The End !!!!

Never!!! It's only the beginning:).I know this is where we're suppose to make resolutions we never keep,so i'l make it short and be thankful i lived another year,cause life's way too short

• It was a fantastic year that it ended so fast
• Next year will be even better,more to learn,places to see,more adventure :P
• I'm grateful for the things i have and the people(friends and family) who love me
• Random things happen all the time - never thought i would spend new year's out of sibu and here i am in Mukah :)

Learning to be happy starts from within ,Shall leave this post with a camwhore moment

Cheers - Happy New Year 2011

Relieving Mukah ( Speed boat experience from Sibu Wharf to supposedly Dalat)

-You will find out why supposedly Dalat in a short while-

 Was told to go relieving this time to Mukah .It's quite a big district about3hrs drive from Sibu.As usual as in most places in Sarawak the road is horrible,been there before and although it's tempting to have my own car here since i'l be there for a week.Decided that i'l just take the speed boat to a nearby town called Dalat then get the hospital to come pick me.Heard that it was a much better way to travel,and of course i always like an adventure:)

So headed to the Sibu Wharf,all jam packed coz it was christmas eve.Especially the express to Kapit,u see lots of chickens,kitten's in steel cages(don't ask me why) squeeling children,annoyed,irritated and sweaty parents "Aggh the joys of parenthood,grins slyly" 

I know the wharf to dalat is on the other side,wasnt very sure how the speedboat looks like.Saw lots of people waiting but i didnt see any boat.So i asked this seemingly nice old lady

"Makcik sini kah tempat ambil boat ke dalat"

Wah she actually snubbed me "Mana saya tahu,carilah"

Whoa was thinking very rarely people around here are that rude,but maybe she just had a bad day.Finally got my answer from another lady who was really in distress
"Ya sini,patut ada banyak boat tapi si banyak sekarang,aduh tak tau la"

So i waited under the hot sun,pretending to be one of the locals,well sadly of course i dont look like one
"Can here people whispering,Nama hal thamby tu situk" (translation why is this indian here)


That's why here i refer to myself as "thamby putih"coz people here know thamby as indians and since i'm fair it fits the description,not much confusion as to if i'm a singh or from india or chindian

Back about the boat,was silently cursing myself why didn't i just take the bus.Met this very nice chinese family husband,wife and daughter who's around my age.I shall write specifically about this interesting girl and the conversation i had in another post.

So happy i made friends and thet're local thought will just stick with them,haha.Finally the boat came after an hour plus waiting.Bags on the top and we sit inside.Ermm as usual i was late so i had to sit on the isle on tiny kindergarden chairs,praying i would not fall since i'm known to be such a klutz.

Wah the ride was nice,and bumpy,just like going on the boat in the sea.Never underestimate the mighty rejang.Not long after it started raining so heavily,luckily the girl i met donated her umbrella to those sitting at the edge.

Hmm as i sat enjoying the ride,looking around i see all this people who do this everyday not just occasionally like me.Thank god at least there are life jackets.You'l pass by so many fishing villages along the way.They're carefree life is nice to watch.The boatman is so skillfull,going at that speed avoiding all this huge barges and logs,scary.


Ooo forgot to mention an important thing,guess who was sitting across me,that rude lady who refuse to tell me about the boat to dalat.I very cheekily kept staring at her the whole way,haha she actually looked so uncomfortable.

Ya so we didnt actually reach dalat,the boat stopped at this place called Kampung Kut as the water levels were to low to procede on.Thank god my new found friends said they'd give me a lift to dalat where the driver from the hospital would be waiting

Kg Kut where we got stranded

 Van's to take us to dalat

So finally arrived at Dalat,the driver was getting worried i hadnt showed up yet.He seemed quite relieved to see me.Haha the white indian made it after all :P

The Step Forward..........

Coming back into the paediatric department after 2and 1/2 years as an MO is like i'm coming back home again,all new/different/tons to read up on,but it's different.Something me ex boss said, when you do something your passionate about it's almost like falling in love again.Ahhh how true.I guess i definately love babies more than i love adults:)

Come a long way since me 1st houseman posting in paediatric 2years ago......

