The long call ceremony

This morning, together with Alyna, I attended a ceremony similar to graduation of my friend’s, Elsa at the Jalan Duta Court Complex. As for today’s ceremony, Elsa is now an official lawyer who’s been approved to practice in the court. The ceremony is called long call where Elsa finally gets admitted to the Malaysian Bar as an Advocate & Solicitor of Malaya. What differs long call from a usual convocation is that during this ceremony, the graduand for they are called competitive will individually stand in the court’s front row facing the Judge where their biodatas will be read out by other senior lawyers to the public before the Judge admits them to the Bar, and they are officially admitted when a robe is put on them by their respective teacher. It’s a new experience for me to witness this very protocol ceremony, but I’m delighted to share the happy moment with this high school friend of mine. Glad that your dream(since high school) of becoming an advocate, the lawyer who speaks, argues and pleads for cases in the court has finally come true. To Elsa, be the best out of all & keep it up! :)

Truth about lying

I just lied to someone. It isn’t my intention to do so, but I had to. Why lie? People lie for many reasons: to deny mistakes, to protect others, to enhance egos, to avoid punishments, to get a reward, to save time, to protect information, to get an attention, to preserve sanity, an endless list where various infinite reasons lie, but all stands on the desire to maximize benefit or minimize harm. In my case, to minimize harm that is to avoid an argument. So, in situations similar to this, are lies considered immoral? I quite agree that lies are at all times immoral as it affects the power and freedom of making a rational decision, but to what extend should one remain honest when being dishonest would be of better option?

The saying, “honesty is the best policy” doesn’t quite apply to all situations where at times; “dishonesty is the best policy”. How ironic it is for us to teach the young that in whatever situation, honesty is all that matters..but we ourselves ended up lying either big or small in almost everyday, perhaps every hour if not between minutes. Religion, culture and society deliberately teach us to abide with or to devote ourselves with theory of honesty throughout lives. Unfortunately, regardless of age, gender, religion, ethnicity and profession the conflicting messages about honesty are very well practised. Earlier today, I was caught in a deceitful situation where it involves someone with a highly professional occupation, but in a difficult situation perfect honesty may seem second best next to values like compassion, respect, and justice.

There are many reasons and many ways to lie. Fortunately, through training and practices there are ways to learn to cut through these deceptions…

http://www.forbes.com/technology/2006/11/03/detecting-lies-trust-tech_06trust_cx_ee_1103lies.html

http://www.blifaloo.com/info/lies.php

http://www.wikihow.com/Detect-Lies

Frequently, choosing to lie is a serious gamble with integrity. Behind every lie, there is a big cost to pay for. The consequences of being caught isn’t a pleasing achievement after all, winning the trust again isn’t an easy task than what it takes for a simple lie…

Final dental surgery!

Finally, I had my third and hopefully final dental surgery early in the morning today. Guess, I’m the dental surgery champ for wisdom tooth removal in the past 3 weeks for which I had either willingly or unwillingly gone through 3 different surgeries almost every week. By now, all 4 wisdom teeth have been removed. Perhaps, becoming a frequent patient for the past few weeks made my appearance aware among receptionist, a few nurses and dentists. For once, I felt like a vip but not for a quite flattering situation. But whatever it is, thanks all for the friendly assistance.

The procedure today was relatively simple but could sound horrifying to some people. The removal of upper left wisdom tooth with a plier took exactly 5-minutes after 1 dose of anaesthetic was given on the gums around the corresponding tooth. Yep, unlike the previous experience, this time the tooth was removed by using only a plier..really, nothing else. Was this to put me on test? I was speechlessly terrified with the tool during the first dental surgery. Somehow, looking at the tooth removal plier today didn’t set me anxious feelings apart from wanting to get over with the surgery as I had other chores to settle. Alhamdulillah, I was pretty calm and it all went on well. Though it was a fast and painless process, I unconsciously slept for 7 continuous hours after coming home from the surgery. Wonder what made me felt tremendously tired as no medication was taken before/after the procedure, well apart from the anaesthetic - which I believe did not cause me the sleepy effect. At the moment, consumption of antibiotics must carry on although the gum has stopped bleeding. Again, I have to rely on nasi bubur but this didn’t kill my appetite on other cravings…can’t wait for a serving of ice cream when I’m fully recovered. Yum yum..

