SPA interview in Manchester

SPA interview this morning started at 9am, so, take note of that. It does say that we're supposed to register at 8am but the officer only appeared at 8.30 and the interviewer at 9am. The same scenario happened in London.

Basically, it would be encouraged to answer all the questions in Bahasa Malaysia, but somehow, I just gave up and switched back to English. Hahaha. Started off with simple enough questions like tell me about your background, your clinical experienced etc. Most of the questions were based on your CV so make sure you're prepared to be quizzed about it. The interviewer herself is a really pleasant lady. She just makes you feel so comfortable, maybe a bit too comfortable that I sometimes forgot that I wasn't supposed to portray that side of me. Hopefully that doesn't jeopardize anything.

The only 4 technical questions which I was asked were:
1. What department issues your IC?
2. What other documents can that department issue?
3. What department issues your passport
4. What is the difference between MMA and MMC

The questions may be different each time. So, don't just prepare those 4. The answers are simple enough. JPA, birth and death certs, Immigration department, and the last one is like asking what's the difference between BMA and GMC. I'm sure you all can answer that if you're studying in the UK.

My friend who went first didn't get these questions. Maybe that's leniency given to the first candidate. Other things which they would like to find out is whether you're willing to work in the other part of Malaysia as to where you're from. For example, Semenanjung people will be asked about their view about working in Sabah and Sarawak and vice versa. I just somehow got the impression that many people don't treat Sabah and Sarawak as part of Malaysia which is something we really must change. We are a country and yet people are still having bad perceptions of one another. I am really glad that I've spent my time in both parts of Malaysia and that I will be able to adapt quite well no matter where I go in the future. Therefore, traveling should be further encouraged as it widens our mindset and cures misconceptions. That's my excuse for traveling so much. Sorry, I'm going out of the point here but you know what I mean. Hehehe.

I was also provided with a small handbook on career development for house officers in the Ministry of Health and it provides an overview of our pay, allowances that we can get and available hospital placements in Malaysia. Very handy.

One piece of information which I was asked to spread is, any private Malaysian students doing Medicine, Dentistry or Pharmacy who are interested in applying for a job in Malaysia are most welcomed to turn up on this coming Saturday for drop in interview at Thistle Hotel, Great Portland Street, Manchester. It's just opposite Piccadilly Circus.

I'm so relieved that this is over. While waiting for PL to get ready, SY and I went to Ho's Bakery in Chinatown  to get some breakfast.

How I miss the Chinese cakes. I had egg tart and Bubble Tea. Yummy.

Lunch:

Dim Sum at Pacific Restaurant again. Food is still as delicious. Regretted that I ate so much just before lunch. Met up with junior HL as well.

The continuation of PL's shopping spree:

This time, it is in her home ground, Arndale Shopping Centre. I found out why was the toilet voted as the best public toilet in the UK too. Very spacious, well equipped and clean.

There were some promotion going on for Manchester community college. This booth showcased Virtual Styling where we got to pick a fashion for the mannequin and dress it. That was the result of our combined effort. We were given goody bags from Vero Moda after.

 What I had in my goody bag.

The person accompanying Miss Shopaholic into the dressing room and was still given a tag so that she doesn't feel too out of place.

Back to the Pool - Dinner:

This is PL's fault for suggesting bagels for dinner. Now, I'm addicted to it. This is my version of the salmon bagel. I grilled the salmon, toasted the bagel, spread some soft cheese and added some spinach. The bagel was crispy on the outside and the fillings complimented each other really well. I feel like having another one now.

This coming weekend is going to be such a fun filled weekend. Surprises and excitements to look forward to. Adios till then.

Origami Pig-Rabbit inspired from You're Beautiful Korean Drama

I haven't been folding origami in a really long time and this project was a challenge from a friend of mine who sent me the pdf instructions over msn.

For those of you who have watched the Korean Drama You're Beautiful, you will be familiar with this cute Pig-Rabbit soft toy. For those who's thinking of killing some time over the Easter holidays, start watching this drama. Hahaha.

Hwang Tae Kyung after the operation of creating Pig-Rabbit.

I managed to find the original link to the creator of this cute origami here.

I would say that this is one of the most challenging origami that I've attempted so far and the results are not bad at all.

Isn't it cute?

