The Amazing Malaysian Lady

I have watched the video clips of this Amazing Malaysian lady on YouTube lately. She can paint the portraits with a basketball or coffee cup stains. The first video is that she painted the famous Chinese basketball player Yao Ming with the basketball. She painted it with red colour by bouncing the ball and then eventually the portrait of Yao Ming has out.

The second video is that she painted the portrait of the celebrity Jay Chow with the coffee cup stains. I am amazed by her skills as she can just paint out freely without any outlines. Her skill is definitely very good.

Guess what?! This lady is named Hong Yi and she is a Malaysian. She is very popular over the world now due to her first video, the portrait of Yao Ming. I am very proud of her. I guess she has many fans now.

Well, you may click on the respective links below to see the 2 video clips.

Painting with a Basketball – Portrait of Yao Ming
Painting with Coffee Cup Stains -- Portrait of Jay Chow

So, do you amaze by her skills?! Actually I am. A suggestion for her, she should request both Yao Ming and Jay Chou to put their autographs on those portraits. Haha! :P  I guess many people (no doubt that I am one of them) are looking forward more portraits from Ms. Hong Yi with her unique type of paintings. Lastly, I would like to wish her all the best.

Feel Good to be Home

I have returned to home for 3 days already. The feeling is really GREAT to be at home, especially when I am sleeping on my own bed with my own pillows. I mean I can have a nice and good sleep. My niece is happy that I have come back home too.

However, I have some “souvenirs” from the hospital. There are some bruises and “kiss marks” of the needles on my hands due to the blood test! L I also have given a Thank You card to all the doctors, nurses and staff of the ward when I left. Most of the nurses are very friend with me already since I was there for 60 days.

I have a plan now, that is, I want to have weight gain. This is due to I want to boost up my body immune system. In the meantime, I can rest and relax as I wouldn’t have so much stress. Since I discharged from the hospital, I really think that health is very vital to us.

No matter how, I am home now and I would take good care of my health.  I would like to thank all the people who have visited me at the hospital or home. Thus, for the time being, I would try to avoid going to the public areas as I want to take care of my health first. So, I would like to apologise to some of my friends that I won’t be able to meet you all now. But I sure would keep in touch with you all. May God bless you!

Exchanging Postcards

Collecting stamps / First Day Covers / postcards / foreign banknotes/coins / bottles / refrigerator magnets??? I believe many of us like to collect something. For me, I like to collect stamps and first day covers during my schooldays. But I already stop collecting after I started to work due to I was busy working.

Since I have stopped working from last year, my interest of stamps collecting has returned. Moreover, I started to have the interest of collecting the postcards too. Whenever I was travelling, I sure would buy the postcards from my tours. This is due to with the postcards; I get to know more information about the places. Sometimes I even posted the postcard(s) from there back to my home. I have done it before while I was having my trips at Australia, Italy and Nice. However, the beautiful postcard that I sent from Nice, France to my own house was lost in mail. I did not receive it after I returned from my trip and even waited for few months! L

I have found out a website that I could exchange postcards with the people from around the world. The website is called Postcrossing. It is very easy to sign up as the user and moreover it is free. Once you have signed up and become the user, you could start to send the postcard(s) to the people around the world. On the other hand, you would receive surprise postcard(s) from other people who are from another country. Thus, it is called exchanging postcards.

I have joined the Postcrossing for few moths already. I like it very much. This is due to it meets my aims as I could receive postcards and stamps from different countries, know the different cultures around the world and even could become pen-pals too. I think it really is fun as I like meeting friends from all over the world. Another fun is you are able to receive the postcards in hard copy and not the e-postcards. I think it is more realistic and meaningful when you received a card that is with handwritten on and not typing on the PC. Thus, I always appreciate my received postcards very much. FYI, the postcards that I sent to the people are my own handwriting too.