Thanks again to Dr Hazmyr and Nurse Min for the friendly and supportive treatment.

Feeling of gratitude

“Alhamdulillah, praise to god..it’s the only word I remembered and said out when I was told by Ayu that my appeal for the slot swapping with another candidate is finally approved…I was close to tears…”

Early in the morning, I started my day meeting the um hr officer who’s been in charge of my application for the coming studies. The offered scholarship that was initially approved for me to study in the uk suddenly turned disapproved for which I had to choose another study place, anywhere in the world except the uk. This is because the slot for um candidates for the year 2007/08 have been fully utilized for students wishing to study in the uk. For many possible reasons, these were not informed by the faculty that approved my application. After the dreadful news, I believe I did all out looking for other places, but wasn’t fortunate enough to find a replacement. It puzzled me when rejection came one after another with various strange reasons. It was even tougher when support from the faculty degraded which I later stood on my own for all obstacles faced. Those few uncertain months were depressing until one day I was informed by the hr officer that there’s a possibility of swapping the scholarship slot with another candidate(who was granted a slot to uk, but ended up choosing a university in the States). That gave me hope for then I was told to start with preparation in terms of initiating contact with the university, got myself an accommodation during my studies, bought the necessary things, settled documentation formalities with um, prepared documents for visa and an endless list of other tasks..all went on as planned except that I did not receive an offer letter from the kpt, the most important document as it is the only ticket as a proof of sponsorship to gain admission at the university.

I was left with 2 weeks before the scheduled departure, when there was still no news on the approval of the funding. The hr officer did her part by sending an appeal for the swapping to kpt where I expected to receive a likely answer from the kpt within a short period of time. But, my expectations failed when I was informed about an unexpected news..out of the blue, another candidate who was confirmed to study in Australia wanted to make a very last minute change to another university in the uk and made a direct appeal to kpt in order to be granted the uk slot. While definitely not following the correct swapping procedures, all these were done without the knowledge of the hr officer..how unethical! Matters went more unexpected when the officer from kpt disapproved my appeal thinking that I was the culprit! It was a total rejection. At that time, it seemed that I had no hope for a scholarship for which uk was the only choice in hands. And at that time also, I really felt like giving up..after so much of trials I had faced just for an honest intention to further my studies. But, a strong sense of motivation bloomed in me after listening to an advice from my other half which left a remarkable effect that echoes in my mind until now.

In determination to explain the actual situation, a lot was done to reach the kpt officer who had verbally rejected my appeal. Telephone calls were of no use as they were never answered, but thank god the officer responded to emails once in a while. Nevertheless, the matter was never resolved while time was running out. Today, I decided to make a visit to kpt in the hope to get a definite answer to my case. The kpt officer in charge was away for a course but managed to speak to the assistant, Ayu. Although we had not met before, Ayu knew me through my case from the very beginning, felt sorry for what had happened and was indeed very cooperative in helping me to settle the matter. After I made a concise explanation, Ayu made a call to the particular officer and once again I was lucky enough that he answered as according to Ayu, he rarely accepts calls from the office whenever away on course. After a while, Ayu came by with the news… Alhamdulillah, praise to god..it’s the only word I remembered and said out when I was told by Ayu that my appeal for the slot swapping with another candidate is finally approved…I was close to tears to know that at long last, the battle and worries have ended with a bright hope for the future. Ayu also told me that I am considered very very lucky to get this opportunity. I was requested to wait and less than 15 minutes, all the necessary documents were already in my hands with a comprehensive explanation of what needs to be done. I was further told that kpt approved my request to register in the coming semester that will commence early next year. And that means I could delay the current scheduled departure date to settle these matters. I just don’t know how to thank everyone who helped..I would have honoured each person the status of a king or queen to these peeps, if I’d ever have the power….but I will never have such authority.

