Escape will go into hibernation for 3 weeks.
Its owner needs the time to focus all her energy into this coming battle of life and death.
Current status:
Motivation : 6/10
Concentration : 5/10
Wishful thinking : 10/10
Level of luck : hopefully 10/10 (data collection still in process)
Probability of giving up : 5/10
Battle strategy:
If situation doesn't look good, better retreat rather than die on the battle field.
Prepare for next battle.
Friday, 23 May 2008
Sunday, 18 May 2008
Things can be worse
A Letter to Dad
A father passing by his son's bedroom was astonished to see the bed was nicely made and everything was picked up. Then he saw an envelope propped up prominently on the pillow. It was addressed 'Dad'. With the worst premonition he opened the envelope and read the letter with trembling hands,
'Dear Dad, it is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you, I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Mum and you. I've been finding real passion with Stacy and she is so nice but I knew you would not approve of her because of all her piercings, tattoos, her tight Motorcycle clothes and because she is so much older than I am. But it's not only the passion Dad, she's pregnant. Stacy said that we will be very happy, she owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children.
Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone. We'll be growing it for ourselves and trading it with the other people in the commune for all the cocaine and ecstasy we want. In the meantime, we'll pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Stacy can get better, she sure deserves it! Don't worry Dad, I'm 15, and I know how to take care of myself, someday I'm sure we'll be back to visit so you can get to know your many grandchildren.
Love, your son, Joshua
P.S. Dad, none of the above is true. I'm over at Jason's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than the school report that's on the kitchen table. Call when it is safe for me to come home :)
When I came across this letter from a random blog, I started laughing non-stop until my sides hurt. I guess it is a really good tactic for getting away from a major mistake that you've made.
I do agree, things can be worse and remember to read the post-scripts! They are important.
Caution
Not recommended to be used on elderly parents with high risk of cardiovascular diseases.
Saturday, 17 May 2008
Malaysian Manglish and culture shock
Aren't we speaking the same language? Why are you doing it that way???!!
Do you get that puzzled look when talking to people from other countries? Why is it that Malaysian accent is so easily identified? Do you get very self-conscious when speaking to the local people because your usual way of speaking contains loads of grammar and pronunciation mistakes? Do you get a shock of your life while watching your flatmate wash the dishes?
These were the things I've encountered during my stay in England since the September of 2005. Whoa, that's a long time. I haven't been back since the summer of 2006 and I'm anticipating for my flight on the 14th of June from Manchester to Kuala Lumpur.
This recent conversation which I had with my GP partner during our 3 hour lunch break came up as we were bored. He's half Malaysian but was born in the UK. I can't believe he even visits his relatives in Malaysia more than the number of times I went home over this 2.5 years.
Talking about Malaysian accent, we are really famous for ending our sentences with all sorts of different additional sounds. Our most popular and infamous one is -Lah. It is so, so, soooooo difficult to remind myself not to end each and every sentences with it when I first came over to the UK. Without the -Lah, it feels like the sentence is without a full stop left hanging in mid-air. Usually I start off the conversation fine, but as I get more and more comfortable, the -Lahs will start appearing before I could stop myself. I used to use a lot of -Bah as well when I was in Sabah last time and even both -Lah and -Bah next to each other. For example, 'Janganlah, Bah' which translates to 'Don't be like that'.
The next thing is grammar. My goodness! This is even worse than trying to get rid of the -Lah. I've never realised that my grammar was so poor until I forced myself to speak proper English with my course mates. It is really difficult. Sometimes, it's already too late when you've started with a wrong structure and then, to savage the sentence, I'll try to correct it midway and it ends up sounding really awkward. I was talking to M the other day and she told me the same thing as well. So difficult! Sometimes I wished that I'd grew up speaking perfect English and don't have to change the old habit when I'm already this old. Ok, ok, 22 isn't that old yet. Oh yes, M, what happened to our 1 hour a day English conversation session? We wanted to try to improve on our language skills but in the end, laziness and too much work overtook that priority.
I'm not sure about you, but most Malaysians which I've spoken to tend not to pronounce the Th- but instead, we pronounce it as just T- without the sound of blowing air and withdrawing the tongue after placing it between the teeth. I'm not sure if this is the correct technique of pronouncing it, but my mum has taught me this way when I was younger but I've never followed it. Please correct me if I'm wrong. There are times when I've pronounced a few English words especially those which I'm unfamiliar with using the Bahasa Baku way and that brings puzzled looks from my friends.
Don't you feel that the way we talk resembles singing at times? We have a really rich intonation while speaking as compared to the British. I think it's thanks to our multi-language skills and influence from so many cultures that we share and borrow words from other languages and dialects to enrich our vocabulary and intonation. No wonder lecturers here sound so boring. Hehehehe.
