伴

一个人
总在最脆弱时发现
自己多渴望有个伴
一起分享快乐的喜悦
沮丧时有个肩膀依靠
偶尔也想任性
找个人来依赖

不想
生病时一个人躲在被窝
不想
遇到挫折只能独自流泪

而我的那个他
又在哪里？

massive update - Part 2

moving on to the more academic stuff :)

after the excitements of the MDA demo and Interaction Day, it's back to my lecture notes!
there was the usual lectures to attend..
weekly class tests to revise for..
tutorials to be prepared for..
assignments to complete..
oh ya.. a new part time job as librarian~~
and there was RESEARCH!

as i mentioned in the previous post, our timetable "seemed okay.." but in reality... (= =)"'
tutorials were great, we had role-play for nutrition counseling, case studies for MNT, same goes for Food Service and Environmental Issues..
but all these take up a lot of time.
though undeniable, they really helped us a lot in understanding the topic better.
and assignments!! they were really a painful lot.. the amount of effort put in and the amount of marks allocated was super disproportionated!
so much work, yet it carries so little marks. but i guess to make myself feel better, i'd like think that all the hard work is going to make me a better dietitian in future :)

something interesting this semester was the fieldvisit for Foodservice Management.
we visited foodservice outlets under Sodexho Malaysia in KL..
lucky me, i got to visit the biggest of them all, Sodexho Pantai Hospital KL!
there, we got to understand the organization a little better, by observing the whole daily operations behind the scenes ;)
how the food items were received, how were they stored..
the preparation of the ingredients, and the production process..
the ever so hectic yet efficient plating..
it was altogether an unforgettable experience..
special thanks to the Unit Manager -- Mr Mervyn for his hospitality while we were there..

whoever knew hospital meals could look so appealing :)

chef in action

RESEARCH~!!! i got the topic that i wanted most -- Short Term Evaluation of the Impact of Dietary Counseling on Outpatients with Dyslipidemia :)
and the greatest part of it, JiaHuan is my research partner!!
it was such a coincidence, both of us never told each other that we were choosing that topic.. and we ended up doing it simultaneously!
our supervisor is Dr Winnie.. yay~~ looking forward to research!
we started off with literature review of everything that we could lay our hands on that is related to the topic..
systematic reviews, studies, statistics, guidelines, books...
then came a point where we developed our conceptual framework..
and the whole big project of writing the proposal..
sample size calculation.. development of forms and questionnaires..........
thank goodness we had Dr Winnie who is so helpful and dedicated to help us..
it wasn't as smooth-sailing as we expected of course, there was a point where we had to redo half of our proposal.. *urgh.. i don't even wanna remember it..*
but in my opinion, i do think we did a great job with the proposal presentation.. kudos to us XP
now it's up to how we perform in the JC next week.. fingers crossed, i hope we do well..

one last piece of good news.. after the months of working part time..
i got it!!
yes yes YES!!! my very own DSLR -- nikon d90
oh, how i long to experiment more and venture into the world of photography~~
that gives me something to look forward to this sem break!
for now, my dear d90 will just have to wait and lie quietly in its case..

i ♥ d90

massive update - part 1

gosh.. what made my stop blogging i really don't know?
they say it's you who determine how much time you've got.. it's what you make out of the 24 hours that you've got each day..
so what have i been doing with my 24 hours??
let's not think about it yet =)
anyway.. i've got 2 months of my life to blog about!! if this is not a massive update, i don't know what is..
but let me just make an ofiicial announcement here...
Semester 5 ENDED yesterday~~!!
now, it's 2 weeks of study break before the dreaded EOS..

okay, back to some seious business, we started semester 5 with a realization that we're Year 3 students! one more year to graduation!!
at first glance, the timetable seemed okay.. *notice i used the word "seemed"*
we have 6 modules this semester:

Medical Nutrition Therapy
Environmental Issues & Nutrition
Food Service Management II
Research Project in N&D I
Nutrition Counseling & Education
Enterprise Management

little did we know what was in store for us....

well, we got busy as soon as we started the semester...
first up, we got an invitation from MDA to do a cooking demonstration during their conference! check this post for details..
then came the long anticipated Nutrition & Dietetics Interaction Day!

