Annual Day '12 :)

 Hello!

A lot has happened since my last post. We are already in Block 2 now! :) Time really flies, without us noticing. The year will be over in no time.

Less tears lost recently, but I get emotional very easily. Part of growing up I suppose. We get more conscious about what is happening around us, what are flying past us.

 BDS 3+4 -credits to Joel Beh

Just had our very last Annual Day in Manipal few hours ago. Many of us had mixed feelings. Everything that happened this time last year still remains so vividly in my mind. Got kinda emotional tonight. Proud to receive the awards that we worked hard for, but at the same time we know that we are even closer to the day we say goodbye to this place. Laura had the same thoughts, and I suppose that a lot of the others feel the same way too.

We didnt know what to wear at first, but thanks to Isha, I had my attire settled on the night before Annual Day. She chose one of her dresses for me and lent me a pair of her shoes to go with it. Haha. So in the end four of us - Weichi, Phyllis, Amanda and I went tonight donning her dresses. That night we applied mask in Weichi's room and almost fell asleep there haha. Helped Amanda apply my egg white + honey mask, while I used one of Weichi's masks XD Thank you Wei Chi!

Reached there on time that night, and realised that other Malaysians took their  own sweet time to arrive. The event started at 6.30 sharp, which made me really want to salute the Indians for their punctuality. The awardees were supposed to be there by 6.15, but many spaces were still empty at 7. LOL.

The way the awards were given were kinda weird. We were given our certificates beforehand and all of us distinction students went up onto the stage together holding our certificates and posed for a picture. But we were proud of our best student, Chris Ong Siew Chai! :D Proud of Laura too :) 

The performances were great, and I would say that they were better than last year cause they were of different varieties. Singing, Batch 29's Indian dance, Batch 30's Oppa Gangnam Style video and Batch 29's flash mob in which the lecturers danced along with their whole batch.Enjoyed the lecturers' performance more this year. We had more laughs as we know most of the lecturers now. :) It was a regret that the Indian dance was cancelled. I would love to watch it again.

With our bro Malindu who's leaving Manipal on Monday ):

Annual Day, as usual is about performance, laughter, friends, FOOD, awards, FOOD, pictures, FOOD, clothes, FOOD, and more FOOD. The night would've been perfect if I could have more ice cream. Haha. Had fun and enjoyed ourselves tonight. More pictures to come!

Tomorrow is a holiday, as usual. It is MMMC's tradition that a holiday will be given on the day after College Day and Awards' Ceremony each year. Yay. A good rest deserved after all the hard work in Block 1 :)

10.11.12

Had to realize my promise to Wei Chi and Chris that I will try Scirocco's pasta if I manage to get full marks in any test. So here goes, White Sauce Garliano, cheers to DM!  

It tastes great but I still find it expensive. Oh well. A rare treat, seeing how long has it been since I have got full marks.:) That was back in Block 2 I think.

Approaching blocks are making me feel restless and lost. Don't know why I still can't get myself in the situation. Praying hard that I will and leaving everything to Him. :)

I’m not going to sing anymore.

Interbatch 2012

Hello there. Life has been good for me, but I guess I tired out myself for the past two weeks. Interbatch is still going on, and there are only the sports events left. BDS is doing really well this year, and if we manage to ace the sports as well, there is hope of getting the one day holiday that everyone of us have been gunning for.

Last year I didn't involve myself at all during Interbatch, and I truly regretted that I let go of the chances given to me. So this year, to leave myself some memories, I took part in a couple of events. To name them, Rangoli and Western Vocal Group. I didn't manage to win anything, I earned myself great experiences. 

Rangoli

I pulled Wei Chi along to join this. It was supposed to be a traditional Indian culture of making traditional designs of flowers, symbols and animals on the ground using colourful Rangoli powder and things such as rice, beans, sand and all that. In Malaysia we call it 'kolam' if I'm not mistaken. 

I was inspired by the sand painting by Taiwan sand artists and thought of making a sand painting instead of a traditional Rangoli design. So Wei Chi and I had a go on making a Titanic- themed sand painting for the competition. We had difficulty getting Rangoli powder in the colours we had in mind, so we had to make a trip to Temple Street in Udupi, where all sorts of coloured powder can be found. It was the day before our Pharmacology test, but still.. Haha. 

That night itself we practiced making the design, which took us 3 hours. It turned out okay, but we were worried about the time, because the time allocated was 2 hours. But we went ahead the next day for the competition, and managed to finish it in time.
 
