Crazy Week–check.

I HATE BEING SICK!

But anyway, crazy week is over… and all that’s left now is a friend’s wedding before there’s absolutely nothing to do and I will become library furniture for a good 3 weeks. Hello November! :))) you mean Christmas is coming soon! I LOVE CHRISTMAS.

Here are the things I did last week:

 

The crowd at acoustic night. :) Thanks, guys!

Tuesday: Acoustic night @ the dance room, IMU. Turnout was awesome–about 50 or 60 peeps showed up to support, play, or watch. Of course, the food was a success. Thank you so much, Faye-sama, MY-sama, and Su Ann for the cooking and chopping!! And definitely, thank you to the photographers, Tay & Esther. :))

 

The group song at the closing, Here in My Home.

Thursday: Flavors of Malaysia @ Atrium, IMU. I wore a kebaya-cheongsam, borrowed from Farah. Got a lot of compliments! Turnout was, again, more than we expected, but due to not-so-great planning and a lot of underexpectations, we ran out of food and encountered a few problems. Apologies to those who bought coupons but didn’t get to use them all… T_T; Thank you for your support, though! Nevertheless, we had fun! 

 

The spooky/kinky group amongst the graves...

Friday: Hallowe’en night @ Chancellor hall, IMU. I went as a Japanese schoolgirl, with a rotan. So did Esther, but without the spanky item. Deco was awesome, food was okay (I didn’t like the spicyness because I had a sore throat, but whatever), and costumes were really spectacular! :) People really dressed up! The last time I saw that was about 2 years ago at Kings’ halloween dance. The dancefloor didn’t quite work out because of the lecture hall sound system, but the BAKING WAS AWESOME. <3 I luff Faye-sama’s pumpkin cake & pumpkin tarts.

 

Me & Alice, the fantastic bride-to-be!

Saturday: Alice’s Hen Night @ Souled Out, Hartamas. Dresscode for the ladies was a white top with jeans, and the bride can wear whatever she wants. No naughty pix disclosed publicly, just one of me and the bride. ;) It was, indeed, a fun night out for the bride, complete with some cute guys, albeit a bit older. I’ll be ji mui  and singing at her wedding this coming Saturday! :)))

Off to IMU now. :) I’ve got to prepare for CSU. Bye, loves, and happy November!!

Events Management

Sometimes, I feel like I’m in events management as opposed to studying medicine. Oh well. Here’s what I’ve been up to for the past few weeks instead of studying. (30 DAYS TO EXAM OMIGAWDDDDD SOMEONE HELP ME)

Presenting…

ACOUSTIC OPEN MIC NIGHT on the 27th of October, Tuesday, 7-11pm @ the Dance Studio, IMU BJ campus.

Acoustic Night is an open mic event organized by the Music & Performance club of the International Medical University, Bukit Jalil campus. :) No entrance fee, no hidden charges. Expect a casual, light-hearted, chillout evening full of unique acoustic performers, each carrying their own styles and emotive rhythms. Soulful songs, converted R’n'B tracks, locally-penned anthems, self-written ditties and cheeky love songs are the order of the night. This is the 2nd time the acoustic night is being held, in lieu of the successful 1st night in August. Oh, and don’t forget the awesome company, FREE food, and random moments of laughter and fun. We might even have professors performing. SEE YOU THERE!

aaaaand

FLAVORS OF MALAYSIA, the ME1/08 Malaysian studies final project, on the 29th of October, Thursday, 11am-3pm @ the Atrium, IMU BJ campus.