I've been brought up to greet people who are older than me by addressing them as 'Uncle' or 'Aunty' as a sign of respect. But over here, they will only call their actual relatives uncles and aunties. My GP partner told me that it was really awkward for him to just call his mother's friends uncles and aunties as he's never done that over here. Another phrase which he said was really funny to him was 'making noise'. We do hear this so very often when somebody is complaining about someone else. We mean complaining when we use this 'special phrase'. I've never realised that this phrase was never in the English dictionary.
Coming to culture. This one totally shocked me in my first month in the UK. I was chatting to my local house mate while watching her do her dishes when she announced that she was done.
She has soaked her dishes in a mixture of water and dish-washing detergent, scrubbed them with a piece of cloth to make sure nothing else was stuck on them, place them on the plate holder to drain off the water, and proceeded to use another cloth to dry them off before placing them in her cabinet.
'Aren't you going to rinse your dishes?' I asked her with a horrified face.
'No, it's done after I've dried them'
'But, there's still soap on them'
'The soap is for killing the bacteria' (I don't even know if she was telling the truth or not)
This is definitely a culture shock to me. A big one too. Since that time, I used my own plates for everything, even when she cooked for me. Never mind, don't think about how she washed her pots and frying pans. Hehehehehe.
Food, this one I still cannot accept it. Do you treat crisps a.k.a. keropok as part of your proper meal? One of the famous menu for lunch is sandwich with crisps. After finishing their lunch, my local friends always end it with either a bar of chocolate, cereal bar or just something sweet. I find it unhealthy, therefore I've never come around to trying sandwiches with crisps yet. My friends were trying to convince me that it was delicious but I still cannot accept the crisp being part of lunch. It is not only weird to me but also unhealthy.
Phew, this is a long entry. I'm sure that you all will have your own unusual or funny experiences and encounters as well. Come share it with me and we'll have a good laugh.
Do you get that puzzled look when talking to people from other countries? Why is it that Malaysian accent is so easily identified? Do you get very self-conscious when speaking to the local people because your usual way of speaking contains loads of grammar and pronunciation mistakes? Do you get a shock of your life while watching your flatmate wash the dishes?
These were the things I've encountered during my stay in England since the September of 2005. Whoa, that's a long time. I haven't been back since the summer of 2006 and I'm anticipating for my flight on the 14th of June from Manchester to Kuala Lumpur.
This recent conversation which I had with my GP partner during our 3 hour lunch break came up as we were bored. He's half Malaysian but was born in the UK. I can't believe he even visits his relatives in Malaysia more than the number of times I went home over this 2.5 years.
Talking about Malaysian accent, we are really famous for ending our sentences with all sorts of different additional sounds. Our most popular and infamous one is -Lah. It is so, so, soooooo difficult to remind myself not to end each and every sentences with it when I first came over to the UK. Without the -Lah, it feels like the sentence is without a full stop left hanging in mid-air. Usually I start off the conversation fine, but as I get more and more comfortable, the -Lahs will start appearing before I could stop myself. I used to use a lot of -Bah as well when I was in Sabah last time and even both -Lah and -Bah next to each other. For example, 'Janganlah, Bah' which translates to 'Don't be like that'.
The next thing is grammar. My goodness! This is even worse than trying to get rid of the -Lah. I've never realised that my grammar was so poor until I forced myself to speak proper English with my course mates. It is really difficult. Sometimes, it's already too late when you've started with a wrong structure and then, to savage the sentence, I'll try to correct it midway and it ends up sounding really awkward. I was talking to M the other day and she told me the same thing as well. So difficult! Sometimes I wished that I'd grew up speaking perfect English and don't have to change the old habit when I'm already this old. Ok, ok, 22 isn't that old yet. Oh yes, M, what happened to our 1 hour a day English conversation session? We wanted to try to improve on our language skills but in the end, laziness and too much work overtook that priority.
I'm not sure about you, but most Malaysians which I've spoken to tend not to pronounce the Th- but instead, we pronounce it as just T- without the sound of blowing air and withdrawing the tongue after placing it between the teeth. I'm not sure if this is the correct technique of pronouncing it, but my mum has taught me this way when I was younger but I've never followed it. Please correct me if I'm wrong. There are times when I've pronounced a few English words especially those which I'm unfamiliar with using the Bahasa Baku way and that brings puzzled looks from my friends.
Don't you feel that the way we talk resembles singing at times? We have a really rich intonation while speaking as compared to the British. I think it's thanks to our multi-language skills and influence from so many cultures that we share and borrow words from other languages and dialects to enrich our vocabulary and intonation. No wonder lecturers here sound so boring. Hehehehe.
