HO CHIAK!

I'm finally back, from the Pearl of Orient, Penang! It's been a great and awesome trip i'd say, in fact, the best trip i've ever had to Penang. Everything went on smoothly according to our plan, from the day we landed on the island till the day we left the place. We've tasted most of the popular local delicacies, visited few popular spots, and most crucially, we made good company out of each other. It has been a tradition for a few of us to meet up and celebrate each time we come back for studies in AIMST, it is to mark that we've again, successfully gone through another year of studies. Without any exception, this year we had it at Penang again.



Our first stop of the day was at Seng Thor Coffee Shop. A very old coffee shop which serves the best "Oh Chian" or Fried Oyster in town. Situated near the street of Prangin Mall, this coffee shop is surrounded by tall modern towers.

No doubt, they serve really scrumptious fried oysters here. The taste was indescribable, the oyster was in fact, the juiciest that i can find throughout Malaysia. Fried with traditional charcoals, this shop certainty serves the best fried oyster in Penang. Besides going for the must-try, we also tried out the Wan Tan Mee or Dumpling Noodles there, it was as good as the oysters.



Next, we went all the way to Ayer Itam to try out their famous Curry Mee there. On the way, we stopped by the road looking for fresh coconuts to quench our thirst before proceeding further to the next stop.

Ayer Itam was in fact, another busy town you can find in Penang. Not only tourists, but locals can be seen everywhere around the town too. The smell of the curry mee surely do have some effects on me, i had a huge craving right after smelling it from a distance.



It's not easy to get a seat near the stall, especially during the Raya season. We waited for like 30 minutes waiting for a table. Well, the time and effort we spent was definitely worth it since we got to taste the locals favourite Curry Mee. We had Penang Char Kuey Teow and Ais Kacang for side order.



"Ho Chiak!" was the only word that can be heard repeatedly around the area. For your information, "Ho Chiak!" means delicious in Hokkien, which majority of the locals there speaks it.



We dropped by at Gurney Plaza for some shopping after that. I got myself a Reebok sneaker, and a set of formal wear. It wasn't long after we decide to move on to our next destination, the Batu Feringgi beach, which i'll be posting on the next post soon as i'm still editing some of the photos here. Sorry to keep you guys waiting but, do keep updated here k? Cheers. =]

I'M BACK!

I'm finally back from Penang, guys! However, i'll be only posting some random pictures for now, will be updating more on the trip real soon. Sorry guys, i'm getting too exhausted to write now. So, stay tuned a'rite? Nitez. =]

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A series of action by me and Kenneth for the "Batu Ferringgi Beach Jump". Cun eh? heh.


The end product of the day. Awesome shot ain't it? It's taken by my Powershot Pro S5IS. Photographed by Kenny. Great job, dude.

* Click on following link for a better look on the images.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b349/csrulez/Untitled-1-1.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b349/csrulez/IMG_1899.jpg

Still figuring how to change the width of this post. Thank you. =]

ARE YOU STRESSED UP?

Okay, i guess you guys have had enough on AIMST? Since the last few post was purely on my beloved university. Haha. Now, it's time to get back to some serious blogging.

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As from the title of the post, probably many would have guessed what i'll be writing about in this post. It might somehow be damn boring but i feel that stress management is something each and every homosapiens need to be aware of. I've been a medical student myself and i know what is this all about, from looking at seniors having mental breakdowns to stealing things due to study pressures, stress is definitely something that needs lot of attentions and efforts to cope with. Not only medical students, nowadays even a UPSR or maybe a PMR student can be on the verge of breaking down due to studies stress and pressure from parents. While writing this, i'm trying to create an awareness towards the society which is oftenly full of pressures and threatening situations. Most of the information here were taken from the lecture notes for the subject Anthropology by Dr. Ku Ruslan, which is the Consultant Psychiatrist from Metro Specialist Hospital, Sungai Petani.

What is stress? Stress is what you experience when you believe you cannot cope effectively with threatening situations

How it started?
- Fight or flight response
- Dramatic series of physiological changes that readies for a life threatening emergency.
- Surviving in the modern jungle.