I have already sent out about 20 postcards to different countries, e.g. The Netherlands, Russia, China, Ukraine, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, USA, UK, and many more. On the other hand, I also have received about 20 postcards in the past 6 months. The cards are from Spain, USA, Japan, Ukraine, Taiwan, Scotland, Mauritius, Switzerland, etc.. Well, if you are able to put more effort to exchange the postcards, you would be able to receive many in a short period of time. Below are some of the postcards that I have received. I would post some more of my received postcards in next time.

Sending a postcard to the overseas is needed RM0.50 each for the postage in Malaysia. A postcard is cost about RM1.00. I think it is worth to spend RM1.50 to meet friends from different countries and having fun by exchanging postcards.

Well, if you are also interested to exchange the postcards from all over the world, you may click on Postcrossing to register. Who knows maybe one day I would send you a postcard in surprise or vice versa?! : P Now I have a goal, which is I would like to receive 50 postcards until end of June 2012. If my goal has met then, I would like to receive another 50 postcards from worldwide until the end of the year 2012. So, if you would like to exchange postcard(s) with me or help me to meet my goal, kindly drop me a message! J

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Love is in the Air!!! It's the Valentine's Day!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

情人节快乐！！！

The Lost of A Great Diva – Whitney Houston

“I will always love you”~~~~~~

Do you like this song?! A great Diva or Legend has lost on last Saturday at LA, USA. She was Whitney Houston. Well, I was shocked to read the news online yesterday while I was surfing the net. I mean, I know she is the singer who had been using drugs as reported before, but I didn’t expect to read such news in a shock, like Michael Jackson.

Maybe some of the young ones nowadays do not or hardly know this Diva, Whitney Houston. But I am the person who listens to her songs during my schooldays. Oops, this means that I am old?! :P Haha! Anyway, Whitney Houston is one of the greatest Divas for me besides Mariah Carey and Celine Dion.

The reasons I like Whitney Houston is she had a great voice and I think her voice is very powerful too. I like her songs very much. The one I like the most is “I Will Always Love You”. Although this is the song was not originally sang by her, (by Dolly Parton) I prefer Whitney’s version. I think she sings this song in a very beautiful way. There are also other songs I like, “Saving All My Love for You”, “Miracle” (duet with Mariah Carey), “One Moment in Time” and many more. But these songs are my most favourites from Whitney Houston.   

Anyway, we have already lost a legend, Michael Jackson about 2 years ago, and now another legend has gone. I wish all the great songs of those legends would last forever. Lastly, RIP Whitney, and I am sure you will be missed by all your fans!

My Third Bronchoscopy

I have my bronchoscopy done on 9/2/2012 and it is the 3^rd time for me. I have to fast for at least 12 hours prior the procedure. Anyway, I was put into full sedation by the doctor in this time. The doctor who did the procedure for me is the chest specialist whom I always visit for my follow-up. I was surprised to see him after I had pushed into the room for the procedure as I was feeling nervous who the doctor would do the bronchoscopy for me.

The doctor sprayed some anaesthetic into my throat to numb it but I felt it tasted disgusting and it made me wanted to vomit. Then I was instructed to lie down on the bed and put on the oxygen mask and wearing the checking BP cuffs on my hand and I was started feeling dizziness and then became unconscious.

When I was awake, the procedure was done and I was not in the room anymore and I saw the nurses from my ward were there and then they pushed me back to my ward. I could feel that my throat was hurt and my lip was swollen. I guess the feeling of swell was due to the anaesthetic. I was feeling very tired and drowsiness still after returned to my bed. I could not eat and drink for 2 hours after the procedure. So I was taken my rest. When it reached the time for me to eat, I could only eat a little bit of porridge and then a burger by small bites. After my meal, I was still feeling sleepy or drowsiness, I guess it was still the effect of the anaesthetic, thus I went to bed and I had been slept for 2 hours. I was been sleeping for the whole afternoon on that day!