I've been brought up to greet people who are older than me by addressing them as 'Uncle' or 'Aunty' as a sign of respect. But over here, they will only call their actual relatives uncles and aunties. My GP partner told me that it was really awkward for him to just call his mother's friends uncles and aunties as he's never done that over here. Another phrase which he said was really funny to him was 'making noise'. We do hear this so very often when somebody is complaining about someone else. We mean complaining when we use this 'special phrase'. I've never realised that this phrase was never in the English dictionary.
Coming to culture. This one totally shocked me in my first month in the UK. I was chatting to my local house mate while watching her do her dishes when she announced that she was done.
She has soaked her dishes in a mixture of water and dish-washing detergent, scrubbed them with a piece of cloth to make sure nothing else was stuck on them, place them on the plate holder to drain off the water, and proceeded to use another cloth to dry them off before placing them in her cabinet.
'Aren't you going to rinse your dishes?' I asked her with a horrified face.
'No, it's done after I've dried them'
'But, there's still soap on them'
'The soap is for killing the bacteria' (I don't even know if she was telling the truth or not)
This is definitely a culture shock to me. A big one too. Since that time, I used my own plates for everything, even when she cooked for me. Never mind, don't think about how she washed her pots and frying pans. Hehehehehe.
Food, this one I still cannot accept it. Do you treat crisps a.k.a. keropok as part of your proper meal? One of the famous menu for lunch is sandwich with crisps. After finishing their lunch, my local friends always end it with either a bar of chocolate, cereal bar or just something sweet. I find it unhealthy, therefore I've never come around to trying sandwiches with crisps yet. My friends were trying to convince me that it was delicious but I still cannot accept the crisp being part of lunch. It is not only weird to me but also unhealthy.
Phew, this is a long entry. I'm sure that you all will have your own unusual or funny experiences and encounters as well. Come share it with me and we'll have a good laugh.
Friday, 16 May 2008
Super short concentration
I don't know why am I always faced by this problem. My concentration span is so short that after reading for 10 minutes, my mind will either wander elsewhere or I will start on something else.
An example of a scenario that happened 2 days ago:
I was supposed to revise for OSCE before my drop-in session the next morning. Took out the OSCE booklets, even opened the page on obstetric palpation. The next thing I did was, reached out for my medical ethics book as I remembered that I should start revising for ethics as well.
I was reading on consent for children when I remembered the question on whether the 4 medical principles are prima facie or not. That came up in 1st year. I couldn't even remember what prima facie meant. Went to surf the net for answers.
At least I found what prima facie meant. I means the principle is binding unless it conflicts with another moral principles. In other words, the 4 principles are prima facie.
After that, the EMQ question book caught my attention. Why not do a few questions. At that time, my table was piled with 3 layers of material, lowest being my OSCE stuff, followed by ethics book and now EMQ. Came across the question on menopause. Decided to read up on it.
Took out my Gynaecology book (4th layer), and then the last section on the types of gynaecological procedure caught my eye. So, I started reading about it. Finally, I remembered about menopause and turned to the page to read up on it. While reading halfway I suddenly realised it was getting late already and I still haven't started on OSCE yet, which is supposed to be my main priority for the night.
Finally, I kept all the books away and started my OSCE revision. It got boring halfway and I was reminded that I haven't brushed my teeth yet. After brushing, I felt even sleepier. So, I decided to retire to bed and maybe cram as much as possible in the morning.
Woken up by my alarm clock but I don't know if I should thank or curse the person who invented the snooze button. Pressed it a googolplex of times until my conscience got the better of my laziness.
(In case you didn't know what is 1 googolplex, it's 10(10100) =1010,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, continue next line
000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
Imagine, there's not even enough space to write the zeros in 1 line! Wikipedia link on the definition here so that you know I'm not just pulling your leg.
See, I even start diverting while writing this blog entry. It's not even centred on what googolplex is.
When I finally jumped out of bed, there wasn't anymore time to revise! Ate a quick breakfast and off I went to my drop-in session. So much for trying to revise and getting distracted by so many things.
I'm always like this with everything else, even blogging. Sometimes, I wanted to add a picture into an entry and end up laughing and looking through the related albums and branch off to the unrelated ones as well.
I know I'm hopeless. It is always a miracle when I complete something therefore, miracles do happen in my life. Good reason to feel happy once a while.
P.s.
I'm sorry to cause some concerns about my previous post. I'm fine, you all don't have to worry about me at all. But thank you to those who MSN-ed me asking if I was all right. It's just that I have this thing about writing these nonsense when I get inspired by something. Plus for the last entry, I could even try acting out the emotions felt by the character and cam whore a bit followed by experimenting with Photoshop. Very soon, I want to direct my own video or something already. Hehehehe..... Wait, I'm supposed to be studying medicine and here I'm fantasizing about film making. Nooooooo......, don't let my short concentration affect my career choice as well! Wait, I did complete a poem, took photos, and even photoshop. A miracle has happened! (You all must be thinking that this person is crazy)
I hope that each of you can find something in life, no matter how small or trivial or stupid it is to be considered as your own miracle. A dose of happiness, no matter how small they are do make a difference. (One of them being that you'll be a step closer to turning into the crazy person above)
Now, to cut down from 4 layers to 3 tonight!
