I HAVE OFFICIALLY MOVED MY BLOG TO BLOGSPOT NOW. IF YOU HAVE LOTS OF TIME TO WASTE AND HAVE NOTHING ELSE BETTER TO DO, CHECK OUT MY NEW MAIN BLOG AT http://www.lilac-november.blogspot.com!!!! GOODBYE FRIENDSTER BLOGS…YOU WILL BE MISSED BUT WHEN THERE IS AN END, THERE IS ALWAYS A BEGINNING…….
Being a first-year Pharmacy student, I had always looked forward to working in a government hospital as part of my 3+1 compulsory government service after finishing my degree studies. Maybe I was inspired by one of my favourite TV dramas, Grey’s Anatomy, which shows the organized chaos that happens in government hospitals. I find it exciting and not such a boring job. However, after last night, I am becoming to have second thoughts about it…
Last night, I tuned in to Oprah Primetime and she was interviewing Oscar-winning filmmaker, Michael Moore, who directed the documentary, “Sicko”, which challenges the trillion-dollar empire of Healthcare Insurance. I have read a little bit about the healthcare insurance in USA in one of my Introduction to Pharmacy classes. At that time, I did felt a little annoyed that a first world country like USA uses the Private Insurance Model as the backbone for their people’s healthcare financing. But through last night’s show, I begin to have a clearer view on the whole issue. I became particularly angry especially towards the end of the interview, when they show a short segment of the documentary, depicting how US citizens whose intention is to save lives are not as well taken care of in terms of health than people whose intention is to destroy lives. Do you mean that prison inmates deserve to live longer than those common people who sacrifice time and even their own health to save others? This is indeed very twisted.
But enough of USA, it is time that we as Malaysians, think about our own healthcare insurance. I wonder if many people are like me? Honestly, I have never been bothered to know anything about my own healthcare insurance. I just know that I have one and that is all. Besides, I thought, it is my Mum who pays for the premium, not me. She will handle everything.
So yesterday we (my mum also watched Oprah with me) talked a bit about the healthcare insurance in Malaysia. My mum is in the insurance industry as well but she does General Insurance (motor and non-motor insurance), which deals with accidents, fire and others. She told me how medical care insurance companies are losing money every year. Why, you ask? Is it because Malaysians are getting sicker? Many people do not buy insurance? Nope, it is because our hospitals greatly overcharge people who have healthcare insurance.
My mum related to me an incident when one of the hospital staff asked her if she has health insurance. My mum lied and said no. So they charge her about RM800 for her treatment. But her friends, who had the similar treatment, were charged a whopping RM2000!
Is it not absurd? Profit should not be the motive, but services! Hospitals should not be thinking of ways to make money, they should be thinking of ways to provide the best healthcare services to the patients! I always thought that hospitals were one of the most noble places because of their ability to treat people but looks like I am being too naïve. What has the world become when in hospitals, greed overpowers conscience? Sure, hospitals are not getting money from the patients. They are just taking from the insurance companies. Surely there is nothing wrong with it?
But they never think about the consequences. When insurance companies lose money, to overcome their losses, one of their methods is to raise the insurance premium. And who pays for the insurance premium? Of course, us, as health-conscious consumers! So you see, we cannot afford to be so individualistic anymore. What these hospitals are doing actually affects us indirectly!
I became pretty upset about this issue and that is why I am beginning to have some doubts about the hospitals in Malaysia. Will I be like that as well when I start working in hospitals? Will I be pulled into this world of taking not well-deserved money from others? I actually regard this as a serious issue that is worth pondering on and that is why the first step I did is to post this on the blog so that everyone is well aware of this situation. It is important for everyone to know that sometimes hospitals do greatly overcharge us and this is actually very unfair because the extra money we pay goes to people who do not deserve it.
Hopefully this post will leave some thoughts in all of you
Have not been blogging in a while since I have been super busy at campus. So much to read and I have seem to lose all of my drive to study. I don’t know why I am always such a late bloomer. Seriously, part of me knows how important it is to study but whenever I see my Anatomy&Physiology book, I just do not have the heart to study anymore. I think it is probably because I am too stressed out right now. The new environment and all still puts a toll on me. I wish I can snapped out of it soon. I need to get back on my feet and start studying!
