Phuket Trip Day 1

    This was my first trip overseas since the only adventure to The Philippines some 4 years ago. So apparently I wasn't too familiar with organising this trip to Phuket. We decided that Patong will be the place to stay as it is the most famous beach in Phuket island. 

    As on 9th of May 2014, KLIA2 has been fully functionable with Air Asia agreeing to transfer their airline operations to the new terminal, which was just a couple of kilometers from KLIA. 

    I managed to web check in 4 days before the flight through the AirAsia website which can be found here. By doing so, I obtained my boarding pass which made things simple for departure. All we need to do is to print the boarding pass beforehand and BRING IT ALONG to the airport. 

    Due to the air ticket prices, I found out that the most economical way for this trip would be a Penang-KL-Phuket journey, with the arrival to KL and departure from KL 2-3 hours apart. Luckily I only brought along a handcarry baggage (cabin bag) so there was no worries about luggage check in and stuff like that. 

    There were plenty of reviews you can find online regarding experiences and guidelines on how to get around in Phuket but I was indeed lucky to be able to get in contact with one of the agents in Phuket. Got to know it from my friend who just returned from there. I STRONGLY recommend you to contact her as she offers a pretty good price for everything. She is also very helpful.

You can contact her through Whatsapp

    We arrived at the Phuket International Airport at 530pm Thailand time after some 30 minute flight delay. We took 4 flights and 3 of them were delayed by 30-60 minutes. Typical of Airasia huh? No maps? Don't worry, they are aplenty and free in the arrival hall. 

I got this one, which was quite extensive. Indeed a good guide and easy to bring around !

    The driver, which was arranged by my agent, was already waiting outside the arrival hall with my name on the cardboard. The airport transfer to her shop, in which we only decided on the packages was roughly 40 minutes. You have to adjust your watch as Malaysia time is quicker than Phuket time by around 1 hour. The taxi transfer was 600 baht/ car. Hotels are charging for 800 baht. You might opt for a mini bus service for only 180 baht but we preferred to pay more for the time, comfort and convenience.

    And so we decided on 2 packages as we had only 2 full days for tour. The James bond island 4 island package was 1000 baht/pax (which was RM102.50) while the Phi Phi Island package was 1100 baht/pax (the extra 100 baht was for speedboat. Normal boat takes extra 20 minutes for the journey). 

    We arrived at the hotel at 730pm and by 8pm we were hitting the streets for essential stuff. 7-11 is all over the place. As easy as hitting a 'Datuk' in Malaysia when you throw a stone. Joking~ A stretch of 1 kilometer can boast 4 7-11s and some 24 hour marts. Seriously, it's that many.

The Gallery hotel is a MUST stay. Only paid some RM265 for 3 nights. Clean and comfortable

    One unique thing that you can find in Thailand 7-11s is their toasted bread. They would automatically toast it for you unless you request otherwise. It tastes yummy. You might also want to try out their cup noodles. 'Mama' tomyam flavour is the best and you can try out the minced pork flavour not found in Malaysia. We purchased a SPF 110 banana boat sunblock for 490 baht and a couple of hats to brace the sunshine.

The jungceylon Mall which is quite grand, just opposite Bangla Road

    Time was still abundant so we headed to the red light district of Patong - Bangla road. Don't worry, you won't see Banglas there, as you will do in Malaysia. The street is just an ordinary street in the day and will come to live from 8pm onwards. You can witness sexy looking ladies (or ladyboys?) by the bars. Some are busy pole dancing right on the table directly infront of you if you are drinking. There will be lots of people promoting their sexy show/ pingpong show which I was not even bothered to take a second look. 

Occasionally, there will be performances on the streets. 

    Overall, Patong beach is awesome at night. There are lots of eateries with people always asking if you are hungry and promoting their restaurant. It is kinda annoying because literally every restaurant is promoting by this method! 

    Departed from home at 10am and reached hotel at 7pm. So it's time for a good rest!

