the civilians. owh yes, in order to improve your health and quality of life. but please don't ask me for hash, marijuana, ecstasy etc coz i'll just tell you to get out off my face. lol.

Anyways, after 5 1/2 years being in the UK, it was time for me to say goodbye. Surprisingly, I didn't cry. I didn't know why. Probably due to the acceptance to leave UK and come back home, perhaps? Though, I will miss my life in UK. Late night shisha sessions, supper in Rusholme, stay up til sunrise with friends. heck. I won't be having that in Malaysia.

But I guess, I need to start a new life in Malaysia. I have applied for the PRP with government hospitals. Just hope that I'll get the hospital that I wanted. Apart from that, I'm officially unemployed. or should I say employable. 

so here's to the start of a new life. Goodbye Manchester.

AH-MAY-ZINGGGGGGGGGGGGG

HELLOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

IT'S 20TH APRIL. 

AND I SHALL MARK THIS DATE AS THE DATE I SUBMITTED MY FINAL YEAR PROJECT.

Alhamdulillah. it has been a great journey so far. my final year project was on increasing the solubility of Ketoprofen using surfactant micelles. errr. you can google on this if you have no idea what I'm talking about. lol.

I could have done a better job. i could have started earlier on the write-up. 

but I am pleased to have this over and done with.

So, at this point, I have no regrets.

I wish for the best. 

I still have 4 exams to go. but i seriously need a short break. just get out of  Manchester for a bit. Manchester is the place to be. no doubt about it. but you get so wrapped up in this little bubble and you just feel like you want to get out of it. sometimes, it's suffocating.

so I decided to go on a short break next weekend, Budapest. it will only be for 3 days. Manchester weather hasn't been really nice. it's 8 degrees everyday. friggin winter season when it's suppose to be lovely spring.

so that'll be next weekend. 

after exams, it'll be HELLOOOOOOOO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

yes, i have booked my flight, and hoping that my visa will be done in time. it was unexpected coz my dad just randomly said to me on the phone, 'owh go do ur US visa. u can visit ur sis this summer'. errr. owhkay. random. 

but yes, trip is planned. and the highlight of the trip will be... when I drink Butterbeer (hopefully it's non-alcoholic) in Harry Potter World. yes.. MALIQ and SUDU and NINA and every HARRY POTTER FAN. 

can u feel the excitement? lol.

so that's my latest news. it's 2.30pm. time for a short nap. waiting for Nadia Anwar Tan's arrival in Manchester.