Shisha

Something to share:

This Shisha smoking is also known as narghile, hookah and goza. It was originated in Persia and India and has been used for 4 centuries.

I was first introduced to shisha in a mamak shop in Kelantan (surprisingly), then later found out that there is a shop in Sunway which even sell the colourful nice water pipe which used for shisha smoking.

Shisha is equivalent to cigarette smoking. A single session of this waterpipe smoking deliver the same amount of tar as a pack of cigarettes. Shisha also contain nicotine, carbon monoxide, benzene, toluene, arsenic, lead, formaldehyde and carcinogens.

So for those who think that it is safe, think twice. It is as bad or even worst compare to the normal cigarettes...

Ref:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/727687?src=mp&spon=30&uac=101775CT

Taiwan 2010

Day 1: 8.4.2010
1. 抵达台湾桃园机场

a. 乘搭统联客运到高铁站
b. 乘搭台湾高铁(桃园 机场----> 台北车站)

2. 住宿: 新驿旅店 City Inn (台北怀宁街7号)www.gocityinn.com

3. 新光三越大厦

4. 台北车站地下街

a. 早午餐: NY Begel (京都地下车站购物中心)

5. 阳明山

a. 竹子湖
b. 海芋花园
c. 小油坑

6. 晚餐: 台大牧场 (寿喜锅) www.mo-mo.com.tw (台北罗斯福路四段68号3F)

7. 逛罗斯福路周边
a. 师大路夜市
b. 公馆夜市 (红豆饼,青蛙撞奶)

Day 2: 9.4.2010 (宜兰一日一夜游)
1. 早餐: 摩斯汉堡 (Mos Burger)

2. 台北火车站 (台北---->罗东)

a. 自强号: 1小时16分: NT$239

3. 国立传统艺术中心
a. 传统小吃坊 (猪血糕,红花香肠,冰沙,豆花,蜜饯)
b. 民艺街 (传统街屋)
c. 传习街( 工艺传习所)
d. 临水街

e. 文昌祠戏台(昆曲:弄水袖,唱曲子,动扇子 & 西游记剧场)

4. 住宿: 葛瑞丝民宿Grace Home stay (宜兰县罗东镇四维路152巷7号)
a. http://blog.pixnet.net/gracepark
b. www.gracepark.tw

5. 罗东运动公园

6. 罗东夜市 (葱油饼,龙风卷,包心粉园,花生雪糕,糕渣,卜肉,糖葫芦,当归羊肉羹)

7. 罗东弈顺轩(奶冻卷,新鲜muachi)

Day 3: 10.4.2010 (花莲二日一夜游)
1. 早餐: Grace home stay

2. 罗东火车站(罗东---->花莲)
a. 自强号: 56分: NT$205
b. 租车(二日)
c. 花莲市美食[博爱街165号 (五霸包心粉圆焦糖锉冰), 扁食(混沌), 卤鸭胗]

3. 鲤鱼潭(划船, 漫游鲤鱼山步道)

4. 午餐: 红瓦屋:_老地方文化美食餐厅 (传统阿美族餐厅) Cifadahan café

a. http://www.cifadahan.58168.net
b. 吴郭鱼石煮 (以槟榔叶编织成器皿,置入鱼肉,加上盐巴,生姜,米酒, 以湿地自然涌泉为汤底, 陆续加入烧热的石头,最后放入湿地野菜), 紫米饭,烤山猪肉,野菜,芦笋

5. 东海岸游车河
a. Cliff house拍照留念

6. 住宿:法喜民宿

7. 晚餐: 陈记状元粥铺 (状元粥, 红豆牛奶甜点,芝麻饼)

8. 自强夜市(棺材板,炭火烤肉串,米粉梗,杏仁红豆汤,西饼,烤玉米)

Day 4: 11.4.2010 (花莲二日一夜游)
1. 早餐: 法喜民宿”幸福”套餐

2. 太鲁阁国家公园

a. 东西横贯公路牌坊
b. 宁安桥
c. 燕子口
d. 九曲洞步道
e. 慈母桥
f. 天祥庙

3. 花莲火车站(花莲---->台北)
a. 午餐 (铁路便当: 排骨,酸菜,卤蛋,豆干,白饭,腌萝卜,芥菜)

4. 住宿: 新驿旅店

5. 博爱路相机街

6. 西门耵
a. 红楼剧场
b. 西门耵服饰街
c. 诚品116
d. 万年商业大楼
e. 美食(阿宗面线,青蛙下蛋,珍珠奶茶,KFC 蛋塔,鹅肉,卤肉饭,米粉汤)

Day 5: 12.4.2010 (九份一日游)
1. 台北火车站(台北---->瑞芳)
a. 莒光号: 50分钟, NT$125

2. 逛瑞芳老街
a. 早餐: 泡芙 & 芝士火腿蛋糕 from 花莲
b. 牛肉面,番薯,龙凤卷

3. 乘搭基隆客运到金瓜石站
a. 黄金神社
b. 眺望茶壶山
c. 阴阳海

4. 九份
a. 九份老街
b. 升平戏院
c. 美食: 赖阿婆芋圆,盐酥菇,田螺,烤鳗鱼,鱼丸汤

5. 台北市林夜市 (豪大炸鸡排,蜜汁鸡排. 臭豆腐,当季水果,油饭,螃蟹羹,锉冰)

6. 住宿: 新驿旅店


Day 6: 13.4.2010 (台北市 & 淡水一日游)
1. 龙山寺
2. 中正纪念堂
3. 国家戏剧院
4. 台北101 (板南线市政府站)
5. 纽约纽约购物中心
6. 诚品书城信义旗舰店
7. 静思书轩
8. 淡水河岸
9. 淡水老街 (美食: 阿给小吃,鱼酥,阿婆铁蛋,珍珠包,铁塔:炸薯片)
10. 渔人码头: 情人桥
11. 住宿: 新驿旅店

Day 7:
1. 乘搭台湾高铁(台北车站---->桃园 )
2. 回家

2010 wishes

It is the 10th day of 2010...