Flavors of Malaysia, so named for being a festival to celebrate the rich culinary culture and tradition of Malaysia, is ME1/08’s Malaysian Studies final project. What to expect? A multitude of palate-teasing dishes from major ethnic cooking methods will be on sale in a food fair, as well as the chance to win exciting prizes (HINT HINT: MOVIE TICKETS) in a few tricky, skill-requiring games booths. To entertain you while you dine in a unique restaurant-style setting, there will be fantastic performances from the major ethnic groups of Malaysia, by IMU local talents. ;) Expect lots of shimmying, but we’re not saying who! And last but not least, should you be the type that likes to read and learn, take a leisurely stroll around the atrium to experience our exhibition displays about the culinary culture of Malaysia! Come join our celebration of Malaysia’s plurality by donning your ever-so-brightly-colored national costume, and tucking in to the vast array of grub awaiting your gustatory senses! (this project is also in support of the MEDT1/08 convocation magazine fund)

That’s it for now. ;) Of course, there’s a Hallowe’en Night that IMU’s organizing on the night of the 30th, but all I’m doing there is emceeing (thankfully) with Korwoi. If you’re interested in attending, give me a buzz and I’ll pick a ticket up for you. RM12 each, and proceeds go to charity (to fund a kampung angkat orang asli’s water supply project).

Breathtaking : SIBKL Live Recording

My church’s worship album DVD Live Recording. It was on the 19th & 20th of September, this past weekend.

It was amazing, mindblowing, and utterly displaying God’s splendor & glory.

It’s been such a blessing & honor to be a part of this fantastic weekend; words cannot describe how much went into it, and how much God’s hand worked through it, aaaand how many lives were touched. The songs are still running through my head.

TASK = CASK indeed! (Character, Attitude, Skill & Knowledge)

Album release on 24th October 2009–stay tuned! :) There are some truly beautiful songs on this album, and I can’t wait for it to come out. All but two of them are originals–and even the “covers” have original parts penned & inserted into them. DON’T FORGET TO GET A COPY!!!

Flipside

Hi all.

Smack me, I’ve been a lazy blogger.

We-ell, a LOT of things have happened, and I can’t help but feel that I’m moving into a different phase of my life now. This semester feels really different from past semesters in the sense that it’s not as busy as previous ones academically, but more taxing on the extra-curricular side.

This is an uber-long catchup post, so click if you wanna read more about what I’ve been doing in the weeks that I’ve been missing.

Bear-bear the Chow chow (2004 – 2009)

Rest in peace, dear Bear-bear.

You are very much loved and missed by all of us. :(

Thank you for being a fantastic guard dog. Thank you for looking after us. Thank you for always pooping in the same place. Thank you for being a comfort to my daddy.

We’ll have to get used to not seeing you waiting by the dog-gate, greeting us with your quiet, still, watchful eyes when we come home, not hearing your fierce bark at intruders, and not being able to comfort you when it’s raining and thundering outside.

We’ll see you in heaven, for Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 says, “After all, the same fate awaits human beings and animals alike. One dies just like the other. They are the same kind of creature. A human being is no better off than an animal, because life has no meaning for either. They are both going to the same place—the dust. They both came from it; they will both go back to it.”

Veggies with the one you love

Lengthy & reflective. READ ON.

For those who don’t know, I committed to read the Bible in a year, and started on the 14th of February, 2009 (yeees, Valentine’s day!). I should be done next Valentine’s. My mum bought me The One Year Bible – NLT, by Tyndale publishers and I’ve been using it ever since. It divides the daily readings as such: a section from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament, a Psalm, and a few Proverbs. :) Adds a little variety so one doesn’t ingest more than one fly whilst reading the copious lists of temple inventory/genealogy in the OT.

MUTEMATH – ARMISTICE : Heck yeah!

I rarely do this whole new album launch news thing–so you understand HOW HYPED I AM! :DDD zOMG MUTEMATH!! NEW ALBUM! YESSSSSSSSSSsssssssss

Pity it’s after my birthday, though. Right… Still!