An example of a scenario that happened 2 days ago:
I was supposed to revise for OSCE before my drop-in session the next morning. Took out the OSCE booklets, even opened the page on obstetric palpation. The next thing I did was, reached out for my medical ethics book as I remembered that I should start revising for ethics as well.
I was reading on consent for children when I remembered the question on whether the 4 medical principles are prima facie or not. That came up in 1st year. I couldn't even remember what prima facie meant. Went to surf the net for answers.
At least I found what prima facie meant. I means the principle is binding unless it conflicts with another moral principles. In other words, the 4 principles are prima facie.
After that, the EMQ question book caught my attention. Why not do a few questions. At that time, my table was piled with 3 layers of material, lowest being my OSCE stuff, followed by ethics book and now EMQ. Came across the question on menopause. Decided to read up on it.
Took out my Gynaecology book (4th layer), and then the last section on the types of gynaecological procedure caught my eye. So, I started reading about it. Finally, I remembered about menopause and turned to the page to read up on it. While reading halfway I suddenly realised it was getting late already and I still haven't started on OSCE yet, which is supposed to be my main priority for the night.
Finally, I kept all the books away and started my OSCE revision. It got boring halfway and I was reminded that I haven't brushed my teeth yet. After brushing, I felt even sleepier. So, I decided to retire to bed and maybe cram as much as possible in the morning.
Woken up by my alarm clock but I don't know if I should thank or curse the person who invented the snooze button. Pressed it a googolplex of times until my conscience got the better of my laziness.
(In case you didn't know what is 1 googolplex, it's 10(10100) =1010,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, continue next line
000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000)
Imagine, there's not even enough space to write the zeros in 1 line! Wikipedia link on the definition here so that you know I'm not just pulling your leg.
See, I even start diverting while writing this blog entry. It's not even centred on what googolplex is.
When I finally jumped out of bed, there wasn't anymore time to revise! Ate a quick breakfast and off I went to my drop-in session. So much for trying to revise and getting distracted by so many things.
I'm always like this with everything else, even blogging. Sometimes, I wanted to add a picture into an entry and end up laughing and looking through the related albums and branch off to the unrelated ones as well.
I know I'm hopeless. It is always a miracle when I complete something therefore, miracles do happen in my life. Good reason to feel happy once a while.
P.s.
I'm sorry to cause some concerns about my previous post. I'm fine, you all don't have to worry about me at all. But thank you to those who MSN-ed me asking if I was all right. It's just that I have this thing about writing these nonsense when I get inspired by something. Plus for the last entry, I could even try acting out the emotions felt by the character and cam whore a bit followed by experimenting with Photoshop. Very soon, I want to direct my own video or something already. Hehehehe..... Wait, I'm supposed to be studying medicine and here I'm fantasizing about film making. Nooooooo......, don't let my short concentration affect my career choice as well! Wait, I did complete a poem, took photos, and even photoshop. A miracle has happened! (You all must be thinking that this person is crazy)
I hope that each of you can find something in life, no matter how small or trivial or stupid it is to be considered as your own miracle. A dose of happiness, no matter how small they are do make a difference. (One of them being that you'll be a step closer to turning into the crazy person above)
Now, to cut down from 4 layers to 3 tonight!
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Grey
Probably nobody will ever noticed the mask I put onSince when did I become so good at it?
Living life without a meaning
Tomorrow is just a continuation of my sufferings
Overflowing angerOverflowing disappointment
Overflowing sadness
Overflowing frustrations
I struggle to keep the demons inside but they're desperately fighting to get out
How much longer can I last? How much more can this body take?
My heart screams but no one can hear it
Will it ever end?
Hope was something which I've forgottenHave I tried breaking free?
Is it possible for a person like me?
Someone who has been abandoned a long time ago
I have given up on everything
Everything except this precious memory of you
It was that day, when I finally heard it
And set my heart to escape from all these
One day I may be able to show you a real smileA genuine smile, neither forced nor faked
That will be the day I come running back to you
Monday, 12 May 2008
Overslept!!!!
I suddenly awaken, thinking that it was still early as my alarm didn't go off. Feeling a bit weird cause it was a bit too bright and it was as if I've slept for a long time, I reached for my alarm clock only to find that I was already half an hour late for my appointment to meet my convenor for SSM!
Why does this always happen to me at least once every SSM?????? True enough, it happened for last SSM, and the SSM before and the one before, even the first one!
