My Last Semester As A Pre-Med Student

It always begins like this:
"Oh, Mr. Sim, your son is doing medicine! Which year?"
"2nd year," I interjected.
"Oh, so you should have studied all the anatomic parts lah?"
"In Taiwan we do 7 years (showing 7 fingers). The first 2 is called pre-med (flex 2 fingers, remaining 5 fingers). 3, 4 and 5 is fundamental medical education years (flex 3 more), and the last 2 years are clinical years."
"Oh, so what are you studying now?"
"Very basic (boring) stuff - biology, organic chemistry, biochemistry..."

One more semester to go and I will be a full-fledged medical student. However, due to reviews about the immense pressure of starting anatomy on Year 3, the school has back-tracked anatomy to the second semester of Year 2 (the subject cleverly named 'Overview of Human Structures'). We haven't really started anything yet, as of last week, but the textbooks alone is enough to frighten anyone off.

Ever wonder where the name of the flirtatious TV series come from?

The big brother - medical students eat, sleep, work, study, perform dissections, travel, and even go to the toilet with it.

We have no time for histology until the 4th week of school. So this could go in the refrigerator for the time being.

The pillar - don't underestimate the uses of a dictionary

MCB is supposedly the major this semester, now overshadowed by anatomy.

While most seniors advised us that a hardworking Year 2 would be a good start for the terrifying Year 3, and that this semester is not bone-crushing and brain-squashing yet, a few of our classmates had had all the big guns drawn out - medical dictionary, Chinese-English translation devices, flashcards, and emptying almost all time meant for co-curricular activities for anatomy. While we are not in position to comment on striking a balance and being an all-rounded student, I hold true to the principle what will happen will happen. It would be a show of extraordinary courage to challenge faith and strive for the impossible once in a while, but one day we would still have to believe everything is arranged. What we can do is just to move on and enjoy every bit of it.
As a saying goes - if winter comes, can spring be far behind? Though if you think of it there's nothing sparkling for you to look forward in life, especially with a career of medicine, but this saying goes very well when we're in deep waters - everything will come to an end sooner or later. So, hang on!

A Little While Longer

I wished the good times lasted a little while longer;
and the bad flow quickly by
resisting the pain and ignoring the damage,
'ere we witness the passing of time.

'Tis tree shudders,
the air thickens;
fog came rolling in
to dampen the saddened traveler.
'Ere we wished clocks
have fast forward and rewind buttons -
extend the good times;
hasten the bad.

Everything a little while longer - nothing eternal
seconds ticking, fatigue overpowering, time closes in.
Ambivalent on calling help -
shouting for assistance, gulping in water for the shout;
and your starching a scar
on the crumbling society.

Fly, fly, let time fly
and everything be fine - health, knowledge, happiness
And please make the summer days
full of adventure and uniting laughter
a little while longer.

Behind Steel Towers

Everyone in Malaysia loves to portray Kuala Lumpur, or KL to be affectionate, as an ultra-modern, fast-paced city on par with other regional cities like Singapore, Hong Kong and even Taipei. Behind the shadows of the Twin Towers and KL Tower lies the historic part of Kuala Lumpur that slowly and gracefully got starched eternally in time. Kuala Lumpur, like any other early settlements, have within its steel towers and shopping complexes a nostalgic history of labor, toil, and sweat.

Behind steel curtains - there's always something under construction in KL

Masjid Jamek, the oldest mosque in Malaysia, built 1909, with The World's Local Bank (HSBC) keeping an eye on its Moorish architecture

In fact, Masjid Jamek is surrounded by banks - OCBC and CIMB adjacent to HSBC

Central Market, built 1888, with a touch of red for Chinese New Year

Something Gothic? - KTM administration building in Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin (Victory Avenue) looks like Hogwarts, with a touch of the Middle East
KL Railway Station, now replaced by KL Sentral, the centennial building houses a Heritage Hotel, a small bus terminal and Komuter station

Bangunan Daya Bumi is nothing historic, but the intricate Islamic architecture and uniform geometrical layout outshines many towers beside it. One Nation, One Destiny - Malaysians would unite as one in the future or perish in face of globalization

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building - which houses Malaysia's High Court previously. Malaysia's own version of Big Ben is most widely featured during National Day telecasts
T'was Here We Rejoiced Freedom - Merdeka Square is where Tunku Abdul Rahman declared (the then) Malaya's independence from Great Britain. The flag pole measures more than 100m, which is, if memory serves me correctly, the tallest in the world