———————————-

MUTEMATH PREPARE TO LAUNCH “ARMISTICE” ON AUGUST 18, 2009

Burbank, CA-
June 8, 2009 – (Burbank CA) – New Orleans-based eclectic/innovative rock quartet MUTEMATH has just completed their second full-length album for Teleprompt/Warner Bros. Records entitled “ARMISTICE.” Recorded in New Orleans and Oxford, MS and produced by Dennis Herring (Elvis Costello, Modest Mouse, The Hives), the record is scheduled for release on Aug 18th.
Song titles are as follows:

1. The Nerve
2. Backfire
3. Clipping
4. Spotlight
5. No Response
6. Pins and Needles
7. Goodbye
8. Odds
9. Electrify
10. Armistice
11. The Lost Year
12. Burden

Nearly 50 minutes in total, MUTEMATH does not play it safe on their sophomore effort. With a stunning range of dynamics, “ARMISTICE” boasts the kind of masterful production and songwriting that ensure it to be one of the year’s standout albums.

Expect to hear this album very soon. More details to be revealed shortly. Keep en eye on: www.mutemath.com for future announcements, tour dates, merch, special offers and much more.

Taken from their Facebook page.

———————————-

To understand my love for the band, check out this video–one of their latest. I love their music. Love their videos. Love them live. They have this passionate desperation, screaming to be heard, pulsating with life and eccentricity, not caring who hears them and who sees them–they play their music as it is. Mutemath. <3

And yes, I’ve met them before. :D When they came down for the YouthQuake concert in Feb ‘06, way back in Briercrest/Caronport. They weren’t the headliners but I enjoyed them WAY MORE than the headliners. AND I HAVE A SIGNED ALBUM SQUEEE.

Me & 75% of the boys from MUTEMATH! One of them was signing albums. Or in the men's. I dunno.

MUTEMATH FTW!! I CAN’T WAIT FOR THEIR NEW ALBUM!!!

Old Thoughts

Looking back on many things that have transpired in my life, I can say I’ve really changed a lot–for the better in some ways, and lost aspects of myself in other ways.

When you’re aware of the things you’ve done over the years, it either makes you cringe or laugh. I do a little of both. But at the same time, the things that make you cringe are things you wished you never did, because they had a lasting effect on people you loved (or still love). 

With your mouth, you can speak LIFE or DEATH.

I choose to speak life, and all its accessory words. Whatever hurts I’ve caused in the past, I wish to address now, and halt what could potentially be a cycle of pain, suffering, and more hurts. Hurting people hurt others. The truest adage I’ve ever heard, and something that took a while to sink in.

God has really been teaching me a lot–and I daresay it isn’t all fun and smiles. Sometimes the realizations and understandings, the little “Eureka!” moments? They turn into quiet, gray, somber times where one just wants to reflect, ponder, and sit alone in front of a pulsing screen, wordlessly typing out the barrage of thoughts avalanching into their mind. 

I’ve grown quieter and calmer. Less of those “hyperriffic glee” moments that seemed to strike every other minute or so during my high school life. A little slower. I don’t catch things as quick as I used to. More considerate–to the point where it’s sometimes socially paralyzing. I know my parents better. I don’t know my brother well anymore. I haven’t sung in a while. I haven’t written in a while. Nor have I read or drawn in a while. RO’ed today, yesterday, and the day before. Still enjoy lazing in bed long after the sun has risen. Still have the same best friends, with one or two additions since university. Still a geeky nerd on the sly–guilty pleasures of torrented anime, cheap manga, pirated PC games, fantastic exam results and photoshopping.

I don’t fall in love every other day anymore.

Haha.

Growing up is interesting, especially if one keeps a diary. :)

Enhancer Tidbits

Couldn’t resist print-screening this little ad that popped up during my daily facebooking time.

What’s next, 8-inch Mints for the boys?

The next time your boyfriend pops a mint before he kisses you, it ain’t for the breath, sista…

The Long-awaited Night Out

Went to Luna Bar & Bar Celona–both for the first time, with Matt and his two friends, Hansel & Vincent. We were joined briefly by his friend, Benji, who left to go for this TAG event at Barsonic. Jo & Jon came for a while too, then they left to eat and sleep. Photos can be found here.