2 days have passed now since my scope, I did not have fever as at todate and my throat is not so painful anymore, it still hurts a bit. But I have the coughing and I told the doctor as he said it is normal for having the cough after the procedure. So now I wish that my cough would stop soon and wish that the result of my scope is good.

Thaipusam Festival

Today is the Thaipusam Festival Day. This is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (January/February). It is celebrated not only in countries where the Tamil community constitutes a majority, but also in countries where Tamil communities are smaller, e.g. Malaysia and Singapore. In Malaysia, this festival would be a grand celebration at the Batu Caves of Selangor and Penang. The word Thaipusam is derived from the month name Thai and Pusam, which refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival.

Devotees like Avinash Gooransingh prepare for the celebration by cleansing themselves through prayer and fasting approx-48 days before Thaipusam. Kavadi-bearers have to perform elaborate ceremonies at the time of assuming the kavadi and at the time of offering it to Murugan. The kavadi-bearer observes celibacy and takes only pure, Satvik food, once a day, while continuously thinking of God.

On the day of the festival, devotees will shave their heads and undertake a pilgrimage along a set route while engaging in various acts of devotion, notably carrying various types of kavadi (burdens). At its simplest this may entail carrying a pot of milk, but mortification of the flesh by piercing the skin, tongue or cheeks with vel skewers is also common.

The simplest kavadi is a semicircular decorated canopy supported by a wooden rod that is carried on the shoulders, to the temple. In addition, some have a small spear through their tongue, or a spear through the cheeks. The spear pierced through his tongue or cheeks reminds him constantly of Lord Murugan. It also prevents him from speaking and gives great power of endurance. Other types of kavadi involve hooks stuck into the back and either pulled by another walking behind or being hung from a decorated bullock cart or more recently a tractor, with the point of incisions of the hooks varying the level of pain. The greater the pain the more god-earned merit.

Many foreign tourists like to see the Thaipusam Festival at the Batu Caves as all the amazing people could be seen there, e.g. Spear pierced through tongues/cheeks, hooks stuck at the back and carrying the heavy kavadi. Thus the tourists would take many photographs on this day. Personally, I think those devotees are really strong and powerful.

I think Malaysia is a very amazing country as there are 3 festive seasons celebrated by the 3 major races started from 5/2/2012 until 7/2/2012 in this year. As 5/2/2012 was the Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday, celebrating by the Muslims, the Chap Goh Meh Festival on 6/2/2012 which was celebrating by the Chinese and today, 7/2/2012, the Thaipusam Festival which was celebrating by Indians. Thus as the Malaysians we are, could have experience the 3 various seasons. Do you think of another country would have such celebrations besides our neighbour country, Singapore?! Well, I think this is one of the beautiful of our country! 

Lastly, I want to wish all the people who are celebrating the Thaipusam Festival, Happy Thaipusam Festival and happy holiday to those who are not celebrating it! Cheers!

Happy Chap Goh Meh!!! 元宵节快乐!!!

Today is the Chap Goh Meh Festival, or it is also known as YuanXiao Festival. This is a festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunisolar year in the Chinese calendar, the last day of the lunisolar Chinese New Year celebration. Today is also the Chinese Valentine’s Day. This is also a day celebrating love and affection between lovers in Chinese tradition and culture. In the old days, young people were chaperoned in the streets in hopes of finding love. Matchmakers acted busily in hopes of pairing couples.

However, this is not happen anymore. Nowadays, the young people are participating in the organised activities, the ladies are throwing the mandarin oranges by written with their contact into the river and the men are picking up them from the river to find their love ones. This is the new type of matchmakers acted. I always wondering how many pairs are really worked out from such activity! Haha!

Well, this morning, when the Malay doctor came to see me, I told her that today is the Festival of Chap Goh Meh a.k.a. the Chinese Valentine’s Day. Then I briefed her about matchmakers acted in the old days and the mandarin oranges throwing. She was surprised after listening to my briefing and I told her she could give it a try and she was just smiling for it. Haha!

