Napping: My School Time

School! I’m pretty much done with school (because I’ve graduated). Anyway I don’t think that I’ve spent much time in school because I always absence. Well, I categorized absence here into three different things:
1- Skipping class, and sometimes school too.
2- Daydreaming
3- Taking a nap

Among these, I like number 3 the most. I don’t really know why I like it. But I do know why I took a nap in almost 75% of my school life.

Let me list them down, see if you and I have anything in common.

1. I don’t like the teacher (but I’m not scared by him/her)

This is my top reason. I mean, if you don’t like someone, if there any better way to tell him/her? I’m not being rude, just being honest.

2. I’m all exhausted

This could happen. Honestly. When I was in Form 4, I always complaint of the timetable. Whoever arranges that bloody timetable should be more understanding. The trouble is on Beta Mondays (we got 2 different week-Alpha and Beta) my class got Biology in lecture hall for 1st and 2nd period. Then we go straight to P.E for 3rd and 4th. Then we got recess, which we can hardly get something to eat because we need to change to our school uniforms and the P.E coach always let us leave at the very last minute. After recess is Add Math double period, and after that is Physics (also double period). And so on until 2.05 p.m.

One day, we got this test (I don’t even remember what the name for this test is). It required us to do different sort of things including push-up, sit-up, a few rounds of 400 m and lots more. I could still survive add math class, because I always love math. But then, at physics lab, I can’t open my eyes. So, I sleep (it is no longer a nap if you sleep the entire period, is it?)

3. There is no teacher, neither a substitute

This is what I called free time. Yeah, usually excellent student would use this time to finish their homework and do extra revision, but I choose a nap over that boring task (which I can do later, when my grades aren’t impressive enough).

4. I’m in holiday mood

I should blame the Ministry of Education for this. Who said they can make us substitute our leave on the weekends? Well, of course they can because they are the government. But, the teachers aren’t in the mood too, why should I?

5. It is afternoon (damn hot atmosphere)

I love my country, and the weather. But sometimes I wish I live in the artic. And I do hope there is someone brilliant enough to stop global warming.

6. It is in the lecture hall (and I’m in the most strategic seat)

Lecture, as we all know, BORING! I must let my mind have a good rest, mustn’t I?

I've got lots more good reason as why to take a nap in class, but I couldn't think of it right now. Maybe I'll continue someday. Who knows?

How a TV ad influence me

Credits for my friend, Murali who talks about “How are the stories around you influencing you?” in his blog, Lifetime Learning.

I just want to share just a minor (not major) story of one of the PETRONAS ads. All of PETRONAS ads have been known as touching and always meaningful by people in my country. And I’m going to talk about this particular one:

You can watch it for free at

THIS LINK

If you can’t understand the language, I guess I can give a picture of it. The ad starts with the male doctor release the old man to rest in his daughter’s house. But then, the man insisted to get back to his own home.

Anyway, his daughter asks him to come and live with her family. She even promises him to take a good care of him until he really is healthy again. As soon as he heard this, her husband ask her can’t he stay in the hospital at least until after Raya (this is a celebration by muslims, commonly known as Eid ul Fitr). Unfortunately for the husband, the public hospital is always full, so there is no way that his father-in-law should be allowed to stay once he is stable.

Then, they show several scenes of the family having dinner (actually at first it is them breaking fast, so we can say it is dinner too) and the old man keep breaking glasses and making messes and things like that.

He husband and wife have finally had it and they isolated the old man, providing him with his own table, and his own dining set, which is made of plastics. And they let him to eat alone.

And the couple finally realized their mistakes when their own children are imitating their unfair treat to the old man by saying that when they grow up, they will let their parent to eat alone while they are enjoying their meals inside of the house. Obviously they have sent the wrong message to the little children.

And now I’m telling you how this ad has influence me in a way. I do have parents, who are apparently old and they often get sick and being admitted into hospital every now and then. When I saw this ad, I made a resolution that when I’ve fully grown up (apparently I still didn’t finish my tertiary education and I’m jobless) I won’t treat them like that. I mean, that is far beyond humanity, isn’t it? I will take a good care of them.

Well, maybe that is too early to say anything ambitious like that. But then, right now, I try my best to fulfill my parents’ wishes. For example, once I was too busy with my study and I’ve been busy for weeks, and I’ve been away from home for quite a long period, I simply don’t have time for anyone. But then, my mom calls me and asks me to sit right by her side and just accompany her. Not much to ask. I mean, she didn’t ask me to hike up Mount Everest, did she? I was just going to say no but when I remember this ad, I couldn’t say no. What would I feel when my children do the same to me in the future?

