Hey there. I know it's kinda cliche` to post up all this year-end summary and end the post with resolutions, but 2007 has been kind to me. Could I have done any better this year? Of course. Did I make mistakes? Less than I should have. Did I fulfill my resolutions? Heck no! Well, on my defence, I've somewhat decided to make goals/resolutions to follow according to my birthdays. So, on that note then yeah, I did quite a bit.
Why is 2007 special? Coz the 'ups' are really, really 'ups'. The awesome things that 2007 unveiled for me (in no particular order) :
1. STARMAKER bootcamp. The time of my life.
2. Performing. My role as NAFSU in the College 8 Drama for Festival Seni UM, and I sang solo in public for the first time at The Attic.
3. I got a new car. Chevrolet Optra5.
4. Baby J!!!!
5. Went for 2 spa trips. 1 with Dad in Redang, 1 with Mum in Jerejak.
6. Got my picture & 'quote' in Harian Metro, regarding the bootcamp. Hey, not everybody gets a chance!
7. Mum signed me up to the gym, Fitness First. Though I haven't been there in a while.... :-P
8. THE most AWESOME snokelling experience in Redang. Worth the vertigo afterwards.
9. New cousin, Muhammad Irfan!!! He's so adorable.
10. I got to watch a lot of great theatre shows. P.Ramlee (twice!), Madu Dua, 4.48 Psychosis, Tunku (twice!), Menopause, Harith Iskandar's stand-up comedy...just to name a few
That's the 10 that I can think of at the moment. I'm sure there's a lot more.
On the down side? Well, family is family. Its the same damn thing every time. Fights with my mum are too many to mention, my increasing annoyance toward dad+stepmum is too boring to talk about. The events that really rocked my boat were the humiliating public emo lecture by MJ on Hari Raya (just because I forgot to call her back!), and my sister's hyperventilation episode. Truth is, my family is a bigger burden on me than I thought. Other 'downs' include having to shut a few people out of my life, my growing restlessness & imprisonement in Medicine, and the overwhelming sense of loneliness within a crowd, not knowing where I belong. Plus, finding out that Min, my cat is sick and may pass away from renal failure. She's been with me for 14 years, and I'm only 21! How many of you have friends as long as that?
So. Resolutions?
1. Shave my head bald
2. Try not to kill self
3. Figure myself out, pull myself together
4. Enrol in at least 1 acting/dance workshop a year
5. Embrace & succumb to Medicine. Or drugs. Whichever comes first.
Turning 20 last year was like My Rebirth. I was just realizing that I've been on auto-pilot since my parents' divorced when I was 16. Too consumed n absorbed in everything that even my good times are tainted. Anything before that seemed fuzzy; with exceptions. If you read my post, '20' you'll understand and see that I've pretty much done what I said I'd try. Turning 21, and having experience the bootcamp; I haven't felt that alive in a long time. It was very refreshing. It was An Awakening. I rediscovered quite a few things about myself and also coming to terms with some rather...'unsavoury' facts about what I've become. Next year, I turn 22, and I want to call it My Liberation. So there may be some weird stuff going on, but lets just hope that by the end of it I'll be comfortable in my own skin. After all, you only live once. I don't want to look back one day and suddenly realize I'm missing so much, regretting my youth, trapped in my square, predictable, mundane life.
That's all folks. Be sure to tune in next time. Happy Holidays and have a Fantastic New Year.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Homecoming
I'm back in Penang today, taking an unauthorized break from Klang. Its been about 10 weeks since i last came home. I miss my family in Penang! At least i get to see my mum quite often, but the rest of them...
Since the last time i came back, one of them has come to pass....BUNNY. And i didnt even get to say goodbye. I didnt even know her very well. She was only 3 years old. My mum said Justin (Baby J's all grown up now) was so heartbroken. He was the one who found her, hopping in n out the planterbox to signal my mum that something was wrong. Bunny was already lifeless. When they buried her, Justin went on top of her, scratching her to wake her up. Once Bunny was buried, her went on top of the grave, not wanting to let go. A few days later, he disappeard and a neighbour returned him with a bleeding nose and a scratch under his eye. My mum said he reused any food : pellets, carrot, salad, even water. All he did was sit and stare at the spot where Bunny was buried. She took him to the vet, got antibiotics and some baby food to feed him with a syringe.
My mum couldn't bear looking at him like this, so she went and bought another rabbit (we actually wanted to wait a while, as respect to Bunny). The minute Justin saw her, his mood improved. He started eating. He was jumping around, cuddling to his new mate. Princess Fiona. She's tiny. Very shy, always hiding behind the washing machine or the pandan shrub. Before this she was too scared to even cross the drain.
Min is still the same. She's 14 years old, the mother of all the cats i have and had. So, like any elderly individual, she spends most of her time around the garden, staring into the distance. seems like she's thinking back on the life she's lived. she sleeps a lot, and knows to ask for food. Also, she doesn't mind her granddaughter(Flabu) and great-granddaughter(Brown) coming to play and cuddle. I've known Min longer than i've known most of my friends. Of course, there have been times I neglected Min. I regret it very much. When we were younger, she use to wake me up from bed and demand for cheese. I cant imagine not having her around.
Sunnyboy and Mrs. Sunnyboy, I'm not very close to them. He's mild mannered, and she's not very friendly. These are my ayams. They love it when my grandmother (Maktok F) comes. She has a way with chickens. Ironically she was born in the year of the Rooster. My fish...well, they're my dad's really but he's not in this house anymore. I'm the foster parent. There are too many to name, and i dont know them very well.
I forgot how therapeutic it is to write in my blog. Perhaps that would've help prevented my insanity streak in Klang. All that medical stuff is consuming me. That should be a good thing, right? Then why on earth am i dying to get out? Why do i cry after each class, or upon returning from the ward? What is making me feel so threatened that i refuse to go to class? How come I am so desperate for an alternate lifestyle, the place where my mind retreats for hours every time i lay in bed? When do i get to leave? Who do I turn to?
Its good to be home.
Since the last time i came back, one of them has come to pass....BUNNY. And i didnt even get to say goodbye. I didnt even know her very well. She was only 3 years old. My mum said Justin (Baby J's all grown up now) was so heartbroken. He was the one who found her, hopping in n out the planterbox to signal my mum that something was wrong. Bunny was already lifeless. When they buried her, Justin went on top of her, scratching her to wake her up. Once Bunny was buried, her went on top of the grave, not wanting to let go. A few days later, he disappeard and a neighbour returned him with a bleeding nose and a scratch under his eye. My mum said he reused any food : pellets, carrot, salad, even water. All he did was sit and stare at the spot where Bunny was buried. She took him to the vet, got antibiotics and some baby food to feed him with a syringe.
My mum couldn't bear looking at him like this, so she went and bought another rabbit (we actually wanted to wait a while, as respect to Bunny). The minute Justin saw her, his mood improved. He started eating. He was jumping around, cuddling to his new mate. Princess Fiona. She's tiny. Very shy, always hiding behind the washing machine or the pandan shrub. Before this she was too scared to even cross the drain.
Min is still the same. She's 14 years old, the mother of all the cats i have and had. So, like any elderly individual, she spends most of her time around the garden, staring into the distance. seems like she's thinking back on the life she's lived. she sleeps a lot, and knows to ask for food. Also, she doesn't mind her granddaughter(Flabu) and great-granddaughter(Brown) coming to play and cuddle. I've known Min longer than i've known most of my friends. Of course, there have been times I neglected Min. I regret it very much. When we were younger, she use to wake me up from bed and demand for cheese. I cant imagine not having her around.
Sunnyboy and Mrs. Sunnyboy, I'm not very close to them. He's mild mannered, and she's not very friendly. These are my ayams. They love it when my grandmother (Maktok F) comes. She has a way with chickens. Ironically she was born in the year of the Rooster. My fish...well, they're my dad's really but he's not in this house anymore. I'm the foster parent. There are too many to name, and i dont know them very well.
I forgot how therapeutic it is to write in my blog. Perhaps that would've help prevented my insanity streak in Klang. All that medical stuff is consuming me. That should be a good thing, right? Then why on earth am i dying to get out? Why do i cry after each class, or upon returning from the ward? What is making me feel so threatened that i refuse to go to class? How come I am so desperate for an alternate lifestyle, the place where my mind retreats for hours every time i lay in bed? When do i get to leave? Who do I turn to?
Its good to be home.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Student Doctor
Who would've thought that a change of 'title' can be so scary? from Medical Student to Student Doctor, and suddenly a big nutritious gulp of saliva and panting, gasping for air. This is really happening.
Klang. Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah. Level 6. Paediatrics. Shit. I'm not used to being around kids. Now i'm surrounded by kids. Sick kids. Sick, irritable kids. Sick, irritable, crying kids. Everyday. 8 to 5. I've been thrown to the deep end of clinical medicine.