it all started when i received a "detailed" email, describing an interesting idea, an event that would include nutrition & dietetics students from UKM, UPM and IMU..
of course we would love to join, that was my 1st reaction..
therefore, with the support from my batchmates and the blessings of our HOD, Dr Winnie, we accepted the offer..
with that, there was a series of online meetings with representatives of the 3 different universities..
a lot had to be discussed, the date, the venue, the activities.....
but most importantly, we had to come up with a committee first
and somehow, i ended up being the Director of the event????
i simply can't imagine how on earth did i get into that position..
let's just hope i didn't let u guys down.
so, with everything in place, we started the whole process of getting approval, booking the venues, inviting speakers, seeking for sponsorship, booking of items...
sometimes it amazes me how we managed to do all that, i mean, none of us have actually met until 2 weeks before the event..
boy, was i really glad that when i met the committee members from UPM at the entrance of IMU..
and when the committee members from UKM finally arrived at the LRT station...
with our 1st ever "official", face-to-face meeting, most things are starting to fall in place.. with some loose ends to sort out..

low an behold, the big day came!!
to tell the truth, it was a restless night for me, it felt as if my intestines were tied into a big knot, for fear that something would go wrong or if i had overlooked anything..
as the day went on, i felt like i was on a roller coaster ride, up and down, twist and turn...
we had Dr Kang, our Assoc Dean to officiate the event..
then we had ice-breaking, games..
and we managed to invite our very own Ms Tan Yoke Hwa, the President of MDA and Prof Ismail Noor, the Vice President of NSM to come speak to us!
how honoured and lucky of us..
so, i think i'll just skip the little hitches that we've run into throughout the day..

overall i'm glad things went well..
and i do think this is a start of something meaningful, it was really nice getting to know and working with other N&D students..
maybe we should do it again? hahaha... as in Interaction Day - Part 2~~

me and Ms Tan Yoke Hwa, thanks for the informative talk =)


group photo! we love N&D!!!


the committee


the committee.. errrr???


mixture of UKM and IMU.. keep in touch ya..






* * * S p e c i a l * D e d i c a t i o n * * *

1. XinYing: how do i live without u??? hahahaha.. u rock as a secretary!! i'd never be able to do this if u hadn't helped me..

2. WenYi: thanks for agreeing to help when i asked u ya.. so touched when u agreed.. great job with the program

3. JyeDin: u didn't even have the chance to say no, coz we volunteered u :P but great job okay?

4. Jaron: u got involved again =) i always do that to u.. but i hope u had a great time.. great job as emcee..

5. KaiJia: i love you!! thanks for taking charge of the notice boards, u & your team mates did a really great job..

6. LiXian: thanks so so much for everything, the catering, the badges, the souvenirs.. i really appreciate it..

7. Keh Len & William: i was really glad that u guys decided to invite us in the 1st place, u guys are really great to work with.. i hope we do have the chance to work together in future..

8. Jeremy and John: the two Js who are room mates! the so called "budak" and "mr emo".. had a great time working with u guys, hope we meet again!

9. MinLi and Faizal: my cute friends from UPM, see u guys soon, maybe next time we can go visit ur uni?

10. any many many more.. the rest of the committee members, ND108, IMU Student Services, MDA, NSM, participants from UKM and UPM...

"thanks for the great opportunity and beautiful memories!"

Cooking Demonstration @ MDA Scientific Conference 2010

well, since i've already written the article once, no point of me to describe it all over again right? =)
okay, it show's how lazy i am these days..
well here goes...

===== article to be featured in the coming issue of IMU Newsletter =====

It was some time during our semester break when this exciting piece of news landed on our laps. Having read the article of our batch, ND1/08’s Healthy Lunch Craze project, the Malaysian Dietitians’ Association (MDA) decided to invite our batch to do a cooking demonstration during the Malaysian Dietitians’ Association Scientific Conference 2010 and the 16th AGM. Held annually at the Crowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel, Kuala Lumpur; the MDA Scientific Conference is one of the highlights in the Dietetics field.

Then came the big decision, to accept or not to accept the invitation. The invitation was a very rare opportunity, and it is really an honour to be able to do a cooking demonstration during the MDA Scientific Conference. Yet, it would mean extra burden and workload on our part. A lot of preparation is needed before the actual cooking demonstration. After weighing pros and cons, we decided to take up the challenge.

This year’s MDA Scientific Conference theme is “Managing Diabetes: Updates for Dietetic Professionals”. Therefore, when developing the recipe, we tried to cater to the theme; aiming to develop the perfect recipe that diabetic patients can enjoy. To start off, we planned to present a recipe that is suitable for a snack. With that in mind, we started going through recipe books and websites for ideas. Finally we decided to modify one of our recipes from the Healthy Lunch Craze project to a diabetic-friendly recipe.