Eventhough I had said in the beginning I do not want to be active in any co-curricular activities in hostel and campus, I have once again unable to do that. I participated in a shengxue activity to Cameron Highlands. I did not want to go but BB and Suzane managed to persuade me to go. Both of them had never been there before. After that, I went to watch the PT show at Bangi, which was super enjoyable but I felt bad for coming late that morning and making everyone wait for me.
A few weeks back, I went on another road trip to an Institute for Buddhist Studies at Jenjarum, Selangor. It was a really beautiful place but I was so tired that day because the night before, we had held a small gathering to celebrate Mei Chieng’s (my coursemate) Surprise Birthday. After the small party, I moved my stuff to sleep in Suzane’s room. Suzane and I chatted quite late into the night and then we had to wake up early for the trip. Sigh…lack of sleep=(
Last Saturday night, I went to the CAC Nite, Initially, I did not want to go as many of my coursemates were not going. They were all going back to their hometowns. However, after I saw how much hard work our seniors had put into doing the event and how hard the dancers (Carrie, Suet Yin, Xin Wei = my coursemates) have trained for the event, I finally decided to go. Luckily, BB went as well so I hung out with her the whole night. Not many of my coursemates went. I think there was about 10 of us. Out of the 10, 5 were in the Top 10 Handsome Guys N Pretty Girls Competition, 2 were dancers and the remaining 3 were me and another 2 boys so yeah, pretty poor turnout from the course in FSKB which had the most Chinese.
Ironically, I did have fun that night. There was a hot dance, a drama (where I did not really understand as the whole thing were conducted in Mandarin but BB’s male coursemate was so funny, acting as a woman), a singing competition and the highlight of the night was of course, the announcement of the Most Handsome N Most Prettiest as voted by the students. I was happy to see all 4 Pharmacy girls in the Top 10 - Congrats to Shiau Mei(F3), May Yin(F5), Stephanie(F7) and Carrie(F8). We also had 2 guys - Wei Ping(M9) and JC(M3). M1 was Hanson’s coursemate whilst F1 was a sweet-looking girl but I do not really know her.
A lesson that I have learned recently from Suzane is that TheOppositeOfLoveIsNotHateButIndiffrence… HateAlsoMeansThatIStillCared…
i~hate~u;P
Woohoo! After trying for so long, I finally got wireless connection in my room (eventhough it is very low). Never mind la, slow line better than no line at all.
Coming into my Week 5 of studies here at UKM KL Campus. What is on everyone’s mind now is our mid-semester exams on Week 8. Yup, about 3 more weeks and yours truly have only read 1 chapter of Biochemistry thus far. I am so going to prepare to fail my exams. Haih….
Anyway, I was thinking of changing my friendster blog to blogger because I was looking at my blog today and I realize the description there still says "What being a VI girl is like." Well, since I no longer study at VI but at UKM now, maybe I should change the location of my blog. Well, who knows….maybe….one day when I am free, I will…=P
Today at lunch, one of my coursemate ask me what language do I speak at home. I told her I either speak English or Cantonese. Another coursemate says my Mandarin is a bit funny, maybe because of my Cantonese accent (really??? I did not know that!) Then, another one asked since when did I learn to speak Mandarin and I told her ever since I came to UKM. She says "Really?" and that I don’t look like I have just started to learn how to speak Mandarin.
Hoho…That kind of make me happy for a while. Haha=) Anyway, what I want to say here is that to all of us bananas out there, don’t give up. Practice speaking Mandarin here and we will all manage to speak fluently in that language soon. Look on the bright side, at least we can conquer both English and Mandarin. Hoho. Gambateh!!!!
-Self-elected Vice-President of Bananas United-
Hahahahaha…
I have returned home again. I have been taking every oportunity that I have to come back home every weekends despite my tight schedule of endless activities. I cannot believe they have so many activities for the Chinese here. Are they THAT free? I mean, I have hardly touch any of my books this week but what about them? Second year seniors here are so active that sometimes you wonder if they do have any time to study. I definitely do not have any. Again, I have to bring back all my assignments home. Haih…
Life in Uni is okay now. I mean, I am still feeling sleepy in class but at least I know where to go if we are having our Biochemistry classes or our Anatomy & Physiology classes.