On my first day, all of us in Paeds received our syllabus & timetable for the next 8 weeks. A timetable so full, there's no room for replacement classes in case anything comes up; marking the beginning my hyperventilation. Second day : you are expected to finish clerking your patient(s) by today. First thought : what the hell is clerking? well, i just improvised as the days went by. From haphazard attempts at history taking, to tagging along Housemen, to asking nurses to help interpret case files (fantastic handwriting & funky short forms). Eventually getting the hang of structuring the interviews, and shyly progressing to physical examination. Everybody I see seem to know more than me. During the 6 weeks in UM before Klang & the ward rounds during second year, we've never taken a complete history, let alone perform a physical exam. I hardly know what to do. Its been 3 weeks now, and i'm still trying to get a hang of it. Still incomplete n not systematic.
Professor Snape wasn't helping. saddistic. evil & saddistic. wicked, evil & saddistic. Malicious, wicked, evil & saddistic. His knowledge is nothing short of fantastic, but my gaseous aerosol knowledge don't serve me too good. I'd be lying if i said I haven't shed tears. Ha ha.
Every weekend I re-enter civilization; to return to the joys of air-conditioning, the internet, and the washing machine. That's it. Meeting up with friends or movies or just hanging out seems so far fetched. Prior engagements have to be made. I even get pissed at the sound of my handphone, ringing at the moment i lay my head to rest. Not like they ever say anything remotely useful most of the time. Wait no, thats not true. I like it when friends call. At least i know i'm not alone. Family, well, they tend to pick my most difficult times to create a crisis in which i have to act as glue no matter my distance (read : f4 MRSM, early PASUM). Fantastic.
The best thing that happened since Klang, was when I went for my family bbq at dad's. My sister & Lisya surprised me with a cake, chocolate indulgence to be exact. The message wrote : Happy Future Doctor-ing TATAK. I was honestly so touched that someone did something so nice....to anyone! My sis wanted more of my friends to come, as a surprise, because i was having a rough first week. But, friends being so-called as they are, always busy with God-knows-what....i dont even wanna think about it. They dont wanna be part of it then screw them.
But i cannot forget the feeling i had, the moment i exited the hospital compound, with my car stereo playing the PGLM soundtrack at volume 50...it was a "Dobby is free" moment; Leaving it all behind....who cares that i'm stuck in a jam. That night, i met up with Ili n Nizam, we had our Merdeka mamak-ing session at Pelita Bangsar, chatting till almost 4am. Timing was perfect, coz nothing beats seeing familiar faces after being deported to Land Before Time.
Expectations are high, and i am neck-deep in pending revisions. Physiology and Pathology, my two weakest (and most disliked) subjects in years past has now turned out to be THE backbone, THE heart & soul.
As i've always said, take things as they come. I'm just gonna go through with this whole 'medic' thing. Graduate, go through with my housemanship and then settle the 3-year government bonding. What happens after that, God knows. Hope i would've found my love for medicine, or the preachy desire to help people by then.
Klang. Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah. Level 6. Paediatrics. Shit. I'm not used to being around kids. Now i'm surrounded by kids. Sick kids. Sick, irritable kids. Sick, irritable, crying kids. Everyday. 8 to 5. I've been thrown to the deep end of clinical medicine.
On my first day, all of us in Paeds received our syllabus & timetable for the next 8 weeks. A timetable so full, there's no room for replacement classes in case anything comes up; marking the beginning my hyperventilation. Second day : you are expected to finish clerking your patient(s) by today. First thought : what the hell is clerking? well, i just improvised as the days went by. From haphazard attempts at history taking, to tagging along Housemen, to asking nurses to help interpret case files (fantastic handwriting & funky short forms). Eventually getting the hang of structuring the interviews, and shyly progressing to physical examination. Everybody I see seem to know more than me. During the 6 weeks in UM before Klang & the ward rounds during second year, we've never taken a complete history, let alone perform a physical exam. I hardly know what to do. Its been 3 weeks now, and i'm still trying to get a hang of it. Still incomplete n not systematic.
Professor Snape wasn't helping. saddistic. evil & saddistic. wicked, evil & saddistic. Malicious, wicked, evil & saddistic. His knowledge is nothing short of fantastic, but my gaseous aerosol knowledge don't serve me too good. I'd be lying if i said I haven't shed tears. Ha ha.
Every weekend I re-enter civilization; to return to the joys of air-conditioning, the internet, and the washing machine. That's it. Meeting up with friends or movies or just hanging out seems so far fetched. Prior engagements have to be made. I even get pissed at the sound of my handphone, ringing at the moment i lay my head to rest. Not like they ever say anything remotely useful most of the time. Wait no, thats not true. I like it when friends call. At least i know i'm not alone. Family, well, they tend to pick my most difficult times to create a crisis in which i have to act as glue no matter my distance (read : f4 MRSM, early PASUM). Fantastic.
The best thing that happened since Klang, was when I went for my family bbq at dad's. My sister & Lisya surprised me with a cake, chocolate indulgence to be exact. The message wrote : Happy Future Doctor-ing TATAK. I was honestly so touched that someone did something so nice....to anyone! My sis wanted more of my friends to come, as a surprise, because i was having a rough first week. But, friends being so-called as they are, always busy with God-knows-what....i dont even wanna think about it. They dont wanna be part of it then screw them.
But i cannot forget the feeling i had, the moment i exited the hospital compound, with my car stereo playing the PGLM soundtrack at volume 50...it was a "Dobby is free" moment; Leaving it all behind....who cares that i'm stuck in a jam. That night, i met up with Ili n Nizam, we had our Merdeka mamak-ing session at Pelita Bangsar, chatting till almost 4am. Timing was perfect, coz nothing beats seeing familiar faces after being deported to Land Before Time.
Expectations are high, and i am neck-deep in pending revisions. Physiology and Pathology, my two weakest (and most disliked) subjects in years past has now turned out to be THE backbone, THE heart & soul.
As i've always said, take things as they come. I'm just gonna go through with this whole 'medic' thing. Graduate, go through with my housemanship and then settle the 3-year government bonding. What happens after that, God knows. Hope i would've found my love for medicine, or the preachy desire to help people by then.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
The scoop on everything else
Its almost the end of July, and I think I can declare that 2007 is a wonderful year...so far. Since the turn of the new year i had a hunch, a feeling that 2007 is gonna be great. And July has been a blast! So here is a long list of events & other going-ons in my life.
1. For those of you who keep contact with me regularly, u know that i'm still talking about the bootcamp quite a bit. Ever since it ended, my calendar is suddenly filled with gatherings & events (Janet's performance, rehearsals & open mic at The Attic, Ida's gig at Top Room, the restaurant launch, and the gathering at Manuella's-i skipped this one). There's also Megat's play coming up, and Maya's gig, and again Janet's gig, and of course My Name Is Remy in October. Even on a daily basis, i find myself looking forward to going online to check on the group's latest feed.
2. Last night was the official launch of Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina's new eatery at Sunway called The Borneo Rainforest Cafe. All the bootcampers were invited. I nearly didn't go; was supposed to go back to Penang but sis had other plans. It was when Manuella called me at 6 that i decided : oh what the heck, when else are you gonna get an invite like this. There is a really nice feel to the place (unless it rains of course), and i was happy to see the campers again. I didnt even notice that Siti Nurhaliza + husbad was there, until Chedd pointed it out! He said on his blog that Sofea Jane was there too, but I didnt see her. Blur-case la me. I ate a lot, and was wondering whether or not I had to pay for all this....Apparently not! I think my mum would like the place, especially if they have live music regularly.
3. Medical school. So far, third year (Phase III) has been pretty vague and somewhat dull. I didn't feel a rise in my level of intelligence; the way I felt during the transition from Phase I to Phase II. I take comfort in knowing that I'm not the only one who feels this way. I've got most of my books, but haven't read any. On the brighter side, I'm participating more during the ward rounds; throwing myself out of my comfort zone & trying to overcome the 'please-dont-pick-me, God-I'm-scared-shitless-even-when-I-know-my-stuff'. I'm trying to integrate/apply my personality & the way how i enjoy myself at performances/practices/rehearsals with the cold hard science of Medicine. Its been tough; it doesn't always work. But when it does, it motivates me. I think i can make it....with a whole lot of effort needed on the study n discipline part!
3. My thoughts & feelings. Well, some have said that I am at a crossroads of my life. I agree. I'm trying to balance the pinnacle of science and the pinnacle of arts. Its like stretching myself n running to-n-fro the north and south poles. It is a matter of 'What I'm good at' vs 'What I like doing'. True, i'm not doing anything in theatre. Zero, zip, nada, nothing. But I want to, believe me I do. I can't just jump in, I need to start at the starting line. I still have a lot to learn. Reality being, I believe I have a limited market if i do choose to pursue theatre in future (translate=not much hope). Don't get the wrong picture; this is just me thinking & feeling. I want to be a kick-ass Surgeon (for now) vs I want to be in a kick-ass production with a kick-ass cast & crew. Back to the present : I'm being deployed to Klang on August 27th till the end of the academic year vs I've signed up for the 8th College Drama team and intend to join Festival Seni UM in January. How?