After a short chat with Ayu, I excused myself and walked to the car which had been parked illegally(but there were many cars parked in that area). I was rushing my way to a nearby restaurant to meet tomet for lunch when I realized on the windscreen that my car had been summoned by the police. It was the first I told my other half when we met and this was his response… “for every happy moment, life balances itself with slight misery”..another remarkable advice I received ..and when I ponder about it, the exact opposite applies more often in reality…

Thank you Pn Ermiza for the struggle to ensure the consent of this scholarship.
Thank you En Husin for the considerate approval.
Thank you Ayu for being the middle person to relay the message & for the preparation of the documents.
Thank you Tomet for the noteworthy advices that made me think.
Thank you Policeman for leaving a summon as I have now learned to be extra-cautious when parking a vehicle.

Congratulations!

Today, for the 3rd time in my life, I had another graduation ceremony where it was held at Wisma Tun Sambathan, my 5-months school during the recent Java programming course which ended just before Raya. The graduation ceremony was organized by Buzznet and MDec. How thoughtful of them to celebrate us..I’m glad to see at least half of my cheeky classmates, most of them are already working while the remaining few are starting work soon.

The ceremony was attended by Buzznet and MDec management, students from 3 classes and a few peeps from the press. Although, it was held in a smaller scale compared to other graduation ceremonies, today’s event was a cheerful one. It started off with an introductory speech by Buzznet and MDec, certificate granting to each graduand for all 3 classes and ended with a Q&A before tea. I believe, coming from a slightly distinctive work experience or academic background from the rest, I was bolt from the blue when suddenly became the first called up by Mr Zain to give up opinion..well, to answer a question actually (which I missed due to woolgathering!)..thus ended up giving my own thought about the entire programme. For once, I’m relieved to be given the ability to always stay calm and pretend confident for an impromptu speech. Heheee!

Anyway, right after that, we had a few photo sessions with friends and the management . There was a part where after the photo shoot with the management, I hand shook with one of the top management MDec people..well, he was standing next to me. While shaking hands, instead of saying “thank you”, without thinking much, I wrongly but extra confidently said “congratulations!”, perhaps my ears expected to hear the word of rejoice so much..gosh..what a huge embarrassment! The Datuk was puzzled but a friend next to me laughed his head off and thank god all of us ended up laughing out loud..and there I had the pain on the jaw due to yesterday’s surgery! At least I didn’t feel that embarrassed.. and right after another funny joke follows..I was talking to another friend who works in Johor, asking about how he’s new job is like?..and this is how I asked…“So, how’s working in Japan?” – I swear that my head tells me to say johor, but somehow the word which came out was japan! How could that?! Another token of embarrassment ..geez..i was a total clown! A female friend who was listening gave me this remark …“iskh..iskh..bila dia dah takde gigi..entah apa la yang dia ckp!"—and I had an illusion of me being really old, without teeth of course..trying to speak with great effort....we really laughed our heads off for which I was served with a bonus pain on the jaw due to the muscle strengthening..thanks to laughing! :)

We had a memorable graduation day, although Mr Govind, our mentor throughout the course could not be with us..All in all, thank you Mr Govind for the aspiration, motivation, and precious knowledge patiently yet enthusiastically delivered to all of us for the duration of 5 months. To the rest, Congratulations!(yes..this time im saying this right!) and all the best for your future endeavours!

Second surgery

I had my second dental surgery this morning. This time, it’s at the UM dental clinic. I went there last Friday and had an appointment booked for today’s surgery. The process taken up for this surgery went on quiet smoothly and quickly, from registration to teeth check to x-ray followed by today’s appointment. Thanks to Dr Zamri whom I met on my arrival at the clinic the other day. He was the one who assigned me to the dentist in charge which I was later attended by Dr Hazmyr, another postgrad dentist who saw me last puasa month for information on my previous masters research related to dentistry…what a coincidence and how easy it is dealing with matters when there’s a good network of contact…and the best about this is that the surgery was completely free of charge. I could have saved RM300 from the previous surgery if I were fully convinced that the process of tooth removal at a university clinic isn’t an endless wait.

