Once a year gathering..

I am not sure how other people celebrate Hari Raya.. but for my family, since I first came to this world it has always been house visits.. We would usually start from our late grandmother's house then our aunts and uncles.. My mother has about 10 siblings.. So you can imagine the number of houses we visit in a day and how long will the celebration continue...

It has been 3 years now since my maternal grandmother passed away.. but the tradition continues. Though we do not have a "kampung" to go back to during Hari Raya, we still celebrate it with full of excitement. So we still continue going from one house to another. And during this month of Syawal that we cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles, meet very often.. almost everyday in the first week and once a week thereafter.. and at each house we would spend hours and hours.. never bored and tired talking to each other.. we make jokes, update each other about our lives, we talk, we eat etc.. Sorry colleagues, hence the reason for me to take long leave during Raya though my "kampung" is just in KL.

Each house would have their own special delicacies.. Lontong, Ayam Golek, Laksa Asam, Laksa Johor, Beriyani, Soto, Lamb Kuzi, Chocolate Cake etc.. Everything is just delicious and mouth-watering. But as our aunts and uncles are ageing gracefully, food had to be catered nowBut that still do not spoil the spirit of togetherness.

The family grows each year. There is always new addition to the family... either someone just got married or just give birth.. This year, I see that little baby sleeping on mommy's lap and next year, I see her crawl and the year after that, I see her running around!

There were suggestions to cut this tradition short. Instead of going from one house to another.. we spend the whole day in ONE house (taking turns).. but most of my uncles and aunts did not agree to this. So continue with this current tradition. Though this current tradition is tiring... but it's fun!

I had them coming to my house yesterday.. Extremely tired.. worked all day long and did not manage to entertain most of them.. but we were happy.. Glad celebrate Hari Raya this way.. and more houses to visit next weeks!

After Syawal.. most of us will continue with our lives.. rarely get to meet and chat.. Luckily we have facebook and twitter.. a great way to update and share some pieces of our lives with others... :)

Selamat Hari Raya

SELAMAT HARI RAYA

Hope it's not too late... Selamat Hari Raya and Maaf Zahir Batin to all...

I've been extremely busy this year.. and I'm not sure why.. Do I really have a lot of things to do or I am not managing my time well..

Anyway, this is just to explain as to why I might not reply Raya wishes or even send raya wishes to a lot of people this year.. So I with this hari baik and bulan baik.. I am forgiven. :)

I hope this year's Ramadhan was our best! Just in case we do not meet another Ramadhan next year. And Eidul Fitri is also a celebration of us battling our nafsu. So, hope we didn't lose to it right on the day of celebration..

So everyone, keep controlling your emotion, your desire to eat, spend etc.. drive safe! I can imagine how bad the traffic going to be on Sunday!! So.. be patient and have a wonderful Raya celebration!

A neglected blog..

OMG! I have neglected my blogs for ages!! Blame this on the phone! I rarely use the computer to access the internet these days and find typing on the small iPhone as too tiring.. so no update!

See.. that's human.. very simple.. always blame on others.. haha.

It has been exactly 9 months since I last updated this blog. So many things happened... of course the ups and downs.. but alhamdulillah more ups than down. Also blessed with great people around me who were always there to catch me fall and offered their hands to bring me up again.. :)

So... here I am.. gonna start BLOGGING AGAIN (I hope this is for real!)

Thanks 2010, it has been great and hello 2011!

2010 is coming to an end. In just 8 minutes, 2011 will say hi to all of us. So does this exact timing matters? Why must it be hallmark for change? Why do we have to wait for certain time to make resolution?
Hmm.. I guess this specific time help us to set our turning point. Without it some of us may not have any vision or will be lost.. Where is the end of my journey?
For me, i cherish two new years.. 1st muharram and 1st jan.. Both serve as a cornerstone for me to stop.. Look back what i have gone through past 12 months.. What I did and what I didn't do, what I should do and should not do...
Then, sit down and think how I want my life in the new year be..
But i don't quite see the point counting down the new year, watching fire crackers and partying.. What happens after that? Hangover? Tired and sleepy on the first day of a new year? Thought it should be THE day for us to start working for a new start?!
Oh, well.. It's one minute past midnight.. Happy new year all.. Hope you all had a great time in 2010 like I did and 2011 will be even greater..
Back to my comfortable warm blanket and pillow.. Hoping for a good start at work tmrw!

Pleasure of doing nothing...

Oh.. This has been the most awaiting week before the new year begins... Breakaway week.. The most interesting part is, this breakaway week has 2 parts. Part 1 is ending soon.. Tomorrow that is..

So this first part of breakaway is kewl.. Really enjoying the pleasure of doing nothing. All I did was relaxing, siting by the beach and reading story books... All the stress totally gone. Could feel the energy coming back and I think I am ready to go back to work! Oops.. Not so soon! Second part will follow soon and can't wait for that too!

Oh, yeah... The new year in the Islamic calendar begins tomorrow.. Anything should have done but didn't do? Well, I suppose worth carrying forward.. Ready with new year resolution? Anyway, I wish everyone Salam ma'al hijrah and inshaAllah we will have a better and blessed year ahead.

Letting go..

Half of my patients in the female ward are in the geriatric group (age more than 65). Some are good old people - a term we use describing the functional status - independent, mobile and lucid. Some are the opposite..

So I had a patient.. 95 year-old lady... with some underlying medical problems. She was admitted to a different hospital before this. She told her children she wanted to die at home.. so they brought her home. However, the children noted their mother was very breathless that they could not bare looking at her mother like that.. she brought her to my hospital...

In the ward, she was not doing well and she knew her time is coming.. she wants to leave in peace. Some culture believe the best to die is to die at home, not the hospital. So, both the team and family decided to let her go if she deteriorate further. A mutual understanding that can sometimes be difficult to achieve between healthcare and family members.. May she rests in peace..

Loving someone is not only by keeping them with you, but sometimes letting them go. Letting them go in a dignified way.. in peace. I am sure she has had a wonderful 90 years of life. As for the children.. I am sure they were good children to her that they do not have guilt and regrets if she goes. Some people, at the very last minute of someone's life.. tend to decide to keep them. Not for the best interest of that someone.. But for their own best interest.. due to guilt etc... 

The thing is, cherish whatever we have, whoever that person is.. more so if they are our parents. Treat them well. Think as if either one of us can go at anytime and we do not want regrets and guilt. Keeping is not always a sign of love but letting go can be a sign of love.. a TRUE and SACRED love.. A sacrifice.. 

Losing another friend to the neighbour..

Past 5 years in my career, met a lot of friends.. Good ones mostly. Went through thick and thin, ups and downs together... 2 have left.. But with the current technology, we are still in touch!

And tomorrow, losing another friend. T.R.Y. in short, will be going to Lion City to pursue her dreams to be a nephrologist.. To get into fellowship programme in Malaysia is taking too long until the country lost a lot of good doctors. Maybe we need to do something about it?

Anyway, T.R.Y., it's been a great pleasure to know you. Thanks for being there for me through thick and thin, from the first time we took our first part together to Singapore until now. I am sure supernova will agree with me on this!

Hard to say goodbye..

With supernova and ward sisters

Farewell present

Lastly, T.R.Y. all the best and do come back after your training..