4. Family. My sis is now in UM. First year Law student. I'm proud of her. She's still adjusting, but at the same time celebrating her new Myvi, 2588! Daddy dearest doesn't like me mentioning the campers or seeing performances. According to him, all this is to be done only during my holidays so as not to interfere with academics. He says he supports me doing this as a hobby, but in truth I believe otherwise. I will not elaborate on my reasonings. My mum, i guess she understands my sense of happiness for doing what I do. But, every time i have a holiday she is extremely reluctant of me staying on in KL for whatever reason. See the conflict of interests? Haiyo...
5. I've realized that I have quite a lot in common with my Maksu. I want to be closer to her. I feel she is the adult to whom I can turn to, although she is only 28. But, our relationship is still very very new considering that she's only been part the family for over a year.
7. I watched The King & I at Istana Budaya with Maktok F & my sis. Tics were so expensive; if my grandma hadn't paid for it I wouldn't have watched it. Truth be told, I enjoyed PGLM better. It was more 'alive' and perhaps it was also my first theatre show. Anyway, part of the audience that night was a certain Adlin Aman Ramlie. He came with this woman, and my sis was 'fuming'....hehehe. They sat in our row and my sis couldn't stop stealing a glance. I also saw who I believe to be Carol Eu, the talent agent that was there during our audition. And of course, there was Tun Dr. Mahathir + wife and their lil entourage. Some crowd, huh? Back to the show. The scene I enjoyed most was 'The Small House of Uncle Thomas'. Perhaps it was bacause that scene had the most dance in it. The kids were so adorable. I thought the actress who played Anna was good. The King, (he got great reviews from most people I spoke to) I love the way he handled the humour, so off-hand. Cute, in a way. And I thought the one who played Lady Thiang was good as well. So, that's one musical down, and God-knows-how-many-more to go. (refer previous posts)
8. Next Friday I'm supposed to meet up with The 5. Really, it is so difficult to plan anything with them, but it's not entirely their fault. And I have resumed my role that I swore i'll never do again : event planner & hostess (accommodation). Seriously guys, I am no domestic goddess, you'll starve n die of boredom at my house. Anyway. I'm really hoping things will turn out, its like we r destined to meet up next week (the way it was destined for me to join the bootcamp). So i'm expecting the dynamics to be a bomb. I mean, when Aida called me a few days ago it caught me by surprise. It was like, damn I miss her. So yeah...can't wait to see all of them.
9. Friends in Medical school. Phase II was when I really started to socialize with them. And now, I hope to connect with them at more levels. I want to find the right bunch to hang with, and to study with. People who'd make me interested to learn without making me feel pressured to turn bookish. I need to find a genuine friend : not colleagues, not classmates, not someone to just 'hang' with. Something more personal. I cant keep going on like this.
10. Its been 3 months since I stopped going to the gym...aiyo... how am I ever going to lose weight like this? I will I will I will. Deanna lost about 12kg, and I'm happy for her, with a tinge of envy. She looks great! Really. I gotta discipline myself. I need to lose about 10kg myself! AARGH. I dont wanna die fat! To die lonely is one thing, but lonely AND fat? no way man...
I just felt like writing....3 blog entries in a month? that's a lot coming from me. I guess I'm done. Hope some of you read it. By the way, I never got to thank the people who took the time to leave comments. Guys, I appreciate it very much. Keep em coming! I love reading them. Ok now. Bye bye!
1. For those of you who keep contact with me regularly, u know that i'm still talking about the bootcamp quite a bit. Ever since it ended, my calendar is suddenly filled with gatherings & events (Janet's performance, rehearsals & open mic at The Attic, Ida's gig at Top Room, the restaurant launch, and the gathering at Manuella's-i skipped this one). There's also Megat's play coming up, and Maya's gig, and again Janet's gig, and of course My Name Is Remy in October. Even on a daily basis, i find myself looking forward to going online to check on the group's latest feed.
2. Last night was the official launch of Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina's new eatery at Sunway called The Borneo Rainforest Cafe. All the bootcampers were invited. I nearly didn't go; was supposed to go back to Penang but sis had other plans. It was when Manuella called me at 6 that i decided : oh what the heck, when else are you gonna get an invite like this. There is a really nice feel to the place (unless it rains of course), and i was happy to see the campers again. I didnt even notice that Siti Nurhaliza + husbad was there, until Chedd pointed it out! He said on his blog that Sofea Jane was there too, but I didnt see her. Blur-case la me. I ate a lot, and was wondering whether or not I had to pay for all this....Apparently not! I think my mum would like the place, especially if they have live music regularly.
3. Medical school. So far, third year (Phase III) has been pretty vague and somewhat dull. I didn't feel a rise in my level of intelligence; the way I felt during the transition from Phase I to Phase II. I take comfort in knowing that I'm not the only one who feels this way. I've got most of my books, but haven't read any. On the brighter side, I'm participating more during the ward rounds; throwing myself out of my comfort zone & trying to overcome the 'please-dont-pick-me, God-I'm-scared-shitless-even-when-I-know-my-stuff'. I'm trying to integrate/apply my personality & the way how i enjoy myself at performances/practices/rehearsals with the cold hard science of Medicine. Its been tough; it doesn't always work. But when it does, it motivates me. I think i can make it....with a whole lot of effort needed on the study n discipline part!
3. My thoughts & feelings. Well, some have said that I am at a crossroads of my life. I agree. I'm trying to balance the pinnacle of science and the pinnacle of arts. Its like stretching myself n running to-n-fro the north and south poles. It is a matter of 'What I'm good at' vs 'What I like doing'. True, i'm not doing anything in theatre. Zero, zip, nada, nothing. But I want to, believe me I do. I can't just jump in, I need to start at the starting line. I still have a lot to learn. Reality being, I believe I have a limited market if i do choose to pursue theatre in future (translate=not much hope). Don't get the wrong picture; this is just me thinking & feeling. I want to be a kick-ass Surgeon (for now) vs I want to be in a kick-ass production with a kick-ass cast & crew. Back to the present : I'm being deployed to Klang on August 27th till the end of the academic year vs I've signed up for the 8th College Drama team and intend to join Festival Seni UM in January. How?
4. Family. My sis is now in UM. First year Law student. I'm proud of her. She's still adjusting, but at the same time celebrating her new Myvi, 2588! Daddy dearest doesn't like me mentioning the campers or seeing performances. According to him, all this is to be done only during my holidays so as not to interfere with academics. He says he supports me doing this as a hobby, but in truth I believe otherwise. I will not elaborate on my reasonings. My mum, i guess she understands my sense of happiness for doing what I do. But, every time i have a holiday she is extremely reluctant of me staying on in KL for whatever reason. See the conflict of interests? Haiyo...
5. I've realized that I have quite a lot in common with my Maksu. I want to be closer to her. I feel she is the adult to whom I can turn to, although she is only 28. But, our relationship is still very very new considering that she's only been part the family for over a year.
7. I watched The King & I at Istana Budaya with Maktok F & my sis. Tics were so expensive; if my grandma hadn't paid for it I wouldn't have watched it. Truth be told, I enjoyed PGLM better. It was more 'alive' and perhaps it was also my first theatre show. Anyway, part of the audience that night was a certain Adlin Aman Ramlie. He came with this woman, and my sis was 'fuming'....hehehe. They sat in our row and my sis couldn't stop stealing a glance. I also saw who I believe to be Carol Eu, the talent agent that was there during our audition. And of course, there was Tun Dr. Mahathir + wife and their lil entourage. Some crowd, huh? Back to the show. The scene I enjoyed most was 'The Small House of Uncle Thomas'. Perhaps it was bacause that scene had the most dance in it. The kids were so adorable. I thought the actress who played Anna was good. The King, (he got great reviews from most people I spoke to) I love the way he handled the humour, so off-hand. Cute, in a way. And I thought the one who played Lady Thiang was good as well. So, that's one musical down, and God-knows-how-many-more to go. (refer previous posts)
8. Next Friday I'm supposed to meet up with The 5. Really, it is so difficult to plan anything with them, but it's not entirely their fault. And I have resumed my role that I swore i'll never do again : event planner & hostess (accommodation). Seriously guys, I am no domestic goddess, you'll starve n die of boredom at my house. Anyway. I'm really hoping things will turn out, its like we r destined to meet up next week (the way it was destined for me to join the bootcamp). So i'm expecting the dynamics to be a bomb. I mean, when Aida called me a few days ago it caught me by surprise. It was like, damn I miss her. So yeah...can't wait to see all of them.
9. Friends in Medical school. Phase II was when I really started to socialize with them. And now, I hope to connect with them at more levels. I want to find the right bunch to hang with, and to study with. People who'd make me interested to learn without making me feel pressured to turn bookish. I need to find a genuine friend : not colleagues, not classmates, not someone to just 'hang' with. Something more personal. I cant keep going on like this.
10. Its been 3 months since I stopped going to the gym...aiyo... how am I ever going to lose weight like this? I will I will I will. Deanna lost about 12kg, and I'm happy for her, with a tinge of envy. She looks great! Really. I gotta discipline myself. I need to lose about 10kg myself! AARGH. I dont wanna die fat! To die lonely is one thing, but lonely AND fat? no way man...