The 'not chosen' one

       So results (for professional exam MD UKM 2014)  were announced today. Passed.

     Yet the gloomy mood within me continues to churn out negative feelings. Simply, I aimed higher. This post contains strong elements of arrogance and might cause displeasure to readers, so please shun away if you have to. You are about to witness the true bare me.

       To say that I came here to aim for a pass in medical school would be a lie. I hoped to be the best, be the strongest among the strongest. However, I seem to come awake during my second year where I only aimed for a high average pass. But, it was the confidence during my final year that spurred me to aim for the highest honour in medical school again. Yes, greed has been weeded into human beings since ancient times. And this time round, greed has possessed my soul. Riding on the good luck through the clinical OSCEs made me dream and dream. Although I had to admit regarding the small fumble during my paediatrics station, I still held high hopes.

      It was a kinda weird situation actually. To aim for the best, yet feel unfit for the best. I know my limitations, my shortcomings in the field of assessment. I even wondered at some point of time that, whether I'm fit to be called the 'distinction student' given my poor depth of theory knowledge. Perhaps, the theory exam has pulled my leg. Believe me, it always does. 

      Leave that aside. Nevertheless, I should be grateful to all who helped me accomplish this. My family members, my girlfriend, my teachers and senior doctors from all hospitals, and my friends. If I were to dedicate my success to one lecturer, it would be Gynaecologist Dr Yulianty from the O&G department. This special lecturer simply sparkled me to open up, get out into the real clinical world and learn to taste failure. It is true failure where you understand what success means. Thanks for failing my continuous assessment for my good. 

       So, ahead lies the long and winding journey of medical career. The pass in medical school simply marks the journey that requires determination and perseverance. Bless me, and pray for me, that I will be a doctor who treats for good. Next time Yik Ping, next time... 

This book was passed down to me for a reason. Now I'm passing it down for the similar reason. As for me, I was simply just the 'not chosen' one~

YikPing

658pm

Mornings - the double edged sword

Happenings in the morning, especially just after you wake up is pretty a double edged sword. Either your mood shoots up sky high, or it just crashes like a pilotless plane. And that mood might just as well pave the way for the outcome of the day. If it starts off bad, then the day would most likely be bearish, unless some unexpected turn of the day injects new life into it. Many a time, the only thing to salvage the day is to stay upbeat. Force one to be upbeat. There will be nobody there to cheer you up sometimes and the only thing to do is keep believing, and force yourself to get rid of that sucky morning news/ event and pick yourself up again. And that's the way to do it. Shrug off all the dirt and get moving again =)


yikping
728am

布拉格的广场～

布拉格的广场无人的走廊，
我一个人跳着舞旋转，
不远地方你远远吟唱，
没有你我真的不习惯 ～～

Forced to be upbeat

Come friday, it should be met with enthusiasm. But certainly not this one. On call for the whole weekend + forensic pathology tomorrow does bring much sorrow to the cheerful Friday night. And mind you, the weather sucks. Hazy and stuffy.
Things just went to worse from bad. The gymnasium was again locked, for the 'n'th time in this month. So damn frustrating to get all the kit just to be greeted with a shut door.
One more week and I will be alive, from my last posting (Surgery), which has given me numerous tense moments and intense pressure. The feeling to shunt all ward work is so strong that mornings are no longer cheerful. A dead soul and an empty body strolling aimlessly in the wards.
It will end, soon. One week is the duration.
So, let's still stay upbeat =)

yikping
744pm

Of arteries and veins

           Today marks the end of the 2 weeks of Internal Medicine posting in UKMMC. For the first time in medical school, I yearned to return to the medical wards once more, as a houseman, and then as an MO and hopefully, as a specialist.

           Time just passed with the blink of the eye. There was just too much to learn and pick up in the 2 weeks back here. In contrast to the postings in Teluk Intan and HKL, where I felt somehow restricted in carrying out ward procedures and clerkings, the posting back in UKMMC gave me a sense of home. Being in my own hospital, I felt the urge to bear the responsibilities of being a final year medical student as well as a junior houseman. 