I jumped right out of bed, heart racing and seriously panicked. What to do, what to do!
Even though I was really late, I still had time to have a heart to heart talk to my alarm clock for not waking me up on time. I was supposed to wake up 3 hours before the meeting, how did I manage to oversleep that much! I even set 2 alarms that morning. Goodness! I must have developed the innate behaviour of switching all alarm off while still sleeping.
Never mind. First, better contact my convenor to apologise and try to rearrange a meeting time. What if he's angry? What if he doesn't have time to meet me any more? The dateline for my essay is in 3 weeks time, I cannot afford to delay meeting him!
I quickly switched on my computer to look for his telephone number. Stupid computer, why do you take so long to start up! Finally, found his email with his details. Started dialling......Oh no.....what excuse can I give? I can't say it's because I've overslept right? What to say!
'Hello' (too late, he has already answered the phone)
'Can I speak to Dr. B please?'
'Speaking' (Alamak!!! What's my excuse, never mind, just improvise and hopefully he doesn't query too much or else he'll see through my lies)
'It's Noreen here. I'm so sorry that I got the time mixed up. I thought the meeting was at 1pm but when I double-checked the email for the venue, then I realised it was at 12pm. I'm really sorry about it....' (Please, please, please don't be angry at me)
'Will it be possible for me to meet you at 1pm?' (I crossed all my fingers and toes)
'I should be able to do that. Hold on a second, let me have a look at my schedule'
'Okay, that's fine'
'Thank you very much. I'll see you later.'
Phew......at least he still agreed to see me. Stupid Noreen for not waking up. What is this happened for my exams?????? No, I must not let this happen in future. This might be a warning sign.
I quickly printed out my essay, ate a bit of cornflakes with milk and off I went, sprinting to his office. All my plans of waking up earlier to look through my essay and mentally prepare myself to see him before the meeting went down the drain. I'm already late, now unprepared some more. How much worse can it be?
The meeting with Dr. B wasn't too bad. He made a lot of comments therefore, I will have to improve on a lot of areas of my essay. He's such a nice person, and I felt really guilty for being late. Hate myself so much.
So much for my post on the different types of alarm clocks. I can't believe that 2 alarm clocks weren't enough to wake me. Have to get a 3rd one. Let me ask someone to give me a morning call as well for the exams, just in case. If not, I'll have to prepare for the resits.
Why does this always happen to me at least once every SSM?????? True enough, it happened for last SSM, and the SSM before and the one before, even the first one!
I jumped right out of bed, heart racing and seriously panicked. What to do, what to do!
Even though I was really late, I still had time to have a heart to heart talk to my alarm clock for not waking me up on time. I was supposed to wake up 3 hours before the meeting, how did I manage to oversleep that much! I even set 2 alarms that morning. Goodness! I must have developed the innate behaviour of switching all alarm off while still sleeping.
Never mind. First, better contact my convenor to apologise and try to rearrange a meeting time. What if he's angry? What if he doesn't have time to meet me any more? The dateline for my essay is in 3 weeks time, I cannot afford to delay meeting him!
I quickly switched on my computer to look for his telephone number. Stupid computer, why do you take so long to start up! Finally, found his email with his details. Started dialling......Oh no.....what excuse can I give? I can't say it's because I've overslept right? What to say!
'Hello' (too late, he has already answered the phone)
'Can I speak to Dr. B please?'
'Speaking' (Alamak!!! What's my excuse, never mind, just improvise and hopefully he doesn't query too much or else he'll see through my lies)
'It's Noreen here. I'm so sorry that I got the time mixed up. I thought the meeting was at 1pm but when I double-checked the email for the venue, then I realised it was at 12pm. I'm really sorry about it....' (Please, please, please don't be angry at me)
'Will it be possible for me to meet you at 1pm?' (I crossed all my fingers and toes)
'I should be able to do that. Hold on a second, let me have a look at my schedule'
........... (The dreadful silence)
'Okay, that's fine'
'Thank you very much. I'll see you later.'
Phew......at least he still agreed to see me. Stupid Noreen for not waking up. What is this happened for my exams?????? No, I must not let this happen in future. This might be a warning sign.
I quickly printed out my essay, ate a bit of cornflakes with milk and off I went, sprinting to his office. All my plans of waking up earlier to look through my essay and mentally prepare myself to see him before the meeting went down the drain. I'm already late, now unprepared some more. How much worse can it be?
The meeting with Dr. B wasn't too bad. He made a lot of comments therefore, I will have to improve on a lot of areas of my essay. He's such a nice person, and I felt really guilty for being late. Hate myself so much.
So much for my post on the different types of alarm clocks. I can't believe that 2 alarm clocks weren't enough to wake me. Have to get a 3rd one. Let me ask someone to give me a morning call as well for the exams, just in case. If not, I'll have to prepare for the resits.