MERCY Malaysia - Sarawak Chapter (Medical mission to Long Luar,Belaga)

One word AMAZING.This mission fulfilled what i had always wanted to do since coming  to sarawak,not just working in the hospital

1.Serve the people who are really in need,at the most unreachable areas
2.A 4wheel drive adventure
3.Creating awareness in any little way we can


MERCY Malaysia is a non-profit organization further details go to
http://www.mercy.org.my/

So anyway the whole team of 4 wheel drives was heading down from miri,one car had to detour to pick me up from bintulu airport.Honestly i was quite nervous,although i love adventure,when the lady in charge told me not to expect anything,of course i wasnt but i couldn help thinking of wht i had to bring hmmmm

"Sleeping bag - check , torchlight - check,fishing rod (ermm seriously u want me to fish)"
Sadly i am after all a subang girl :)

So anyway met this 4 great volunteers from miri 2 doctors,1 nurse and our driver  - We headed on to Sg Asap a 2 hours drive from the airport where we were suppose to meet the rest of them

 What might be our last meal for the next 3days

Part of the entourage

Part of the organisers eating in Sungai Asap

From Sg Asap drove another 40 mins towards the area to our destination

Pit stop before our gruelling 4hour journey.At was 4pm when we left this place towards the long luar area

The nature call stops 2hours midway

One of the many penan villages on our way,needed to stop and promote/ask them to attend the mobile clinic the following day

Finally we arrive at Long Luar at 8pm,trust me no electricity,no water,only generator is at the tuai rumah's house

Busy uploading things for the mobile clinic the following day

The people

After all the uploading we had to head another 20mins to the place we were suppose to stay.All in suspense coz the organizers told us not to expect much.Few volunteers left earlier to start preparing for dinner.By  this time most of us were really exhausted after almost 10hours on the road,plus the clinics the next day

Absolutely lovely meals throughout the trips - we were never left hungry

 Yay so happy to see where we were staying - Camp Samling ,a bit of a squeeze with 20plus people per house but who cares at least we had a roof over our heads

All bright and cheerful to start of day long clinics

The prgramme's for the day was the mobile clinic,activities for the children,and risk reduction in case of fire

Medical @ GP's

Eye check-up

 Dentist - Very good business :)

 The very dedicated pharmacist explaining and re-explaining - cause most of the times the parents cannot be found

 Dietician's checking the BMI,nutrition and health counselling

An excellent Pap smear screening

Risk reduction in case of fire all the pails were filled with sand by the volunteers,because the penan people do not know how to use a fire extinguisher.Hopefully the education helped

So we ran clinics from 8-1 then lunch break resume from 2-5 .The turnout was good,some came from nearby longhouses(near meaning an hour long boat ride:)Overall it was great.Saw almost 300people.

Group picture - Great job everyone:)

Final BBQ and de-briefing session

Overall it should be commended that everyone put in so much of time,effort and mostly volunteering to do something.Actually the Long Luar plight started because their long house was destroyed in a fire and hence the risk reduction in case a fire were to happen was advised.These people still cook with firewood,have no proper running water,even no school for the children.Someone comes in 3times a week to teach these kids,but is it really enough(I think we can all answer it for ourselves)

The number of children you see there will really surprise you,u think and see what happens when these kids grow up,will they follow their parents footsteps and still live like a nomad,would they ever learn about internet,I-phone???

That's why it is so commendable that an organization which is the Rotary Club of Victoria Singapore is going to adopt them for further continuity of efforts to revive not just the folks here but also those from the nearby areas.Thank you MERCY sarawak for rercruting me for being apart of this wonderful mission and UMW the main sponsors for making it happen as well,may there be more in the future.A shoutout too to all those volunteers,the organisers who all did their part making all this happen,things like this only work out greatly when there is teamwork and a lot of passion,cheers:)

Miracles,A little faith and a lot of luck :)

Today was a very melancholic moment ,  Finally after 2years of housemanship , 6months as an mo in anes i'm finally going to paeds.Call me lame but i cannot control how excited i am,haha that's why i'm awake at this very moment and full of energy( it could be because my sleep pattern has been altered from of the ICU calls as well:))

After months of uncertainties,doing lots and lots of calls in anes,learning as fast as possible,people telling me eh now that your in anes sure you won't want to do paeds one/sure get stuck here.Thank god i stuck to my principal and my passion.I mean i really enjoyed the experience and working in anes,i shall be forever grateful for it,but it's not my passion.I've wanted to do paediatrics since in med school.I mean why would i change what i want to do just because situation calls for us to do something else first.It all goes to show if you want something really badly,really stick to the thought,focus on it and just be patient,regardless the months or the years,it will happen.People just generally give up so easily i realise,not just in work in other life aspects as well,it's so sad .

I agree that most of the time it's difficult for us to get what we want and sometimes we compromise,but just make sure we're happy with our choices and don't be jelous when other's get what we don't .That would still make us a bitter person.

It's only a stepping stone,but i'm so glad it happened,i'm still trying to find ways to stay happy and make a difference in life,in small ways of course.Which ever department i've been too,the joy of seeing people get cured or go home happy is terribly rewarding,and yes i admit i'm an adrenaline junkie :P.People ask me why paeds and not adults,well it's because they get well so much faster and they're an absolute challenge to work with:)

I keep reminding myself here along the way incase i forget,the reason i became a doctor was to help and teach others,trying to do least harm as possible,along the way learning as well,may I never forget that even when the going gets tough:)