             What makes this posting here more interesting is that I got the chance to be attached to a great inspiring young house officer who was always there to guide me along. Although only 2 months into his first posting of housemanship, he completes his tasks with great efficacy and accuracy. And I was immediately amazed and inspired by him from the very first day I stepped into my ward. Since that day, I was always looking forward to going to the wards every morning and work together with him.

             There were ups and downs in this short 2 weeks: being able to draw slightly difficult bloods, being rejected for a 2nd venepuncture attempt by a patient, performing well and answering lecturer's questions but also sometimes being constipated due to lack of knowledge. Going to the wards as early as 645am and sometimes staying back till as late as 630pm. Although I had to admit that I was deprived of sleep for this 2 weeks, the sacrifice was pretty worthwhile for the knowledge and the experience. 

            Perhaps the number of bloods I took in this mere 2 weeks were at least double the amounts I had for the previous 2 years in medical school. (Now you see how few venepuctures I did in my 3rd and 4th year haha!). I step into the wards with enthusiasm 7am every morning to help with the blood rounds, then followed by updating the charts and doing my own AM reviews. Life was certainly wonderful. 

            All good thing had to end at some time. Coming up next will be the surgical posting which I detest the most! haha...freaking cold and boring OTs...ewwww....But I hope this burning inspiration brought along by this doctor/senior/friend of mine will carry me through the hard times and mature to be one inspiring and efficient doctor like him =) 

May we meet soon in the future. All the best to you too Dr Wazir!

Yik Ping

10Jan 2014

A non ordinary uncle, an inspiring patient

A usual morning in the wards with an unusual experience~
I was doing my normal morning clerkings when I saw this elderly uncle sitting on his bed reading his papers. I approached him the same way I did with other patients by a simple greeting followed by 'apa khabar encik' - Use Bahasa Malaysia until proven otherwise.

He was well groomed and looked pretty healthy (except his oxygen mask) for a 80 year old Malay male. But as the conversation heated up, my instincts told me that this uncle was not any average patient. He spoke with fluent English on top of wise words and appropriate gestures. Upon enquiring on his past occupation, he revealed that he was a FELDA town planner! Wow, among the pioneers of the FELDA settlements we could see now in the Peninsular Malaysia, especially in Pahang and Terengganu.

I immediately switched my intention of taking some history from him to engaging in a conversation about his job and life. It was just simply too interesting to chuck this part away and focus on the medical part. Sometimes, talking to patients and listening to their part of the story makes the life of a medical professional less dull and routine. And I had to admit that I did not want to end the conversation.

We talked about our families, our backgrounds, his working life as a planner, marriage and children. Frankly, this is the first time I came across such a wonderful occupation. He has to camp in the jungle for a month or so, on the tree house and survey the area. He draws the plans, where the towns should be, the plantations, the grocery shops and convenience stores, the police station, the market and all the other structures of a town. And he had frequented the East Malaysia too for town planning, which revolves around about the same thing he does in the FELDA settlements.

Midway through the conversation, he even pointed out, without looking at my name tag that I must be from Penang. And with Tan as my surname, I should be Hokkien. Bingo! With vast experience with people from Penang, and having a chinese wife from Penang, he told me that it wasn't quite difficult to come out with a wise guess. We talked about family planning (3 children should suffice) as well. Interestingly, he gave me a piece of advice: Birth control. We should focus on quality rather than quantities. We should ensure that our children receive the best attention and financial support with the limited amount of time and resources we have. And yes you are right, his children and grandchildren are well established individuals in the society. A proud father and grandfather I would say.

We shared jokes, and talked about medical and non medical and I really had a good time through out the 45 minute conversation. I felt heavy hearted to end that conversation. But he will be one of the patients that would inspire me for my rest of medical career and in my future!