DAY 1318-1335

Apr 11 - 28

1) Welcome to this edition of my blog. There is nothing particularly exciting to report, other than that we have finished the last of the written exams - a 3-hour abstract paper. With that out of the way, we can focus on our actual dissertation write-ups and (hopefully) submit in time. That would be the culmination of my year as a graduate student (technically before I even have a degree), so I hope things go according to plan.

2) Meanwhile, the Fellowship continues, as my friends and I spent a good three hours watching (over the internet, of course) the second movie of the Lord of the Rings trilogy - The Two Towers. Now there's just one more movie to go and the journey will be complete. And after that, we can obviously look forward to planning the Harry Potter movie-a-thon!

3) For now, the weather seems to be holding up really nicely. Temperatures have soared into the mid-20 degrees; this comes amidst warnings by the British PM Boris Johnson not to venture out, lest we lose the advantage we've gained so far by social distancing. As a future healthcare practitioner, it is a bit difficult (perhaps even baffling) for me how there are so many protesters who flout lockdown policies or dismiss them outright. It is even sadder still when some of these people think that it is not their responsibility to take care of others.

4) We have to realise that there are people out there who literally cannot protect themselves (due to advanced age, having a weak immune system, being on medication that suppresses the immune system etc). These people rely on the young, fit, and able not to simply go out and bring back this highly infectious disease. If you can't stay at home so that others may benefit, at least do it for the sake of your own family...

5) Finally, I am speechless regarding US President Donald Trump's botched handling of the situation. The Guardian quoted economist Joseph Stiglitz who likened the handling to that of a third-world country, but surely that is an insult to every other country in the world.[1] From claiming in January that everything was "under control" [2](the US now has close to a million infected - by far the country with the most cases), that it would all miraculously "disappear" (February) [2], to suggesting vaccines would be available "in the next few months" (clinical trials of vaccines would probably happen, but the vaccine itself would certainly NOT be ready) [2], to questioning the surge in demand from hospitals for protective equipment as "hoarding" or "worse than hoarding" (all without evidence) [2], to the more recent advocating of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine [3](despite initially shaky evidence for which the FDA now actually cautions against), to finally his suggesting that somehow "injecting" a disinfectant could "clean" the lungs.[4] Mix that all in with blatant racism [5] and sexism [6], and one wonders how any sane person can continue to support him.

6) It is this one man's ability to make claims without any evidence, backed by his supporters who will probably support him no matter what he says or does, that will ultimately cost the US very dearly.

7) On a side note, to all the anti-vaxxers out there, please consider that this is an example where we do not have a vaccine for just one disease. Now imagine if a few more came along.

8) I had hoped not to go on a long rant here, but I suppose some things are actually better off said. I can only hope that things take a turn for the better, and I pray that those who protest or think they "cannot get it" or that "it is just like flu" will seriously reconsider their decision. Apologies for the long post, but I've had quite a long time to think about this.

9) Thanks for visiting my blog as always, and have a nice day. Cheers!

The bubonic plaque, smallpox, leprosy, cholera, SARS, H1N1, and now Covid-19:

There has been no shortage of pandemics throughout the history of humankind.

In the future - I am sure - it will be written in the History books how we managed to overcome this unseen foe. Let us all do our part to make this a reality.

Bibliography
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/22/top-economist-us-coronavirus-response-like-third-world-country-joseph-stiglitz-donald-trump

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/mar/28/trump-coronavirus-misleading-claims

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-cautions-against-use-hydroxychloroquine-or-chloroquine-covid-19-outside-hospital-setting-or

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-suggests-injection-disinfectant-beat-coronavirus-clean-lungs-n1191216

https://www.straitstimes.com/world/united-states/growing-wave-of-racism-and-hate-crimes-as-virus-spreads

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/30/us/politics/trump-women-coronavirus.html

DAY 1216-1230

Dec 31 - Jan 14

1) Happy New Decade 2020! I've been neglecting blog posting recently, and that's because I wanted to focus on my Module 2 (Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience) exams - which finished just today. It wasn't an easy exam; having to write four essays in three hours is certainly a challenge, for me at least. On the bright side, that means we only have four more exams to go, before starting our dissertation. This is probably the most exciting part of the entire course for me, and I cannot wait!

2) It is two weeks too late for this, but I'm going to do it anyway - my decade in review. I literally have nothing else to talk about as I was busy revising for exams, so I figure it'd be nice looking back at my journey in the past decade. It is certainly hard to believe that ten years ago, I was still in Form 2 (secondary school) in SMK Anderson, studying seven compulsory subjects (for our PMR or Lower Secondary Assessment), and wondering when my next game of badminton with my friends was going to be. Things were simpler back then - study a little in the morning, go to school in the afternoon (Form 1 and 2 were afternoon sessions), then come back in the evening and hang out with friends.

