Disaster Drill

Today while conducting our usual ward rounds, the speakers of each ward started beeping with a monotonous sound for a few seconds, and followed by a voice announcing "To all HODs and MOs of every department, please be on high alert; there is a plane crash landing in Sibu Airport. Standby for Disaster Plan". Everyone then stunned. All ward rounds stopped. Patients who didn't understand English, started gossipping around, asking neighboring beds what was going on...

As Paediatric Team, we had to rush to the assigned clinics, to standby as Green Zone Triage Support Team. And other disciplines will mainly stay put at the A&E. We could hear the wailing sounds of sirens all over, and even the Pertahanan Awam ambulances are sent off to the airport too. Nurses and attendants getting ready all the resuscitation trolleys and equipment; security guards controlling the traffic at every point of entry and exit of hospital; and every doctor had their hands gloved up (nice to see this for the first time in my working career!) Everyone of us was anxious, and anticipating what worst scenario there could be, in such emergency disaster. Which plane could it be involved in this? AirAsia or MAS?

2 hours later, another announcement made "Thank you for your participation in this emergency drill"! Everyone was like WTF! and minutes later all of us started to disperse ourselves back to ward. Although it was just a drill, i think it was necessary to make it like real life scenario... otherwise, if it was announced as a drill from the start, I am sure the turn up rate will be probably just 50% or less... and everyone's mood will not be there too!

Interesting experience for me for today! And thankfully there isn't a real crash landing happening in this peaceful town...

Do We Really Need GPS?

I bought a GPS receiver not long ago, and was frantically using it whenever I went driving around town, especially when I was back in KL. Recently, I have stopped using it, partly because I am in Sibu (oh c'mon you don't really need one to navigate around... nobody gets lost here in Sibu!), and also partly due to the fact that my PDA recently gives me a real headache... crashes too often!

I happen to read this article in PC Magazine, entitled "Overrated GPS Annoys Dvorak". Very interesting, and I find it particularly hilarious in this paragraph...

One of the most annoying aspects of the GPS in-car system is the vocal directions. "Keep going straight" is one of my favorite commands. It's telling me to do what I'm already doing? Why? Surely it knows that I am going straight, doesn't it?

The voice itself needs to be changed. I think this is a wonderful opportunity for third-party vendors. For example, a bickering old lady would make a great voice for the thing. "Hey, don't you think you're going a little fast, sonny?" Or the voice of an out-and-out shrew. "Slow down, you idiot, there's a left turn coming up!" "Turn left now, you moron!"

Actually this is really true, you know... after a while, I get sick of that female voice, keeps on asking me to turn right, when there is no road but only a drain! Gosh!

Having said that, I must admit that the maps contributed by a bunch of enthusiasts at Malsingmaps.com are really good and afterall it's free! I have tried Navitech as well, but found that the Garmin-Malsingmaps combination is still the best for me!

Well, I don't use the GPS for now. But probably when I go back to KL someday, I need it again!

Palm Addict

For the past few months, I have been rather addicted to a website -- Palm Addict. It used to be only blog about Palm OS related hardware and software; but recently, there have been a lot of entries discussing about WM and Linux. Every morning, before I go to work, it is always a habit for me to surf the internet; and I usually will start off with Palm Addict. The updates are so frequent, and there are so many interesting write-ups by people all over the world. It is very enjoying reading people's usage of PDAs in their daily life, and in fact at times, I learn so much from them, as to further utilise my PDA.

There are of coz many other sites which I visit daily, but since I am blogging about Palm Addict today... that's why I am not mentioning other excellent sites for now. But afterall, I am a PDA-addict!

Back From Honeymoon!

