KPKT

It's been more than a year since I started working as a dental officer. Did not regret my decision of choosing Kota Tinggi as my practicing clinic. Met a lot of helpful seniors, colleagues and staff over the time I've been here.

Time flew. And it's about time to leave.

7.7.2017

I don't even remember the last time I entered a blog post. Developed a new lifestyle over the past year. A full-time coffee lover, part-time dental officer maybe?

27/4/15

人類如果沒有心臟　那就好了
受傷不會流血
悲傷也不會流淚

The end of the journey

continue reading here.

I knew that this day would come one day, and it eventually did.

I struggled too, in the later days. Lost my ability to write as well as I did during my college days. Yet I pushed on. For a few months I wrote for the sake of 21st each month. I would be at my laptop, searching high and low for inspiration. I never used to. Ideas used to come, free-flowing.You could guess how the quality of my work became.. 

Looking back at my 35 pieces of works in ReMag since its debut in 2010, feeling glad that we've came such a long way. I remember how I hated those months I had to write for the theme, also the satisfaction I had when I completed them. I didn't like themes. I like writing about my own feelings and random ideas. Yet they forced open my mind and made this lazy mind of mine think.

Ever thankful of the platform ReMag provided for me to express myself throughout the years, fulfilling the desire of a writer.. to be heard.

Cheers.

STTDG scholarship interview with the "carrot gang"

First learned about ST Tiew Dental Group when they set up a booth during MMMC Faculty of Dentistry 's First Student Scientific conference & Dental Quiz. They mentioned to us about a scholarship they offer to subsidise local dental students from UM, AIMST, MMMC, etc. So I made an enquiry through email and they kindly sent me the application form. Shared this news with a few friends and we applied together.

Soon after the application, the Group invited us to their headquarters in Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam for an interview on 19th July. We booked a hotel for the night before and Chris drove us (Weichi, Phyllis, Amanda and I) down for an Interview+Leisure trip. Hee. Tried burger lab for the first time and we loved it. Hee. Orange Hotel, which we stayed, was nice, clean and comfortable and cheap as well. :)

 By My Burger Lab. Forgot the name of my burger :p (Credits: Phyllis)

Went for the interview the next day, the session started with a briefing on the history of the dental group, career opportunities they provide, professional courses and some of the key terms of the scholarship. All sounded quite attractive. We were served refreshments, and divided into 3 in a group, then called for the interview one group at a time. The atmosphere during the interview wasn't stressful. They were very friendly and patient with us.

Went Ikea to try the famous meatballs, and were much satisfied. Haha. Supposed to return to Malacca after that, but Estee invited us to stay for the night (so sweet of her), and brought us around Subang for more good food :D Couldn't decide on what to eat as we weren't hungry, so we had some korean snacks and Snowflake for desserts. All to our delight :D

(Credits: Phyllis)

The next day we had a warm breakfast in her house, enjoying the cookies by her mum and coffee by her dad (so blessed right :D) bid goodbye to the family and their dogs, had chilli pan mee for lunch (recommended by estee) and went back to Malacca.

Chilli Pan Mee :D (Credits: Phyllis)

The return journey
(Credits: Phyllis)

A month later, all of us received a call from STTDG on the success of our application and invited for an agreement signing session at their HQ. :D Just returned from my KK trip the night before, so KJ sent me there after our breakfast. Originally asked estee to send me to the train station after the session, but was so lucky to meet HK and Laylay there, and they brought me to TBS to get a bus home. So saved her from the trouble. Hehe. Only Estee and I were able to attend on that day, the others went on a later date. Anyway, a big thank you to ST Tiew DG :)

 Photo Credits to STTDG

 

30.5.2014

Just realised that it is more than half a year since my last post. 3rd year has been both fruitfull and eventfull.

Been occupied by so many things since a couple of months ago. First came the Block 2 exam, which was a struggle for me, then the dental quiz right after the exam, which took a toll on me as well. Followed by conservative dentistry posting which was quite packed, and preparation for Block 3 exams again. Now that Block 3 has ended and the denture making which occupied me for months have ended, I could take a breather before preparation for sessional exam starts.

Unfortunately, when I thought I could put in some rest for a few days, the lecturers and college started bombarding us with assignments, presentations and tasks to be done before MQA inspection. Sad life right. No wonder third year is going by so fast.

Meanwhile in her cozy lil room, someone is writing her prostho assignment while being distracted by trying to write a blog post at the same time. Guess she will have to go back to the work she is supposed to do.. Till we meet again :)

Annual Night 2013 - Farewell for B28 & BDS3

A few days into our University exams study break.. no wonder less than half the class showed up for the farewell and awards ceremony of B28 and BDS3. No awards for me this time, haven't been a good girl this year *wink*, but got to witness the 100% attendance award giving to our classmates, savour the delicious food prepared, and took pictures with the lecturers whom we will dearly miss.