3) Form 3 and 4 were my fondest years of high school. I was honestly quite fit, going for evening runs (5km or 10km) in the neighbourhood and playing badminton with my friends on most weekends. As some of my badminton kakis (mates) were school or district players, I could really feel my skills improving as the months and years went by. At the start of Form 4, most of my friends entered the "Science Stream", and I chose 10 subjects - opting to take Accounting Principles ("Prinsip Perakaunan") externally, as our school only offered 9 subjects for our SPM (Malaysian Certificate of Education). Around this time I won the Japanese Language Speech Competition at National Level and therefore represented my country to Tokyo, Japan. It was a dream come true.

4) Form 5 (GCE-O Levels) was a very busy year for me, as I was in charge of many clubs and societies, along with my duties as a prefect. SPM was an arduous journey, as it was spread out over more than a month, and I still remember for the final paper (Biology Paper 3), I really couldn't care anymore about the results; I just wanted it to be over. In the end, while I didn't get that string of full A+ that would have enabled me to apply for a government scholarship, I was still satisfied with my results. After a few weeks in STPM (Form 6 - the Pre-U equivalent), I won a scholarship into Tenby International School's CIE A-Levels programme, as the batch of Cohort 10.

5) My time at Tenby was very well spent. Due to the nature of our course, we had the opportunity to dabble in debates (the Global Perspectives Debates and SIDEO debates at UTP), engage in Model United Nations events, and perform in drama and theatre. I thoroughly cherish the time leading up to my A2 finals; while there was obviously the stress of exams, I somehow feel that this was me at my absolute happiest. I had a very organised schedule, did a lot of activities and sport, had loads of support from my family, my teachers and my friends, and actually enjoyed what I was studying. I fondly remember chatting with my dad at the top of Bkt Kledang (Kledang Hill), discussing what my future plans might be. I had so many ambitions at that time - I was passionate about cars so automotive engineering? I loved debating and public speaking too, so would law be a good choice then? But I also did three sciences at A-Levels and loved drawing anatomy; would medicine be an option?

6) In the end, I went down the path of medicine. As I had missed that year's intake, I needed to wait till next September to apply. In the meantime, I undertook basic first aid training, spent some time in a hospice environment caring for the elderly, gave home tuition and worked as a substitute teacher in Chemistry. Then I started medical school in RCSI, Ireland - and the rest, as they say, is history. Or just take a look at Day 1 of my blog again XD. Anyway, looking back, it is truly amazing how far my friends and I have come since our secondary school (and for many of us, primary school) days. Everyone has forged their own paths, and many more have already graduated and are already working.

7) In summary, I honestly feel that I've grown a lot over the years, not just in academics but more so in independence and maturity - especially living on my own in a foreign country, and learning to cope with and overcoming difficulties alone. These have been difficult but ultimately valuable life lessons that I hope to carry throughout my life.

8) Also, a very big thank you to everyone who wished me on my birthday! It was a delight to read the wonderful messages, even as I was preparing for exams. And while I'm at it, may I wish everyone that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, the very best as we reel in the new decade. Cheers!

The following pictures are from ten years past - each photo a milestone and a fond memory through my life's journey...

Chinese New Year 2010 open house with my family :)

CNY Buffet Lunch - me and my mom at Syuen Hotel (2010)

2012 Japanese Language Speech Contest - anxiously waiting for the results :)

My Accounting guru and friends - this was our first reunion a year after our SPM examination (2014)

(l-r: Victor, Hon Wa, Pn Siti Fauziah, Myself)

Trip to Cameron Highlands - Cohort 9 and 10 Tenby (A-Levels) group photo (2014)

My dad and myself (at the Gaharu Tea Valley in Gopeng, Ipoh) (2015)

Chinese New Year with my family in Kuala Lumpur (2015)

Trip to Qing Xin Ling Leisure and Cultural Village (2015)

(the sign says "We are one family" <3)

29th Annual Dinner of the Perak Malaysian-Japanese Friendship Society (2015)

- with my parents and Fong-sensei, my Japanese Language teacher :)

Family trip to Bukit Tinggi, sponsored by my mom's thriving laundromat business (2016)

Bon Odori Japanese Festival in Shen Jai High School (2016) - 

counting up the months leading to my departure for Ireland