Something that made me angry was one day, we juniors were brought to meet our 4th Year Pharmacy Seniors and I introduced myself as an English-educated girl and that I cannot speak Mandarin well. And they were all asking why I cannot speak Mandarin well? What do I speak at home? How to communicate with my friends if I cannot speak Mandarin? I feel like they were mocking me because I cannot speak fluent Mandarin. But I decided to let it go after I heard a senior talking to me in English. I just nodded at his English because I really do not know what he was trying to tell me. One thing that surprises me is the fact that these people are all having Band 5 in MUET but they cannot even speak in proper English with me! Haih…
Anyway, yesterday was the VI Speech Day and I was so happy to meet all my old schoolmates again. I have always been the talkative one back in Form 6. However, that changed once I entered UKM as I have language barriers. So, yesterday I talked non-stop for 3 hours with everyone. No wonder I have a sore throat now.
But not all is bad in UKM. I met these 2 girls back in my orientation and they are very fun to hang out with eventhough they both are from different courses. Ming Ming is from Ipoh, Perak and she takes Nutrition. She is the one I can talk a lot with since she can speak Cantonese. Suzane is from KK, Sabah and she takes Biomedicine. She is also English-educated but she can speak Manadarin well. She always laughed at my pronounciation but I don’t mind because we both always end up laughing together.
Also, luckily, I have found two English-educated girls in my own course. Janice Hong from Kuching, Sarawak and Carrie Foo from Melaka. At least I can practice my English with them as I am afraid my English is getting worse here. Another half English-ed guy here is Wei Han from SAB. I speak to him in Mandarin+English. He is really funny too. He is the only STPM Chinese guy in Pharmacy.
That is all for now. Will be bringing my laptop to campus this coming week as I want to test the wireless connectivity there. Wish me luck! *fingers crossed*
Lesson: "Live as if you were to die tomorrow; Learn as if you were to live forever" - Gandhi
Unfortunately, uni life is every bit of the life I had dreaded. Once again, I am the isolated one since I cannot speak Mandarin well. Everyone here speaks Mandarin. Darn it! I wish I had asked Chu to tutor me Mandarin during my long break.
My room is incredibly hot. But luckily, I sleep like a pig so despite the hot weather, I still managed to sleep until 6am. Then we had to catch the bus at 7am to our faculty.
The campus is terribly confusing. The lecture halls and the seminar classrooms are at two different ends. Darn it! I got lost a few times too since in the schedule they gave us, they never mention where the rooms are.
Don’t get me started on the lecturers. Honestly, I feel like I am back in Form 5. They speak predominantly in Malay eventhough the modules are all in English. What the-? Now I totally understand why university graduates cannot speak good English. I don’t blame them.
I know university life sounds harsh in my blog but I think the truth needs to be told to the others, especially for all those English-educated Chinese who is terrible at Mandarin, take my advice and be prepared for a total culture shock. Also, if you are from STPM, be prepare as well as you are a minority there. Mostly everyone is from Matriculation, which makes you older than the rest.
I did have a terrible two weeks adjusting to my new uni life. I am never that good when it comes to adapting to something new. Probably because I am always so complacent with my old life and surroundings.
Also, not everyone but some people here are especially selfish. They will not share information with you so my advice is to better depend on yourself. But don’t be like them. If you do know something, share it. Sharing is caring. We have enough selfish people in this world already.
My lesson: This is just some uni advice for people who are planning to pursue their education in local universities. Let’s just say that you get what you pay for. The price is cheaper but the quality is questionable.
Hopefully everything will improve so I can think of at least one good thing to write about in my next post. Sigh…
So, this might be the last post i will be able to create before leaving for my university tomorrow. I am going to be honest here. I will miss my room so very much. I love LOVE my bed and my pillows and my comforter and especially my air-conditioner. I know I sound like a baby but I have never been away from home for more than a week before.
Sigh, I will also miss my bathroom. I don’t know about you guys but I am terribly phobic of dirty bathrooms. I cannot imagine peeing or even bathing in a dirty toilet/bathroom. This is one more thing I am very worried about - the hygiene of the bathroom there.