The perfect snack that we had in mind should be suitable for not just suitable for diabetic patients, but can also serve as a healthy, nutritious snack for the general public. Therefore, we listed a few criterias that we hope our recipe can achieve: the complete package, low in carbohydrate, low in fat, high in fibre, micronutrient-densed and low in Glycaemic Index. Most importantly, to show that a combination of nutrition and taste is possible! With anticipation, the experimenting starts, determining the right amount of dough to make the tortilla, developing the perfect salsa… there’s just so much to be done before the actual demonstration.

Before we knew it, it was already 13th of August, the BIG day! Loaded with the pre-prepared ingredients, cooking utensils, recipe handouts, we started setting up our booth in the exhibition area. Proudly, we found out that we were the only university students that were invited to do a cooking demonstration, other companies and institutions involved in the cooking demonstrations were: Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Swiss Concept Sdn Bhd and Nestle Products Sdn Bhd. Dressed smartly in our caps and aprons, we started our cooking demonstration, attracting the attention of the crowd. Many were impressed with the innovative recipe and presentation of our Grilled Chicken Mini Wrapz.

In the midst of our cooking demonstration, a wave of crowd approached our booth, with flash lights flashing, cameras clicking.. it was the Minister of Health, Dato’ Liow Tiong Lai himself, and the President of the Malaysia Dietitians’ Association, also the Director of the Allied Health Division, Ms Tan Yoke Hwa. The VIP procession was approaching our booth! Smiling confidently, we explained the concept of our recipe and also demonstrated the preparation of the Mini Wrapz. Our recipe modification received a great feedback by the Minister, who is in favor of the promotion of healthy eating. He was also very proud to see students, who will be future dietitians involved in such activities.

This opportunity was really an unforgettable experience for all of us. To be involved in such a meaningful event was really very inspiring. Not only did we have the chance to apply our knowledge of nutrition and dietetics, we also got the experience of presentation and communication to the public. Armed with all the acknowledging smiles and compliments from the audience, we would like shout out: We’re PROUD to be IMU Nutrition and Dietetics students!

========== end ==========

once again, i'm very grateful for my trusty partners whom have worked with me again to make this a success..
special thanks to SimLing, KaiJia, ChonXiang, SuMay, JiaHuan..
i have to admit, we really did a great job rite? ;)

grilled chicken mini wrapz

take care...

get well soon, my lil' brother..

shout out!

Today's my last day!!
last day as a part timer in Student Services..
for those who don't know, i've been working part time all sem break..
in the IMU Admissions..

there i met the coolest boss ever -- Ms Charmaine, who is the mother of two but still full of youth and energy.. i have to say, you are one the most efficient speakers i've ever met.. and you've got such an interesting personality! perhaps, i might just miss that signature laugh of yours :)
i hope you'll finally get that efficient new part timer or permanent that u've been trying to get..

and of course the most efficient Ms Kelly, you know when i 1st saw you, i didn't dare to talk to you? you seemed so distant and always wrapped up in work.. and i was supposed to be the part timer under you.. you do remember that right? hahaha..
but i'm glad i finally got to know you =) you know what? this other side of you, is so much friendlier :P
kayy.. just kidding! and now that the health sciences intake is over, i guess u can finally get that well-deserved vacation of yours.. you know Charmaine can do without you and WoonShin right? hahaha.. take care kayy??

WoonShin.. the cutest, most dedicated of all! you know i love you =)
you know what i enjoyed most? it's staying back late and working in the office with you.. it was really nice having you as company, although we were both buried in the midst of files, applications, documents, offer letters..
seriously, i have to tell you, you are THE most organized person i've ever worked with.. my mom says it's good training for me, because i've never been the kind that you can call organized, especially with my belongings..
thanks for all the help you gave me.. and teaching me UMIS! me and UMIS get along so much better now! i'll miss seeing you everyday and rushing to send out offer letters together :)
Oh ya.. go get your holiday now! hahahaha.. remember what i always tell you.. *winks*
it's now or never, faster finish up all the odds and ends of this intake and take a long holiday, before the next MPharm intake arrives..

to the other part timers: ShienNi, LiKheng, LiChin, MengYean, Esther, Muna, Darshini, Sujee.. it was really fun working together! i wish you all well in all your respective areas!

working in Admissions was truly a new experience..
learning the whole application process of a prospective student until registration..
who'd guess that there was so much going on behind the scenes?
online application, document submission, scheduling of interviews, interview, updating interview scores, selection, preparing offer letters, sending offer letters, updating again when offers are accepted.....
not to mention those changing of options, deferment of intake, transfer of programmes..
i truly salute the above mentioned individuals! they have to go through all this day in day out!
i feel very fortunate that i took the challenge of accepting the part time job! *although it means that i have to work really hard and i didn't really get to spend much time with my family*
it has taught me many things, things that i might not be able to learn merely from books and lecture notes..
i will remember all that i have learnt and will carry these skills with me as i go along. thank you again to everyone in Student Services for making my working experience there more exciting..
and, don't worry, u guys haven't seen the last of me yet! i'll be popping in and out to say hi at random. take care everyone!