When the holiday mood gradually faded and washed out from the mind, when we just set some resolutions which yet to be implement, the news of churches being burnt down shocked the Malaysians.

I am shocked with what had actually happened to our country. This is the 2nd time the places of worship had been brutally vandalized by a small group of irresponsible people. First the buffalo head was being thrown into a Hindu temple, now they set fire on churches, what is next? The Buddhist temple?

This is a multiracial country. Race issue is like a time bomb. It is set everywhere and explosions will happen anywhere & anytime if we are not careful with what we say and what we do. Lets condemn those who act without thinking.

Burning down churches would not resolved the matters. For those who are not satisfied with the courts decision, this is not the correct way of expressing your disappointment or anger. So are these people trying to tell the world that Muslims or Islams teaching are so violent? and they will destruct everything which is not in line with them?

Send those people who involved with arson attack to jail. Find out those people. Why when there are witnesses come forward to help in investigations that the police are still not able to find any suspects?

Donating RM500,000 may be a good move to help in cooling down the issue for a while. In order to prevent things from happen again, our "great leaders" must really do something. They must have a broad and open minded to embrace and absorb all culture and be fair to every race in this country...

We still have 355 days to go as 2010 just started. Lets do something to help in succeeding the 1Malaysia concept. Lets forget about the color of the skin. We may have a different flesh color, but always remember that the color of blood of every human are same....

BMS

BMS stands for balance medication sheets. It is a letter issued by my hospital pharmacy department to remind patients to collect their balance medications at certain date...

In government hospitals or clinics, the doctors usually see patients with chronic diseases once in every 2 months or sometime up to 9 months. SO within the 1st and the next appointment, patient will usually continue on their medications and they have to collect their medications in the pharmacy department.

If they are in the private hospitals, usually they can collect all of their medications in one go. However, in the government setting, with the increasing number of patients and the limited budget to buy drugs, we always control our supply by issuing out a BMS to the patient to ask them to come back to collect the balance and at the same time check their compliance on those medications.

Towards the end of the year, we are issuing out a lot of BMS, to almost every patient and at a very near date... For example if the doctor prescribed 6 months medications, we can only supply 1-2 months supply, some even only 2 weeks supply. This means that we have to see the patient VERY VERY often to refill their prescriptions.

Refilling prescriptions at this speed----once every 2 weeks or once a month for a 6months prescriptions is tiring. It is very inefficient and lowering the compliance of patients on their medications. Although no actual statistic had been published on the percentage of patient coming back to collect their balance med, it will definitely not be 100%...

For patients who are not considerate, they will make a lot of noise and complaining that the government servants are not efficient and we are cold blood. I do not blame them. If I were the patient, I will also be very frustrated to come back and collect medications so often and each time when I come back, I have to purposely take leave, spend money on transport, waste time on waiting, sigh... such a miserable life.

However, I must say something on behalf of my department. We are also human and we feel sympathy on the patients who have to keep coming back for their medications, especially the elderly and those who stays very far from the hospital. Everyday we are trying very hard to ensure that the supply of the medications are sufficient. But with the increasing numbers of patients who transfer from private to government hospitals due to economic downturn and the H1N1 flu outbreak last 2 months and without extra money given to the pharmacy department, what can we do? We got no money to buy and can only borrow a small amount from other hospitals when the medication finish. I especially feel sad for my colleagues who work in the store who have to keep calling to beg for drugs from other hospital...

I strongly agree with a comment published in the STAR paper from an Ipoh pharmacist.

"I can confidently say that government pharmacy departments are at a breaking point whereby in many cases the money has already run out"

"Therefore I urge our Prime Minister and health minister to look into this urgent matter. Maybe instead of spending money to open 50 1Malaysia clinics, the allocation can be used to meet public demand for medications"

In my opinion, it is really time to consider to increase the payment to receive treatments in the government hospital and make sure that only those hardcore poor citizens enjoy free treatments. For those who are "not so poor" they can at least pay for their medications, at least 20% of medications they received. This can also make sure that wastage of medications lowered. When one have to fork out money to pay, they will then appreciate how much had the government done on providing the almost free healthcare treatment to the public. We are all tax payers. I do not wish the money which I contribute to the country continue to use to support some rich people.....

Panic

I was hopping that I can finish the trainee life asap. But now when it is all over, I felt uneasy and suddenly do not know what to do with my life.

The one year of PRP turns out to be a calm and steady path. But when everything turns out to be too smooth, it just doesn't seems right... It is a very difficult feeling to be explain by words.

Most of my best friends and colleagues were posted to the east Malaysia or cities in the northern states to continue their government service. The ministry of health people seems to be to tired with all of us. Non of the appeal to stay back in the hometown were accepted and all of them just suddenly dissapear from my life. We don't even hav a proper farewell gathering before they leave. It is all too sudden, and I think I am still not used to it until now.

It is 2 weeks from the day I reported to my workplace. It is glad to know that I can continue to work in the same place, staying in the comfort zone and ignoring the world outside. BUT these voices in my brain telling me to get out from the place I am familiar with and get out from my parent's house I had stayed for 25 years had grew stronger and stronger. I will ended up having schizephrenia if I still live my life like this.

what I am suppose to do????????????????????????????????