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End Of A Long Week!

Written by Christopher Kia on 5:47 PM

This week has passed by so quickly for me! It probably felt so because I was so busy in hospital...saving kids....and their eyes (heh). Today is officially the last day of my 3-weeks attachment with the Ophthalmology (Eyes) Department in the Women's and Children's Hospital. It was really interesting to see so many different-from-normal cases and eye problems! I even saw a kid with glasses who looked like the kid in Stuart Little!

Since the world can be so random nowadays, here are some of my random thoughts right now:

1. Thank God for being me through such a fruitful week!

2. I realize that the less sleep I have per day, the more alert I will be in lectures.

3. Should I get the new Nokia 6500 Classic Slide from 3?

4. My next attachment will be in the Pediatric Emergency Department. Daily scrubs attire here i come! I have a feeling I am going to enjoy it so much :)

5. I love my brand new room!

6. I had a lecture about child abuse today. I really cannot imagine how some parents can look into the eyes of their kids and still abuse them. I thank God that He's a Great Healer, and that He is the only One who is able to set people free from an abusive past.

7. I think I'm quite sure I am going to do surgery. I just cannot imagine how much I love to hang out in the surgical theatre :D

8. I feel so near home now that I can have webcam sessions with my family back home. I can still see my cute little niece Sarah grow up!

9. Quote from my lecturer, "Children are irritable because they are irritable"

10. Yet another quote, "The range of human stools (poo) is infinite" (hahahahahahahaha!)

Have a great weekend everyone!

New Year. New Beginning, New Computer

Written by Christopher Kia on 7:43 PM

New Year
Happy New Year 2008 everyone! Here's wishing you the very best for the year ahead! As for myself, I am really looking forward to what God has in store for me this year. I always believe that with every new year, we should dare to dream bigger, reach further and bounce back stronger from our failures and disappointments the year before.

New Beginning
My little niece (my first one!) Sarah (1 year old on 29th December 2007) walked for the first time on New Year's Eve! What a day to make your first walk! I'm so glad that I took out my phone and started recording the precious moments that night! Check out her videos below:
*Warning: Very Very Cute Baby Video Ahead*

New Computer
After weeks of thought, my father and I have decided to get a new computer, and we got it on New Year's Day! Our ol' ye' faithful Pentium III family computer (bought back in 2000) has been serving us faithfully since. However, it has really shown its age lately and there were two instances where it failed to boot from the hard disk, potentiating loss of vital data. My dad, being an avid and enterprising options trader ;), decided to give his trading sessions a boost in performance and productivity, apart from preserving valuable data. Two weeks before, we've got a good deal for two Dell wide LCD monitors (one 19" and one 22") online during the PC Fair period. Here's the specification for my new family desktop:

Intel Core 2 Duo E4500 2.2Ghz
ASUS P5GC-MX Motherboard
2 x Kingston 1GB DDRII 667Mhz
Western Digital 250GB SATA II Hard Disk Drive
Panasonic DVD-RAM 20x Multi-Drive
Power Logic Azzura 2000 450W Casing

I got the PC, two Dell wide LCD Monitors and even a Logitech QuickCam IM webcam (video conferencing with my dear parents now possible..woohoo!) for just under RM3000. That was a really good deal!! I had a fruitful Christmas and New Year tech shopping after all ;)

I Am Officially A Pig

Written by Christopher Kia on 8:10 PM

I write this post upon waking up from my SECOND nap of the day. I woke up at 12.30 p.m. today, went to brunch with my dear parents at Beaufort Restaurant (they serve the best Beaufort Mee! A specialty mee found only in Sabah!). Upon reaching home after brunch, I slept on the couch while watching TV! Then I was awaken by my mum who called me to pick her up from her facial treatment center. We went to buy 'Polo Buns' at Kedai Kopi 10 before heading back home. I ate another TWO 'Polo' Buns before sleeping on the couch again watching TV! Mind me, the time interval between the brunch and the 'Polo Buns' was only two hours. So I am officially a pig now! Dinner in an hour's time! *Snort*

Top 10 Moments of My Life 2007

Written by Christopher Kia on 12:12 AM

They have got to be (in no particular order):

1. Being able to study in Adelaide with my dear Christine :)

2. Touching down in Adelaide for the first time. It was a hot, burning morning! We (Christine, Su Chuen, Stephanie, Shiau Cern, Rahul and I) were greeted with a 40°C morning! That aside, Adelaide felt like home to me eventhough I have not been there before.