The appointment was at 10pm. Nurse Min who attended me last Friday directed me to the operation theatre where the dentist came in a few minutes later. After a short review by Dr Hazmyr, I understood that both lower and upper wisdom teeth of the right side of my jaw will have to be removed. Somehow or rather, I was not as terrified as I was during the previous dental surgery. Perhaps, it’s becoz these two were friendly and very concern about the patient’s feeling thus made me comfortable throughout the procedure. They even had a conversation with me forgetting that there were utensils in my mouth, which of course prevented me from talking.

During the surgery this time, I was given 3 doses of local anaesthetic, 2 for lower and 1 for upper jaw. The removal of both wisdom teeth took exactly half and hour, a shorter time than the previous and honestly, it wasn’t as painful compared to the first perhaps due to the advanced tools used during the surgical procedures. Again, I received the same remark as Dr Louise who removed my tooth during the first dental surgery, a comment by Dr Hazmyr was that I have strong teeth which require extra force for removal and for once, a vague illusion of an unlucky female dentist struggling to remove my teeth appeared briefly in my head if I had been attended by one. When the upper tooth was finally detached, I was told that it had 4 roots while it should only have 2. Was it good or bad? I didn't know how to react. The fact that I had to wear the green operation gown and had my eyes closed with a cloth throughout the surgery assured me that the process will be professionally performed and certainly, I was right. Glad that I didn’t have to encounter the fright of the tooth extracting forceps. On completion of the procedures, I was given antibiotics and painkillers to be taken every 6 hours.

It is now, 8 hours after surgery and my left cheek is starting to swell but I’m so thankful that my gums isn’t bleeding terribly and the pain is still bearable though I had to rely on nasi bubur for the next couple of days. Depending on my condition, I may have to remove the last upper left wisdom tooth sometime next week …Guess I’m getting used to this tooth removing procedures but it better be the last! Last but not least, thanks to Dr Hazmyr and Nurse Min for the kind attention throughout the entire process.

Quest for a laptop

Well..i’m a little undecided right now..Today, I had an entire evening spent on laptops survey at Lowyat. Endless list of products and brands available on market have left me confused on making the best decision. Each sales person at every visited booth will have his own say on the definition of an optimal choice although the specs are more and less the same. It is up to the buyer to make the selection and this shouldn’t really be a difficult choice for there are leaflets and extensive lecture of explanations willingly given by these ‘persuaders’. Unfortunately, I am yet to be able to decide upon the product which is most satisfying…well, ok..there is one..but it’s way too expensive than the estimated budget…it would costs me an entire year of starvation to invest on such a beautifooool and powerful laptop..aint talking abt apple’s macbook here, the precious one is still a darling at heart for I will(at least hope that) one day get it when I’m completely & financially stable..I’m referring to the hp’s latest stylish babe, the special edition hp pavilion dv2616tx..check out the pix..pretty right? Im so in love with the design and high-end specs, but the price is such a killer for someone jobless like me -- poor un..it’s more than RM5k, yeah..aint kidding..the truth is as written on leaftlets and websites in addition to spoken salesmen..aaawww, don’t remind me.. :( The attention seeker has winningly caught my concentration and has successfully guarded my thoughts with its appearance every time another potential product/brand appears..geez…I feel as if I’m on a witch’s spell! Ahahaa! Another part of my brain is transmitting information that I could perhaps gain better specs with other selections..and there comes the dell inspiron 1420..the best abt dell is that it allows customization, so it is definitely reconfigurable to the heart’s delight, plus a given selection of lid color (although the hp is still attractively award-winning!)- oh, the appealing cloud again…we’ll see which product wins when juries in the head make a decision…pray for the best, not to be fooled!