Due to the less crowd expected, the Award Ceremony was held at Chaitya Hall, Fortune Inn Valley View instead of the usual outdoor venue. Everyone took time to dress up for the event. The Batch 28 girls were very well-dressed, most of them donning sarees or ethnic wear (probably their last time in India).

Reached Valley View quite early, and we had time to take some pictures and chit chat before we were ushered into our seats. The event started with a speech by our MMMC Dean, Dr. Ullas Kamath. Our BDS 3 representative - Ken also gave an impressing speech. :) So proud of him. The formal speeches were followed by the prize giving to the academic award holders of B28. 100% attendance awards were given to both batches.

It has become our tradition to enjoy our lecturers' performance during Annual Day, for a change. They never fail to impress us with their dedication to their performances and their talent in music and dance. This time, there was a Malay Joget performance, a song rendered by the lecturers, and a Chinese sleeve dance (Rachel will be proud seeing it :) )

The buffet that followed the events was as good as always. A glutton such as me couldn't have enjoyed better. A four or five course dinner (I can't remember) followed by cake and ice cream for dessert :D The dinner ended the night. But the activities were not yet over when we BDS are concerned. Spent the rest of the night taking pictures with our lecturers and batchmates. Many thanks to our enthusiastic photographers Zheng Tao and Ken (ours mostly by Ken :) ) for the great moments captured through your lens! 

So that's about it. It's time to let the pictures speak :)

  With Dr. Arun and Dr. Bharath

With Dr. Arunima and Dr. Runki

With Dr. Swathi and family

With Dr.Ghanesh

Of us:

Signing off here. :)

 

Photo credits to: Ken & Zheng Tao

10,9,8,7,....

Yup, counting down the days to University Exams now. 10 more days left. Its too late to regret wasting time, too late to regret not doing constant revision all this while. But even if I manage to turn back time, it'll still be the same. I'd still leave everything till last minute. Haha. Some habits just die hard.

Been waking up late in the morning, chilling with coffee in the afternoon while studying, and Skype-ing with Mark at night. Deep down I know this way of spending my study break isn't right, and I'm bound to regret. But I actually feel much happier this way. The Cheryl in first year was a wreck.. studying with a tensed up mind, didn't leave her books, from twilight to wee hours of the night, crying because of stress. I really can't bear to look back and remind myself of the nightmare I went through. I just cannot bring myself to care for good results anymore. I know that I can clear this examination, that's good enough for me. Also grateful to the one who has been with me throughout all the ups and downs, each and every test, egging me on whenever I felt like giving up. Thank you Kheng Jung.

Come what may, I'll face it with a more relaxed and open mind compared to last year. :)

22.5.2013

Second year of BDS is coming to an end. Vino was right, second year really passes without you knowing it. Finally we are experiencing the mixed feelings that our seniors once felt when the day
of return is near.

Practical-wise, no backlogs for now. Hope I can keep it up and finish on time. Prostho viva is over, Denture processing and Class III teeth arrangement are still going on. But I’ll finish on time before competency test next week, all thanks to Gabriel who let me complete my Occlusal rims and articulation at his place.


Theory-wise, everything is fine as well. Just that I have to buck up and get serious about Block IV and final exam preparation. Filled up the university examination application form and soon enough we will be asked to pay the fees. Haha. $$

Have to start getting instruments and textbooks soon as well. $$ again. Praying hard that everything will go smoothly without much worries. :/ 

Just tidied up my locker in the Faculty today and packed away my Conservative instruments under my bed. Felt a bit sad when I threw away the impressions, failed acrylic denture bases, special trays and all those stuff we did in our first year. Well, it’s time to move on. :) More things to be worked on in the future. 

Guess that’s all for the time being. :)  该收拾心情开始准备考试了！

One of my favourites from ReMag :)

Prose: Stones

by cycycy on Apr 1, 2013

 

1. Stones

The search for our other halves is like looking for a special, marked stone in a great pit full ordinary stones. There is always the chore of overturning every single stone until you found the one. Sometimes, you come across it easily. Sometimes, you come across some with stains, which you may mistake as the one you are in search of.  You may miss it. You may even spend a lifetime searching with no avail.

With faith, I plunged my hand into the pit. Yes. And there you were. The marking on the stone was so clear that it seemed to be shouting at me. I did not search, it came to me.

2. Diamond

I lived as an ordinary stone until the day I met you. I never knew what was within me. I never knew I could be set apart. Yet, you helped me discover who I really was. A diamond sitting on the hand of her true love, I shone with such brilliance, reflecting your love, the light upon my heart.