We were the only group who came up with a non-traditional design, and we realised that the judges didn't buy our idea of being different. Haha. We were quite disappointed because we had some expectations, and we thought we had the chance to win. But to think of it, it didn't matter that we didn't win. Many other contestants and spectators were drawn to our piece and we got quite a lot of attention. Many people took pictures. :) Guess that means our work was quite good.

This was our practice piece done on a piece of cardboard. Didn't manage to take picture of the actual competition piece because my phone battery died. Haha. 

The sea of Rangoli. Spot ours?

Western vocal group

Chris suggested forming a group for Western singing, which I felt quite reluctant at first, as I knew we'd have zero chance of winning. But he talked me into it in the end. This year the competitions were held early, so we only had a week to practice. In addition to Chris and I, we roped in Laura, Phyllis and Halem to sing, and Naj as the guitarist. Peoi Chee has a great voice and Christopher sings well too, but they had no time to commit because of the other interbatch competitions they joined. 

Had a difficult time putting the group together and also putting the song together. Again, tried to be different and incorporated Chinese and Malay songs into the medley. Glad that everyone contributed ideas to make the song proper. Kinda miss those times that we practiced. It was more of a fun, singing together thingy rather than training for a competition. Great bonding sessions they were. Had fun laughing at Vitas' videos and singing to the Phantom of the opera :D

I had no experience and no talent at all in figuring out harmony for group singing. But I did the best that I could, with help of my other teammates. :) I'm simply too grateful to you guys for being so cooperative. :) 

We did the best that we could to build up the performance, and did our best in presenting what we had prepared to the audience. Although I kinda screwed up my part, but thanks for not holding it against me. Wanna say it again: you guys are the best teammates I could wish for. And I totally enjoyed myself throughout, despite the difficulties we faced. Kudos everybody! 

Group VITAS, clad in traditional Malay costumes, because we didn't know what to wear. We thought it would look nice to be colourful on stage :)

Covered all the events that I had took part in, hopefully I would be able to find time to write about the other amazing events that BDS clinched the victory :) 

 

   

Back to school

I'm officially a sophomore now! 

 Big hello from BDS 3! :)

Came to realise that this is my first post since I touched down in India. Been so busy these few weeks that time seems to be passing very fast. 

Academics, practicals, non-academics takes our breath away. Something that I always say: no time to catch my breath. Second year is so much different from our first year. No wonder the seniors always said: Wait till you get to second year. 
But unfortunately, the faculty set us a shockingly different timetables compared to the one BDS 2 had. And because of this we have shorter break times, longer class hours and lectures in the afternoon. I still cannot accept the afternoon lecture part. Always feel so sleepy during post-lunch class hours. At least last year during practicals we get to move about and do work without much mental concentration needed. Sigh.

Subjects are also entirely different. Things like pharmacology, pathology and microbiology didn't manage to spark my interest the way Anatomy and Oral Biology used to. Sigh again. Well, guess maybe I still need some time to appreciate these subjects. And goodbye for now, dead tired after the Rangoli episode just now. Nights world! Hopefully I will get the chance to update soon :)

Drama marathon, anyone?

Back in Manipal I didn't touch any dramas. So vacation is the time to catch as many as I can!

Rooftop Prince 屋塔房王世子

I love Korean dramas with ancient/ historical time settings. Rooftop Prince has historical and modern settings combined. Another time travel story. The mystery behind it was a shocker when it unraveled. The casts are super adorable :)

Photo credits: koreandramamusic.blogspot.com 

Source: [link]

Scarlet Heart 步步惊心

Last February break this Chinese drama was aired on Channel 8, Singapore, but I only managed to catch the middle part of this 35-episode drama. It got me addicted, so this time back I got the DVD. 

Another time travel story again. A modern lady Zhang Xiao 张晓 woke up after an accident only to find herself in the body of a Manchurian teenage girl, Ruo Xi 马尔泰若曦. Without any way to go back, she grew up and lived the life of Ruo Xi, becoming a lady of the court. This drama is a.k.a startling by each step, as Ruo Xi struggles to survive life in the palace, a treacherous place for a non-submissive woman with modern day thinking. 