I am also having so much problems deciding what to pack. Haih. I heard from a source that we will be forced to wear our baju kurungs everyday during orientation week. Oh my goodness!! I don’t know if my 3 pairs of baju kurung will last, though. Anyway, I am just bringing trackbottoms and collared T-shirts because I simply do not know how strict is the dress code there. Darn it! I hate dress codes. Why can’t we be allowed to wear whatever we want? Packing for Lang Tengah Trip is 100 times easier.
I am hoping to be able to come back home next Saturday/Sunday so I can bring even more stuff there. I don’t want to bring too much as I will be transferring to KL campus from the Bangi Campus.
I am pretty nervous about the whole situation. Unfortunately, I am the only one who got Pharmacy in UKM and the only friend I will have in KL campus is a guy. Sigh~ But if the old does not go away, then the new will not come, right? I am just glad that I am close to home.
Haih, I am also especially worried about the quality of Pharmacy Studies in UKM. A VIOBA old member told me that only 3 local universities in Malaysia offers Pharmacy - UM, USM and UKM. However, the ranks are as follows- Ist is USM, 2nd is UM and 3rd is UKM. Haih. Does that mean that UKM will not teach as well? In my previous Form Six Class, four more people will be doing Pharmacy in IMU. I wonder of by the time we all graduate together, will their standards be so much better than mine??
A lot of worries, I know. I wonder if I will be able to have any sleep tonight. I still have not decided what else to pack yet. Leaving it for the morning.
Lesson: We are always afraid of the unknown, I suppose. I know it is normal to be so afraid and worried because this will be a brand-new experience for me. For a person who is so attached to home, I really hope I can be open-minded and adapt well to my new surroundings. Haih. Wish me luck, people. I sure need plenty of it.
wow, i still cannot get over this news about me going to UKM to do Pharmacy. still feels surreal to me. now, i am just so overwhelmed by my preparations to uni. stuff to buy, things to prepare, loans to apply, etc.
I feel like my years in Form 6 have been blessed. I can finally say that after so long. I didn’t want to say it just in case I would have to eat my words one day. But now, I truly feel blessed and am estactic that I did not listen to my mother about going to college instead of Form 6.
The truth was, there were many times in school back then, when I wished I had not chosen to study for the STPM exam. Everyone in my family were not happy about my choice, discouraging me by telling me sad stories of unfortunate ex-Form 6 students who have to suffered by the courses that the government has given to them. But somehow, I am a stubborn child, always has been one. I put my mind towards Form Six and did not consider any other options. I knew some SBU friends who looked at me with sympathy when I told them I am going to Form Six. I am not born with a silver spoon, I cannot afford to go overseas like many of these SBU girls can.
But after obtaining 4.0 and getting pharmacy, the course of my choice, I have no regrets anymore. I am overjoyed, not only because I have succeeded half of my journey in Life but I am also happy to be able to prove people wrong. It is not impossible to obtain 4.0 in STPM. It is also possible to get the course of your choice in the university of your choice. It may be a hard journey but it is not an impossible journey.
All it actually takes is the determination to succeed. In a way, my stubborness actually contributes a lot to my success. I have an eagerness to prove people can be wrong and my favourite saying to myself whenever I was feeling down because of bad results was, "If he/she can do it, why can’t you?" It is my constant belief that we are all born the same. The one thing that separates a straight-A’s student from an average student is that drive to want something badly.
Not only am I satisfied with my studies, but I feel like I am blessed with the best class I have ever had. The BF classmates/family are the best company one can ever had. They make my struggles so much easier for me. Especially Chu, Wai Yin and Suzanne, who had to bear with my complaints and depression…Haha. They all are truly the greatest.
Today I went to UKM to check out the campus. Initially, it was just my mother and me planning to go to UKM Bangi. Finally, an entourage was arranged to go to UKM Bangi with me. My uncle and his wife, my two cousins, my youngest aunt and my mother. Everyone has been really supportive. Probably they are all happy I am the first cousin in the family to go to university. (I am the second eldest among my cousins. The eldest did not continue studying, but decided to work instead). I am glad they all came with me today.