3. Gems

Playfully, I reached out to give your face a gentle stroke. You grabbed my outstretched hand, and laid on it a handful of jewels, their beauty momentarily blinding me. That was just how our love at that instant was. Seemingly perfect; beautiful beyond words; taking our breaths away. The amazingness brought out by the reflection of your heart in mine, and mine in yours.

Image taken from here.

Cheryl Ting Cher Yuke, a.k.a Cheryl Plankton takes joy in reading novels, English and Mandarin likewise. Currently working hard on finding a cure for her writer’s block.

One of the best dinners so far in Manipal!

There was a fundraiser in Valley View last Saturday, and few of us~ Wei Chi, both Christophers, Amanda and I went for it. Joel and PeiYin turned up later. To my understanding, it was to raise funds for the voluntary dental work in Ladakh by MCODS students.

The Project Amchi was aimed at educating and increasing the skills of local healthcare providers, allowing them to provide basic dental care in Ladakh. Source: The Hindu Times.

The tickets to the dinner cost us Rs.150, with a Rs.50 cashback on the final bill. When we looked at the menu, there was not much variety. Only two choices each for each course. In the end we ordered one main course each, and we also shared out the soup, starters, desserts and beverages.The dishes weren't cheap.

Seated at Table 3 :)

Non-veg and Veg Starters 

 

 Main Course: Jerk Chicken

 Dessert

We realised that the food were so good that we did not regret spending so much for a meal. Every single dish was superb. But probably not the drink that the guys ordered. Kala kutta or something like that. Tasted like cough medicine. >< The Virgin Mint Mojito we ordered tasted much much nicer. Overall, most of the dishes were to die for. My favourite was the Jerk Chicken (yummy peppery chicken breast) and the brownie. Yum yum yum.. 

Glad that we dressed up to suit the event as everyone there was so well-dressed. It was a proper fine dining occasion. :) Had to observe proper dining etiquette lol. Got to enjoy the food and staring at our good-looking hosts. Wow, forgot to mention that the girls from Mcods had great figures. We couldn't stop staring. 

Chris was quite annoying that night, V-logging non-stop with his newly acquired smartphone >< Kept talking to the camera commenting about everything he saw and ate lol. We couldn't accept the fact that he asked Siew Chai to capture the footage of him eating a brownie the fastest he can. Please larh, food are meant to be enjoyed, not gobbled down for the sake of a challenge. R.I.P brownie. 

Enjoyed our dinner a lot, and enjoyed camwhoring during and after the dinner too. Managed to get a couple of pictures with our hosts :)  

Lastly, a GIF of those random moments throughout the night :)

Photo credits to: Wei Chi, Chris JY and I!

28.3.2013

我 。。。

时而放空，

时而肆无忌惮，

时而寂寞孤单，

时而流泪放纵。

：）

Cons cons cons cons cons :D

Sometimes I enjoy Preclinical Conservative Dentistry practicals, but sometimes I dread their arrival. My work used to be fast in Block 2 when we were still practicing cavity preparation and restorations on extracted teeth. I used to pack up and leave the class with lots of time for a good nap before afternoon classes. I didn't have any backlogs then. But when we started working on Phantom heads, my work began to lag, my cavities became so bad. I was so stressed.

My 46 Class I and II cavity preparations were horrible, but my work gradually improved until Dr.Jaya said that they were neat. And then we began to work on the maxillary arch. I had problems with indirect vision. I still have. My 26 Class I Distal and Mesial Pit were not bad, but when we started to do 26 MO, I spoiled my tooth because I wasn't able to visualize properly. I had to get a new typhodont tooth and start all over again. Repeating Mesial and Distal Class I again. Lol. (And the tooth wasn't cheap. Sobs.) But I was glad that I had more chance to practice. Realised that my work was few times faster compared to the first time. So with the entire 26 - Mesial and Distal Class I, MO, Palatal extension, Base and Varnish, restoration... It made me lag behind. Haunted me for a couple of weeks.

Something went wrong with the amalgamator today, and it was taken away for repair. So we had half an hour to do our backlogs. I completed my 26 mesial base and distal palatal extension yay!!

Now I enjoy doing Amalgam restorations very much. Haha. Learnt the right way to carve, but still unsure whether I have condensed properly or not. Kinda worried that I will under-condense in real patients next time. Hmm. And hope my restorations won't be very bad in maxillary teeth. I also need to work on increasing speed of Matrix placement. Lots to learn and looking forward to learning. :)

 My first Amalgam restoration :)

We will be having Competency test for Cons this block. I know I have problems with Class II cavities. Praying hard that it will turn out fine :) Last block's Prostho, God blessed me with a pass when I had no confidence at all with my teeth arrangement in the test. I have faith that He will be there for me this time as well :)

There are a few more pictures that I took in the lab. Will upload them next time :)

BDS Dental Camp '13

I thought we will be able to have a look at Manipal U's mobile dental clinic, but it turned out that they had other plans for us. The Dental faculty planned a visit to Hebri Village instead, providing us some exposure to community medicine and dentistry.