Photo credits: http://servbot87.blogspot.com/

Source: [link]

The Moon embracing the Sun 拥抱太阳的月亮

Another Korean historical drama series. Haha. Told you I love them. Plus the male lead who plays the King is one of my favourite actors - Kim Soo Hyun! The guy who plays Song Sam Dong in Dream High, another of my favourite dramas. This time round, the female lead happens to be a female shaman, and there's the element of black magic in this drama. Which makes it kinda different from other dramas. I was tearing to some scenes too.

Photo credits: http://www.dramaload.com

Source: [link]

 To the Beautiful You 致美丽的你

It is the Korean version of Hanakimi, following its predecessors, the Taiwanese and Japanese counterparts. Compared to the Taiwan version, 花样少年少女, the storyline is almost identical, just that I feel that most of the actors and actresses in the Korean version are better looking [my personal opinion], expect the male lead and the dog. Wu Zun and Yi Ci Lang still win hands down. 

It is still airing in Korea, and the remaining episodes will not be released in time before I go back to India. Sigh. 

 

Photo credits: allkpop.com

Source: [link]

Faith 信义

Just realised that 信义 rhymes with 行医. ANOTHER TIME TRAVEL DRAMA. And a historical one as well. Just that instead of the Joseon era, the setting happens to be the Goryeo dynasty. Played by Lee Min Ho and Kim Hee Sun. A warrior, Choi Young travels to the future, a place he mistook as Heaven, and brought back a cosmetic surgeon Yoo Eun Soo and brings her to the Goryeo era to heal the Queen. And love blooms between the two as Young tries to protect her from evil-plotters who want to take over the Kingdom, and at the same time he tries to fulfill his promise to send her back to where she belongs.

This is also currently airing in Korea. 

Photo credits: allkoreandrama.com

Source: [link]

***

That's all for now! Continue watching :) Now playing:  To the Beautiful You 致美丽的你 episode 9. :) Ka yi ge yo.

Too bored to think of a title.

I waited for the holidays with anticipation even during Block IV. The stress was so overwhelming that I... err... cried a lot. I chose not to go on the tour with they all, as I thought if I have more time to spare in Malaysia, I could go back to Sitiawan. Sigh. If I only knew things would turn out like this, I would have gone along with them.

I spent the first couple of weeks waiting for him to come and visit me, and when he was finally going to come, something happened at my home. Ahh.. the timing. Of all times! Hey, I haven't seen you for more than one month! I'm going crazy soon! Lalalala.

And yes,I am so bored that I am going to go crazy soon. And it's too late to sing.

 

Shahira's Raya open house 2012

Shahira's Raya open house! It's a once in a year thing. :)

We are blessed with a buddy of Malay race, so that we can get to experience their traditions and culture.

Large families.
Large extended families.
A warm salam to everyone from everyone.
Rolling up sleeves to help out in the kitchen. 
Exchanging stories, coupled with jokes and laughter. 
Pictures encase sweet and warm moments between family and friends.♥

Enjoyed the warm hospitality offered by their family. Thank you very much! And had fun helping out in the kitchen too. Had fun catching up with my buddies.And of course enjoyed savouring the delicious Malay dishes like Mee Hoon Soto, Laksa Johor, Satay, Ayam Masak Merah, kuih & also the out of the world chocolate cake! :)

MMMC BDS Phase I, Year I Course structure :D

Hello, I hope that a brief account of our BDS first academic year in MMMC, Manipal may be helpful for you guys :) All the external links lead to posts by a Batch 2 senior RC.

1. Our first year is also known as Phase I (Pre-Clinical), Year I, span over 38 weeks.

2. It is divided into quarters, each quarter is known as a 'block'.

Subjects

We have 6 subjects in total for first year. They are:

Exam-going subjects

1. Anatomy [The branch of science concerned with the bodily structure of humans, animals, and other organisms, esp. as revealed by dissection.]

2. Physiology [The branch of biology that deals with the normal functions of living organisms and their parts.]

3. Biochemistry [The branch of science concerned with the chemical and physicochemical processes that occur within living organisms.]

4. Oral Biology [Dental Anatomy and Dental Histology]

Non-exam going subjects

5. Preclinical Prosthodontics

6. Dental Materials and Technology

Here is a subject review :)

Assessments

In each subject, you will be assessed in both theory and practical components.