I just felt like writing....3 blog entries in a month? that's a lot coming from me. I guess I'm done. Hope some of you read it. By the way, I never got to thank the people who took the time to leave comments. Guys, I appreciate it very much. Keep em coming! I love reading them. Ok now. Bye bye!
Saturday, July 14, 2007
What's next?
*sigh* The STARMAKER bootcamp ended last Sunday, 8th July. Already life seems a lot less fun. "What lingers after that was not life, but the most trivial list of mundane things"-The Virgin Suicides. Everyone I spoke to were still trying to shake off the bootcamp 'hangover'. It wasnt the body ache for me, i wasn't in pain. To say that i'm missing the campers deeply would be a tad bit melodramatic, but I somehow felt like something was missing, knowing that I wont be meeting up with them later that evening. It was more of the cheerfulness & enthusiasm that lingered; it's a good thing. I'm happy, and my close friends can really see it. When I first saw the pictures that we took during our audition day and the pics taken throughout camp, I was surprised to see my own face. I looked....different. A genuine smile, and for the first time in years; i thought i looked beautiful. It's a feeling i never want to forget.
I went for my first Phase 3A MBBS lecture on Monday, 8am bursting with energy, only to have the life sucked out of me by this completely dampening & demotivating lecturer. Good thing that this sudden drop of spirit was compensated during my Medical ward round : my clinician was hot!!! Kinda looks like Stephen Rahman-Hughes so, I ain't complaining!!! But yeah, its only the first week of classes and already i've skipped 5 lectures...plus i haven't got a clue what books to buy....and the tendon hammer....and the pen torch....
But yeah, my sort-of-secret exploration of the arts world is out. Since the last week of camp, our pictures were featured in Utusan, Kosmo, Berita Harian and also a small segment on the show Melodi on tv3. Mind you, yesterday they had a picture of me with my name n so-called quote underneath on Metro, plus tv3 did interview me during the audition day & Tiara said to look out for another feature of us in Melodi. Thanks to the large amount of publicity the boot camp is getting, some of my friends eventually found out what i've been up to.
Well, so far the campers have been in touch. Some have completely fell silent even on our Google Group. On the other hand, Maya has taken the initiative to make Door Bitch a reality; although i may have to express a certain degree of despair by her decision to start with a clean slate. I can't help but feel that if I hadn't came up with that whole gay-camp-hindustani spoof and revived the fantasies of Door Bitch for others to build upon (like Keith with that kick-ass poster), all talks about it would have died a long time ago. But I have to admit, at least now it is going somewhere n i know for sure it's in good hands. I want in on everything and seriously do hope to have a role and NOT as a Jabatan Agama Islam officer.
Well. Wednesday 11th July, i got to see Janet perform @ The Attic. It's my 2nd time watching her. I'm glad i decided to come; it was such a relief to see Manuella, Keith, Fadzilah, Janet, Amanda&Family, Sushee n Masz again. Kemek n Intan who followed me there felt odd n waited outside, egging me to excuse myself soon. Well guys, that's how I feel everytime u guys bring your boyfriends along on our group outings, or whenever u guys yak on the phone every single time we get together. Back to the story, I had the great fortune of chatting with Mia Palencia. I had no idea who she was, but we hit it off once introduced by Sushee. Now i know that Mia is quite a somebody in the Kl music scene. Best part, she's only 22! I do hope to see her perform one day. She was real friendly & easy-going.
Anyway. This coming Wednesday, all the campers will be performing @ The Attic, open mike. We all sing 1 solo song each, accompanied by the piano and we finish off with Seasons of Love, our theme song during camp. I have my doubts, but everyone has been really supportive, Mia & Nicole (another one who sang at Janet's gig on Wed) included. Heck, I'm never gonna get another chance like this so JUST DO IT! Who cares if i sound like crap? Its all about having fun; STARMAKERS making their first public debut.
That's it for now i guess. Thanks for checking in. By the way, here's a link just so u can see the promo for our showcase @ The Attic http://attickl.blogspot.com/ . See u guys soon!
I went for my first Phase 3A MBBS lecture on Monday, 8am bursting with energy, only to have the life sucked out of me by this completely dampening & demotivating lecturer. Good thing that this sudden drop of spirit was compensated during my Medical ward round : my clinician was hot!!! Kinda looks like Stephen Rahman-Hughes so, I ain't complaining!!! But yeah, its only the first week of classes and already i've skipped 5 lectures...plus i haven't got a clue what books to buy....and the tendon hammer....and the pen torch....
But yeah, my sort-of-secret exploration of the arts world is out. Since the last week of camp, our pictures were featured in Utusan, Kosmo, Berita Harian and also a small segment on the show Melodi on tv3. Mind you, yesterday they had a picture of me with my name n so-called quote underneath on Metro, plus tv3 did interview me during the audition day & Tiara said to look out for another feature of us in Melodi. Thanks to the large amount of publicity the boot camp is getting, some of my friends eventually found out what i've been up to.
Well, so far the campers have been in touch. Some have completely fell silent even on our Google Group. On the other hand, Maya has taken the initiative to make Door Bitch a reality; although i may have to express a certain degree of despair by her decision to start with a clean slate. I can't help but feel that if I hadn't came up with that whole gay-camp-hindustani spoof and revived the fantasies of Door Bitch for others to build upon (like Keith with that kick-ass poster), all talks about it would have died a long time ago. But I have to admit, at least now it is going somewhere n i know for sure it's in good hands. I want in on everything and seriously do hope to have a role and NOT as a Jabatan Agama Islam officer.
Well. Wednesday 11th July, i got to see Janet perform @ The Attic. It's my 2nd time watching her. I'm glad i decided to come; it was such a relief to see Manuella, Keith, Fadzilah, Janet, Amanda&Family, Sushee n Masz again. Kemek n Intan who followed me there felt odd n waited outside, egging me to excuse myself soon. Well guys, that's how I feel everytime u guys bring your boyfriends along on our group outings, or whenever u guys yak on the phone every single time we get together. Back to the story, I had the great fortune of chatting with Mia Palencia. I had no idea who she was, but we hit it off once introduced by Sushee. Now i know that Mia is quite a somebody in the Kl music scene. Best part, she's only 22! I do hope to see her perform one day. She was real friendly & easy-going.
Anyway. This coming Wednesday, all the campers will be performing @ The Attic, open mike. We all sing 1 solo song each, accompanied by the piano and we finish off with Seasons of Love, our theme song during camp. I have my doubts, but everyone has been really supportive, Mia & Nicole (another one who sang at Janet's gig on Wed) included. Heck, I'm never gonna get another chance like this so JUST DO IT! Who cares if i sound like crap? Its all about having fun; STARMAKERS making their first public debut.
That's it for now i guess. Thanks for checking in. By the way, here's a link just so u can see the promo for our showcase @ The Attic http://attickl.blogspot.com/ . See u guys soon!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
STARMAKER : Musical Theatre Boot Camp
Yes, people, I joined the Bootcamp. Thank you very much Bilot for talking me into it, Intan Zarina & Syarifah Nabilah for helping me find the place, Daddy for paying for it, Paan for your encouragement. Normally I'd wait till something is over, and then recap....but I feel so strongly about this, that I feel like my chest is about to burst. why wait? I've found my love. The best thing this camp has done for me is making me realize how much i truly love performing and that i probably can't live without it.
My Maksu was the one who sms-ed me about the camp; she got the sms from Ida Mariana, the camp manager. I didn't even think about it at first coz I was focusing on my elective project (bacterial contamination on the white coats of health care workers and medical students) and on wanting to go back home to Penang. That night, I was talking it over with Bilot and then it was as if someone flicked the switched 'ON' within me : I HAD TO GET INTO THE CAMP.
The next day, I emailed to ask more information and set off to Ampang Point to locate the studio. Mind you, i was using public transport and walked around the blocks for hours through rain and shine, literally. I didnt care that my jeans & shoes were wet from the puddles, my face oily and tudung blotchy from the rain & sweat. Mission failed. Then, Enfiniti Productions responded to my email, and i learned that classes stretched till 11pm. This was a problem : I cant rely on LRT and i have no clue how to drive myself there. I got directions from Intan Zarina, (may Allah have mercy on her soul) and the next day (Friday), i proceeded to settle my registration. I had them fax the papers to my grandma's house and i banked in the deposit (mind you, Enfiniti called me coz they thought they messed up the account number!). 12pm, I had Syarifah Nabilah join me on my quest to familiarize with the road to Ampang and to locate Ten on Ten studios.
3 hours and RM6 tol fees later, we found it and satisfied our hungry tummies at Linda Onn's chicken rice downstairs. I reached my grandma's house at 4, finished my packing, secured my baby in a box (Baby J, my rabbit), waved for a cab at 4.30. I reached the KTM at 4.50, and managed to get tickets for the 5pm bus to Penang (mind you, next bus was 8pm). If that's not hectic, I don't know what is.