Truly, today was a day I want to thank God and everyone for giving me a blessed life. I have a lot more to be thankful of that I will write in my next post. Till then, here is today’s lesson that I have learn: It is no use to study hard if your heart is not there
i just came back from our lang tengah trip a few days ago and I am so sad that it is over. the planning and the waiting for 3 months are now over in just 3 days. but photos speak a thousand words (or something like that) so i do have some to keep the memories frozen in picture form.
i share a room with wai yin and suzanne but there 
was always a lot of ppl in our room, especially chu, who dirtied our beds with his sweat. he and jino did some funny things too, especially in one incident when i walk into them, just 2 of them doing something that makes me suspicious=)
anyway, on the bus ride home, Tsu Wern was mentioning how awesome it would be to have a blog for BF people to post in so that we will not lose touch with one another so I did just that. I made a blog for the BF people. Its called www.bf-classmates.blogspot.com I hope that this blog will have the support from the class but we will just have to wait and see if there are any response yet.
Haih, the class trip is over already but one thing I do want to say here that I know is on everyone’s mind. There are just too many couples on this trip! Like chu say, it is more of a honeymoon trip than a class trip. Hehe. anyway, i do hope we can have more gatherings soon because right now i m hyper nervous awaiting the results for the university intakes, which will be release soon. sigh, the d-day is here and i really hope i can turn back time so that i can have a longer break before the day comes. but sooner or later, this day will have to come. it is an evitable part of my future
what courses did the rest of you form 6 ppl get? do tell me. i will be all ears when that day comes. any lessons today? not really, just want to promote the BF blog! go visit it right now!!!!!
I know some of the titles of this blog are so irrelevant to the contents of my post. Well, actually they are song titles, titles of songs that I have been thinking of ,at the time when I am writing in my blog…
I did not go to work today so I have time to write a lil something here. I was watching Oprah (yes, I do…the secret is out!) and today’s episode was about 2 twin sisters, where one weighs 120 pounds (apprx.54kg) and the other twin weighs 420 pounds (apprx.190kg). There was one scene which striked me. The scene when the ‘thin twin’ made fun of the ‘fat twin’s’ underwears. Instead of being angry, the ‘fat twin’ just laughed. The famous psychiatrist on the show told the ‘fat twin’, Mary, that her obesity was not because of food. It was because she was in complete denial of her problems, and most importantly, her feelings and emotions.
Why did this scene and the words of the psychiatrist had such an effect on me? Well, because I can understand what she meant by complete denial. Have you ever had a good friend, or any friends said something hurtful or mean to you? I had someone made fun of me being fat, but instead of being angry at that person, I just smiled and laughed it away, like it is no big deal. I did not want to create a drama and be angry at my friend for such a petty reason. Doesn’t most of us think that? We just choose to be the ‘nice one’, the one who does not get angry at a friend because of a joke.
What I am saying here is not that we should not make fun of others - I know many of us are not trying to hurt people. We just want a good laugh when we are with friends, trying to inject some sense of humor into a conversation, etc. What I am saying here, the main bottomline of my post today is : Don’t pretend that everything is ok when it is not! If someone call you names and you don’t like it, just tell that person, "It is not funny, stop calling me that." If you think laughing it away means they will stop calling you names, well, you are wrong…It won’t…!
So, I hope I did not offend anyone with this post today, but I hope sharing my problems and stories can help someone feel like they are not alone in this world, drowning in their miseries and problems.
Lessons: I once heard this story in an email. It took place in a beach. A huge storm took place one night and when morning came, the storm was over. But the huge storm made all the starfishes got thrown onto the beach. A man walking at the beach that morning saw a little boy throwing all the starfishes back into the sea, one by one. The man went over to the boy and said,"Why are you doing that? It is just a waste of time. There are so many starfishes lying on the beach. You will never be able to save all of them. It won’t make any difference." And the boy answered,"But to the ones I threw, it will."
Bottomline is : Sometimes, we are not be able to help everyone in the whole world. And we are not be able to make a huge change/difference to the whole of mankind and humanity. But to those that you have help, you have made a difference in their lives.