Anyway, I am wishing all my family and friends to have a Happy Chap Goh Meh!!!

元宵节快乐!!!

Hot Water Please!

Gosh! There is no hot water available in the bathroom of my ward for 3 days. Yes, I am still in the hospital and I could not have my bath in satisfaction since 3 days ago. I was wondering what has happened to the hot water in the ward here as there has no hot water available in the bathroom for the whole floor.

This happened to me in 3 days ago. When I took my bath, I realised that the hot water temperature was not the same as the normal days it is used to be. The water came out in the hot water pipe was a little bit warm and eventually became cold instead. I was thinking that it was just my imagination (I was having some giddiness at that time) or the hot water in my bathroom was not in function well. So I was finished washing my hair and took my bath in a quick pace. When the cleaner came to clean my bathroom, I told her that there was no hot water available in my bathroom and she told me that the whole floor had no hot water available too due to some technical problem. Thus, report had been made and had to wait for the maintenance staff to do something for it.

I was patiently waited for 2 days and yet there was no hot water available as at todate. I made the complaint to the nurses few times and they told me the maintenance staff had repaired it on yesterday but nothing had changed or even improved. Every time when I turned on the hot water pipe, it was cold water instead of hot water. Thus I could not have my hot shower for the past few days; instead I was having cold shower. Every time after I finished my shower I felt cold as the water was cold for me, therefore, I was bathed in very quick pace as I did not want to catch flu. However, I did not know that how long I could stand the coldness for my bath as I started to have cold already. I did not want to fall sick, but I could not stand it for myself as not

taking bath for a day.

Tomorrow is the Monday, I wish that the maintenance staff could repair it ASAP so that the hot water is resumed and I could have my satisfaction hot bath. I guess that I was not the only patient here would like the hot water to resume soon, so are others. Thus, HOT WATER, PLEASE!!!

Extend from 42 days to 60 days or More?!

Today is the day 43 for me in the hospital here. The doctor told me that my treatment would be stopped at 6 weeks which mean 42 days, and then the doctors changed the decision to 2 months, i.e. 60 days. Gosh, it is a new record for me to stay in the hospital for such a long period. It is a first experience for me now! L

So, I would have my bronchoscopy on 9/2/2012. This is due to I do not have any phlegm to provide for the sputum test. No choice I have to go for the scope procedure for the doctors to check. I could foresee that I would have fever again. Sob sob….

Well, during my stay in the hospital, I noticed that there are many ‘stories’ behind the beds. What I meant is that every patients have their own stories like their sorrows, problems, etc.. E.g. A lady patient is here for almost 2 years in the isolation ward and her husband is here to take care of her everyday. This patient is in coma, and I think her husband is really love her very much and even the nurses said he is a very good husband.

Another patient is a teenager girl, who has skin problem. She always admitted here due to her skin is very sensitive and she comes from a single parent family. Her mum and she are the only family and they are having the help from the welfare society. This patient is looked quite lovely but her face is with so much reddish and so are her hands. Her mother has to keep her bed very clean to avoid any infection to her skin. While I was staying here, she had discharged but then she came back about 3 days later. When she was discharged, I saw her face was ok, but when she returned to the ward, her face was reddish again. According to her mum, this patient had applied one month leave from her school and she was yet to return to the school and then came back to the hospital again. I felt sorry to her.

So, those are the only small part of the stories I blogged here. I think I would share with you for more of the ‘Behind the Beds’ stories in next time.

Back to my own case, I wonder when I would be discharged. During my 40 plus days here, I managed to watch 4 TV series (1 Korean and 3 HK TV series), few movies and 2 Japanese anime series. Since I would have another 2 weeks to stay here, I guess I could go for another TV series here.  Haha! Moreover I have 12 neighbours (as at todate) as my next bedded. As I required to stay for 2 months here as instructed by the doctor, I really wish that I would have a full recover before I discharge and hopefully on day 60 I could go back home with full recovered and without any extension anymore.