Quality weekend with my beloved!^^

Had an ever awesome weekend!

Although it only lasted 3 days but its the quality that counts:)

Simple morning hill-hiking with my parents, followed by a plate of Dried Curry Noodle as breakfast, spending time in the kitchen busy cooking with my mom, chatting with daddy in the living room while watching tv, gossiping with my bro & sis, going to the monastery to do dana and learning some dhamma...

What a beautiful weekend spent with my most beloved family!

Though the travelling part can be quite exhausting but its definitely worth it! 

Ps, just hope doctors can forgive me for "fishing" in their class today;)

Guess my homesickness has been cured

will concentrate on my study and looking forward the next trip home on CNY♥

Dearest daddy bought and saved these scrumptious durian for me to savour once I got back home...Ah~silky smooth sweet flesh with a tinge of bitter taste contrasted well with each other...

Who cares about the weight gain when its the King of the fruit's season???^^

And then, finally I got to make these traditional dessert for Winter Solstice Festival with my mummy and bro...Two flavours were made, red bean filling and another with chocolate filling specially for my sis...

Glutinous rice ball served with "Lai Kee" Soya milk, simply warm and divine

This time back home, sis and cousin are working as part time promoters, as a reward for their hardwork of standing whole day long, I prepared lunch boxes for them...

French Toast topped with honey, they said "yum!"

If you ask what's the most delicious food and what I missed the most when Im away from home, its definitely Mama's cooking!!!

I've always enjoyed staying in the kitchen and helping my mom to chop this and that, occasionally play with a few stirs in the wok. Call it miracle, I got some flu attack before I was home and mommy's Chicken Herbal Soup chased away the flu! I can even eat tonnes of durian without getting "heaty" and sick...hehe

Wow! Really, nothing beats my mommy's home-cook dishes...

Sweeeet surprise for my mommy & I, from GongCha!!! We were just planning to try out this newly opened Bubble Milk Tea stall, never thought that its actually free giveaway hours:D

Since I found some left-over sweet corns from Cameron Highland in the freezer...Decided to try out this Japanese inspired dish I learned from a cooking show:

~Sweet Corn Doughnut~

1. Prepare 150g of sweet corns, 150g of cake flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 50g of sugar. Mix well and add in 1 egg and some milk until a smooth, runny dough is formed. 
2. Scoop a spoonful of the dough into a well-heated oil and deep fry till golden brown in colour.

ps1: Do not add too much milk at a time! Try out your dough by frying one doughnut, then adjust the consistency of your dough by adding milk as needed.

Good reflection on Dooms day

Today was supposed to be the Dooms day as predicted by the Mayans! Although I never believe in this, but wouldn't it be a great day to reflect on how fortunate we are, just to be able to stay alive? Im practicing this everyday, whenever I wake up in the morning, The very first thing that I do is to notice my breathing. Yeah! Im breathing in and out, Im still alive. So Im gonna make myself a better person and a wholesome mind compared to yesterday. And this motivates me to live a better day:)

☂☂☂

Seems like our friend, Mr Monsoon is officially paying us a visit and decided to stay with us for a few weeks from now! Showering is such a torture nowadays as the water is freezing cold! And this cold weather is making me constantly sleepy, losing all my mindfulness lol

Luckily my study button was turned on today. This is me, when I feel like it, I really enjoy studying, reading books, learning interesting facts and using my super colourful series of pen to create my own handwritten notes. And yea, when I feel like it I can really do this for one whole day. Ah, relieved that Im on the way of preparation for end-posting exam next week. You know, when you have exam every 6 weeks, you'll tend to lose the anxiety and enthusiastic necessary to prepare for it. I actually found out that I have become less stressful than before even though Im in clinical year now. Maybe I've immuned, or I've develop better stress-coping strategy, or perhaps I've learnt to relax and let things go after understanding some dhamma. The latter helps the most I think:) Another thing is that Im a believer of "consistent effort reaps sweet fruits". Trust me, it works. But I do understand if my dear reader=you think that Im a nerdx) Yes, we're medical students and we need to read books, be nerdy and knowledgeable so that we can heal you;)