1. In each block there will be frequent tests in each subject.

2. You will also have one Problem-based Learning (PBL) session each block. For each block we have PBL for different subjects. (4 blocks, 4 subjects. Just nice :) )

3. You will be required to complete journals in each subject for practicals. 

3. At the end of each block, there will be an assessment examination - Block Exam.

4. At the end of each academic year, there will be an external examination - University Examination.

5. There will be a Mentor-Student project in which you and your fellow group members will be assigned a mentor/guide, and you will have to work together to complete a project of a certain assigned topic.

6. Viva voce (an examination conducted by spoken communication). You may have to give a viva for certain subjects in block exams. In the university exams, those who achieve distinction marks (>75%), have to defend their distinction by passing a distinction viva. For those with borderline marks (45-49%), you can secure a pass by passing a borderline viva.

7. Tests, viva, PBL marks will contribute 10% to the theory component of your block examination. Journals will contribute 5-10 marks to the practical component of your block examination.

8. The total of all 4 block examinations will contribute towards your university examination. 30 marks for theory, 15 marks for practical.

Passing and failures
You will need 50% in each subject, in overall theory and overall practical to pass. If you get borderline marks (45-49%), you still can have a go at it in a borderline viva. If you get less than 45%, you will need to reappear in the failed subjects (both theory & practical). There will be an improvement examination (4 weeks after uni exam) for your internal assessment marks and a supplementary examination (6 weeks after final exam). Unless you clear the supplementary examination, you will need to repeat the year.

Distinctions
As mentioned, distinction marks  (75 and above) does not guarantee you a distinction.

Criteria for distinction viva:
At least 75% in theory internal assesment
At least 75% in total university theory
At least 75% in practical internal assessment
At least 75% in total university practical

Then you sit for the distinction viva conducted by one external examiner (usually from other colleges under Manipal; for Oral Biology, the examiner will be from University of Malaya) and one internal examiner (from MMMC).

Getting distinction is not easy people, study smart and/or work hard! :p

Books

1. Textbooks

2. Journals, also known as record books. Required for your practicals. Can only be found in Higginbotham's, the official college bookstore. 7 journals are there for first year students.

Anatomy: Histology
Physiology
Biochemistry
Dental Anatomy
Dental histology 
Preclinical Prosthodontics
Dental Materials and Tech. 

Note: Look for the MMMC logo for each journal, or else you may end up buying the wrong ones.  

Timetable

We basically have classes and practical 8-5 on each weekday, and half day on saturdays.

This is Batch 2's timetable. (Just for reference)

Attendance
Ha! This is important. 90% attendance is a prerequisite for you to be eligible to sit for University examinations. In addition, you will need to be present for class on the 1st day after each vacation. If you achieve less than 90% for a certain subject in a block, your block exam results for that subject will be withheld. But at the end of the year, if your total attendance reaches the 90% mark, you will be fine. Or else, you are in trouble. :D

Mind you, MMMC is quite strict when attendance is concerned. :D

100% attendance in all the subjects will fetch you an award. :)

Practicals

1. Anatomy

We have dissection classes, 4 hours per week, and histology classes, 2 hours a week. We will have a spotters examination in each Block examination, and in the University examination, in which we have to identify structures in specimens, cadavers or bones and answer related questions.

My senior's account on dissection.  :)

2. Physiology

We learn to perform tests on blood, cardiovascular system, blood pressure, respiratory system and central nervous system, and so on. We also learn a little of basic life support  (CPR and Heimlich maneuver). Examinations include performance and questions on charts or projected on LCD.

3. Biochemistry

Biochemical tests such as tests for protein, carbohydrates in solutions, blood glucose tests, etc. We also need to take notes related to certain displayed items (food, substances, drugs) in our practical classes and transfer them into our journals. Examinations include performance and questions on charts or projected on LCD.

4. Oral biology

Dental Anatomy: Carving the morphology of each tooth on wax blocks using our carving instruments. We will be tested on carving in each block and in the university exam. 

Dental Histology: Identification of dental histology microscope slides. 

5. Pre-clinical prosthodontics

In first year we need to know the anatomy of an edentulous cast, make dental impressions using impression compound, and so on.

6. Dental materials and Tech.

Practicals related to dental materials such as cast and die materials, impression materials and so on.

Desperate... for teeth

I am not a person who can remain calm and think positive in desperate situations. I get angry, lose my mind, break down, cry and everything.

Umpteen times since half a year ago I have been telling my mother to leave bottles leave bottles.. Only to find out that she did not leave any, trusting someone she knows to keep a set of teeth for me. I was like: ‘uh-oh‘ I had a bad feeling there and then that I will be left with nothing. Sure enough, one big bottle of nice, bleached, intact premolars were there waiting for me. I felt like crying.