The ABCs of stress
- A ctivating event on potentially stressful situation
- B eliefs, thoughts or perceptions about A
- C is emotional consequences or stress that results from holding these beliefs.

In other words:
A potentially stressful situation --> your perceptions --> your stress

How it affects us?
- Muscle spasm
- Cardiovascular effects
- Gastrointestinal effects
- Impaired immune systems

Stress can be good?
- Stress is the spice of life – Hans Selye
- Eustress
- Distress

Coming up next, the Signs and Symptoms of Stress. This is something you guys really need to be aware of.

- Physical signs of stress
] Fatigue, lethargy
] Palpitations of the heart, shallow breathing
] Muscle tension and aches
] Tremors, shakiness
] Heartburn, indigestion
] Dry mouth and throat
] Excessive sweating, clammy hand
] Rashes, hives, itching
] Frequent urination
] Lowered libido
] Over eating, loss of appetite
] Sleep difficulties
] Increased used of alcohol, drugs, medication
] fidgeting

- Psychological sign of stress
] Irritability, impatience, anger, hostility
] Worry, anxiety, panic
] Moody, sadness, feeling upset
] Intrusive, racing thoughts
] Poor concentration, indecision, memory lapse
] Lowered productivity, frequent MC
] Feeling overwhelmed
] Loss of sense of humor

Identifying the Effects of Stress
- Affect the health
- Negatively affecting friendship
- Hurting marriages
- Impaired performance at work
- Job stress is estimated to cost American Industry $200-300 billion annually

Source of Stress
- Rapid change in short span of time
- Insecurity, uncertainty and fear
a) Getting “worked-up” at work
•25% were under stress daily
•90% were under stress once a week
b) Feeling frazzled at home
•“Father works from sun to sun, but mother’s work is never done”
c) Asset management
d) Life daily hassle

Managing Stress
I. Measuring stress
•Just how stressed you are?
•Keeping a simple stress diary
–Stress trigger
–Stress response

II. Letting go of tension
•Body scan for muscle tension
•Breathing technique
•Relaxation technique

III. Calming down the mind
•Thought stopping
•Hypnotize

IV. Stress - Reducing Organizational Skills
V. Finding more time
VI. Eating, exercising and sleeping

Success Factors
Integrity – being honest with all people
Discipline – Applying self-control
Social skills – getting along with people
A supportive spouse
Hard work – More than most people

And lastly, a few tips for you guys to maintain fit for life.

(A) Diet:-
- Lot of fruits and vegetable
- Preference for fish
- Whole grain as a source at energy
- Lots of water
- Go easy on dairy produce and meat
- Don’t fill up, eat slowly and stop early
- Eat water melon and sweet potatoes

(B) Exercise:-
-Stretching and walk daily
-Think Tai Chi and gardening, forget the gym

(C) Meditation:-
-Breathing deeply and counting each breath up to 10

(D) Social Network:-
-Family and communal support
-Active in social and charity organization

(E) Religion:-
-Strongly incline towards religious values

(F) A good attitude:-
-Easy going
-Shy away from any kind of rushing

(G) Stress reducing kit:-

Nah, just kidding. Heh.

Before i write off, i'd like to wish all the muslims a great Hari Raya celebration. For the non-muslims, enjoy your holiday to the fullest! I'll be off to Penang for the coming 2 days, so for the time being, take care and don't get too stressed up with works and studies! Cheers. =]

THANK YOU.

Well, it's been yet another great birthday celebration i've gone through since i stepped into AIMST. Yesterday was the second time i celebrated my birthday in the semeling campus. Guess what? I'm officially 19 now. One step further away from the world of teenage and one step nearer to the adulthood. Still, i hope to maintain the little coolness and whackyness in me. Haha.

First of all, i'll like to extend my thanks to those who've greeted me either through sms or testimonials, thanks for remembering and also making the effort to text me at least once in a while. (Thanks Nimalan for the message all the way from London.) What's most amazing is that a few of my long lost friends actually got back to me again through the birthday greetings. I really do appreciate them, hope you guys have received my thank you reply as well.