The mention of a Dental Camp sounded exciting, but it is actually a 3 hour rural visit to give us an insight at the healthcare system in places where facilities are limited. So 35 of us from Batch A set off on one fine Thursday in a bus, under the care of Dr.Arul. He is always the one who brings us on visits and stuff.

On the way to the Community health centre, we passed by a group of blacksmiths working metal into wrought metal. It was something new to us, and we stopped to stare and take pictures. Dr. Arul took the chance and told us that what they were doing was cold working. Haha.

 Cold working. Lol.

We had a look and were briefed at the immunization center, dental clinic, wards, pharmacy, and counseling center. Learn quite about the organisation of healthcare and stuff. Saw an autoclave too. Didn't expect it to be so small. D: Saw how vaccines were stored and transported. Also had a look at a child getting immunization injection. The way she cried shook us. ><

 Health Center

After we were done with the medical centre, we proceeded to visit the dental center. It was very small, with 5 dental chairs. Had a look at a couple of procedures. There was an old man getting an extraction. He was obviously in pain. We could see tears in his eyes, but the dentist didn't stop until the old man finally raised his hand in agony to stop him. Then only the dentist re-administered LA for him. Saw a child getting a GIC restoration. Didn't get to observe what the dentist did, but at least we see what the steps were. It was fast. But they said the assistant didn't follow the P:L ratio, manipulation and stuff. He just mixed the two together. Lol. There were 2 other extractions, and we got to see LA administration up close. Seems like we have to revisit Anatomy after second year. Totally forgot about the trigeminal nerve branches. Lol.

 The pretty lady dentist giving LA

Restorative procedure ongoing

After that, it was back to reality and we were shipped back to Manipal, having enough time for lunch before having to attend afternoon classes. So sad. We will be so grateful if they gave us an afternoon off.

 Little calf that we saw

 Qiqi showing off her prawn salad. Lol.

 Nicholas & Chu brought cup noodles along. Pro much.

Overall, it was a fun trip I would say. At least we learned stuff that will be useful to us in future. Or else we wouldn't know anything beyond lecture halls, books and well-equipped dental clinics that we go to back in Malaysia. Yay :)

Rants. DO NOT READ.

It's a holiday! Some Karnataka General Election thingy. Heard from Peggy that it's also Sisters Day today. And coincidentally we sisters had breakfast together this morning.

The second week of Block 3 is coming to an end. It hasn't been a good start. I have no idea why there are so many obstacles and accidents and carelessness. Never really had a day of peace.

*Don't read further if you don't wanna be bothered by rants and complains.

Hello amigos me now in holly-mood

I know I'm supposed to be in Malaysia for Chinese New Year. I'm tired of answering the question to why I'm staying here. Its been asked 50 times at least? I guess every person has their own problems. I know I'll be much comfortable staying here, so why shouldn't I? I know its quite a selfish decision, but still... I still don't want to risk ruining yet another holiday.

So, been spending myself sleeping, eating, watching dramas and movies, reading novels, jogging, and chilling. People tease that I am secretly preparing for Block 3. But LOL. In a way, maybe yes. But definitely not by studying. By resting. Haha. But I have been resting so much that I feel like a pig. Studied my head off during the first  two blocks in second year. Now its holiday I can't bear to trouble myself with studies. I won't be able to study anyway, this last-minute person can't do without her last minute adrenaline rush.

Forgot keep track of the movies I watched, cos I delete them to clear my hard disk drive after watching them. To name a few, New Year's Eve, The sorcerer's apprentice, The social network, 大喜事, Brave, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium... Watched korean drama 49 Days, and in the process of finishing 18禁不禁.

Books-wise, finished Life of Pi, couldn't finish The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and just started on Between a Rock and a Hard Place. The latter is not yet a page turner so far. But his command is quite amazing. Hope I can carry on finishing it. Haha. :/

Still got loads of novels and movies and dramas to watch. Not to mention lots of rice to cook. Everyone dumped their remaining rice on me cos I'm not going back. Haha. Not to complain, but I'm certain that I will not be able to finish the rice before they get back XD

Hopefully I get the urge to blog again these few days. Hols are making me so lazyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Zzz. Okay nights! :D

11/1/2013

I know it is going to be 3am at your side. But it doesnt change the yearning I have to talk to you before sleep. To at least hear a goodnight from you. I need you.

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 :)