Busy weekend

I attended the forum organised by UKEC which explored briefly on the issue of brain drain in Malaysia. 1.5 hours of discussion clearly wasn't enough for this huge topic but I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I learned more about the situation back home.

The poster

3 prominent speakers and a moderator who teased our own opinions on the issue. I was impressed that these speakers actually do know their stuff and the experiences that they have shaping the country.

Dinner was served after. I was starving by then. We had Papadom, Ayam Masak Merah served with Nasi Minyak and Acar. Desserts were Seri Muka, Kuih Ka Sui, fruits and puddings.

Saturday: The visit of PL to Liverpool after 2 long years

Only visitor are motivated enough to climb up the stairs all the way to the 2nd floor to the restaurants at Liverpool One. Did I tell her about the escalator behind the stairs? Hmmm....can't remember.

We had Thai food at Yee Rah, one of the restaurants in Liverpool One.

I had Yee Rah curry with Jasmine Rice whereas PL had Papaya salad. The service was really fast and the food is delicious.

We stopped by Sblended to get a milkshake before PL started her shopping spree. I think F and I just watched her shop in amazement. Hahahah.

While one person had bags and bags of goods, the other 2 had pictures and pictures of random things.

We chilled out at Brew tea bar and lounge after a hard day work at shopping. Hehehehe. I had Raspberry Ripple tea which tasted really good and it was soothing at the same time. The cakes there were delicious too. Maybe the closest thing to a mamak stall in the UK.

Right after we've finished our tea, we headed straight to Big Bowl Noodle, a new Chinese restaurant very near the Chinatown arch to meet up with L to have dinner. The food there is not bad and the portions were huge! I couldn't finish my Wanton Ho Fun cause of the tea I had previously. There's Curry Laksa which was quite spicy and other stir fry options too.

Sunday: Change of plans

The main purpose of PL's visit this time was actually to go for afternoon tea at Leaf Tea Shop & Bar as it was voted as one of the top 10 tea houses in the UK. But, but, but.....haih....I didn't realise that prior bookings was essential. I did try booking 2 hours prior to departing but minimum booking is 1 day in advance. Oh well, maybe we were not at a high enough class to enjoy afternoon tea just yet. At least Manchester is not that far away. PL, you must come again and I'll book this place 1 week in advance next time.

Our plan B turned out to be really good in the end. We had a 3 course meal at Bistro Jacques which is an authentic French restaurant off Hardman Street. I'm definitely bringing my parents here!

They have a different set of lunch menu everyday which makes everyday unique! It was very affordable too. Just less than 8 pounds.

Starter of soups and scampi salad. I loved the salad. It was really fresh.

 I loved the decorations in the restaurant. It has that French feel to it.

Main course - grilled bacon, seabass and chicken served with a heap of roasted vegetables. Very healthy for an eat out meal. The bacon was a bit salty but if it was ate with the potatoe mash, it was just right.

Our favourite order - Desserts. From Tarte de Chocolate, Tiramisu to Creme Brulee. There's always room for desserts.

Poor PL, shortly after lunch, I handed her over to M and rushed off to fetch another 9 tourists visiting Liverpool and staying at my place. By the time I got back to meet her here, it was already quite late.

Therefore, I made it up to her by taking photos and photos of her around Albert Dock. This place changed so much from 1st year.

Model for the day

And of course the person taking the photos is the professional photographer for the day. Hahahaha.

This shot was taken by my assistant photographer, M.

If anyone was wondering where is the ferries wheel now, it's near the Echo arena.

Starbucks at Beatles Story Shop. I didn't realise how spacious and comfortable the shop was in the basement as I had never visited it.

Liverpool One in the 2010s.

Thank you PL for visiting. Hopefully you had a great time here. Do come back for afternoon tea sometime soon and enjoy your Easter holidays while I envy you here.

Interview on Wednesday!!!! How, how, how? Sleep first, worry later. Now to start writing up my cases.

St Helens: Dark Star Laser Tag

After a day trip to Bath, guess what I did on a Sunday morning? Took a train all the way to St Helens to play Laser Tag.

Traveling. Reached St Helens half an hour later.

This game was really cool. All the adrenaline rush, the chase, the game tactics, the flee from enemies. Really fun! We did so much exercise without even realising it as we were having too much fun. Each game lasted about 20 minutes which felt like 2 minutes.