Went to hospitals and clinics one after the other. Left bottles where I could, and got some teeth in bottles given by the clinic assistants. I just took whatever offered to me. Some clinics just turned me away saying they don‘t do extractions.

Just tried to sort out the little pool of teeth I collected. Here‘s a summary of my findings:
1. Lots of nice, intact premolars
2. Premolars with restorations
3. Terribly decayed molars
And here‘s a conclusion of my findings
1. No intact anterior teeth
2. No suitable decayed posterior teeth

The more I see them the more I depressed I am. Really envy those who can get the teeth without having to worry much.

I have no idea how I am going to get the teeth as instructed. There‘s nothing else I can do but pray and keep finding. Worse come to worst I have to pray that my classmates with extra will take pity on me of I don‘t have enough or don‘t get any at all. 

21.8..2012

This long vacation didn't turn out how I expected it to. I am now downright moody and I can't wait to go back to Manipal. I don't know why at home I don't get any respect, recognition, and freedom. The 3 things that I need the most. Now all my efforts look so stupid when I look back, all those hard work for nothing, all the tears for nothing. 

Colossians 3:21. Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

Ephesians 6:4. Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

I thought my hard work, my achievements would honour you, would please you. I am a sensitive person, a weak person, an emotional person that needs encouragement, needs support. But you seem to have crushed my spirit. 

Tis called a reunion? :)

My definition of best friends?

Hearts sense each other, minds read each other, never tired of each other.

Spent an afternoon with my buddy Pei Ling at Jusco Bkt Indah, & two of us couldn't stop talking, as there was so much that we need to update each other with. It's a pity Eyra couldn't make it, or else it'll be a perfect gathering :) Never mind, we'll see you soon enough during Raya. :D

The past 6 months we barely chatted, barely kept in touch with each other. I felt actually felt guilty because of that, but she never blamed me or anything. She understood. Thank God for a friend like you :D 

We had some tea from 'ding cha'& walked around, doing some window shopping and talking. Then caught a movie 'The three stooges', which made us bend with laughter. Haha. Great comedy that was. Had some takoyaki and more talking after that :)

I realised we are always like that. It doesn't matter whether we haven't seen each other for a day, a week, even for months, we could never run out of topics to talk of, and our relationship never grow cold. Haha. A special type of friendship I would say, between Pei Ling, Eyra and Cheryl.  

Oh, and Eyra, we miss you! The thought 'if only Eyra was here' kept on popping into our minds today. Can't wait to see you :)

Manipal: What to bring, what not.

Hello peeps, I think a 'to pack and not-to-pack' list will be very useful if you are about to come to Manipal. This list made by my senior RC made my packing prior to leaving much easier. What I'll do is to build up on this list by adding in what I think useful. 

Here's a summary of her 'to-pack & not-to-pack' list:

Not to bring: 

1. Shoes (white, expensive leather, designer shoes, high heels as Manipal roads are dusty and rocky)

2. Umbrella (easily available in Manipal & are of superior quality; we all buy back umbrellas to Malaysia for our friends & family!)

3. Skirts above knee length (against dress code, draw unwanted stares from locals)

4. Bowls, cups, knives (Cutlery is advisable though)

5. Stationery  (Notebooks, paper, test pad, pens)

6. Padlock 

To bring: 

1. Chinese tea (you might miss it)

2. Bolster if you need it (hand carry it), blanket

3. Formal wear (nothing above the knees)

4. Girls: At least one dress (can be summer or dinner dress), there are events here in which you need to dress up nicely :) [eg.Annual day at the end of Block I]

5. Boys: Extra pair of shoes is advisable, as shoes get damaged easily on Manipal roads. 

6. Non-making shoes/ court shoes (the kind with orange soles) for access to badminton courts and jogging track in Marena (our fully air-conditioned, well equipped sports complex) You'll find that good ones are quite expensive here in Manipal.

7. Vicks and mosquito repellent

8. Plastic, PVC or Crocs type of material shoes (Waterproof shoes are the best here.)

Additional to brings from me: 

1. ***Dehumidifier  (Thirsty Hippo), during rainy season your room can get moist and fungus can grow all over. Hahaha. Dehumidifiers cannot be found in Manipal :[

2. Most of us brought our electrical items, such as kettles, rice cookers, hairdryers,  etc. from Malaysia.

3. Crocs are a good investment if you plan to come to Manipal. I learned the hard way after my first block when 4 of my shoes wore out in 2 months. Cheaper options are non-branded PVC, waterproof shoes. 