Today's Winter Solstice Festival too, and this will be my 5th year away from home during this traditional chinese celebration. Called mummy and she was making glutinous rice balls. Can't wait to go home! Can't wait to see my family! Counting down the days to fly back to my nest^^

French toast 

1. Beat 1 egg with 1 1/2 tablespoon of milk, mix well.
2. Coat a piece of bread evenly with the egg mixture and fry it with a teaspoon of melted butter until golden brown on both sides. Repeat with another piece of bread.
3. Spread some chunky peanut butter in between the toasts and top with a dollop of your favourite fruit jam.

A hearty breakfast to start my day in a freezing weather in Kelantan♥

ps1: I used wholemeal bread instead of white bread. Love the texture, and its definitely a healthier choice!

ps2: As an alternative, you can top it with a slab of butter and some honey, the way traditional French toast should be eaten. Either way its delicious^^

Not a secret anymore

The secret is:
Sometimes I can just be so pissed off by myself.
Im already 21 years old.
Yet, I can still be incredibly homesick.

Yes,
I yell like a baby girl whenever I call home.
I miss my daddy mummy like hell.

The great thing is:
Life's trying to teach me some lesson,
by always throwing me into far away land to study.

The sad thing is:
After all these years it seems like
I've still not learnt the way to give up my attachment.

Trust me,
After learning some dhamma,
Im trying, in fact, really hard to stop this negative emotion from arising.
And yea, Im still striving.

Simply frustrated with my baby girl nature:(

Indeed.
Being born into this world is suffering.
Getting old is suffering.
Being sick is suffering.
Death is suffering.

Lets strive to get out from the whole cycle of Samsara:)

But before that, I just NEEEED to go home next weekend. It will be my end-posting and coincidentally a long weekend! Been struggling with my thoughts for a few days, caught into the dilemma of whether to go home or not. Finally made my decision. Listened to my heart and she told me that its a good choice. If not, my mind will be so restless till CNY holiday comes. I won't be able to study in peace.

Nownownow~I can finally rest my mind, and get my battery charged for studying tomorrow! End posting exam for Ophthalmology posting is just around the corner. Its a relaxing and fun posting. Those specialists and doctors are so helpful and willing to teach! And as usual, good times always slip much faster than the bad times. Well, I just hope that Im not being excessively relaxed, Im gearing up myself to learn, learn, learn! I'd better stop my long-winded story and go to bed with a peaceful heart relieved by the thought of able to go home soon...

Night!

Peeps...

Eyes are so beautiful

Ophthalmology posting is fun:D

Simply because...

1. We got our own pupil dilated on the very first day of posting! And we learned how to use a direct ophthalmoscope to examine the fundus(the region at the back of your eyes). Such great satisfaction when we managed to see the real optic disc, optic cup and all the retinal vessels! They're just too fascinating and beautiful to see! It's not an easy job indeed, you're taking risks of "kissing" your patient you know:P
2. No ward rounds for 3 weeks in Ophthalmology posting! All we have to attend is clinic, procedure room with all high-tech machines and OT.
3. Finally, I can leave my room later than 8am every morning because the earliest clinic or classes will start at 8.30am. Ps, though Im an early bird, I still enjoy the morning lingering in my room hehe

Finally, after the two nerve-wreckingly busy posting, I've got my turn to unwind, relax and slow down my pace, just for a little short period before another major one >> Medical posting starts. Yes, it's indeed fun using the funduscope but it can be quite boring if you spend your whole life looking at THE EYES everyday! Many of my friends started to develop interest in pursuing this specialty because of the stree-free atmosphere and relatively shorter working hours compared to others super-duper busy specialty like O&G, General Surgery and Orthopaedic. 

"The only certainty is uncertain." said Ajahn Brahm.