The whole gang who were going to be separated into the Red and Blue team. My codename was Phazer and I managed to rank 5th in the first game and 6th in the second game. Hahaha...not too bad for someone who's not into shooting games. I still remember going for paintball which was messier and more tiring than this.

Groupie before we made our way back to the train station.

The perfect group jumping shot, coordinated by nobody else but me. Hahaha.

Fashion trends for Spring 2010. Hehehehehe.

The giant needle opposite St Helens bus station

I think this may be the town hall.

Waiting for our train back home.

Malaysian Night on Monday

New concept for this year, with lessons on Malaysia and random performances from the locals.

Our table was quite lucky as 4 of us won something and WY won the grand prize which was a Logitech speaker set. We should turn her room into a dance club one of these nights.

I'm going to attend this UKEC forum this evening. Hopefully the food is good....ooppps, what I really meant was, hopefully the topic is enlightening and the arguments are good. Hahahahaha. Till then.

Tomorrow will be PL 2nd visit to Liverpool. I still need to find out how to get to this Top 10 tea house in the UK. It's somewhere near Albert Docks but not sure exactly where. Hmmmmm. Afternoon tea anyone?

Day Trip to Bath

First trip with my current flatmates with Kelab Umno Liverpool all the way down to Bath. We had to gather at the Guild of Students at 5am that morning. However, due to miscommunication, the bus only turned up at 6am. Does this sound familiar to anyone?

All the sleepy people and it was drizzling as well.

After 3 hours of bus ride, with really delicious packed stir fry noodles for breakfast, we arrived in Bath. The scenery was very different in that the buildings were so yellowish in colour. Get really to take a bath! It did drizzle a lot the whole day.

The Abbey

Outside the Roman Bath. We planned to go in later in the day as we had to gather for a group photo at Royal Crescent at 2pm.

Sally Lunn's House - a story about the oldest house in Bath

The one and only World Famous Sally Lunn Bun is still hand made by the bakers here using the secret recipe found in one of the cupboard in this house. The bun was really big in size, just small enough to fit nicely into the box that I am holding in the picture. Really soft and when eaten on its own, has a tinge of sweetness to it. Serves either with sweet or savoury topping, it's not bad.

Not only was the Kitchen museum located in the basement, there was a cute little restaurant on the ground floor serving not only Sally Lunn Buns but also a variety of dishes.

Along Grand Parade

Pulteney Bridge - this bridge is similar to Florence's Ponte Vecchio, or Venice's Rialto Bridge as there are little shops on each side of the bridge selling souvenirs.

The scenery here is really breathtaking. With the sound of water flowing in the background and surrounding greenery, it created a relaxing ambiance.

For me, I was busy taking self-shot photos. Hehehehe.

I fell in love at first sight with this Miniature shop on the bridge. Guess what I bought in the end?

The tiniest teapot with the tinniest knitted cosy to keep it warm. So cute!

Bath Market - not as big as the markets in London but nevertheless, still never fails to intrigue me.

Reflection from a mirror.

Cute Panda Bags.

Even the hospital has something to do with water.

Cake made of cheese for your birthday? Maybe wedding cake?

Jane Austen centre - I didn't have time to visit the museum which showcases different costumes from the Georgian times. Jane Austen herself used to visit Bath frequently and her novel Persuasion has Bath as its backdrop. Now I feel like reading all her novels again.

The Royal Crescent - loved the huge park and green grass.

Random jumping photos.

The current shopping street and also the street where Jane Austen loved to shop.

We paid 10 pounds each to enter the Roman Bath. I was impressed with how much was preserved till this day. Felt like I was back to when the Romans frequented the baths to relax and socialise.

Groupie.

I am still wondering how did the 2 ducks ended up in the bath. Had Roman servants introduced their make-up to us.

The wishing pond. Actually this bath has a cooler temperature to allow visitors to cool themselves after soaking the the hot thermal baths. 

I love this shot that I took.

We had our complimentary spa water. It tasted different, like it contained a lot more minerals than your usual mineral water. Hopefully it's beneficial to my health.

We left Bath at 6pm, a 4 hour bus ride home to Liverpool. I really enjoyed myself, thanks to all the good company and good organisation of the trip. Still need to get more photos from the other cameras. Remember to pass them to me.

Laser Tag tomorrow!!!! We need a plan of action people. Kill all enemies in sight!