Hi! I have been MIA (Missing In Action) for the past one month or so! Now I am back. Actually I was taking 3 weeks off for my wedding ceremony and also followed by a honeymoon trip on a cruise to Japan and Korea! :)

Now everything is over, and its back to work again. And I had my first call last Wednesday, after coming back from the long break... and true enough, as my friend always tells me "God is fair!" -- I had a terrible call, and one patient died despite all the hard effort trying to save him. And with the exchange transfusion in the midst of the crash team for the collapse patient... really was a bad one though. So it's not true to say, in my previous post, that calls during festive seasons are good...

Anyway, i enjoyed myself a lot before this, and now it's serious work again.

And oh yes, to make things worse -- my PDA crashed needing a hard reset, and I have not been doing regular backups lately (due to the honeymoon period), therefore, I lost a lot of precious data. Murphy's Law applies...

What Is Happening To Malaysia?

Recently there is turmoil here and there... in fact everywhere, in Malaysia's political arena. Today is Merdeka Day. But reading what Uncle Lim has to write in his blog, as well as all those comments by the blog readers, makes me go into deep thoughts -- What is going on in my motherland? Of all the comments there, I think the funniest (making me LOLROTF!) but probably true to a certain extent, is a comment made by the one who calls him/herself "ahbeng-in-malaysia"...

wah lau, i can cheat my gf 1 time hor, she don’t know, i cheat her 2nd time hor, she know a little bit, then hor cheat 3rd time, she slapped me and break-up. Now hor already 49 year, unmo and gang fool us for 49 years, we still like never wake up like that.. WE SO STUPID leh.. u vote your gomen and let him in charge for 5 years, then you kao-peh, koa-bu this no good, this not correct for 5 year, lau.. after 5 years later, you vote him back again. Then go another cycle for 10 times, STUPID right?

“Happy brithday, Malaysia.”

My wish for Malaysia is hor.. may his people wake up one day lor..

Well, sometimes it is really sad to know that Malaysia has arrived in this shape, after 49 years freed from the British empire. Where have all the prinsip-prinsip moral that we learned during the primary and secondary school days gone to? Aren't we supposed to have learned about equality (so that all races will live in harmony), honesty (especially admitting to hurting statements made, hence to apologise!) etc...

Whatever it is now, for this day of the year -- Happy Birthday Malaysia!

My New Toy -- Holux GPSlim236!

I got a call from the office yesterday, and was told that I have a parcel from Poslaju! Rushed down to the office, and whoalah... it's the GPS receiver Holux GPSlim236! I ordered it thru Practical Solutions on Tuesday @7am, and it arrived on Friday @11am! Pretty fast and smooth I must say! Thumbs-up for Practical Solutions! Bought it for USD99, inclusive of worldwide free delivery (a limited offer now still on)! I think that's a good bargain though! No problem with the Malaysian Custom Dept, coz the sender declared it as a gift of USD20! And so I think it went thru the custom check easily! Another thumbs-up for PS! :)

After reading thru the steps and info found at MalSingMaps, I have no problem setting up the Pocket PC, pairing it with the GPSr using bluetooth. A cold start of the Holux unit takes about 30-40 secs, and a hot start less than 10sec! That's pretty awesome! The pairing is swift and painless! I decided to use my ol' faithful iPaq 2210 for the pairing, becoz of two reasons: 1) i can install everything in the RAM, and this PDA will solely be "tested" for the GPS feature! And 2) my Dell x50v bluetooth is lately unstable... giving lots of "Bluetooth Expired" lame excuse... fed up!

I also got myself a cheap PDA holder for my car, and although it looks simple, it is rather solid and has a sturdy built (well, for a beginner like me, a cheap one will do lah!)... later maybe I will go for those branded ones like Arkon etc.

Today, I have been driving around town, and realise that many roads and POI are not updated in the maps provided by Malsingmaps. Probably there are not many (or in fact none?) people using GPS here in Sibu! Frankly no one needs a GPS here... nobody ever gets lost driving here in this town! ;) But nevertheless, it's cool to have such a gadget in-car, and drive around a non-busy town here, testing out the GPS features; so that in time to come, when I am back in KL, I will be familiar with this gadget, and the navigational system, and won't be distracted by the on-going heavy traffics there in KL while testing out the GPS!