Sunday, 11 May 2008
New 7 Wonders of the World
I didn't realise that there was a new list of 7 wonders of the world until M and I started wondering if Angkor Wat was one of them or not.
The list was released on the 07 - 07 - 2007 and it can be found on its official website here.
All the pictures below are taken from the official website.
The 7 Wonders:
Machu Picchu, Peru (1460 - 1470) (Sounds like Pikachu!)
Located deep in the Amazon jungle bye the Incas. Was lost once but found again in 1911.
Petra, Jordan (9 B.C. - 40 A.D.)
Located on the edge of the Arabian Desert but it is a city with many water chambers and tunnel constructions.
The Great Wall of China, China (220 B.C and 1368 - 1644A.D.)
If it can be seen from space, it must be huge! Built as a defence system against Mongolian attacks.
The Taj Mahal, Angra, India (1630 A.D.)
Built in the name of love by Shah Jahan for his beloved late wife.
The Roman Colosseum, Rome, Italy (70 - 72 A.D.)
Built during the Roman Empire for fights between prisoners and vicious animals like lions.
Christ Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1931)
38 meters tall statue of Jesus which took 5 years to construct.
The Pyramid at Chichen Itza, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (before 800 A.D.)
Great Mayan temple. I wonder how many steps are there to climb to the top.
My dream is to visit all of them in future.
Some other special mention to the other finalists:
Statues of Easter Island, Easter Island, Chile (10th - 16th Century)
25 meter high stone sculptures located on an island in the middle of nowhere. I was telling M that I would disappear with the island while visiting if it ever sunk below the sea like Atlantis.
The Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow, Russia (1156-1850)
So colourful! It has a complex history to it.
It was difficult taking the picture of the whole Eiffel Tower standing so close to it.
The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France (1887 - 89)
It is only very beautiful at night. In the day time, the whole thing is made of steel and it's of an ugly dark brownish greenish rusty looking colour. There's a lift which you can take but cost about 8 Euro to take up up to the 2nd and 3rd levels or you can choose to walk up the stairs for free.
Neuschwanstein Castle, Schwangau, Germany (1869 - 1884)
It was speculated that Walt Disney's castle's design was inspired by this castle. It is truly a beautiful castle worth making it's way to the top 7. There were meant to be 3 castles in the area but only 2 were completed as the King went bankrupt after building this castle halfway. They repainted the 1st castle yellow which was very striking.
So, after all that browsing through, I came to the conclusion that Angkor Wat is not one of the 7 wonders. However, it made it to the finalist!
Angkor, Cambodia (12th century)
World's largest sacred temple. Too bad it's not one of the 7. I'm planning to visit this magnificent looking temple this summer. So, anybody interested? It's going to be in August. Contact me or M for more details.
The list was released on the 07 - 07 - 2007 and it can be found on its official website here.
All the pictures below are taken from the official website.
The 7 Wonders:
Machu Picchu, Peru (1460 - 1470) (Sounds like Pikachu!)Located deep in the Amazon jungle bye the Incas. Was lost once but found again in 1911.
Petra, Jordan (9 B.C. - 40 A.D.)Located on the edge of the Arabian Desert but it is a city with many water chambers and tunnel constructions.
The Great Wall of China, China (220 B.C and 1368 - 1644A.D.)If it can be seen from space, it must be huge! Built as a defence system against Mongolian attacks.
The Taj Mahal, Angra, India (1630 A.D.)Built in the name of love by Shah Jahan for his beloved late wife.
The Roman Colosseum, Rome, Italy (70 - 72 A.D.)Built during the Roman Empire for fights between prisoners and vicious animals like lions.
Christ Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1931)38 meters tall statue of Jesus which took 5 years to construct.
The Pyramid at Chichen Itza, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico (before 800 A.D.)Great Mayan temple. I wonder how many steps are there to climb to the top.
My dream is to visit all of them in future.
Some other special mention to the other finalists:
Statues of Easter Island, Easter Island, Chile (10th - 16th Century)25 meter high stone sculptures located on an island in the middle of nowhere. I was telling M that I would disappear with the island while visiting if it ever sunk below the sea like Atlantis.
The Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow, Russia (1156-1850)So colourful! It has a complex history to it.
It was difficult taking the picture of the whole Eiffel Tower standing so close to it.
The Eiffel Tower, Paris, France (1887 - 89)It is only very beautiful at night. In the day time, the whole thing is made of steel and it's of an ugly dark brownish greenish rusty looking colour. There's a lift which you can take but cost about 8 Euro to take up up to the 2nd and 3rd levels or you can choose to walk up the stairs for free.
