Photo Shoot for Souvenir Program

Check out this cool pics. Took this a few days back at Nigel's house. Love the idea. Check out the so-called moon at the background.

Me Of course.......

The Core Members

Core Members + Alumni

CATCH US AT THE KUALA LUMPUR PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE FROM THE 16TH-19TH NOVEMBER. FOR SHOW DETAILS, GO TO WWW.THEWICKEDPITCHES.COM AND FOR TICKETS CONTACT ME OR REFER TO WEBSITE.

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Manchester United Rocks ON!!!

After a long goal drought, Rooney finally scored his first goal of the Premiership after a bout 10 matches. It was a much needed psychological break for him to start finding the net again after a long barren run which had seen him off form for a while now. Manchester United let off a terrific display of football destroying Bolton 4 goals to nothing.

Manchester United - Bolton
4-0

I'm so glad that MU have a 6 goal advantage over Chelsea even when we are tied with the same score. What is more timely, is that every outstanding MU player, the old and the fresh talents are starting to find their form. Ryan Giggs, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Scholes, Ronaldo and Saha all are getting fired up and I really hope that they would continue this impressive form and maintain it because MU have a habit of breaking their consistency.

HAIL THE GREAT DEVILS!!!

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The Madness Lasting nearly 2 weeks...

OH gosh...I've been wandering when was the last time I've actually gone shopping for so many days just to look for the right clothes, all for the sake of the upcoming show which is just 2 and a half weeks more in KLPac. Seriously finding the suitable ones aren't easy to begin with and pricey even when there are Sales! Sales! everywhere. So after looking and running around from one shopping mall to another for close to two darn weeks, I finally found what i call the most suitable set of blacks, whites and formal wear for the show. Thank goodness it doesn't look too kinky or weird for me. Showy and Classy enough for my look and also for the show itself.

Last weekend, Sunday was the day which I decided that I had to buy a suit. From Nigel's recommendation, Rm599 for a complete formal wear which includes a suit and a matching pants would be a great bargain, and according to him is dirt cheap, especially considering that it is an Italian Brand and the material is worth much more. Thinking that I don't have to spend much time to get it, drove to Crown Plaza and the moment I walked into the place, I was so sure that OK....my suit is settled. But life is full of surprises as it is. After scouting around the place, I finally found the suit shop and there it was...Closed!! So I thought, Ok maybe I should come back the next day. That was when I decided to walk closer to check out the suits and to my amazement, there were notices pasted all around the shop saying...

"Sorry,we are currently out of stock.
Please come back in December when we restock"

Amazed isn't the word but more likely flabbergasted. All my plans for the day to search for my other set of clothes vanished into thin air. It must have been the really good deal for a complete suit, which means every sane person would not only think of walking in to check out the suit on display but also considering to buy one for themselves. RM599 is really a good deal....

Left the place, disappointed feeling quite agitated at the same time and that was when the Golden Triangle beckons. I knew that this area would solve most of my shopping woes. Drove off to Sungei Wang and walked all the way into Lot 10 and checked out Isetan. Again there was SALE.... SALE.... SALE.... hanging from the ceiling all over the place. Without thinking much, went to the mens department and that was when I found it. Hanging all over the place was mens clothes and also suits, and I mean some really nice clothing. Then I found suits and I thought maybe I should get it first cause I thought the other clothing would be less painstaking to find. There was Padini, G2000, Bonia, Valentino Rudy and Sparkman Shop. Checked every brand out and found the Bonia to be the most fitting, comfortable and reasonably priced with an additional 50% discount which means that everything from the suit to the pants cost me less than 500 bucks which was great and all within the timespan of 1 hour. Looks like God was showing me the way to a better deal... Thank God

