Langkawi ...

... here I come! Can't believe it is August already. The last time it was August, I was back in Australia - enjoying spring. Sigh, time flies. Since I was back in Malaysia, I reckon life has not been really that bad. Work was not bad, could be better.

Anyway, I will be away on vacation with my family in Langkawi, far north for four days. Then, while driving back south, we will stop by at Penang for my graduation! Finally ... the ceremony is here! I am all packed and ready to go. I wonder will Vynn have enough time to meet me up.

Thanks Anthony for temaning me on Sunday! Lastly, I would like to thank all my friends for my blated birthday gifts; the three design books from PageOne Kinokuniya and chipping in for my future camera gadget. Hugs, Love ya'all.


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Merdeka Ad

Is it me, or the Merdeka Ads are late?

It's almost 31st and I have not even seen a single Merdeka Ad on TV!
...

...

...

Maybe the advertisements got banned ...

Follow up Checkup

Was having problem blogging since a few days ago. Dunno why ....

I had my follow-up checkup today back in Sunway Hospital. After a string of bad experience there, it seems so weird to walk into the hospital again. My follow up results are good, no cancerous growth, the anal fissure is gone, wound is healing faster than what the doctor is expected and my doctor is getting richer. The consultation took less than 15 minutes and it cost RM60. Previously, when I was in the sick bed, each visit from Dr. Q cost RM180. My surgery was RM5000 .... No wonder he can afford that watch!

Anyway, I finally took some time exploring my D80. Had a mini little studio set up and some of the pictures turn out quite well. The pictures are fairly huge, but here are a few of them...





I just can't seem to get the whole background white. Perhaps it is the cloth, or lighting or maybe my camera setting.





Shot was taken outside my house, with a white cloth placed at the wall. I only used natural sun light. The effect wasn't there but the results were not that bad.



Overall, the shooting session took some time off my Monday afternoon. Setting up was time consuming, not having an assistant is quite troublesome and trying to get the photo you want is even harder. If you think taking picture is that simple, think again! Would just like to thank my two sisters for helping out even when it was hot outside.

Thank you Ariel and Angela, and the bunch of oranges!

Birthday Surgery @ Sunway Hospital

I had to share the room with three other uncles. Why? Insurance. It was an experience. One hell of a bad experience.

• Uncle A in front of me is in a Coma. You can often hear him choking on his breathing machine, releasing loud coughs, nurses running and rushing around him, calming him. Not a pretty sight.
• Uncle B next to me snores so loud, you wish you could choke him. He talks so loud, you wish you could choke him. His mobile rings so loud, you wish you could choke him and his relative is as loud as him, you wish your friends were there to choke all of them.
• Uncle C is always missing in action. He just walks out of the hospital until the nurses call him. How would I know the nurses call him? Our ward is right next to the counter, you can literally hear the nurses chat.

Yes, noise noise noise. Yes, I didn't get any good rest. Yes, it was hell.

Then, we have the part where the nurses are so full of shit. Firstly, they left me in the operating theater for an hour after I was awake from the operation. Enduring pain for an hour without pain killer is worse than hell. The operating theater called my ward 4 times and no one came for me. Excuse given, they were busy. Then, I found out that the whole delay including the opt took 2 hours. Initially, they told my parents it was only a 30min process. Forgetting to inform my parents about my condition is unforgivable. The left my parents waiting and worried sick.

As I doze off in the ward, I could hear loud chatters from the nurses at the counter. I could hear uncles coughing and talking away. I was asleep with stress in my mind. A fever was developing.

I woke up a few hours later to find myself alone, hungry. Meal was served. I ate and vomited. Normal reaction due to anesthetic from the operation. But it was not normal to have no nurses attending to me. SMSed Kenny for help. Struggled to get the emergency button. Then someone came, wish me well and told me to rest. Again I was drugged without food.

Woke up at midnight. Painful and hungry. The nurse came and said "If you want milo, tell me and then we can make you one". I said ok, she poured the water and left the milo powder right next to the glass. Then, she walked off without even looking at me. The glass and mini container was placed so far within my reach, I gave up trying to get the drink. I rather starve than to move my ass and make the drink myself.

Later a nurse came in and gave me pain killers. Again, they left the medicine right next to the milo powder. Do I look like I can stretch my arm like a rubber band? Is it so hard to just bloody pass me the stuff???

What ticked me off? They told me to soak my ass in salt water to reduce the pain. Again they left me in the toilet and totally forgot about me. I had to stand up, watched my ass bleed and ring the god damn emergency button again. The head nurse rushes in and apologized. She gave her team a death stare and personally helped me.

Finally I got to go home and I had to wait for the bloody bill to be settled. Of course, the nurses told me that I was fit enough to leave the bed. I did - in good karma for other patients admitting. After an hour, I began to have a headache and my dad notice blood stains on my pants. I was bleeding again, and the management panic and rearrange another room for me. My dad didn't understand why they asked me to leave my bed.

My dad was furious, he lashed out at the management for ill treating me. Mum took me home. I left the hospital about 12 and my dad is still there right now (2pm) waiting for the bill to be settled because my doctor did not sign a document receipt to be issued as payment. So, now my dad has to wait for the doctor ... and they expected me to wait that long.

Dad told me the bill came up to $8000 ... I say, not worth a single penny at all. The only time I ever get good service was when I ordered a hot chocolate from the Starbucks downstairs.

Is it me being too dramatic or the staff at the hospital are just irresponsible, insensitive and despicable ? Maybe that is why Uncle C tries to escape from the ward 3 times yesterday. I don't know, but I would NEVER recommend the hospital to anyone.