= random =

okayy.. i'm guilty!
of what? you may ask.. or maybe u would have already guessed it, if you're a frequent visitor of this blog..
yes... i think i'm suffering from some kind of temporary-laziness, which leads to a very obvious symptom: negliance of my blog..
let's just say there's just too much going on in my life now..
and i do promise to find some time, in the near future *i hope..* to update on some stuff that has been happening around me..
so in the mean time.. take care everyone! miss u guys..





ps. it's gonna be mine soon!!

note-to-self..

Tan Sing Ean:

U've got to get your priorities STRAIGHT!!!

或许

或许。。
该自私一点
对自己好一些。。。

in between

2 opposite sides...

different point of views

different expectations to meet

different responsibilities

different people that matters


and i find myself.. caught in between..


will i ever find a balance..?

in between?

a day of relaxation

some happy things in my life..
it was Malidur Rasul holiday on Friday..
after being tortured the whole week by Clinical Biochemistry report, Menu Planning Project and Community Nutririon class test..
we decided to go to Genting Highlands for a 1-day-trip..
it's sooo unfair!! i want longer CNY holidays..

it was a random decision, one day, during Analysis of Nutrients practical..
Alice came up to me and said..
"Sing Ean! let's go Genting this Friday.."
and that was it, before we knew it, we were on our way to Pudu bas terminal..
we planned to go by shuttle bus..
who knows, there next bus available was 10.30am..
so we headed to Titiwangsa to catch a bus there..

which.. lead us to an unpleasant experience..
there was still time before we had to board the bus, so we divided to get some breakfast nearby.. in a mamak restaurant..
and the food was bad..
the attendant was rude..
the price was super expensive..
i'd never ever go there again!!
it's such a disgrace to mamak restaurants in Malaysia!!!
well, our bad luck didn't end here..
when we rushed back to the bus station, because we were delayed by the slow service of the mamak restaurant..
we saw the bus leaving..
what else can we do? but stop the bus..
and the bus driver told us to go back to the bus stand.. and that it wasn't our bus..
but when we got to the bus stand.. the person-in-charge shouted and scolded at us, saying that we were late and he let other people take our place..
what is wrong with the attitudes of these service providers nowadays?
whatever happened to customer satisfaction huh?
we bought our tickets, so the seats belongs to us!
you have no right to replace the empty seats okay?
and since u replaced us with notification, don't we get the seats of those who took our seats??
the bus company has no system, no discipline or courtesy at all..
how bad does it make Malaysian public transportation look to foreigners..
well, finally we had to stand or sit on the floor all the way to Genting Highlands...

despite the bad experience we had in the begining of this trip..
i did have a great time with Alice, WenYi, Georgen, Jaron, HorngNgiap, JiaHuan and Chris..
shouted like mad on the Corkscrew..
fake-shouted on some of the other rides..
waited super long for the Go-Karts..
missed the SpaceShot and ThunderMine..
been into a Casino the 1st time in my life..
hated the smell of smoke in the casino..
enjoyed a really nice cup of JavaChips Ice Blended Mocha in Starbucks..
took a lot of photos..
basically released all the tension that has been building up ever since i came back to Vista..

Jaron posing.. he had to stand all the way to Genting..


JiaHuan's Peanut goes on a backpack trip..


carousel


Genting Outdoor theme park


Genting casino



London doubledecker bus?? JJD5400


life is like a rollercoaster.. very twist and turn is a surprise.. u may shout, u may scream, u may laugh.. some people will just close their eyes and let it pass, others will face it heads on..


beautiful purple flower that we spotted..


cute Cai Shen.. let's hope u bring me luck~


starbucks coffee, always a nice experience..


branches and leaves..


Picadilly, a nice place at Millenium Square, PJ

轻松一下！

thank you LEE YEE.. for sending me these cute pictures..

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

i know i've been lazy..
and perhaps a bit down..
well.. mostly exhausted..
but i promise i will eventually find time to update my blog..