Neuschwanstein Castle, Schwangau, Germany (1869 - 1884)It was speculated that Walt Disney's castle's design was inspired by this castle. It is truly a beautiful castle worth making it's way to the top 7. There were meant to be 3 castles in the area but only 2 were completed as the King went bankrupt after building this castle halfway. They repainted the 1st castle yellow which was very striking.
So, after all that browsing through, I came to the conclusion that Angkor Wat is not one of the 7 wonders. However, it made it to the finalist!
Angkor, Cambodia (12th century)World's largest sacred temple. Too bad it's not one of the 7. I'm planning to visit this magnificent looking temple this summer. So, anybody interested? It's going to be in August. Contact me or M for more details.
Saturday, 10 May 2008
Sometimes, smaller is better
I came across this article concerning the association of breast size and diabetes after reading Student BMJ. I know, I know, I'm turning into a very boring person who reads about medicine even in my spare time. Actually I was too lazy to revise and in order to not feel guilty, I started reading Student BMJ magazines which I've only collected but not read for the past 3 years.
Researches have found that a large bra cup size at age 20 predicts a high risk of diabetes in middle age.
Finally, a good reason for girls to be happy with smaller breasts.
Why?
Overweight girls tend to reach puberty earlier and develop bigger breasts and obesity is an established risk factor for diabetes mellitus type II, and other reasons which I'm too lazy to mention here.
However, Body Mass Index (BMI) and greater waist circumference are still stronger predictors.
The age-adjusted risk ratios of developing diabetes type II in relative to bra cup size
A:
B cup = 2.30 times higher risk
C cup = 4.32
D cup = 4.99
The risk doubles with bra cup size! Quite scary.
P.s.
These ration did not take into account waist circumference, physical activity, smoking status, family history, BMI, etc. Refer to the article for more information. The article even tells you how to determine the bra cup size.
Too bad for the guys cause you've missed the opportunity to participate in the data collection for this research. Hehe... Now I wonder if the male species will still place big breasts as one of the top criteria in grading a girl's attractiveness.
Health over attractiveness, which one will you choose?
Researches have found that a large bra cup size at age 20 predicts a high risk of diabetes in middle age.
Finally, a good reason for girls to be happy with smaller breasts.
Why?
Overweight girls tend to reach puberty earlier and develop bigger breasts and obesity is an established risk factor for diabetes mellitus type II, and other reasons which I'm too lazy to mention here.
However, Body Mass Index (BMI) and greater waist circumference are still stronger predictors.
The age-adjusted risk ratios of developing diabetes type II in relative to bra cup size
A:B cup = 2.30 times higher risk
C cup = 4.32
D cup = 4.99The risk doubles with bra cup size! Quite scary.
P.s.
These ration did not take into account waist circumference, physical activity, smoking status, family history, BMI, etc. Refer to the article for more information. The article even tells you how to determine the bra cup size.
Too bad for the guys cause you've missed the opportunity to participate in the data collection for this research. Hehe... Now I wonder if the male species will still place big breasts as one of the top criteria in grading a girl's attractiveness.
Health over attractiveness, which one will you choose?
Sunday, 4 May 2008
2 exhibitions and lunch at Manchester
I went with M to Manchester today for the British Dental Conference and Exhibition at Manchester today. There were so many really good freebies up for grabs. Ended up collecting two bags full of stuff.
So heavy! I think they weigh close to 7kg.
These were all the stuff I collected. It ranged from tooth brushes, tooth paste, notebooks, notepads, mouthwash, pens and pencils, dental floss, puzzles to even USB drives (256MB each)!
Dragged all my presents from the conference to Tai Wu to eat Dim Sum
The food was delicious thanks to M who was really good at choosing and ordering. I wished that we had cheap, delicious and strategically located Chinese restaurants in Liverpool as well.
We were planning to go home after lunch, but as we walked towards the train station, we came across the advertisement of an exhibition on Manga which was going on at Urbis. So, since we were there, why not drop by to visit that exhibition as well.
Urbis
The poster for the exhibition: How Manga took over the world?
I really did enjoy myself there. The characters were all so cute and colourful.
The drawings ranged from distorted to actual proportions. However, the trademark big eyes, small nose and mouth were still present.
Figures ranged from really tiny ones ....
To big ones which are as big or bigger than a real person. Human in the middle is to be used as a reference to the actual size.
Moshi moshi
Crazy girl in wonderland
I really like this poster.
What movie is this?
I don't even know what am I doing here. Kicked by the panda?
A dose of vitamin plus Manga a day keeps the doctor away
Pokemon is so influencial that the whole plane is decorated by the characters. I want to buy this as my personal jet if I am rich enough to do that in future.
M and I
Manga version of Starwars
Japanese do have weird fashion sense:
I started laughing when I saw his yellow...emmm...skirt? pants?