Never have I spent so much in one night! :((((

I hereby declare that I will only go out on ladies’ night in the future… It’s soooo expensive! No wonder people get broke going clubbing, ugh. For people like me, who go to dance, cover is just killer. Ladies’ night ftw.

The view from our table at Luna Bar.

Seriously, thanks, Matt, for getting my drink at Luna. :) I really liked the atmosphere there–pity we couldn’t sit by the pool or a window. We still got a pretty good seat, though. It’s got a nice view of KL city, has a pool in the center, was quite windy despite part of it being outdoors, and had nice mood music. It feels like a nice, intimate place where you don’t really want to bring a large group. On any other day, I would have been content just to stay there…

Ltr: Matt, Hansel & moi being pose-y.

But I wanted to dance. :P Bar Celona started out being dodgy. Cover charge was HIKED because it was a “public holiday” the next day, and they only gave us beers as the free drink. :( Boo. I don’t like beer. Then, the music they were playing was really un-danceable and gangsta when we walked in, but we tried dancing for a bit. Thankfully, the music got better–or I’d have been really annoyed and felt like I wasted my money on paying cover.

New pet peeve: people who STAND on the dancefloor and take up space. Honestly. There was this dude who just stood in the middle of the dancefloor, with his eyes closed, nodding and smiling to the beat. Hello, dancefloor = DANCE LAH!

The night yielded a few interesting moments… And was a nice end to the week. Not as exciting as I expected, but good nonetheless! Thank you, Matt, for organizing the night and calling all of us. :) Sorry the hat thing didn’t work out, and sorry you had to give up going for the TAG Barsonic old-school rock event. Make it up to you later! Back to CVS + Respi + Hemato + GIT tomorrow…

♡ Happy Mother’s Day! ♡

Happy Mother’s Day to my beloved mum, Anne-mei Wong Wai Mei! :)) When I gave her the cupcakes, she was so thrilled and ate the other “M” vanilla cupcake before I could snap a photo (there were actually 6 of the sprinkles cupcakes– M U M M Y♡ ). Oh mums. I actually wanted to get her some anpan (red bean) buns, but the bakery that I went to didn’t have them! Shock shock. 

Also got her a cili padi plant, because she loves spicy foods and chillies. Now she can have her own home-grown chillies right in her kitchen. Why not flowers? Because my mum, being so adorably practical and wise, once said this, “I don’t like getting flowers because all they do is just look pretty and die… no use-wan!” Can’t say that about a chilli plant, now can you, hee. ;)

LOL. :3

Click to see my message to my mum. <3

<3 Mikado

Today, I profess my love for my one and only Mikado. <3 mikiiii sugarlump honeymuffin pieee. He’s a male shih-tzu, and “Mikado” means emperor in Japanese.

He’s my fluffball. Used to be a wee little guy. Born on an unknown day in November 2002, he’s been raised with the Liew household since Jan ‘03. You’ll be 7 this year, baby! (49 in dog year, oo-er) HE STILL HAS HIS BALLS, but he’s not allowed to date… yet.

Meeks is like me in many ways. He loves to camwhore,

Sleep,

Be the center of attention,

 

Wild party hair, yo.

Sneak into every photograph,

and steal food off of the table when he thinks nobody’s watching.

He also has his weird moments, like when he decides the chair crossbeam is more comfortable than a soft pillow… and just spaces out.

He doesn’t like other boys–

in fact, he gets jealous and sulks LOL. <3 

Meeks loves a good bellyrub now and then, and won’t hesitate to flip over if you give the slightest hint of heading for his belly region. Hee~

<3333 I love you, Meeks. Here’s to many more years together!! 

Isn’t he cute? ;o LOVELOVELOVEEEEEEEEE.

Mobile Clinic @ Kg. Pian, Temerluh, Pahang

This is a little different from the usual events I blog about… it’s about how I spent my Labor Day! :) It’s been the best spent day this year so far, in my opinion. And no, I didn’t kau chai, sing, dance, eat or go clubbing this time, haha.