As for my buddies here at AIMST, especially the few of you, Kenny, Kenneth, Zai, Ke Wei and our beloved Ah Pa (Eng Teck), thanks for all the surprises you guys have made for me. From secretly sneaking out to the town to get me a great looking birthday cake till having to organized a great supper party for me here at the cafeteria. I really really do appreciate them to bits. It's once again another event i won't forget throughout my lifetime.

The last but not least, how could i left out my dearest mommy? Mommy, if you're reading this, thank you so much for bringing me to this world which is full of love and care, i have totally no regrets to have descended to the mother earth for the past 19 years. I know it's been really tough to have you carrying me around in your big bulky tummy for the enormous 9 months! And i guess without your love and care, i wouldn't have made it till today. Well, i truly hoped that someday i'll stand out as a successful doctor and to do you and our family really proud.

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Once again, seriously. Thank you guys.

AIMST UNIVERSITY.

Haven't been updating my blog for quite some time already. Sorry guys, i'm still quite busy with assignments and lectures. Nothing much in this post, just some random pictures that i've got while exploring my new campus in Semeling. For those who are still scratching their head over what is AIMST and where is AIMST located, this will be quite an informative post i guess. Heh. Read on.

Introduction
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AIMST University is registered with the Ministry of Higher Education, Government of Malaysia, as a tertiary educational institute under Sections 38 and 39 of the Private Higher Educational Institutions Act of 1996. It formally began its operations on 30 October 2001, coinciding with its registration with the Department of Private Education under the Ministry of Higher Education.

A sprawling 230 - acre site at the foothills of Gunung Jerai in the historically important Bujang valley in Semeling (Kedah) is the permanent campus of the University. Self-contained and equipped with state-of-the-art teaching and laboratory facilities, the campus with its purpose-built Great Hall and Experimental Theatre, a well-designed Library located in close proximity to the Faculty buildings, well-furnished student and staff residences, a Student Complex replete with facilities such as bank, post office, student clinic, book store, mini-market, etc., an Indoor Sports Hall linked to an Olympic-size swimming pool and spacious outdoor track and field facilities, is ready.

At the present stage of its operations, four faculties have been established, namely, the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Technology, the Faculty of Applied Sciences and the Faculty of Business & Management. The University has also established two other academic centres: the Centre for Matriculation and Foundation Studies (CMFS), and the Centre for General & Extracurricular Studies (CGES). CMFS conducts foundation courses in science, business and IT that lead to direct entry into the relevant degree programmes. CGES is charged with the task of offering compulsory and elective University courses in English and the Humanities for all the undergraduate degree programmes and also plays a pivotal role in the promotion of the University's various outreach programmes.
Imbued with the vision of its founders, AIMST aims to be a premier private sector university in the country and region catering to the needs of local and international students in providing quality technical education at an affordable price. The curricula for most of the degree programmes are drawn from the University of Bristol in Britain.

Most components of the degree programmes include computer training, writing and research in order to prepare students for work and to provide them with the ability to apply technologies to all aspects of their education. Admission to the degree programmes requires the applicant to meet minimally the prescribed grades in the relevant subjects at the matriculation (local or overseas) level or possess other equivalent qualifications acceptable to AIMST University.

The medium of instruction for all courses is English, although the importance of the National Language will be emphasised in all activities of the University. AIMST University will provide language support for students before and during their degree studies to ensure an acceptable level of fluency. Student support services in the areas of counselling, health, career placement, sports, cultural activities, tutoring and individualised assistance to students with special needs, will be adequately provided for and continually upgraded in as much as these comprise an integral part of AIMST University’s mission to develop a vibrant academic, social and cultural campus environment.

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Random pictures.

View from the top floor of library. Our main administration building on the left and sports arena on the right.

View from my room during day and night time. Medical faculty on the left and library on the right.

A common sight you can find in AIMST during raining season. Note the misty hill behind the girl's hostel.

Student's centre.

Lecture hall.

Lecture room.

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And lastly, i guess it's time to update on myself once again..

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The recent me. My regards. =)
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Till then, take care guys!