This is a new hobby I am venturing in, and hope that in near future, after I have mastered it, I can contribute to the Malsingmaps for a more accurate Sibu map!

Bluetooth Keyboard For PDA

Have been rather quiet for a while. Today I thought of sharing with you guys my experience in using the bluetooth keyboard pairing with my PDAs. I have both the Brando Smart Bluetooth KB, as well as the Thinkoutside Stowaway BT KB! And I have both the Palm TX and Dell x50v. I did some research before buying my first KB, which is the Smart KB. That time, my decision to get the Smart KB was mainly influenced by a few reviews, and on top of that -- the price (cheaper than the Thinkoutside KB). After using it for a couple of months, I finally gave up!

I started searching for Thinkoutside KB online, and found a good deal at Gadgetino. And I bought it.

Both the KB have their pros and cons. But just a few obvious ones:

Pros of Smart KB:
-- light weight
-- easy to open up
-- on/off button
-- 5 rows of keys

Cons of Smart KB
-- flimsy design (at times cannot lay flat on table)
-- smaller keys (causing many errors while typing)
-- noticable delay in words appearing on screen after pressing the keys (more obvious in PPC, but better in Palm)

Pros of Thinkoutside KB
-- very well built, sturdy design
-- excellent keys (good tactile feel, and full sized keys)
-- lay flat and firm on table (can even be placed on my lap)
-- no delay in transmission (u see words appear as u type along)
-- many customizable function keys, minimizing the use of stylus

Cons of Thinkoutside KB
-- more expensive
-- no on/off button
-- 4 rows of keys only (but one can get used to it pretty fast)
-- difficult driver installation (esp in PPC: error message while installing)

In short, after using both the keyboards, I still think the Thinkoutside KB is the overall winner!

So for those of you who want to use bluetooth keyboard with the PPC, just go for Thinkoutside. Otherwise for Palm, either one can do! But if u really type a lot (i mean A LOT!) then its better off using the laptop/desktop to do that task -- still the best, IMO.

PDA at Lelong Site

Recently, I have been rather busy browsing through potential items to buy at lelong.com.my site. I have even influenced my colleagues into this spending spree -- And I am eyeing on either a Palm TX or a treo 650; as for my colleague, he is probably getting himself a Palm TX tonight! As a newbie, he sought advice from me, and I told him to get a Palm OS based PDA as it is more user-friendly and swift. No hassle! And I hope he will enjoy his new gadget once he gets it!

Tired Doc

There is an interesting topic over at MMR site, about "Tired of being a doctor". Frankly, I think doctors in Malaysia should be allowed to do calls under shift system, and each shift should not be more than 8 hours. And for every 3 night shifts, a doctor should be given days off to recuperate.

Just like yesterday, I had a bad call -- non-stop from 5pm till this morning 6am: 5 intubations, 3 periphery referrals, 1 emergency peritoneal dialysis for acute renal failure (but lucky to escape one exchange transfusion as the serum bilirubin came down at the right time!)... and there u are, I am still in the ward, with my zombified look, and bilateral ptosis, barely could think logically anymore -- so after finish preparing all the chemo drugs and discharge summaries, I am already half-dead here in my ward; luckily it is not so hectic in my ward today -- 25 patients, me alone, no houseman (my colleague needs to be at the Spastic Rehab Centre to help out in the weekly consultation).

Stomach growling, vision blurring, hands trembling -- luckily my nurses are nice enough to spare me with one piece of their roti canai they ordered earlier on! How pathetic! ;)

And worse of all, like what the MMR site states

“…The medicolegal position is that an error made while you are tired is still an error. Tiredness is no defence…”

So now u ask me, if my son asked me what he should be when he grew up, I would tell him anything except being a doctor! ;) Well... but if he somehow likes to be a doc, I will give him my full support too!