3. Being able to be part of Paradise Community Church!

4. Being admitted into hospital for appendicitis. How I diagnosed myself the night before with confirmation from Christine dear and Dr. Jason Chan (my good friend who was so nice to give me a lift to the hospital...thanks man!). Christine dear even gave me a special blackhead removal treatment while I was lying in bed waiting for the doctors to attend to me in the Emergency Department. My nose was shining clean after that! :D I even watched UEFA Champions League Semifinals 2007 Liverpool vs. Chelsea in my hospital bed at 3 a.m. in the morning after the surgery. How unforgettable is that!!

5. Hearing Ps. Michael Rowan speak. He has taught me and made me realized that to be happy in life is to be true to yourself. Simple yet we forget sometimes. He wears bling-bling! Exceptional one-of-a-kind speaker!

6. Life Group! Being part of it IS being part of a caring, loving and truthful closely-knitted family who sticked and will stick with me through thick and thin. You guys rock! Thank you Jia Ching and Ernestine for being such great Life Group leaders!

7. Getting so many pimples on my face for the first time in my life! (*Chris nods in total agreement with himself)

8. My first trip back home in June after my surgery and mid-year exam. I've been studying away from home for almost 4 years now and that was the first time I felt so homesick that I decided to fly back for my mid-year break.

9. Passing my 4th year exam! (*everyone nods in total agreement)I'm through to 5th year! Thank God for His grace!

10. Basketbaaalllllllllll in Adelaide! Every single moment was an effective stress-reliever!

2008 is going to be a great year for me :).

*Mini Project* I'm compiling 50 top moments in 2007 by 50 people for my future post. Tell me ONE unforgettable moment you had in 2007 by posting it in the comments and it may appear in my future post!! Pictures can be sent to my email as well! Help me complete this project now!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Written by Christopher Kia on 1:13 AM

We've heard that Christmas is a time to give and a time to call up friends and family members to wish them a merry Christmas and also a great year ahead. We've even heard that Christmas is a time for Santa Claus and presents, but do we really know the true meaning of Christmas? Christmas is the birth day of our Saviour Jesus Christ who humbled Himself to come down to earth so that He could be with us. He has come to give us hope, peace, joy and most importantly an eternal life! That's the true meaning of Christmas! In the midst of celebration during this festive season with family and friends, remember that 2007 years ago, baby Jesus was born in a humble manger :). Merry Christmas everyone!

I will be talking about my Top 10 Must-Downloads for 2007 and also my Top 10 food and moments in 2007 in the days to come! Stay tuned and come back for updates!

A Quick One For University of Adelaide Students

Written by Christopher Kia on 5:41 PM

1. Did you know that..as a University of Adelaide student, you are not only entitled to free coffee and unlimited supply of drinking water (from the water dispenser, of course) but also a free download (100% legal) of McAfee Antivirus software for your personal computer? All you have to do is fill in a form to verify that you are a University of Adelaide student and you are ready to download the software! Get it now if you do not have an antivirus software installed! Hey, it's free! Get it here. Alternatively, use the ever popular and my all time favourite, free Avast! antivirus.

2. For MBBS Students, results are now out on Access Adelaide, and you can check your bands in the MLTU website under 'Course Assessment'.

3. I had a great first year as a University of Adelaide student! All thanks to my IMU mates and my new batchmates who are ever friendly and helpful! You guys rock ;)!

Change In UK Registration Framework For Doctors

Written by Christopher Kia on 3:07 PM

I can't help it but to announce this to the world! The General Medical Council of the United Kingdom has apparently abolished the registration criteria which was previously heavily criticised by international doctors and medical graduates, as of 19th October 2007. Before this, the criteria gave doctors from the EU countries preference for jobs and specialist training programs over international doctors and medical graduates. It has been heavily criticised ever since as it has left international doctors fleeing to other countries in search of jobs and also medical students like me to deter from studying in the UK in view of bleak future prospects. Quoting from the GMC's website - 'The GMC introduced a new registration framework on 19 October 2007. Key changes include the abolition of limited registration and the introduction of approved practice settings. The aim is to assure public protection and equality of treatment for doctors – and to make our registration system clearer for patients and employers'. Definitely good news for those who are thinking of practicing in the UK :), for the moment.

Hello World!!

Written by Christopher Kia on 4:22 AM

Hello World!! I'm officially a blogger now :). This humble little site is created by Christine and I with a sole purpose to share our lives and passions with everyone. You can expect geeky posts regarding technology; what's cool and what's not, from me :P. Do come back frequently for more updates!! Lastly, do help us improve on this site with your comments :)