Saturday : grocery shopping. Sufia's bro's wedding. Dinner at Swensen's
Sunday : sent my sis to the bus station. brought my baby to the vet. met up with Sufia, Nadia, Hazirah,Illani & Durar (The ol gang) at Queensbay, helped mum make creme caramel
Monday : 10am bus to KL
Then, Tadaa! The launch of STARMAKER. Tiara was there, Adlin was there, Ida, Pat, Sean, Reza, the press, etc. And there I was at one corner of the room, a nervous wreck. I'd be lying if i said i wasn't worried/self-concious about the fact I'm bertudung, and the fact I have ZERO experience and unsure of what I have to offer. Everyone seems to know everyone and i stuck out like a sore thumb. I started to pick out first-timers like myself and befriended them. Then after the press conference, we went straight into Boot Camp Mode. Intro to every class we'd have. Sean even taught us a lil routine.
The next day was dance class with Pat Ibrahim. The only word I can think of to describe him is 'Jiwa'. He reminds me so much of Hafiz that I can't help but smile everytime I see him. Never mind that, Pat really takes the concept of body aches and sore muscles to a whole new level. We learnt the chorus routine of Titah Sultan (super cool). 10 seconds worth of dancing took us >4 hours to learn. Brilliant, fantastic, I love it (even though i look like a spinning walrus doing it).
Thursday was Reza's session. It wasn't as physically taxing, but it was challenging nonetheless. I personally found it hard to grasp the concepts of acting that was being taught. But like the other campers said, Reza's class is the time when we first got a sense of working together and learning more about each other. That night, was my first breakdown. I felt I didn't belong, because 95% of the students are professional singers, dancers or actors. Even first-timers at least has had vocal or jazz/ballet lessons before, or an early exposure to the world of theatre. During the class, Reza said singing was like being on stage naked for him, and for Soefi, it was dance. Me, i felt like i came into the camp completely naked.
Friday was Sean's class, and we managed to learn & complete the chorus for The American Dream (TAD, from Miss Saigon), singing harmonies + dance. As if our muscles arent't in pain, Sean made us do a lot of ab exercise during warm-up. And then, added the intro steps for TAD. It was fun, exhausting and a lot to take in. And as always, I was very unsure about my singing. Friendship among bootcampers were developing, and that took a lil edge off me, thank God.
Saturday. Pat taught us the intro routine for Asmaradana. Again, brilliant and bloody hard to follow. We had another session with Reza, with gibberish and making lasting impressions. Then, with Llew picking our audition song. Sunday, the best day to date. It was the first time Pat, Sean and Reza joined forces to really drill us. We did Titah Sultan, TAD chorus, then the boys went with Reza & Llew for their audition songs while the girls were grilled by Sean teaching more steps for TAD intro. The 30min break that followed lead us to an intimate chat session with out camp leaders. Everyone shared their story : how they came about, what they do, how'd they join the camp. Our stories paralelled one another : everyone had 2 sides to their lives/identities. Suddenly, there was such a strong bond being forged. It was like everyone came to a mutual agreement without really discussing it. We were family.
Last part of the session on Sunday, we did Seasons of Love picture postcard. It moved so many of us to tears; I thought i was the only one. Had I been more confident I would've let go earlier. When we returned to our homes, some of us, myself included, really broke down and cried. That's when our Virtual E-Family (as I call it) really picked up. Some continued sharing stories, others sending clips to motivate and help us learn. The best part is when Ida, Tiara and the admins admitted they wanted 'in' on our mailing circle. They were surprised with the love and energy going around, even if it is on cyberspace.
Today, the first day of Week 2 in STARMAKER. I personally felt the dynamics in the class has changed almost dramatically. Tiara joined us today and shared her experience. By the look on her face, I'd say she was impressed with the campers. Ida came too; apparently she's been sick the past few sessions. I got all the PGLM cast members that were there to sign my programme book. I felt so happy. And you know what? Next, I'm gonna ask everyone (campers+cikgus) to sign in my camp notebook, just like i did in SGGS before I left for MRSM.
There you have it. That's how this 3rd Year Medical Student (sem starts Monday, 9th) sacrificed the 1 week remaining in her 2+month semester break (most of the break was spent in UM doing the elective project). I have no regrets. I will find a way to juggle medicine and theatre. I will find time to watch the musicals we've been referring to and those that you guys talk about so often.
One guy in GOAT (refer previous posts) said to me, "Dima, I hope to see you succeed in two theatres; the operating theatre and the stage theatre". I'll do what I can, the best that I know how, to fulfill that. That dream and desire I've had, buried for so long. Doctor by day, performer by night. Say YES to an extraordinary life!
My Maksu was the one who sms-ed me about the camp; she got the sms from Ida Mariana, the camp manager. I didn't even think about it at first coz I was focusing on my elective project (bacterial contamination on the white coats of health care workers and medical students) and on wanting to go back home to Penang. That night, I was talking it over with Bilot and then it was as if someone flicked the switched 'ON' within me : I HAD TO GET INTO THE CAMP.
The next day, I emailed to ask more information and set off to Ampang Point to locate the studio. Mind you, i was using public transport and walked around the blocks for hours through rain and shine, literally. I didnt care that my jeans & shoes were wet from the puddles, my face oily and tudung blotchy from the rain & sweat. Mission failed. Then, Enfiniti Productions responded to my email, and i learned that classes stretched till 11pm. This was a problem : I cant rely on LRT and i have no clue how to drive myself there. I got directions from Intan Zarina, (may Allah have mercy on her soul) and the next day (Friday), i proceeded to settle my registration. I had them fax the papers to my grandma's house and i banked in the deposit (mind you, Enfiniti called me coz they thought they messed up the account number!). 12pm, I had Syarifah Nabilah join me on my quest to familiarize with the road to Ampang and to locate Ten on Ten studios.
3 hours and RM6 tol fees later, we found it and satisfied our hungry tummies at Linda Onn's chicken rice downstairs. I reached my grandma's house at 4, finished my packing, secured my baby in a box (Baby J, my rabbit), waved for a cab at 4.30. I reached the KTM at 4.50, and managed to get tickets for the 5pm bus to Penang (mind you, next bus was 8pm). If that's not hectic, I don't know what is.
Saturday : grocery shopping. Sufia's bro's wedding. Dinner at Swensen's
Sunday : sent my sis to the bus station. brought my baby to the vet. met up with Sufia, Nadia, Hazirah,Illani & Durar (The ol gang) at Queensbay, helped mum make creme caramel
Monday : 10am bus to KL
Then, Tadaa! The launch of STARMAKER. Tiara was there, Adlin was there, Ida, Pat, Sean, Reza, the press, etc. And there I was at one corner of the room, a nervous wreck. I'd be lying if i said i wasn't worried/self-concious about the fact I'm bertudung, and the fact I have ZERO experience and unsure of what I have to offer. Everyone seems to know everyone and i stuck out like a sore thumb. I started to pick out first-timers like myself and befriended them. Then after the press conference, we went straight into Boot Camp Mode. Intro to every class we'd have. Sean even taught us a lil routine.
The next day was dance class with Pat Ibrahim. The only word I can think of to describe him is 'Jiwa'. He reminds me so much of Hafiz that I can't help but smile everytime I see him. Never mind that, Pat really takes the concept of body aches and sore muscles to a whole new level. We learnt the chorus routine of Titah Sultan (super cool). 10 seconds worth of dancing took us >4 hours to learn. Brilliant, fantastic, I love it (even though i look like a spinning walrus doing it).
Thursday was Reza's session. It wasn't as physically taxing, but it was challenging nonetheless. I personally found it hard to grasp the concepts of acting that was being taught. But like the other campers said, Reza's class is the time when we first got a sense of working together and learning more about each other. That night, was my first breakdown. I felt I didn't belong, because 95% of the students are professional singers, dancers or actors. Even first-timers at least has had vocal or jazz/ballet lessons before, or an early exposure to the world of theatre. During the class, Reza said singing was like being on stage naked for him, and for Soefi, it was dance. Me, i felt like i came into the camp completely naked.
Friday was Sean's class, and we managed to learn & complete the chorus for The American Dream (TAD, from Miss Saigon), singing harmonies + dance. As if our muscles arent't in pain, Sean made us do a lot of ab exercise during warm-up. And then, added the intro steps for TAD. It was fun, exhausting and a lot to take in. And as always, I was very unsure about my singing. Friendship among bootcampers were developing, and that took a lil edge off me, thank God.
Saturday. Pat taught us the intro routine for Asmaradana. Again, brilliant and bloody hard to follow. We had another session with Reza, with gibberish and making lasting impressions. Then, with Llew picking our audition song. Sunday, the best day to date. It was the first time Pat, Sean and Reza joined forces to really drill us. We did Titah Sultan, TAD chorus, then the boys went with Reza & Llew for their audition songs while the girls were grilled by Sean teaching more steps for TAD intro. The 30min break that followed lead us to an intimate chat session with out camp leaders. Everyone shared their story : how they came about, what they do, how'd they join the camp. Our stories paralelled one another : everyone had 2 sides to their lives/identities. Suddenly, there was such a strong bond being forged. It was like everyone came to a mutual agreement without really discussing it. We were family.