Then On Tuesday, I spent nearly 3 hours just to get a full white casual wear and a black pants all from Sub in Parkson which was again filled with tons of people doing some last minute Raya Shopping. Actually I didn't know that Sub would fit so nice onto me (that's because I know it's expensive so I don't usually look at it). I always thought that Sub was for the bad boys and it was floppy and a bit too kinky for me. Shopping at Parkson changed my perception of Sub. In fact there are some clothes which looks casual but too floppy and kinky. Some of the clothes have a very nice balance of formal and casual with a nice mix of trendy and showy thrown into it. Mind you though, it still isn't cheap even with the sale going on and the best think is, I can still wear those clothes after the show without feeling uncomfortable about it. That means less shopping in future and like they say..."Killing two birds with one stone"

The most problematic of them all was the black shirt and the shoes. I can't up make up my mind on what style should I wear, and that was when Sam told me ..."Strictly NO FORMAL, so that means something casual or with a good mixture of both plus showy on stage." That removes the trouble of looking for fromal wear. But I thought, ok I don't usually look good in Black. I don't have any formal black wear and the only ones I have are those IMU T-shirt which I have simply lost count of. Sam also mentioned..."No Pattern please, that is obvious on stage." but that adds more trouble to my shopping. A few days later and after searching at almost all retail shops which I'm familiar with, Edwin, Levis, MNG, Edmunser, G2000, Giordano...and all the countless retail outlets I've been to in Midvalley, Sungei Wang, Lot 10 and Times Square...though I hate it,I have to admit that only SUB offers the most variety of black clothing for formal, jinjang, selambe or casual wear.

With much apprehension, I went on to SUB again..and bought a black long sleeve with some vertical line patterns quite typical of SUB, which practically could not be worn in IMU , but for showy occasions like dinner or stage performance and it cost me quite a lot cause it was New in SUB, hence no discount from the Sales. So, it struck me at that very moment, how limited was my knowledge of shopping that I have to restrict myself to finding the right set of clothes on branded and expensive clothing. I'm feeling quite guilty now because the financial supplies wasn't of my own but of you know who. Maybe it's because I have to find everything by this holiday break before U starts again. SIGH or maybe because girls are just more adept at shopping. Does that mean that they shop more often??? Oh Whatever...

Then came shoes..Shoes, Shoes, Shoes. Nearly everywhere I've been to, they would definitely be more retail outlets for ladies' shoes and much less and I mean restricted to sports shop and maybe Converse, Bata and some other weird retail outlet with funny looking shoes on sale. For this I have to conclude one thing base on the basic principle of science, Observation. Alright...forget the geeky part but isn't it true that choices of shoes for the sexes are disproportionately represented. There seems to be like a 80-20 percentage for girls versus guys. But if you rationalize, do you think guys will continuously buy shoes. To add on, guys shoes are so much more expensive that the ladies shoes. Some ladies shoes cost even Rm14.90 but for guys the cheapest is a Pallas Jazz looking very much like the school shoes which often turns less white as you wear it even with all the washing and whiteners. How much does a Pallas Jazz cost?? Rm49.90 which to me looks too plain for the show. Now you fellas out there must be wandering THEY ARE CHEAPER SHOES THAN THAT!!! Well that's because I have to find a darn shoe with lots of white and less of other colours especially striking colours. So finally at Bata in MidValley, I've found the perfect shoes for stage and casual wear looking all white with a trace of blue over it, hardly noticeable on stage especially when it's covered by the pants and it's on the side.

That ends the ranting on my shopping madness.....If you're bored I get it...but I just need to LET IT OUT!!!

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My Role Model

Arthur Clifton Guyton was born in Oxford, Mississippi, to Dr. Billy S.
Guyton, a highly respected eye, ear, nose, and throat specialist, who later
became Dean of the University of Mississippi Medical School, and Kate Smallwood
Guyton, a mathematics and physics teacher who had been a missionary
in China before marriage.

During his formative years, Arthur enjoyed watching
his father work at the Guyton Clinic, playing chess and swapping stories with
William Faulkner, and building sailboats (one of which he later sold to
Faulkner). He also built countless mechanical and electrical devices, which he
continued to do throughout his life. His brilliance shone early as he graduated
top in his class at the University of Mississippi. He later distinguished himself
at Harvard Medical School and began his postgraduate surgical training at
Massachusetts General Hospital.

