Thursday, March 5, 2009

Last week back home


I cannot believe how 3 months have flown by so quickly. It seems like just yesterday I was arriving at KLIA with my packed luggage comforted and eager to be back home; away from the stress of medical school life and jubilant that I had just finished my 5th year exam. And now, I have to head back once more to face the trials and tribulations of FINAL YEAR MEDICINE which is something I am highly anxious and nervous about. This year marks the end of my medical school training before (*GULPS*) I emerge as a young doctor thrust into the unknown world of curative, preventive and palliative medicine. To be honest, I feel 'incompetent' to be called a doctor as I feel that I still have large gaping holes in my medical knowledge and skills that desperately needs to be filled.

Furthermore, the final year examination is without doubt a barrier exam, which many senior sixth year students claim to be 'difficult but passable'. I want nothing more than to pass this final exam (that is one of my main goals this year) but wanting something and doing something are two completely different things. I often doubt myself and my capabilities and in this case it is no different. But I pray and hope that with perseverance, dilligence and luck I will be able to finally obtain my MBBS which I have been striving towards for the past 6 years.

Coming back to the topic on home; I will definitely miss many things in Malaysia. Oh and not forgetting, having the luxury to wake up extremely late in the afternoon (as a result of downloading free movies off youtube till the crack of dawn) as compared to the dreary early mornings where I have to practically 'drag' myself out of the bed to go for ward rounds/clinics/tutorials. I know I will sorely miss and probably develop severe cravings for several food items in KL such as the light, fluffy, steamed sponge chocolate cake and tapioca kuih from Jenny Hong kuih stall, the moist fruit cake with abundant chopped dried fruit from Cake Sense bakery, the wholesome carrot cake glazed with just the right amount of sinfully sweet icing on top from Taman Tun Pasar Raya, the foot-long toasted tuna garlic bread with a delicate dash of butter from Jusco bakery at 1 utama, the various assorted baked bread items from Delifrance which are discounted and marked down during the evenings (which flocks of people gather eagerly grabbing the juiciest and most scrumptious looking bun/pastry/sandwich), the red bean bun from Damansara Kim which is practically bursting with red bean paste the instant you take a bite from it, the light and healthy yet tasty popiah which is wrapped and slathered with a sweetish dark chilli sauce and assorted ingredients such as turnips and dried shrimps, home-cooked bak kut teh with thick tender pork ribs immersed in a giant bowl of heavenly aromatic dark flavoured herbal soup, the deep fried fish head milky soup from Ang Kee, stewed chicken feet, the savoury, rich and flavourful prawn stock from the Ipoh hor fun soup with prawn won tons/dumplings, the sweetish-sourish tangy assam fish soup and the lusciously tender steamed chicken/kampung chicken from Taman Megah food court. And not forgetting the abundant free food sampling in shopping malls (most often at supermarkets) compared to the few, measly bread slices offered to customers at Bakers Delight. Oh, and expect to receive frowning looks of disapproval if you decide to dive for a second helping.

I guess what I probably miss the most back home is the presence of BOTH my parents and the part about being a family REUNITED. The simple things such as the evening walks with dad (which is a form of good exercise as well as excellent time for bonding), having the absolute pleasure to go window shopping with mum at shopping malls without having to rush back home immediately to study/finish assignment, the dinner meals where the three of us sit down as a family, the pasar malam and occasional vcd store trips and basically just being able to enjoy each other's company. I think I am a 'family-oriented person' and I have been brought up in a close family; always feeling comforted and secured in the presence of family members. A family is the roots of a person, the pillars that holds a being up giving it emotional support and strength. I often dispute with others when they feel that they need to break away from their family and terminate all connection and communication. After all, despite the petty quarrels and arguements, one should realise that 'blood is thicker than water'.

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