Last part of the session on Sunday, we did Seasons of Love picture postcard. It moved so many of us to tears; I thought i was the only one. Had I been more confident I would've let go earlier. When we returned to our homes, some of us, myself included, really broke down and cried. That's when our Virtual E-Family (as I call it) really picked up. Some continued sharing stories, others sending clips to motivate and help us learn. The best part is when Ida, Tiara and the admins admitted they wanted 'in' on our mailing circle. They were surprised with the love and energy going around, even if it is on cyberspace.
Today, the first day of Week 2 in STARMAKER. I personally felt the dynamics in the class has changed almost dramatically. Tiara joined us today and shared her experience. By the look on her face, I'd say she was impressed with the campers. Ida came too; apparently she's been sick the past few sessions. I got all the PGLM cast members that were there to sign my programme book. I felt so happy. And you know what? Next, I'm gonna ask everyone (campers+cikgus) to sign in my camp notebook, just like i did in SGGS before I left for MRSM.
There you have it. That's how this 3rd Year Medical Student (sem starts Monday, 9th) sacrificed the 1 week remaining in her 2+month semester break (most of the break was spent in UM doing the elective project). I have no regrets. I will find a way to juggle medicine and theatre. I will find time to watch the musicals we've been referring to and those that you guys talk about so often.
One guy in GOAT (refer previous posts) said to me, "Dima, I hope to see you succeed in two theatres; the operating theatre and the stage theatre". I'll do what I can, the best that I know how, to fulfill that. That dream and desire I've had, buried for so long. Doctor by day, performer by night. Say YES to an extraordinary life!
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Vacations, vacations......
Well, Phase II MBBS exams are over and a few days later, I'm off to Redang with my dad.
Once we checked in, what my sis n I mostly did was sleep, roughly three times a day! I guess all the post-exam exhaustion finally kicked in once the adrenaline wore off ( with some help from Azlaili, and that night out with Al n Hafiz, of course). To my surprise, my dad actually allowed us to go to the spa on the 2nd day. My sis had an aromatherapy massage and came out looking like a baby high on something (that good, huh?). I myself chose a body scrub coz face it, I'm too lazy to use a body scrub on a regular basis, and i get more or less a massage while they're putting that stuff on (and to u idiots who think that makes me sound somewhat 'less hygienic', i'm willing to bet cash that you've never tried using a body scrub, thoroughly, on yourself). I was very,very satisfied with what i got coz my skin never felt so smooth. What a way to relax after exam....whew! Surely takes all that away!
Once we were all done with our spa treatments, knowing my dad, he can't wait to jump into the beach and so that's where we headed to next. The water was super clean man, i mean, even when i'm at the deeper parts where i can barely stand, i can still see my toes!!! There were no waves, making it perfect for swimming. It wasn't deep, so I got the satisfaction of going further and further into the sea than i would normally dare. My sis had the honour of being welcomed into the sea : my dad picked her up from the shore and threw her in the water!
After all that fun in the barely-there sun, we got ready for dinner. We had buffet everyday for breakfast, and for almost all dinners. So much for trying to lose weight and all the pre-exam workouts and improved food habits. But what the heck, the buffet's fantastic. Then, karaoke. I practically got a heart attack listeting to my sister 'singing' (read : screaming, belting out, 'feeling') her 'rock kapak'. My goodness. What on earth did UiTM do to her? Well, karaoke is my sister's game, not because she's a fantastic singer, but because of her guts and crazy expression and 'stage antics'. I wish i can go all crazy-shameless like that...
As much as most of you don't agree, I AM a shy person!!!
The 3rd day is where all the fun REALLY began. Snorkelling. It's my second time, so i tought I pretty much know what to expect. I was right, and wrong. They took us to 4 different locations, all at different depths. As we go deeper, we see different types of fish and the corals are huge! Mind you, at the depth of 10ft, i can still see the seabed. Told you the water's crazy clean! I saw more and more Nemos hiding in their anemones, and I got my first kiss. That naughty little fish bit my lip! I couldn't see which one was it coz the goggles restrict the side visual fields. My sis got hers too. Her fish was more....brutal. Her lip bled a bit and there was an ulcer-like lesion left for souvenir. That night, pure exhaustion. I needed heaty ointments to make my arms bearable. And the thought we're going snorkelling again the next day...I thought I couldn't take it. Part of me wanted to cancel. Mind you, i just wanted to plop in bed unconscious. But, I stayed up till about 2 a.m. You know why? COZ IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!! 15th of May, me turning the big 21, I'm sure as hell not gonna miss it!. At the stroke of midnight, suddenly my sis jumped onto my bed and gave me a huge baby bear hug n said Happy Birthday in her lil baby voice. Then, all the smses came (thank you, I love you guys!), and the rain poured down so heavily. Ironic.
The next morning, we went for another snorkelling trip. It was da bomb! Our 2 guides were regular freedivers, they can go up to depths of 30ft with only snorkels and flippers. Cool eh? You should've seen their 6-packs...way cooler. Today, we went to 5 places. The best thing about this trip is our guides joined us in and showed us the cool stuff. Once the boat is anchored and they felt like jumping, they jumped! So easy...flamboyant. Anyway, at this one beautiful site we can actually see the corals from shallow, to deep, then a trench going deeper into open waters. Beautiful landscape. Our guides showed us this coral with what i take to be marine plants on it, and when he swiped his hands over them they shrank and hid in the corals. At another site, he caught a Nemo (i know its a clownfish, but Nemo sounds cuter) and brought it on the boat. We had kids in our group you see, and they want to see Nemo up close. But Nemos live so deep and we can't dive in because of the depth and because we wore life jackets. No harm done because once the kids were done with Nemo, our guide returned Nemo to his anemone so his dad won't have to look for him.
Another site we went to was a 'playground' for baby sharks. My sis n dad managed to see one, and they also saw a squid in motion. I'm so jealous; I missed my chance because I was having trouble with my snorkel mask!! Nevermind, at least I got to see a blowfish the day before and my sister didn't. That's one cool thing about going anywhere with my dad, he knows a lot of stuff. Anyway, we went to the sea next, to see turtles in motion. Our guide jumped in to look for turtles and surfaced evrytime he saw one. Funny thing was, he started clambering up into the boat rather frantically afterwards coz he got scared that the turtle was bigger than him! Well, it was about 30ft deep, but a few of us jumped in anyway and you know what, even at that depth I can still clearly see the seabed. That's when I knew Redang is so cool.
Then we moved on to the marine park (on shore) and I got to hold little cutie baby turtles..aww..they're so small. Next stop was another dive site at that jetty, and our guides wanted to show us eels, but none were found. But this site was already very beautiful and the fish were friendly (thanks to the bread I brought along).
So that's Redang folks. Now, I thought I'd share with u my trip to Bali.
I went to Bali with my mum, sis, and grandma right after the semester 1 finals. How cool is that; this year i get a beach getaway after every semester final exams. Well, Bali was a lot of 'first times' for me : first time on an elephant ride, first henna tattoo, first time on a horse carriage, first time parasailing, first time holding a turtle and a bat, first time on the 'flying fish', first time seeing a volcano, first time getting a spa treatment, first time scuba diving. It was very much an animal-related vacation, and i stick to my statement that if I had gone on this Bali vacation earlier in life, I would've end up as a wildlife conservationist. I loved Bali coz I mingled very well with the locals, had long chats with the elephant guys, (because of that we got a lil extra : photo shoot while the elephant stood on 2 legs, and we got to ride Gandhi and Sugi on their necks instead of on the provided bench) the dudes at the tattoo touch-up place (got a great discount!), the carriage driver (learnt a lot about life in Bali and the bombing) and not to forget the waitresses at the hotel. It was a great vacation. I miss the elephants. They're so cute, they can even smile for the cameras! Only thing about Bali is that not everything is Halal (they are mostly Hindus, very religious!).
So there you have it, my two kick-ass vacations during 2nd year medic. I sure enjoyed them very much and hope for more. Perhaps we should try a different theme : culture, safari, or theme parks. But you know me, I'll never say no to the beach! Heck, I even managed two trips to Port Dickson this year with friends... I love beach related activities and I'll definitely be back for more. One day, I WILL get my scuba diving liscence. Supposed to go for the classes this semester break but thanks to elective n other less interesting stuff, I can't spare the time needed. Till my next voyage, stay tuned to the other aspects of my life & times. Seacrest, out!
Once we checked in, what my sis n I mostly did was sleep, roughly three times a day! I guess all the post-exam exhaustion finally kicked in once the adrenaline wore off ( with some help from Azlaili, and that night out with Al n Hafiz, of course). To my surprise, my dad actually allowed us to go to the spa on the 2nd day. My sis had an aromatherapy massage and came out looking like a baby high on something (that good, huh?). I myself chose a body scrub coz face it, I'm too lazy to use a body scrub on a regular basis, and i get more or less a massage while they're putting that stuff on (and to u idiots who think that makes me sound somewhat 'less hygienic', i'm willing to bet cash that you've never tried using a body scrub, thoroughly, on yourself). I was very,very satisfied with what i got coz my skin never felt so smooth. What a way to relax after exam....whew! Surely takes all that away!
