My Parents' Proudest Moment

Last week was a hectic week for me, a week with many walking that is. As you know, I am still "handicapped" after my surgery. The recovery has been very very slow. Thus till now, I still had to limp while walking. This makes my walking experience unpleasurable. Nevertheless going out and walk beat staying at home and get bored to death. At least its an exercise for my dear knee.

Got myself involved in NTUMS Freshmen Orientation Camp. Not a major role, just a handicapped station master. In fact I think I didn't do much except for the night walk probably. Reason for going was more of meeting friends than to help around cause seriously, there is nothing to help. There was more than enough hands and legs to assist the FOC adhoc committee. In fact from my observation, the amount of helpers that were around during the FOC could have been used for a camp with participants of about 100 people but there were only 30 participants. Nevertheless I had enjoyed myself and I thank the FOC adhoc for inviting me and giving me the opportunity to contribute in promoting good and forbid evil.

Smacked right in the middle of the FOC was my graduation ceremony a.k.a. convocation. Objectively and personally, I think convocation is a waste of time and money. Nothing was given out during the ceremony that was important. All certificates and transcripts were given out prior to the convocation. What was given at the stage was just an empty folder. Having said that however, I feel that it marks an important day for family and friends. For parents, it was the proudest day for them to see their son or daughter wearing the robe and going on stage to receive the so-called certificate. It marks the greatest achievement for them and also a sense of satisfaction that all their efforts in bringing up their son or daughter had paid off. One incident that really touches my heart was when I saw an old lady assisted by her son slowing climbing down the stairs probably trying to get a closer look at her grandson or granddaughter receiving the folder. To think that such effort by the old lady really shows that the convocation is really an important ceremony. It is actually not for us but actually for our parents.

The Day of Pain and Endless Pain

Anterior Cruciate Ligament(ACL) Reconstruction. That is the name of the surgery that I had underwent last Tuesday. So why do I need the reconstruction surgery in the first place? Well, it all happened around 2 years ago. I was playing soccer with my friends at Sentosa after swimming with the incident happened. It was the most painful situation I had ever felt. I had to limp all the way back from the beach to the monorail to the ferry terminal to the harbourfront and taxi back home. At home I iced my knee for a few hours then went to sleep. Next day went to doctor and what did the doctor say? "I think it is just a sprain. It will recover in a few days time. Just don't exert yourself." What a good dignosis by the doctor and see what happened 2 years later?

Well the surgery was, somehow, quick. The waiting was however torturing. I reached the day surgery centre at 8am. Got admitted and change into the operation gown. Waited till around 11 plus then, the nurse came to bring me in. It was a very funny feeling being pushed lying down on the bed thtough the ward and everyone was looking at you. The expression on their faces makes you wonder if you will ever come out in one piece. Once inside, it was a different world. Everyone was busy. I was push to the area outside my operation theatre. Came Miss Anaesthesist trying to explain to me the whole anaesthesia thingy. Then guess what? She poke me with the big needles for THREE times! Gosh! The first 2 times was not successful and she had to pull out the BIG needles and poke me again. Then I realised that she was a young doctor when a much older doctor came to help her. Thank God. The older lady doctor was also an anaesthesist and she told me she is going to numb my left leg and to do that she will need to inject my groin area. Oh man! That was super duper painful. Then something happened that cause my leg to shake uncontrolably. She used a electrical equipment to shake my leg unwillingly and that was a funny sensation. When its time to go in, I only had like 1 or 2 mins before the nurse puts the breathe apparatus on my mouth and made me went to sleep.

Wake up ard 3pm and found myself on the bed with a heavy, numbed leg. Then I knew that it had been done. I wasn't in pain yet. The whole painful experience came when I wanted to go back home. I vomited and vomited till I got no more stuff in my stomach to vomit. I just want to get home and sleep. I reached home fast because the hospital was near my house and thank Allah for a wonderful family that I was settled into my bed quickly. Did my prayers and went to sleep immediately.

So yup, that basically sum up my ordeal on last tuesday. Will talk more later. Need to rest now. Cannot sit up for too long. My leg is bloated.

ORD Lorr!!!!!

In 2 days time, I will finally ORD from NS. To think I took almost 7 years to complete my National Service. Hahaha... Well all the best to those of you who yet to serve NS. Everytime I think back about NS, I am reminded of the song from Happeepill.com. Not going to sing it here.