4. Narrow line test pads, if you happen to prefer them. (Cant be found in Manipal). 

5. Your favourite brand of stationery, eg. M&G 晨光, which cant be found here. Faber Castell is very common here though. 

6. Your favourite brand of  instant noodles, the ones here taste weird.

7. **Instant porridge, can come in handy if you are not feeling well. 

8. 3-in-1 drinks, soups...

P/S: There's a facebook group for trading of items between Manipal-ians ~ Manipal University Trading Chamber that you can visit. 

[Will be edited when things come into mind :)]

Farewell BDS 2

If we are going to start our second year next month, and we sent off our seniors, that means.. BDS batch 4 are going to tread on Manipal roads soon enough. Hmm. To be frank, I’m having mixed feelings about becoming a senior. All this while, I’ve enjoyed being under the care of my Batch 2 seniors. They’ve been a great blessing to me. Felt really sad when we sent them off.

They ushered us in with a heart-warming welcome party, and took good care of us ever since.

 

Realized that BDS 2 and 3 really experienced a lot together. 

We set off sky lanterns together, 

Rooted for BDS in Interbatch games together,

 

Celebrated birthdays together,

Together we ushered in CNY and Christmas,

 Went caroling together,

Went travelling together,

Studied together,

We even had our exams together. 

Being a little too dependent on them, I know it’ll be difficult for me to get used to not seeing them around. And a special thanks to those who’ve helped me a great deal, by teaching me, by encouraging me, playing along with my crappy-ness and lame-ness, by giving me pointers when I need them most, and giving me  encouragement, a hug, or even a comforting pat on the shoulder whenever my tears fall; you know who you are :)


Thanks BDS 2, wish you guys a smooth sailing journey as you all go through your clinical years. See you in MMMC Malacca soon enough! (you guys said second year will pass without us knowing :D)

P/S: If you happen to be a Melaka-Manipal Medical College Dentistry (BDS) student-to-be, do have a look at my senior’s blog - Crybabylair.blogspot.com, which is very helpful for newcomers. Look out for her posts tagged MMMC and Must read for newcomers. :)

Photo credits to: Christine, Tian Yuan, Laura, Ika, Yung Yee, Zheng Tao, Joel

Happy holidays!

Finally the long awaited vacation is here.But we arent home yet ): Spent the night at LCCT after our international flight from Bangalore, and sitting in McDonald’s waiting to catch the flight to JB which will depart in an hours time :) Traveling is a very hectic thing to me, especially when it involves taking three flights span over two days, and having to spend the night at the airport in between. Sigh.

University exams are finally over, which is a huge relief. Those days preparing for the exams, especially those days in between exams were terrible to endure. Spent our days with little sleep, and accompanied each night by cups of coffee. Never cried so much, never prayed so much.

T’was God’s grace that I was able to pull through all of this :) He gave me strength to carry on whenever I was on the verge of losing it. He strengthened me through my family and friends. :) And by His grace, I managed to qualify for all of the distinction viva voces. But my performance was, hmmm..May share about them later on. Mental + emotional + physical strain they were. After all these, I realised my results, D or P, does not matter. Back then I came to Manipal with the aim that I’ll pass everything and ascend one level at a time, smoothly, but I managed to do better than my expectations, and I should be contented, no? :)

At least I can smile for a couple of hours :)

Just sat for physiology theory paper and rewarding myself with a bowl of nice hot maggi with an egg. :) Gonna replenish the sleep that I sacrificed yesterday to finish studying all 4 blocks. :)

Physio was comparatively easier compared to Anatomy, though there are still many questions I couldn't do. Can't blame anyone, some topics I read without understanding.

Next two papers are the killers. I'll sure reward myself even more after I'm done with all the theory papers. :p

A lil more to run, and we're heading home! :)

Drat. It's unis.

Currently having a tough time going through university exams.Studying till wee hours in the morning, bringing notes everywhere, don't remember what I have studied, cry, couldn't finish studying, panic, cry.

This is really the time when everyone wishes the day never ends. Whole year stuff to be revised in few days, for each subject. I wonder how many of us managed to do that. Hmm. But I know the seniors are having a worse time than us.