Once we were all done with our spa treatments, knowing my dad, he can't wait to jump into the beach and so that's where we headed to next. The water was super clean man, i mean, even when i'm at the deeper parts where i can barely stand, i can still see my toes!!! There were no waves, making it perfect for swimming. It wasn't deep, so I got the satisfaction of going further and further into the sea than i would normally dare. My sis had the honour of being welcomed into the sea : my dad picked her up from the shore and threw her in the water!
After all that fun in the barely-there sun, we got ready for dinner. We had buffet everyday for breakfast, and for almost all dinners. So much for trying to lose weight and all the pre-exam workouts and improved food habits. But what the heck, the buffet's fantastic. Then, karaoke. I practically got a heart attack listeting to my sister 'singing' (read : screaming, belting out, 'feeling') her 'rock kapak'. My goodness. What on earth did UiTM do to her? Well, karaoke is my sister's game, not because she's a fantastic singer, but because of her guts and crazy expression and 'stage antics'. I wish i can go all crazy-shameless like that...
As much as most of you don't agree, I AM a shy person!!!
The 3rd day is where all the fun REALLY began. Snorkelling. It's my second time, so i tought I pretty much know what to expect. I was right, and wrong. They took us to 4 different locations, all at different depths. As we go deeper, we see different types of fish and the corals are huge! Mind you, at the depth of 10ft, i can still see the seabed. Told you the water's crazy clean! I saw more and more Nemos hiding in their anemones, and I got my first kiss. That naughty little fish bit my lip! I couldn't see which one was it coz the goggles restrict the side visual fields. My sis got hers too. Her fish was more....brutal. Her lip bled a bit and there was an ulcer-like lesion left for souvenir. That night, pure exhaustion. I needed heaty ointments to make my arms bearable. And the thought we're going snorkelling again the next day...I thought I couldn't take it. Part of me wanted to cancel. Mind you, i just wanted to plop in bed unconscious. But, I stayed up till about 2 a.m. You know why? COZ IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!! 15th of May, me turning the big 21, I'm sure as hell not gonna miss it!. At the stroke of midnight, suddenly my sis jumped onto my bed and gave me a huge baby bear hug n said Happy Birthday in her lil baby voice. Then, all the smses came (thank you, I love you guys!), and the rain poured down so heavily. Ironic.
The next morning, we went for another snorkelling trip. It was da bomb! Our 2 guides were regular freedivers, they can go up to depths of 30ft with only snorkels and flippers. Cool eh? You should've seen their 6-packs...way cooler. Today, we went to 5 places. The best thing about this trip is our guides joined us in and showed us the cool stuff. Once the boat is anchored and they felt like jumping, they jumped! So easy...flamboyant. Anyway, at this one beautiful site we can actually see the corals from shallow, to deep, then a trench going deeper into open waters. Beautiful landscape. Our guides showed us this coral with what i take to be marine plants on it, and when he swiped his hands over them they shrank and hid in the corals. At another site, he caught a Nemo (i know its a clownfish, but Nemo sounds cuter) and brought it on the boat. We had kids in our group you see, and they want to see Nemo up close. But Nemos live so deep and we can't dive in because of the depth and because we wore life jackets. No harm done because once the kids were done with Nemo, our guide returned Nemo to his anemone so his dad won't have to look for him.
Another site we went to was a 'playground' for baby sharks. My sis n dad managed to see one, and they also saw a squid in motion. I'm so jealous; I missed my chance because I was having trouble with my snorkel mask!! Nevermind, at least I got to see a blowfish the day before and my sister didn't. That's one cool thing about going anywhere with my dad, he knows a lot of stuff. Anyway, we went to the sea next, to see turtles in motion. Our guide jumped in to look for turtles and surfaced evrytime he saw one. Funny thing was, he started clambering up into the boat rather frantically afterwards coz he got scared that the turtle was bigger than him! Well, it was about 30ft deep, but a few of us jumped in anyway and you know what, even at that depth I can still clearly see the seabed. That's when I knew Redang is so cool.
Then we moved on to the marine park (on shore) and I got to hold little cutie baby turtles..aww..they're so small. Next stop was another dive site at that jetty, and our guides wanted to show us eels, but none were found. But this site was already very beautiful and the fish were friendly (thanks to the bread I brought along).
So that's Redang folks. Now, I thought I'd share with u my trip to Bali.
I went to Bali with my mum, sis, and grandma right after the semester 1 finals. How cool is that; this year i get a beach getaway after every semester final exams. Well, Bali was a lot of 'first times' for me : first time on an elephant ride, first henna tattoo, first time on a horse carriage, first time parasailing, first time holding a turtle and a bat, first time on the 'flying fish', first time seeing a volcano, first time getting a spa treatment, first time scuba diving. It was very much an animal-related vacation, and i stick to my statement that if I had gone on this Bali vacation earlier in life, I would've end up as a wildlife conservationist. I loved Bali coz I mingled very well with the locals, had long chats with the elephant guys, (because of that we got a lil extra : photo shoot while the elephant stood on 2 legs, and we got to ride Gandhi and Sugi on their necks instead of on the provided bench) the dudes at the tattoo touch-up place (got a great discount!), the carriage driver (learnt a lot about life in Bali and the bombing) and not to forget the waitresses at the hotel. It was a great vacation. I miss the elephants. They're so cute, they can even smile for the cameras! Only thing about Bali is that not everything is Halal (they are mostly Hindus, very religious!).
So there you have it, my two kick-ass vacations during 2nd year medic. I sure enjoyed them very much and hope for more. Perhaps we should try a different theme : culture, safari, or theme parks. But you know me, I'll never say no to the beach! Heck, I even managed two trips to Port Dickson this year with friends... I love beach related activities and I'll definitely be back for more. One day, I WILL get my scuba diving liscence. Supposed to go for the classes this semester break but thanks to elective n other less interesting stuff, I can't spare the time needed. Till my next voyage, stay tuned to the other aspects of my life & times. Seacrest, out!
Thursday, February 8, 2007
ZINDIK
11th January 2007 marks my biggest role on stage. It was Festival Seni Universiti Malaya. My father, sister and stepmum were there. I was happy to see Azlaili, Maftuhim, Sy.Nabilah, Raihana and Azliyana in the audience. I'm glad they made it and their support meant a lot to me. I received mixed reviews for my performance, but most of them (my co-stars included) admit they were very impressed. I couldn't stop smiling for weeks! Did we really do all that in 10 days? ZINDIK won 4th place, but that cannot compare the sense of accomplishment i felt just to perform.
Last year when i was staying in college, i was hoping to join the theatre competition. 6th college being what it is, word never got around and heck, not everyone knew the existence of FesSeni. So this year I was sort of determined to join, because it's now or never for me. I am a 2nd-year medical student, supposed to be burried in my studies. Next year I'll be in Klang for the practical skills and hands-on clinical teachings. How an earth am I going to find the time to join drama? The following years will be even more hands-on, practically an internship at the UMMC. I'll start being on-call, so most definitely I can't go for regular practise sessions, right? Once I graduate, i'll be a house officer and that is THE BUSIEST and WORST time of a doctor's life! Work from 6.30am-9pm, on-call bout 3 nights a week, you are literally the hospital's slave. After that, I'll be a medical officer, still struggling with my footwork in the profession. Not to mention my plans about having my own family....so yeah, its now or never.
Back in November, Intan and I somehow started to contact each other and decided to meet at Midvalley. It was then that she told me she and her friends were in charge of the 8th college drama team (Godsent!). So, I unshamefully told her that I wanted to join, that i'll audition with the others if i have to. She said she'd hook me up but warned that priority will be given to the residents of 8th college. Due to the uncertainty of the outcome, I tried to join 12th college's team, but it didn't work out.
Auditions. I came to 8th college that night, lost and rather confused (it was my revision week). Intan gave me a copy of the script : ZINDIK. I read, and decided to try for the role of AKAL. It was easy and not much to do or compromise. I was unsure of myself and the fact that i didn't know anyone else there didn't help. When I learned that Hafiz was joining too, i was relieved, (Godsent!). I knew him back in PASUM and it was always through drama. We didn't hang out much but I remembered that I enjoyed his company.
Back to the story. Well, my audition went very well and i was immediately welcomed into Khaira's (the director's) good grace. That night i was already reading other parts and helping her cast the others. She was in a dilemma, whether to cast me as AKAL, or as NAFSU? Fast forward to our earlier practise sessions and I told her "Khaira, before I start memorising lines (at that point she decided i was AKAL), I don't mind if you want to cast me as NAFSU, coz i think it's easier for you to find someone to play AKAL than to find someone to play NAFSU". It was only after a few practises that it dawned on me : holy crap, what did I get myself into?