Although I seems to be giving comments about every posting I went through, some are positive while some are negative. But who knows what will happen in the future? We can always plan, but things usually won't turn out exactly the same as we wished or planned. Perhaps, I might graduate from medical school and open a food stall at Pasar Malam! 

Haha! Just kidding lar~ 

I love medicine:)

Garlic-sauteed mushroom with broccoli

1. Thinly slice up 1 clove of garlic. Heat up some butter and saute the garlic till fragrance.
2. Add in thinly sliced fresh shitake mushroom, stir-fry until it's almost cooked through.
3. Add in small florets of broccoli and stir-fry together with the garlic and mushroom. Add some water if necessary to ensure even cooking. Season with some salt and italian mixed herbs.
4. When the broccoli is fully cooked, turn off the heat and add in half slice of cheese. Mix everything together evenly.
5. Enjoy your nutritious vege dish!^^

You might think that Im crazy, but I can just eat one large bowl of this broccoli as my main meal! Yum~

Chilling Oatmeal with Soya milk

try this at your own risk^^

I bought the SoyRich(No sugar added) soya bean drink and found it not so tasty to drink. So I end up thinking of ways to get rid of it without drinking it just like that. Below is my discovery:

Chilling & Refreshing
Healthy Oats with Soya milk

1. Combine 6tsp of Quick-cook/Instant Oatmeals with half glass of SoyRich (No sugar added) Soya milk.
2. Let it soak and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
3. Take it out from the fridge and you've got a healthy, chilling and fulling breakfast!

ps1: You can adjust the consistency of the drink freely according to your preference. If you prefer a lighter drink, reduce the amount of oats and soak in more soya milk. But if you prefer a thicker and more filling drink, add more oats!

I like the chewiness of the oats, and this drink is the best when it's served chill! The soya milk flavour is rich with a tinge of saltiness compliments well with the oats. BUT! When I recommend this to my mum, her respond was like:"Urgghhh~" WITHOUT EVEN GIVING IT A TRY!!! Her explanation was because Im here without any good choices of food, I may regard any edible food as Tasty wor~

Anyway, if you have enough guts, do give it a try, and let me know whether you like it as I do:)

Shell pasta with tuna

Nothing beats a relaxing weekend

with a sunny morning jog

followed by a home-cooked pasta=)

1. Prepare your ingredients: half broccoli, one can of Ayam Brand's tuna flakes with chilli and olive oil, some handful of shell pasta, a slice of cheese.
2. Cook the broccoli in a salted boiling water, drained.
3. With the same salted boiling water, cook the shell pasta till al-dente.
4. Open the canned tuna and slightly mash the tuna flakes, season with some Italian mixed herbs.
5. Mix the broccoli, tuna, cheese and pasta in a bowl...and voilà!!!

~the perfect lunch on a relaxing weekend~

ps1: I actually pour away some of the olive oil as I don't like my food to be too oily.

ps2: Make sure you mix in the cheese while your pasta is still warm so that they will melt beautifully.

ps3: The good thing about shell pasta is that: the sauce/cheese/tuna will get hidden within the shell and keep the pasta so juicy to bite!^^

ABC Soup with barley and salmon

Well, I've been urged by someone to post my recipes along with my cookings.

Firstly, I didn't dare to do so because Im just a newbie in the kitchen and don't think that Im qualified to do online recipe sharing. Secondly, most people won't believe me that some of the food I cooked really did not taste as good as it looked in the picture I posted here, credited to the advancement of photo-editing technology.

But now I've decided to share some of my cooking experience with my dear friends! Not because Im already confident enough in cooking, it's just the thought of sharing my interest in cooking. I promise that I'll only post those recipes which I think is edible, but due to difference in individual preferences, I hereby declare that Im not responsible of anything in case you cook something inedible following my recipes ya=P

So, my rule in the kitchen is that there's no rule! I follow online recipe blogs, use their recipes but I ALWAYS cut down on this and that, while adding a bit of this and that. I just love experimenting by changing the recipes and see how they'll turn out to be. So, please forgive for my over-creativenessXD

Here comes my first recipe:

ABC Soup with a twist of Barley and Salmon

1. Prepare your ingredients: 1 carrot, 2 red onions, 1 big potato, 1 big tomato, a handful of dried scallops, some cracked black pepper corns, about 1/4 cup of pearl barley and a slice of salmon. 
2. Chop the veges into small chunks.
3. Just dump all ingredients except the salmon into your cooking pot(my only possession is a rice cooker), pour in 2 big bowls of water, then cook in low fire(I used the porridge cooking mode in my rice cooker) till all the veges and barley become soft.
4. Next, add in the piece of salmon and cook in higher temperature for about half an hour. Add in a pinch of salt acc to your preference.
5. You can enjoy your soup once the salmon is fully cooked.

Ps1: The longer time you let your soup simmer in low fire, the sweeter your soup will turn out! Salmon really gives a very sweet favour to the soup. I was initially worried that the soup might taste too "fishy", that's why I added more black pepper corns.

Ps2: I've never seen people cook soup with pearl barley before, especially in this kinda savoury soup. But because I didn't cook rice so I just thought of adding some barley just to fill up my stomach. Guess what, I really love the chewy texture of the barley and they somehow made the soup a lil bit thicker. And no worry, your soup won't taste like barley=P

Ps3: Salmon is really your brain food! It provides you with a very good source of Omega 3. The oil on the surface actually comes from the salmon itself and its good for your brain=)

The mind of a doctor

Yay!!! It's end posting of Orthopaedic...F.I.N.A.L.L.Y!!!

Honestly speaking, and so sorry to tell you the truth that:
Orthopaedic is indeed, not my cup of tea nor my piece of cake=P

I don't wanna complain too much as it's already the Past.
But I just can't wait for it to end soon,
provided if my friends and I all passed the exam smoothly:)

So! Being feathery light-weighted since my exam ended this morning, I came across this super-beneficial article for everyone who's interested in the Dhamma and currently pursuing or working in the medical profession. 

Do refer to the tab above: "Dhamma in medical/nursing profession"

If you're like me, sometimes doubt may arise that whether I'm creating more harm to the sick while treating them. At times, when I observe my own mind, I might found myself to be more emotionless towards my patient. BUT! In fact, it wasn't so... It's just the matter of us already getting used to it, if you can understand what I mean. For eg, today I might encounter an old lady that got her leg amputated, but the next day I see a happily-married-with-a-newborn-baby young guy that was just being diagnosed a late stage kidney cancer which has already spread to his thigh. See, can you imagine if we immerse ourselves with different kinds of emotions for every single patient, we ourselves might be the one who got sick in the end, Psychiatric sickness! 

In the end, I struggled and it took me awhile to realise that it's OK to not always feel sad for my patients, as long as I don't have any ill will and try my best to take care of them, and most importantly to do no harm! "Primum non nocere" is one of the principle being reminded again and again by our great Orthopaedic specialist here. Another wise advice from him: to become a great doctor, being Brilliant isn't enough, you also need Commitment and Sincerity. This is so true, sometimes, our mind maybe too occupied with all the brilliant ideas that can prove that we're Right, but we neglected our commitment and sincerity to care for our patient's health.

Clinical year, to me is not just about learning how to apply what we have learnt and practice our clinical skills on our patients. It's also a period for us to discover our inner-self, the mind and the emotion that we should acquire when we face and treat our patients. Through observation, we've seen good drs who really care for their patients and the minority that only care for their own stomach. Whenever I see drs who are willing to listen and explain to patient's problem with compassion and kindness, I feel so touched and inspired. And it makes me feel like...

Yea, I may not be the most brilliant person on Earth, 
I may not be the most knowledgable dr, 
but I do hope that I can become a good dr that truly cares. 

My treatment may not be the most advanced and perfect one, 
but I hope that I can provide the best option available
and give my patients as much comfort as possible. 

I maybe thinking abit too much ahead,

but it's about time to set our mind right,

and learn to be comfortable with 

what we're going to practice in less than 2 years time.