My dad registered under my church, SIBKL, to participate in a mobile clinics program. So when he got the call to go from the organizer, Catherine Teong, he also asked me & the rest of the family (and friends) if we wanted to go. Me, mum, dad, Weiphin & Jonathan agreed to go for the day-trip to the Orang Asli settlement @ Kampung Pian, Temerluh, Pahang. :)

THUS at the glorious time of 6.45am, we assembled outside church, prayed, and set off to the deep-in-interior Kampung Pian to set up the mobile clinic for a day. The four doctors manning the clinic were my dad, Dr Liew Fah Onn (O&G), Dr Stephen Mak (GP), and this really cute couple: Dr Peter Paul Wong (orthopedic surgeon) & Dr Hon (pediatrician). Then there was a pharmacist, Daniel, and a nurse, Mei Sime. The only other people with a medical background in the group would then be myself, Jon & Weiphin–2nd year medstudents who had no idea what they were getting into. The other people went as support staff and handled food, second-hand clothing, crowd control, etc…

Dr Hon & Dr Peter Paul Wong. :) We sat in their car. Such a cute couple!

I can’t quite remember how long the journey took, but it was about 3 hours, and I kept napping on and off. Jon & Weiphin didn’t quite help because all three of us were squished in the backseat–they didn’t give me very much space in the center. I have stiff shoulders from sleeping in odd positions…

The government-built community hall that served as our clinic grounds. The door on the left is the main entrance where registration was positioned.

We arrived at Kampung Pian at around 11am and started to set-up. My duties for the day were to handle the registration counter along with two other non-medical people from my church, JJ & Helen. Therefore the task of taking history as well as measuring BP & temperature fell to us. Then, because I was the medical student amongst the three of us, I initially had the task of measuring the random blood sugar level. 

I was SUPER panicky!! I mean, yeah, we had digital BP machines & digital ear thermometers so I didn’t have to worry about using the sphygmomanometer correctly and cleaning the thermometer between patients, but I had to PRICK SOMEONE LA FOR THE BLOOD SUGAR. WHAT IF I PRICK WRONGLY?????? (later I was relieved of this duty because for me to take history, BP, temperature AND blood sugar made my station very slow, lol)

When we opened registration, there were SO MANY ORANG ASLI THAT CAME TO THE CLINIC!!!! I was overwhelmed and blown away. I felt so awkward at the beginning only having to use Malay to communicate (and my Malay is really not that great). Jon & Weiphin assisted the pharmacist, Daniel. They got a firsthand taste of doctors’ handwriting, haha. We only ran the clinic until 4pm, but the final count of patients seen by the doctors on duty came up to 157 persons! 

I saw… more things than I had ever seen in my life, ok. Textbook things that suddenly jumped out into life and grinned at me. Sarcoptes scabieii infections (tiny skin-colored bumps–I will never forget what they look like), impetigo (fungating, white, circular lesions), cellulitis, carbuncles (Dr Peter almost cut and drained it), fungal skin infections (large whitish patches), diarrhoea, respiratory symptoms (dyspnoea–literally susah nak jalan naik bukit), cardiovascular symptoms (palpitations! one lady described them as po-pom, po-pom dalam dada bila bernafas), and infected cavities…

And I also learned that in situations like the mobile clinic, all the history-taking methods learnt in IMU fly out the window. There’s just no time to ask all that deeply before I had to pass them on to the doctors. I had to multi-task: take BP & temperature while taking history and thinking about associated symptoms that I could ask about and translating them into Malay in my mind before asking & writing… and trying to calm crying kids when I tried to take their temperature. I don’t know how many patients I clerked, but I do remember the time whizzing by without my realizing it. 

The tired but enthusiastic volunteers debriefing at the end of the clinic session. LTR: Henry, Lee Peng, dad, mum, Mei Sime

IT WAS AWESOME LA. I felt like a semi-doctor, like I was doing something of significance. Way better than lectures/lab/PBL/MMS/CSU. Heee.