Giving 100%

When I found out that I was recruited to National Service, and I’m going to be sent across the South China Sea in order to report myself in one of the NS camps in Sarawak, I have two choices. I’m going or I’m not. Two tough choices I must say.

If I’m not going, then I’ll break the law. If I’m going, then I’ll spend over two months of my precious time just to do things as I’m told to? I mean those time could be used to collect money, to gain work experiences, and to get my driving licence.

Anyway, I’ve made my choice. I choose to go (or they said to serve my country, whatever). And I left the comfort of my home with one objective- this is not going to be just a waste of time.

The first week is killing me. Boring….. And I don’t know the people. I kept thinking of how am I going to make friends? I still remember our Vice Commandant of Training (TKL) gave us a welcome speech. She said that they (the management and trainers) are going to give us many chances, but it’s up to us (the trainees) to grab those chances. We won’t get anything unless we choose to involve a 100%.

Initially, everyone (trainers and some trainees) always use that phrase. “Are you going to let yourself involve 100% or not?” they kept saying, whenever someone refuse to do things as they were told to do. At first, I couldn’t understand. What’s up with a 100% involvement? Yeah, I admit that sometimes I can be a bit naïve and clueless.

So, I try to keep myself low-profile. I try to avoid disciplinary problem. And the result is not only I’m miserable, but I’m lonely.

Towards the end of the training programme, I finally took the TKL’s advice. I don’t care of what others are thinking. I want to do things not because I’m told to, but I want to do it for myself. That is the true meaning of involving by 100%. So, I joined the basketball team knowing that I’m nothing like the Chinese players. I represented my company in chess because I know that I can do this. I joined rafting team even though it is my first time. I speak up my opinion even though I’m going to hurt others. I tried ‘flying fox’ despite the fact that I’m scared of height. And only by that point, I’m happy to join NS. And of course, this is definitely not a waste of time.

Additional Links

Program Latihan Khidmat Negara

Have a heart

This is a community service message delivered by ME to anyone who cares…

Years ago, someone I love suffered from slipped disc. I have no intention to explain the disease in detail because it is a boring subject, but I’ll give you some idea.

A slipped disc is when the soft part of the disc (cartilage, which made up the vertebrae in our spinal cord) swells through the circle of connective tissue. However, 20 per cent of the population have slipped disc without experiencing any noticeable symptoms.

So, the story of my beloved begins with pain at her knee. Each time she seeks doctor, the answer is always the same. You’re old, and the fluid that acts as lubricants may have running out. And each and every time, the doctor will give her an injection, to make the pain go away.

This has been going on for years until one day, my beloved paid a visit to a Chinese who practices traditional medicine. And without any help of x-ray or MRI machine or CT scan, but just to have a look at my beloved, the Chinese old man knew, the problem is not in the knee, but in the spinal cord.

Although now we know what cause the problem, we still can’t solve it. My beloved almost lost hope until yet another doctor suggests her to do an operation. Guess what! It not only has failed (due to infection), but it has made my beloved’s condition become worse.

And since then, my beloved has taken numerous medications. And none of them have any noticeable positive changes.

Hope. I guess my beloved’s hope to get well soon, has reversed impact. For a few months, we can see some changes. She got rounded face and increased fat around the neck. Purplish pink stretch marks can be seen on some part of her body. Her backaches even become more often. And what is weirder is that she had excess hair growth on her face!

Luckily, we got her into the hospital on time. Doctors said that she could be dead if it is too late. She suffered from Cushing’s syndrome where the patient’s body produce a high level of hormone cortisol. Our body won’t do that unless there is something wrong with hypothalamus (a part in our brain). So what cause this? Well, it is because of one of the pills prescribed by the doctor. No, the pills do not damaged my beloved’s brain, but it contains too much steroid. So, basically my beloved is overdose of steroid, which in turn increases the level of cortisol in her body.

If you are wondering why I am writing all about this, then I’ll tell you. Before that, please bear in mind that the doctors involve in this story is not one, or two, or three, but much more than that.

The message is if you are a patient, or your family member is ill, you need to be a little smarter. Seek second, or third (or fourth if you like) opinion before you make any decision. Your life is at stakes!

And if you are a doctor, or you plan to be one, please be responsible of whatever you do to your patient. Have a heart (not literally because we all know you do have one). Show an act of concern, not just thinking of how much profit you could make by scamming desperate people. It won't kill you to run a few test and think harder to figure out what is wrong with your patient.