Many things had happened since I last update. Got my results. Alhamdulilah I graduated with 2nd lower honours. Was actually hoping for 2nd upper though but oh well. I am contented with my results. Nevertheless, I am proud to know of a malay who got first class honours and I am even more proud to say that he was my squadmate while we were training in Police Academy. Well done bro! And of course to my fellow MAE mates who got 2nd upper. All of us have done great! We deserve it. So far I have not heard of anyone who didn't get an honours degree. Alhamdulilah!

To top this update, I have gotten a job. Yup! It's true. Though it is not an engineering job, but I do like the job very much. Right after exams, I told myself to get an engineering job because I have slogged 4 years to get an engineering degree so it will be kind of waste if I don't practice what I learnt. But then again, come to think about it, there is no other course that I could take to earn a degree. Engineering is the only one that I could depend to do well. I guess I have to take back my words that those engineers who went teaching are just wasting their time in NTU. I am just similar to them. Aside from that, I really like this job. Apart from being in an educational institute, I am able to work in the school that I had so much passion in. What job did I get? Ask me yourself.

Back to Basics

Laptop, Handphone and Internet - The necessity of live. We are so dependant on technology to the extend that we sort of can't live without them. One friend told me that her life is in a mess because she didn't check her emails for 3 days due to some problem with her laptop. Well I understand what she means, especially since my mailbox will get approximately 20 emails per day, so 3 days would mean 60 unread emails. Those are on normal days, during peak period I could get around 40 emails per day. I have to admit, I am part of the cause for the 40 emails per day but right now, I am feeling the pinch. Why? Because I am serving back my NS and at my workplace there is no internet access nor a personal computer for me to use.

So life is back to basics. Back to paper and pen instead of Microsoft Words. Back to using books as reference instead of Google or Wikipedia. During the starting period, I felt so restless that I went around the garage to check on each and every single car. Hahaha... But now the effect has mitigated. And furthermore I got work to do now. Yeah you heard me, I DO have work to do at work.

Talking about work, yes I am serving back my NS and I have been deployed to serve in the transport office. Usually those who work in the transport office possess a police driving permit(PDP) but I have none thus I am not allow to drive the police car. So my job there is just like admin work. Issue vehicles, record movement, plan deployment and more paperwork. Well what can they give me afterall I only have 19 days left to serve. ORD lorrr!!!! Hahaha....

It a great feeling to be back at my old division. It has been four years since I left them for my studies. Now that I am back, all those colleagues that once work with me have now been promoted to higher ranks. And having them regconise you after so many year is more rewarding feeling. Some of the new NS boys thought I was someone new there but when they saw me talking in a friendly manner with their superiors, they do give me some respect. Well afterall I am older than them. Even though 4 years have passed by, some thing just never change. The work attitude and culture there is still the same, if you know what I mean. That's all I can say. Any longer I might be held for internal security act violation.

This is what I did on my first day there. Cool right. Hope I can get one for Saff. Hahaha...

Blank

Suddenly blank. That describe what I am feeling right now. Ever since my last paper which is like 3 weeks ago, I have been feeling a sense of blankness. Not knowing what to do everyday. No sense of direction. Of course other than reading the tons of email from Saff, I can't think of anything to do. I just can't imagine that my 4 years of studies have not come to an end(InsyaAllah). All that sufferings, all that travelling, all that scarifices, now all gone. What next for me? What challenges do I have to face next? Maybe Allah is giving me time to breathe before the next challenge begins.

Talking about challenge, my next upcoming challenge is my disrupted National Service. I have just got my posting. I will be going back to Airport Police Division to resume my National Service and a Staff Assistant. I wonder which department I will work in. Hopefully its at those 2nd level. Oh in case some of you might be wondering, Airport Police was my division before I disrupted from NS. But I was from the patrolling teams doing patrol duty and shift work. Now I will be office hours. Well, both got its good and bad points. Oh well. Let see how my life goes...

A great person is someone who can control his or her emotion and desires. He or she will be aware of his or her surrounding and be aware the consequences. Agree or not?


This is what I have to endure for the last 2 semester. A roommate that showcase all his stuff at the side of his bed. Like the space there is not cramp enough and like there is not other storage places in the room.