Tired of all these. Can't wait to go back to Malaysia. Can't wait to say goodbye to the suffering and have a good, undisturbed sleep.

Image taken from here. 

25.6.2012

Hello. We're in the midst of our last block exam. After that... study break for unis are gonna start. I had no idea how I'm gonna make it through the remaining days of my first year, feeling apprehensive and lost at the same time. But God is great! And He always will be :) The day before the Anatomy exam, I gave up hope on the subject after spending one whole morning on a single chapter. At that rate I could never finish preparing for the exams. It was so unlike Block I, when I could manage to go through everything at least once. So I gave up and decided to study at my own pace.

And so that went on for a few hours till after dinner, when I decided that I should not put up the white flag that easily, and I turned on my 'pre-exam mode'. But then I realised whatever I studied did not stay in my mind. That made me lost again. After reaching the hostel, I got a cup of coffee, spent some time talking to God, and put on 'the mode' again till 3am, and woke up to study again at 5.30. but I still didn't manage to cover everything. However when I sat with the questions were before me, I was delighted, as almost 80% of what I had prepared was in the essay paper. I did not fare well in MTF, but all of this were more than good enough. Grateful that God made it happen. :)

3 more papers to go till the end of Blocks. Hang on, cheryl! :) He'll walk with you, be alongside you. :)

18.6.2012

 偶尔的回忆过去，让我觉得我的人生在退步。

期待、等待、失败，人生就是那么纠结。 

带着复杂的心情，看复杂的人生，走复杂的路。
用无所谓的态度，过好随遇而安的生话。我也想。

16.6.2012

"爱上某人，不是因为他给了你需要的东西，
而是因为他给了你从未有过的感觉。"

Crisis

I lost all my confidence, and maybe even a little of my enthusiasm in the subject. I tried to put in effort, but see how it turned out? They aren't reciprocal at all. I'm tired, tired of suppressing all the stress, expectations, disappointments, and all the emotions I have to go through.It's difficult to get it through, even to close friends, what I'm going through, what exactly is on my mind. I don't know whether I'm able to hang on.

God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

Midst of block III exam

Just had our Anatomy spotters exam for this block, and there's a sudden eagerness to blog.

Spotters.. found it much easier compared to previous blocks. Silly me went wrong at places that I shouldn't, but it was generally okay. One more paper down means 7  more to go. 4 theory papers, 1 viva, 2 practical papers.Not sure how would I cope this block. I seem to have lost my momentum after the February break. Plus the tiredness I feel all the time makes it worse. Hmm, I'll have to pick myself up soon. :)

Shed quite a lot of tears this block. Thankful for the people the Lord placed around me. Sisters,boyfriend,friends,seniors, they make my life a happier one. :) Thanks for the love and support.❤

12.4.2012

On the verge of breaking down, again. Why it is so difficult to cling on?

Time 'fries'

It has been a week since our return from vacation. Manipal remains the same, with even heavier workload in Block III. It's only the first week and I already find some of the subjects difficult to cope with. Mostly because I'm not used to some lecturers' ways of teaching. Or maybe it's post-holiday syndrome. With the mentor-student project due this block, I think I'll have an even harder time getting through this block. Lol.

Got to know our previous block results this Monday. Very satisfied with mine. I thought I flunked Oral Biology and Anatomy spotters, but by God's grace they turned out quite good. Glad that papa mama are happy with my results. (:

Totally hate the fact that I need to go to the library in the first week back. Didn't want to activate the 'nerd' mode so soon. But what to do? Lotsa things to do, too little time.

***

This week has been eventful. Got to eat my favourite cabbage in Manipal Canteen (on our 2nd day back I think). Had a 'lil farewell dinner at 7Bees for Jasmine on Wednesday with Chien Ying and Christine. Had a nice little chat that night (: A 'lil birthday surprise for Esther the leap year baby in her room before that. Celebrated Amanda's birthday at Hideout on Thursday and Chris's goodbye to crutches at Manipal Canteen again on Friday. :) Wow, now only I realized that we had so much to celebrate. Heh. 

Five of us shared a court during our usual Friday badminton. Nice spending time playing badminton with 'family'. If only Peggy was there. :) Played against two locals too. Quite fun actually. (:

Gonna start a new week soon enough. Week 2 of Block III, please be good to me :)

 Happy birthday cheerful sis! (:

My family in Manipal (:

Photo credits to: Chu & Esther