MyChingo

Just added MyChingo audio comment system to my blog. So any of you who would like to leave a comment, and let me hear your sweet voice... ur all welcome! :)

Daro Relieving

I was MIA for the past few days 'coz I was relieving at Daro Hospital for a week. That was my 3rd time going to this small town, 3-hour boat ride up the Rejang river. Very isolated place, but the people there are really nice and friendly. Broadband internet was something I missed the past one week; though the hospital has a dial-up service, it was like ages ago since i ditched the dial-up and got so used to broadband surfing experience! ;) But anyway, at least I could still check my emails... nothing more than that, the line was just toooooo slow!

This is the kind of express boat I took to Daro. RM17 per trip. But the aircond wasn't really working well, on my trip back home... Felt dizzy in the boat -- too warm! Like an incubator...

And this was a picture I drew with my Axim x50v, using PocketArtist -- at times, it could be dead boring there!

Wise Quote

The secret of getting ahead is getting started.
The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one. —Mark Twain

How "Malaysian" Are You?

I got this from a friend's website, and thought it is interesting and funny. Let's see if you are a true Malaysian! ;)

You Know You're Malaysian When...
1. You complain about the quality of the pirated DVD you just purchased. "What, RM10 for DVD5?! Aiyah, boss ... sound no good, cheaperlah ..."

2. You're willing to consume sambal petai and durian and gladly suffer the bloating and wind-breaking incidents.

3. You're exceedingly polite to the Mat Sallehs but you sl*g your own kind. "Hello, sir. Why don't you sit here, it?s got the best view of the city skyline." But, "Aunty-ah, your table is over there next to the kitchen."

4. You order Maggi goreng and fried chicken, complain about how oily the food is, and then proceed to finish it anyway.

5. You love to talk about food. You're already thinking about what to have for dinner while eating lunch. "I'm stuffed. What shall we have for dinner?"

6. You dive into a communal-style meal the moment the dish lands on the table only to hesitate at the last morsel of food on the serving dish. There are two possible explanations for this: the first is the pai seh (embarrassed) factor, while the other is the myth that the person who eats the last piece will be a spinster.

7. You hit the accelerator the moment the first drop of rain hits your windshield. "Alamak, it's going to rain. Sure traffic jam one. I'd better drive faster."

8. You seize the opportunity to make a U-turn anywhere ... especially where there is a sign telling you not to. Well, so long as the cops aren't in sight.

9. You feel a burning desire to send text messages and even have the gall to give your friend a blow-by-blow account of the movie to your friend on the handphone ? during the screening of the movie. "Okay, now that girl Lizzie is impersonating an Italian singer; she so doesn?t look Italian ..."

10. You forsake your loved ones for the all-important four letter-word: S-A-L-E. "Sorry, mum, I can't take you to Aunt Mary's because I have to go to MidValley before the crowd." You?re also more than happy to be part of the insane traffic jam that forms around malls during weekends and sale periods.

11. Reality shows Akademi Fantasia and Malaysian Idol dictate your social life. "What, no TV at the mamak? Count me out ? I'm staying home. Rinie needs my support."

12. You pepper every sentence with lah. "No-lah, I can't see you today-lah. I have to study-lah. You know-lah, the prison warden aka mak is watching me like a hawk"

13. You fail to function normally without your daily dose of teh tarik and nasi lemak.

14. You have owned at least one Proton in your lifetime. Cheap, cheap. That is until you start to make enough dough to buy that Honda you've been salivating over.

15. You slow down at an accident site to take down the car number plate, but won't step out of your car to help ? the victim could be a robber!

16. You'd rather park your car along the main road outside the mall, where there's a yellow line, rather than pay RM1 to park inside where there are adequate bays.

17. You plead, bat your eyelids and relate a sob story to the officer at the town council office to let you off the hook (or reduce the amount considerably) for the fine you incurred when you parked your car on the double line.