Right, so I lied about not eating… Cuz as all Malaysians do, we stopped at some obscure Chinese restaurant on our way back home around the Bukit Tinggi area for dinner. :)) It was sumptuous and cheap. I also liked this health drink made from dragonfruit that they were promoting and let us sample.

 

Dad, mum & Mei Sime tucking in.

What a fantastic day. It was really a pick-me-up and sort of like a nudge from God to remind me why I’m doing medicine and NOT music as my primary degree. :) Anyday, God. I’d do this again. Who knows? From one-day trips to long-term medical missions!

IMU Ball 2009 : Clair de Lune @ JW Marriott, Putrajaya

The theme, Clair de Lune, was supported by its catchphrase, “A night of enchantment.” What a night it was!

On the 19th of April, 2009, a Sunday, I was stunningly tired and very reluctant to get up and get dressed for the ball. I’d been up since 6am because I was on duty for worship at church, and when I got home I lay on the bed for a short while and knocked out for two hours… Didn’t put a lot of effort into getting ready–just applied basic makeup, pulled on one of my many LBDs-for-all-occasions, and ta-daaah! Hopped into the car. Mum drove me over to the hotel and dropped me off.

Everything looked opulent and grand. Deco was amazing–felt really bad because I was a deco subcommittee-member and really, did next to nothing. Nevertheless, everything looked great. The ballroom was lovely, and the stage was impressive. Soundcheck commenced, and it wasn’t too bad of a sound system. It was loud and clear enough. When we were done, the camwhoring unleashed! :)) Camwhored a LOT with my two di-dis Kyan & Korwoi (fellow batchrep!), hahaha. BURGER LIPS TIME!

One of many camwhorings. ltr: Rudy, Chin Nam, Keili, me, Korwoi

The grad videos were all really touching and sweet, and showcased some awesome vid-editing skills. Seriously. Made me realize how fast time has passed–next year it would be our turn to dress up, sit down, and watch the memories dance by on a silver screen mounted up high. We’re already semester 3 students and still it feels like we stepped into IMU just yesterday. Sigh…

The dance performances were top-notch and the breakdancers had some pretty sweet skills. Chloe & I were jawdropping at some of the male dancers. Bak Khan and Siew Kim won the Ball King & Queen title. Congrats, you guys! Such an adorable couple!

And why was I there? (when I didn’t even buy a ticket)

:) Click to read more about the elegant, moonlit, misty night.

SIBKL Easter 2009 : In Christ I Stand

:) Ladies and gentlemen, this is an advertorial for your reading pleasure:

This Easter, my church is doing special music & an evangelical healing service! The theme is In Christ I Stand, and our speaker for the weekend is Dr Andy Lim. He’s a doctor (duh) with a healing anointing, and will be coming to share an amazing testimony of how God healed him COMPLETELY from nasopharyngeal cancer!

For my church’s location & a map if you don’t know how to get there, click here!

The dates of the sessions are:
Saturday, 11th April – 5pm
Sunday, 12th April – 8.30am
Sunday, 12th April – 11am

:) THREE sessions, count ‘em all. Please come visit and attend the service–you’ll be in for a treat and a witnessing of God’s awesome healing power. If you’re sick, feeling sick, need healing of any kind, this is the service for you! Let me know which service you’re coming for, so I can look out for you.

*ahem. Shameless: A less noble reason to come for the service would be because I AM SINGING AND IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE SOME SUPPORT. :)) So there. If you want to know what song I’m doing, it’s a duet, and it was famously performed by Celine Dion with fellow singers such as Andrea Bocelli and Josh Groban, except we’re doing a fully English version. I’m sure you can guess. ;)

SO YES! :) I know there are other flashy and more exciting musicals on for Easter, but if you’d like a gentler affair, with good music, good *cough* singing, and an amazing, life-changing message, come for SIBKL’s Easter 2009 service. There are 3 dates, so I’ll bet you can make at least one of them!

Signing out, this is Jade. ;)