Frozen in Time - Coliseum Cafe and Hotel in Jalan T.A.R. seem eternally paused in the 50's with white tablecloths, antique furniture, and waiters and waitresses at least thrice your age (if you're 20)

(skip below if you're short of time, having an exam, or you just downright hated this post)

For the first time in my life, I felt reluctant of leaving KL after my brief 26-hour stay. Always preferring the laid-back Penang, this trip to KL opened my eyes on the rich layers and textures behind KL's sophisticated and rapid lifestyle.
My one month holiday is quite over after this, and it will take me another 6 months before coming home again. Feeling less heartbreaking on leaving, I wonder if I will ever have time for home and Malaysia in years to come.
The past glamor and high expectations associated with air travel is stripped bare by AirAsia. Now taking a flight is just like hopping on the bus, minus the 500m-queue for check-in and the agents scrutinizing every gram of your luggage.

Chairs and Windows - the coming six months see me traveling extensively. I wonder if the following view would be most common to me whenever on-board an aircraft

Out of The Window - there's always something rewarding if we're willing to look beyond our own horizons

And...Global Warming - statistics have shown that modern jets emit lesser carbon per person compared to any other forms of transportation. Nevertheless, passengers are advised to choose responsible and environmental-friendly airlines while traveling to reduce their carbon impact. Of course, in Malaysia, only the RM matters

Sim

Sim would have to be the coolest surname ever invented by our forefathers. Far-sighted and wise, Sim ended up not just a surname but also a chip in every usable mobile telephone, the Singapore Institute of Management, and generic humanoid characters living in The Sims. This is unprecedented for other surnames.
The simplicity of the one-word one-verse name strips everything down to their fundamental simplicity. Dad has students from all over the world, and you'd be surprise he haven't given himself an array of ang mo names like so many others - Robert (Kwok), Stephen (Chow), Emil (Chan), Jacky (Cheung). Everybody just calls him Sim. When I was in Italy too many of my Malaysian friends were given cool Italian names like Claudio (for Claudius) or Patrizio (Patrick), and I just stayed as Sim. In fact, the Sim churned out TIM, for Telecom Italia Mobile, because they're giving away 3 SIM cards for the price of 1 during 2005. So, my unofficial Italian name, for a short 2-week period, would be Timo, which sounds like a village boy from the farthest part of Southern Italy. No, thank you, Sim is cool enough.
Sim saves you from giving yourself English names that sound just not like you, especially in Taiwan where everybody has to have an English name. Whenever I come across exchange students, Sim makes them remember me long enough to last their entire exchange period. I personally think Sim sounds sophisticated to them, at least from the sound itself.

Everybody Sim-related

The last phrasal advantage of Sim is in telephone conversations. Due to customer service etiquette nowadays the agent has to know your name first before speaking to you so that he / she can say 'we're so sorry, Mr. Sim, Streamyx is down for 3 months and we can do nothing about it' - speaking by addressing the listener would make the conversation sound more polite, or so to say. So, after waiting for 4 years in the telephone queue (peppered with 'our staff are still busy at the moment, please hold, your call is important to us,' every minute), the first thing you say after the agent greeted you good morning is to make your complain loud and clear.

"Good morning-"
"Morning. My Streamyx account is simworld and it's been down since yesterday evening. I'm so sick of TMNet and I swear if you still do nothing about it I will sue your company until it go bankrupt and you got fired!"
"Sir, sir, may I know who I am speaking to, sir?"
"Sim," (starting to cool down)
"Ok, Mr. Sim. Can I have your Streamyx account details please, your username?"
"Simworld,"
"And you said it's been down since yesterday evening, Mr. Sim?"
"Darn yes!"
"Mr. Sim, similar reports have been received about Streamyx not working in Penang as a result of the Koolagala typhoon in Timbuktu yesterday (fictional). Our agents are flying on the first flight there to repair the cables, Mr. Sim. And your connection should be resumed within 3 months."
"3 months? I'd be in Mars by then!"
"We're so sorry, Mr. Sim, Streamyx is down for 3 months and we can do nothing about it. Thank you for calling once again, Mr. Sim. Have a nice day."
"Wait-" (toot-toot)

The one thing Sim can't do for you is good customer service, be it Streamyx, TMNet, AirAsia, IJN, Citibank and Malaysia Airlines call center. Perhaps someday when I have the authority to attach YB or Dato' (Tan Sri would be nicer, but I doubt I'll manage) in front of my name they would serve me with extra enthusiasm.