For guys who wish to look taller the cool way
Fashion trend for this Summer
There were two other floors at Urbis containing exhibitions on Natural Gardening and Fashion Design by Matthew Williamson. Gardening was boring, therefore it isn't covered in this entry.
Wondered if you noticed what was the skirt on the top left picture made of.
I can never qualify to be a model. Height is already the biggest obstacle followed closely by weight and talents. Will leave the job to the professionals.
We stopped by the souvenir shop on the way out. They sold some really interesting things.
I really like the dolls based on Naruto characters.(Picture bottom left) I used to have a Sailormoon and Sailormars doll at home, whose ownership has been transferred to my sister.
I wished the remote control to control a man works! Too bad I didn't bring my camera and used my phone's camera. The resolution wasn't high enough to capture the words on the remote. (Picture bottom right)
We raced toy cars in the past, now, we race Grannies against each other. (Picture top right)
Finally, we took the free shuttle to the train station and made our way back to Liverpool. With the nice sunny weather, loads of free stuff and interesting exhibitions, I can say that today was one of the most enjoyable days in England. Thanks M for convincing me to go.
So heavy! I think they weigh close to 7kg.
These were all the stuff I collected. It ranged from tooth brushes, tooth paste, notebooks, notepads, mouthwash, pens and pencils, dental floss, puzzles to even USB drives (256MB each)!
Dragged all my presents from the conference to Tai Wu to eat Dim Sum
The food was delicious thanks to M who was really good at choosing and ordering. I wished that we had cheap, delicious and strategically located Chinese restaurants in Liverpool as well.
We were planning to go home after lunch, but as we walked towards the train station, we came across the advertisement of an exhibition on Manga which was going on at Urbis. So, since we were there, why not drop by to visit that exhibition as well.
Urbis
The poster for the exhibition: How Manga took over the world?I really did enjoy myself there. The characters were all so cute and colourful.
The drawings ranged from distorted to actual proportions. However, the trademark big eyes, small nose and mouth were still present.
Figures ranged from really tiny ones ....
To big ones which are as big or bigger than a real person. Human in the middle is to be used as a reference to the actual size.
Moshi moshi
Crazy girl in wonderland
I really like this poster.
What movie is this?
I don't even know what am I doing here. Kicked by the panda?
A dose of vitamin plus Manga a day keeps the doctor away
Pokemon is so influencial that the whole plane is decorated by the characters. I want to buy this as my personal jet if I am rich enough to do that in future.
M and I
Manga version of StarwarsJapanese do have weird fashion sense:
I started laughing when I saw his yellow...emmm...skirt? pants?
For guys who wish to look taller the cool way
Fashion trend for this SummerThere were two other floors at Urbis containing exhibitions on Natural Gardening and Fashion Design by Matthew Williamson. Gardening was boring, therefore it isn't covered in this entry.
Wondered if you noticed what was the skirt on the top left picture made of.
I can never qualify to be a model. Height is already the biggest obstacle followed closely by weight and talents. Will leave the job to the professionals.We stopped by the souvenir shop on the way out. They sold some really interesting things.
I really like the dolls based on Naruto characters.(Picture bottom left) I used to have a Sailormoon and Sailormars doll at home, whose ownership has been transferred to my sister.I wished the remote control to control a man works! Too bad I didn't bring my camera and used my phone's camera. The resolution wasn't high enough to capture the words on the remote. (Picture bottom right)
We raced toy cars in the past, now, we race Grannies against each other. (Picture top right)
What time is the next bus?
Finally, we took the free shuttle to the train station and made our way back to Liverpool. With the nice sunny weather, loads of free stuff and interesting exhibitions, I can say that today was one of the most enjoyable days in England. Thanks M for convincing me to go.
Saturday, 3 May 2008
Joke that made me laugh today
I was watching this variety show on YouTube when the host started telling this joke:
My friend was driving and he sped past the traffic light which has just turned red.
'Why did you beat the red light?' I asked.
'Don't worry about it, my brother taught me to do so. The drivers here obey the traffic rules so there wouldn't be any problem.' he reassured me.
At the next junction, the traffic light just turned orange and my friend stopped his car.
'Why did you stop?' I asked him.
'I was afraid that my brother would be rushing out from the other side.'
Which traffic light am I suppose to follow?
*Please do not try this at home
My friend was driving and he sped past the traffic light which has just turned red.
'Why did you beat the red light?' I asked.
'Don't worry about it, my brother taught me to do so. The drivers here obey the traffic rules so there wouldn't be any problem.' he reassured me.
At the next junction, the traffic light just turned orange and my friend stopped his car.
'Why did you stop?' I asked him.
'I was afraid that my brother would be rushing out from the other side.'
Which traffic light am I suppose to follow?*Please do not try this at home
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