18. You make an appointment for 10am and conveniently show up a half hour late ? Malaysian time, what ...

19. You pop open the wet tissue packet at the Chinese restaurant by squeezing the trapped air to the top of the packet before proceeding to smash your fist into it. The louder the pop the better.

20. You greet your friend / neighbor / acquaintance on the street with "How are things?" or "Have you eaten?" or better yet, by stating the obvious: "Went to market ah?"

21. Ramlee burger is the "piece de resistance" of your growing-up-years cuisine.

22. You catch all major televised events at the mamak.

23. You have roughly six meals a day (breakfast, mid-morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and supper). Then there's the snacking ? keropok ikan, pisang goreng, muruku, jam tarts and the like.

24. You get the whole family dressed to the nines, jump into the car and head for the minister's open house ? and ask for styrofoam boxes and plastic bags to tar pau food.

25. Your accent and language style vary according to the race of the person you are conversing with.

26. You've got a friendly disposition. Smiles are abundant and your "Apa khabar?" is warm and sincere.

27. You exclaim loudly how expensive everything is, even though the items may in fact be going for a steal. "Wah! So expensive, ah? Hak sei ngor (Scare me to death)!"

28. You dig deep into your pockets to contribute to the latest appeal for donations in the newspapers.

29. You "dis" our country all the time, but as soon as something good happens (like winning the Thomas Cup), you morph into a proud Malaysian.

30. You never travel abroad without a bottle of chilli sauce, or sachets which you can sneak into restaurants.

I am proud to be a Malaysian! :)

The Art Of Getting Things Done (Part II)

I was blogging about David Allen's Getting Things Done quite a while ago. And I am still fascinated and addicted to learning more about the tips and tricks to manage my life and time better. Constantly improving myself is something I find worthwhile doing all the time. I come across this website by Sylvia, and she has quite a huge collection of GTD resources.

So now if you have a Palm or Pocket PC, start making the To-Do list/Tasklist into various categories so that they look neater and more organised. Example:

@Agendas-Office: Items to cover with specific people at work.
@Anywhere: Actions that can be done wherever I am.
@Call: Actions requiring a phone.
@Errands: Things to do while out-and-about, such as on the way home from work.
@Home: Actions to be done at home, at places other than my desk.
@Home Desk: Actions that can only be done at my desk at home.
@Office: Actions to be done at the office, at places other than my desk.
@Office Desk: Actions that can only be done at my desk at work.
@Waiting For: Actions other people are doing that I need to keep track of.

Or we can actually categorise them in any other ways which we like or suit us. The sky is the limit to doing this. Try and see, you will be more organised from now on.

JPA Scholarship

Read this post in China Press today, about a Chinese boy who didn't get any scholarship despite having 16A's in SPM. So after appeal made to JPA, he was finally given a scholarship to study medicine, not in UK or Ireland, but in Czechoslovakia. I know Czech is a country with some of the finest medical schools in the world, and I believe a good doctor is produced not because he or she comes from a prestigious med school, but the personality and character of that person as a whole. However, in this issue, I just feel that this boy deserves a better treatment from our JPA. There are lots of other people with less than 16A's are sent directly to the well-known UK or Irish medical schools. But this poor guy will be sent to Czech, probably need to learn a whole new language, just to survive there.

He has 16A's man... not just 8As or 10As! When I got 8As in SPM back in my days, I already thought I was very good. Looking at those achievers nowadays, 10-15As on average... my goodness, I really salute them from the bottom of my heart! So why is JPA doing this to this poor guy? Why can't he deserve a better scholarship to pursue medical degree in USA/UK/Ireland, just like others? I know that could be expensive, compared to going to Czech. But at least let him enter a twinning program like those in PMC or IMU, where he will later have a chance to be in the USA/Ireland/UK? Double Standard, 'nuff said.