What a birthday to remember

Birthday 2007

Ah! I am one year older. That sucks ...

The funny thing is that most of my birthdays are really cursed. This year, I will be singing birthdays songs in the operating theater. Yes, I am going for a surgery to dispose an infected growth due to anal fissure. Don't get any funny ideas! It is not caused by sex. I will keep the information to myself unless you ask me ... personally.

After clearing my bowels, more than 10 times in the toilet, I fell asleep and woke up right in the middle of the morning, feeling hungry. I literally had nothing down my throat, except for the Salmon at Curve and 4 pieces of Oreo for dinner. Why can't they just cut open me, slice that damn thing off? I didn't even had a bite of my own birthday cake! Argh!

Anyway, I would like thank everyone for coming to Italiannies! Like Jimmy said, it was fun to have two great meals with a bunch of friends in a month. Here are the pictures. I apologize if some of them are quite blur. As you all know, the Nikon D80 DSLR is still very new to me.


Kenny


The girls and me (l-r); Azie, Janet, Andrew, Claire, Jenny


The guys and me (l-r); Clement, Alvin, Colin, Andrew, Anthony


Jimmy, Edward


William, Dennis


Desert at Ikea


Ever so beautiful - Claire


The bunch at Ikea

Changing winds

Hmm ... it seems that everyone has lost interest in blogging. Maybe timing is an issue, but the bottom line is hardly anyone update their blog. Well, just to let my loyal readers (the little few) know - I would be moving my blog to somewhere else soon. Once I get my DSLR, I want to share my photographs with all my readers. Due to that reason, I am searching for a platform that allows me to blog and upload images with user friendly "album" and "gallery" features. Blogspot doesn't provide that! How sad. So keep in touch ~~~ I might still input a few words to keep the blog alive.

Wish me luck.

The photography quest ...

Nikon? Canon? D40? The new D40X? Expensive? No? Which is better? Canon! Which is clearer? Nikon. Rebel 350D? I prefer the Rebel 400D! Rebel's lenses are shitty! Nikon lenses are better! But Nikon has manual focus! Canon has more reliable lenses? No? Yes! Other brands? Nah ~ Shitty. Price? Similiar ... Focals? Aperture? Speed? Best recommended lens : EF 24-70, f2.8 = but it is 3 months my salary! Cheaper ones = not recommended. Sigma? Awaiting news? Erm ... 1500RM ok kua? Can right? Awaiting answer ... Humidity counts? Humidity matters? A country like Malaysia how? No difference? Got! Got meh? Not sure ... -_-"' Using for? Potrait? Landscape? Potrait and landscape? Macro! I like macro shots. Lighting? Dark lighting needs smaller f.28. Borrow lighting lo! Here is where I thank Eva! Muax# love you babe. But f2.8 is safest to get. If substitute with add-on flash? Add on cash! Huh? Total calculation for Camera =

*press calculator

2500
1500
1000

5000

with crumpler bag ...
5500

Sigh* Expensive hobby ... and this is only the beginning

Ask yourself ...

When was the last time you spend some time looking at the sky?

or sat and listen to the sound of wave hitting the beach?

or count the stars?

or said something nice to your neighbor?

or did some gardening?

or plan some adventurous activities with your close friends?

or treat your family to a proper dinner?

or visited some charity organizations?

or helped an elderly in need?

or took a stroll down a botanical garden?

or even went to the theater?


As a working-Malaysian, one is usually not entitled to such privilege lifestyle because there is no time for such minor, not important and ignorable events. I find that an excuse. An excuse that should be proven false. Prove me wrong

Truly Amazing

It's amazing! I log onto my stat counter and realize that there are still people reading my blog! AMAZING!

I have to say that the numbers had drop to a close 70% but I suppose I am not the only one. If you take 15min to explore the blogger tabs on the right, you will realize that even the most frequent blogger has ... erm ... halt in blogging.

Why?

My only guess - The government or rather hypocritical organizations are suing bloggers. But I truly believe, that is not the reason. Everyone just got busy ... with life.

I wonder does Kennysia and XiaXue still blogs as often?

Soon ... No one will be blogging. Another ICQ case

Andrewkin Lifestyle Challenge

What do you think your name means?
Mum used to tell me that it is a hurricane name - just like me, Unpredictable and mischievous

When you were a kid, who do you want to be?
Lion-O from Thundercats

Which is your favorite radio station?
LiteFM

One thing people always mistaken about you
My age

One thing people always find amusing about you
My age

What is your best attributes?
My spontaneous jokes

One person you would love to meet
Christina Aguilera

Tell us a dirty secret about you
I love collecting business-working shirts ... Nice ones ~

Something you wish you had
Talent in singing

What CD is currently spinning in your player
Frank Sinatra – Movie Themes

One person you wish you could kill
Samy V

One person you wish you could revive from the death
Princess Diana

In one word, describe yourself
Complex

In two words, describe your life
Really weird

Which is your favorite football team?
You can’t be serious!

Favourite movie?
Forrest Gump

Song currently playing in your head, why?
Fire – Babyface & Desire. Because I just heard it over the radio

What is your best physical asset?
I have one???

What is your dream car?
Honda Jazz

One thing you find funny in life
Man, woman, god, money, friends … wait … that is more than one.

Your motto in life
Live life with burning passion

Which song made you cry?
Paris Hilton’s Stars are blind

If you are only granted one wish, what would you wish for?
World Peace *Does the Miss Universe Wave and Smile