As with any production, practises went up, and down, tossed, and flipped backwards. There were major changes with the script 3 or 4 times, the absence of Remy who's playing HIDAYAH and we still had noone to play AKAL. Then, Asyraf came and he was Godsent! Finally, we have a complete cast! Izhar as NAJMI/JIMI, Hafiz as SETAN, Remy as HIDAYAH, Asyraf as AKAL, Dima as NAFSU, Intan as WATY and Umai as AISYAH. I have two great-looking guys in the team and two guys with whom I have great chemistry with...could a girl ask for more? hehehe *wink* .
Practises were fun, but tiring. On most occasions we only finished at 3am, some even dragged on til 5! But honestly, I was really excited about the whole thing that I didn't care much about missing classes. Mind you, I even noticed that I wasn't eating as much chocolate as I'd normally do; now that's saying something! But I have to apologize to my team for my mood swings and at times for appearing too much of a know-it-all or the whole i-think-i-am-better-than-you. Seriously guys, it wasnt intentional. I tend to get carried away with things I care about.
Costumes were a bugger. I spent 2 days going in and out of all the clothing stores in MidValley and Sungai Wang, trying on all the suitable garments for my character. Mind you, i think I'm from the rare breed of girls who dislike shopping for clothes. On top of that, I was going broke from paying for my costume acessories, petrol and food. So all that was taking a toll on me : my performance was deteriorating, i was tired and my mood was glum, cranky and snappy. So, Fazlisya was, you guessed it, Godsent! Her ideas breathed fresh air into the group and it's always great to know you have supporters. Azlaili too was Godsent because she was willing to help transport the mattresses we needed from my Grandma's house to UM.
And before you know it, its was time for rehearsals. Wednesday night was out first and only full-dress rehearsal. Thursday morning was our only rehearsal on-location and the competition was that night. Yikes!
Showtime. Azlaili was the first in the audience. I felt rather awkward because I wasn't used to having heavy make-up on my face. When my dad and he's crew arrived, I freaked out. I mean, how am I supposed to feel comfortable striding on stage in a skintight top+corset, flirting with my co-stars like nobody's business and coyly caress my own body with my dad watching in front-row seats? Well, I did get over it and pulled it off. I was cute, I was playful, I was seductive, I was 'manja', I was bitchy and I was happy. It worked.
And so, who cares is we messed up our lines? Nobody could tell we fumbled. We pulled it off. It was one of the few performances where I didn't beat myself up afterwards. Now, about one month after it all ended, I am waiting for 3 things : my certificate, the pictures from Asyraf's camera and a celebration with the team. Oh yeah, and my broken tongkat that Hafiz promised to fix.
I can go on talking about the drama for hours, but unfortunately I can't put it all down. Once again, thank you for chacking in. To the people of College 8 ( Intan, Has, Lani, Al, Khaira, Izhar, Asyraf, Umai, Umai aka AISYAH, Remy, Lisya, Hafiz, Najib, Lim and others) : Thank you very much for this opportunity, and its great to be part of a team again. You guys did great to make me feel welcomed. All the best in your future undertakings. Till we meet again, ciao!
p/s : ZINDIK is an Arabic word which means 'orang yang sesat'. The story is centres around the self-conflict within NAJMI/JIMI, a man who has everything but takes his wife AISYAH for granted as he parades with his mistress WATY. In one very long dream, NAJMI/JIMI comes face to face with HIDAYAH, SETAN, AKAL and NAFSU, each of them trying to influence NAJMI/JIMI to succumb to their way of life.
Last year when i was staying in college, i was hoping to join the theatre competition. 6th college being what it is, word never got around and heck, not everyone knew the existence of FesSeni. So this year I was sort of determined to join, because it's now or never for me. I am a 2nd-year medical student, supposed to be burried in my studies. Next year I'll be in Klang for the practical skills and hands-on clinical teachings. How an earth am I going to find the time to join drama? The following years will be even more hands-on, practically an internship at the UMMC. I'll start being on-call, so most definitely I can't go for regular practise sessions, right? Once I graduate, i'll be a house officer and that is THE BUSIEST and WORST time of a doctor's life! Work from 6.30am-9pm, on-call bout 3 nights a week, you are literally the hospital's slave. After that, I'll be a medical officer, still struggling with my footwork in the profession. Not to mention my plans about having my own family....so yeah, its now or never.
Back in November, Intan and I somehow started to contact each other and decided to meet at Midvalley. It was then that she told me she and her friends were in charge of the 8th college drama team (Godsent!). So, I unshamefully told her that I wanted to join, that i'll audition with the others if i have to. She said she'd hook me up but warned that priority will be given to the residents of 8th college. Due to the uncertainty of the outcome, I tried to join 12th college's team, but it didn't work out.
Auditions. I came to 8th college that night, lost and rather confused (it was my revision week). Intan gave me a copy of the script : ZINDIK. I read, and decided to try for the role of AKAL. It was easy and not much to do or compromise. I was unsure of myself and the fact that i didn't know anyone else there didn't help. When I learned that Hafiz was joining too, i was relieved, (Godsent!). I knew him back in PASUM and it was always through drama. We didn't hang out much but I remembered that I enjoyed his company.
Back to the story. Well, my audition went very well and i was immediately welcomed into Khaira's (the director's) good grace. That night i was already reading other parts and helping her cast the others. She was in a dilemma, whether to cast me as AKAL, or as NAFSU? Fast forward to our earlier practise sessions and I told her "Khaira, before I start memorising lines (at that point she decided i was AKAL), I don't mind if you want to cast me as NAFSU, coz i think it's easier for you to find someone to play AKAL than to find someone to play NAFSU". It was only after a few practises that it dawned on me : holy crap, what did I get myself into?
As with any production, practises went up, and down, tossed, and flipped backwards. There were major changes with the script 3 or 4 times, the absence of Remy who's playing HIDAYAH and we still had noone to play AKAL. Then, Asyraf came and he was Godsent! Finally, we have a complete cast! Izhar as NAJMI/JIMI, Hafiz as SETAN, Remy as HIDAYAH, Asyraf as AKAL, Dima as NAFSU, Intan as WATY and Umai as AISYAH. I have two great-looking guys in the team and two guys with whom I have great chemistry with...could a girl ask for more? hehehe *wink* .
Practises were fun, but tiring. On most occasions we only finished at 3am, some even dragged on til 5! But honestly, I was really excited about the whole thing that I didn't care much about missing classes. Mind you, I even noticed that I wasn't eating as much chocolate as I'd normally do; now that's saying something! But I have to apologize to my team for my mood swings and at times for appearing too much of a know-it-all or the whole i-think-i-am-better-than-you. Seriously guys, it wasnt intentional. I tend to get carried away with things I care about.
Costumes were a bugger. I spent 2 days going in and out of all the clothing stores in MidValley and Sungai Wang, trying on all the suitable garments for my character. Mind you, i think I'm from the rare breed of girls who dislike shopping for clothes. On top of that, I was going broke from paying for my costume acessories, petrol and food. So all that was taking a toll on me : my performance was deteriorating, i was tired and my mood was glum, cranky and snappy. So, Fazlisya was, you guessed it, Godsent! Her ideas breathed fresh air into the group and it's always great to know you have supporters. Azlaili too was Godsent because she was willing to help transport the mattresses we needed from my Grandma's house to UM.
And before you know it, its was time for rehearsals. Wednesday night was out first and only full-dress rehearsal. Thursday morning was our only rehearsal on-location and the competition was that night. Yikes!
Showtime. Azlaili was the first in the audience. I felt rather awkward because I wasn't used to having heavy make-up on my face. When my dad and he's crew arrived, I freaked out. I mean, how am I supposed to feel comfortable striding on stage in a skintight top+corset, flirting with my co-stars like nobody's business and coyly caress my own body with my dad watching in front-row seats? Well, I did get over it and pulled it off. I was cute, I was playful, I was seductive, I was 'manja', I was bitchy and I was happy. It worked.
And so, who cares is we messed up our lines? Nobody could tell we fumbled. We pulled it off. It was one of the few performances where I didn't beat myself up afterwards. Now, about one month after it all ended, I am waiting for 3 things : my certificate, the pictures from Asyraf's camera and a celebration with the team. Oh yeah, and my broken tongkat that Hafiz promised to fix.
I can go on talking about the drama for hours, but unfortunately I can't put it all down. Once again, thank you for chacking in. To the people of College 8 ( Intan, Has, Lani, Al, Khaira, Izhar, Asyraf, Umai, Umai aka AISYAH, Remy, Lisya, Hafiz, Najib, Lim and others) : Thank you very much for this opportunity, and its great to be part of a team again. You guys did great to make me feel welcomed. All the best in your future undertakings. Till we meet again, ciao!
p/s : ZINDIK is an Arabic word which means 'orang yang sesat'. The story is centres around the self-conflict within NAJMI/JIMI, a man who has everything but takes his wife AISYAH for granted as he parades with his mistress WATY. In one very long dream, NAJMI/JIMI comes face to face with HIDAYAH, SETAN, AKAL and NAFSU, each of them trying to influence NAJMI/JIMI to succumb to their way of life.
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