Part of 5SA1 After 2 Years

In celebration of Sheng Yu's departure, and also the looming festive season, seven 5SA1 guys gathered at Queensbay's TGI Fridays on Tuesday evening. The decision for Fridays was an expensive one, but I personally appreciate the youthful atmosphere, and they did not really mind us laughing out loud, which is another plus point.
Of the seven being asked out, 3 are would-be doctors, 2 engineers, a pharmacist and an ophthalmologist. Though we generally agree upon the fact that many do not pursue the careers they entered university for, I was fascinated by how we transform fromthe bunch of paper aeroplane-throwing, mock-up essay-writing and cheekily naughty adolescents to professional and yet fun-loving adults. The Chung Ling spirit is with us all the time - perseverance, diligence, and the adventurous spirit of not abiding rules.


By chance or fate, this gathering was rather by itself. I texted all the people I can think of (at that time only 8), and the enthusiastic response overwhelmed me. 7 managed to turn up, though not without slip-ups. In fact the seven of us were seated quite closely together in class, and it was also the seven of us (plus Jieyang) who are the most boisterous.
It's amazing how time sculpts everyone into their most beautiful self, and seated together after 2 years, we still managed to talk about everything - life, studies, Chung Ling and girls.


It's also amazing to observe how the twists and turns of life made people more appreciative of what they had and in some way or another change into their better self. In life, God has its own ways and there will be times when the most brilliant or most hardworking will not be rewarded as handsomely, but what lays ahead is still unknown to everyone.
The saying 'when God closes a door, He opens a window' is true to this extent. Most Chung Ling boys I know had in some way or another found ways to achieve their dreams - the lucky ones being awarded scholarships and being abroad, or being streamed into Matriculation and end up in the most prestigious university in Malaysia; the least having to work their way in, but at the end of the day we reap benefits and rewards from all our invested labors. I believe in life and that God will never mistreat the ones who work hard and having a sincere heart.


A rough estimation produced 6 doctors from 5SA1. Chung Ling High School class of 2005 has currently more than 10 doctors to-be. On one hand it's courageous to note how Chung Ling boys strive for the great things in life, on the other you worry whether these outstanding doctors will be competing with you in future.
Nevertheless, friends are we at heart, and it's always comforting to note whatever the circumstances are, you will always have a willing ear in person or on the net, all the time. Cheers to friendship.

Living Penang

There would never be something such as a comprehensive Penang tour. Penang is something to be lived and to be experienced - breathing the aroma around, driving and weaving through the crowded streets, and spending idle afternoons recapturing life.

Marketing in Penang requires knowledge, sensibility, courage to bargain and a lot of strength to carry your stuff around. Chowrasta Market in Georgetown

Marketing, especially nearing the New Year season, is regardless of gender, race and language

Always peace-loving, I never find an extra minute bargaining is worth the 20-cents saved. However, with Mum (and other Aunties), they won't mind dilly-dallying the 30 minutes away to save the extra penny

Who said language was important in life? As long as you get things through

Besides persuading you to buy more, these senior vendors are also experts in how you should cook your fresh-bought greens

Housewives pride themselves having a good bargain and preparing the best dishes - the only two job satisfaction they have

After the tedious shopping, reward and indulge yourself in one of Penang's good o'l coffeeshop


Something good brewing - preparing for a meal at home

Stocking up for Chinese New Year - Mum can't differentiate between vegetables and fruits

You don't call it Chinese New Year without a visit to a temple praying for good luck and not offending You Know Who beforehand. Two of Penang's many temples are recognized by the UN for their efforts in preserving culture and heritage

Of course, one isn't enough in Penang. Besides Jesus and Mary, we always frequent the Indian Gods too. Church of the Immaculate Conception of Penang is the first Catholic church in Penang

Gatherings and reunions with old schoolmates and your favorite teacher - to Australia, New Zealand and Taiwan.

The best Penang boys go to Chung Ling, and though Mum is questioning the quality of students they produce every year, many Penangnites would still 'appeal' and 'rayu' their way in. Academic performance had took a falling in recent years, but Chung Ling boys and their qualities are still irreplaceable in many ways