His medical training was interrupted twice—once to serve in the Navy during
World War II and again in 1946 when he was stricken with poliomyelitis during
his final year of residency training. Suffering paralysis in his right leg, left arm,
and both shoulders, he spent nine months in Warm Springs, Georgia, recuperating
and applying his inventive mind to building the first motorized wheelchair
controlled by a “joy stick,” a motorized hoist for lifting patients, special leg
braces, and other devices to aid the handicapped. For those inventions he
received a Presidential Citation.

He returned to Oxford where he devoted himself to teaching and research
at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine and was named Chair of the
Department of Physiology in 1948. In 1951 he was named one of the ten outstanding
men in the nation. When the University of Mississippi moved its............

A Great Physiologist. Arthur Guyton’s research contributions, which include
more than 600 papers and 40 books, are legendary and place him among the
greatest physiologists in history. His research covered virtually all areas of cardiovascular
regulation and led to many seminal concepts that are now an integral
part of our understanding of cardiovascular disorders, such as hypertension,
heart failure, and edema. It is difficult to discuss cardiovascular physiology
without including his concepts of cardiac output and venous return, negative
interstitial fluid pressure and regulation of tissue fluid volume and edema....

A Master Teacher. Although Dr. Guyton’s research
accomplishments are legendary, his contributions as an
educator have probably had an even greater impact.
He and his wonderful wife Ruth raised ten children,
all of whom became outstanding physicians—a
remarkable educational achievement. Eight of the
Guyton children graduated from Harvard Medical
School, one from Duke Medical School, and one from
The University of Miami Medical School after receiving
a Ph.D. from Harvard. An article published in
Reader’s Digest in 1982 highlighted their extraordinary
family life.......

An Inspiring Role Model. Dr. Guyton’s accomplishments
extended far beyond science, medicine, and education.
He was an inspiring role model for life as well
as for science. No one was more inspirational or influential
on my scientific career than Dr. Guyton. He
taught his students much more than physiology—
he taught us life, not so much by what he said but by
his unspoken courage and dedication to the highest
standards.........

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Celebrating Our Differences

Almost 50 years and counting, our country has definitely achieved a lot, thanks to our very great leaders. Despite this, many Malaysians/people I know; including me myself are guilty of complaining that Malaysia still lacks in many areas, which is true in maybe some but not all. To name one, our education system; which to me is just a mess. Training our students to score as many As as possible and attend more tuition classes but still are unable to think for themselves. Despite this, we should be thankful that Malaysia is a peaceful and prosperous country. Unfortunately most of us need to be reminded about this when our neighbours, Indonesia and Thailand are having so much political and civil problems.

What is truly great about Malaysia is that we are a truly rich and diverse nation. But most of us, sometimes forget that we have come a long way to achieve this. Foreigners have always pointed out that our biggest strength lies in our rich and colourful diversity. This time around the double festive celebration for which most of us call it Deeparaya is one example. Deepavali, or the Festival of Lights and Hari Raya Aidilfitri are jointly celebrated due to its close proximity with each other this year. Sure, it is a Malaysian culture to celebrate two festivals together especially in the already well-known Open House concept where sometimes thousands of people from all walks of life; young and old; come and enjoy a meal together. But in most countries, where there is racial divide and civil unrest, it is impossible to have such celebrations.

Recently there was a great uproar on a comment saying that it is wrong to send greeting cards to a person of other faiths for fear of diminishing their own. Strange as it seems, this comment came from a well-educated Muslim who by right should have understood that there is absolutely nothing wrong making friends or fostering closer relationships with people of other beliefs. Isn't this indirectly implying that all this while when Muslims and the other races gather for a double festive celebration, they become less Muslim or they have commited a sin?

In a quote from our Prime Minister....

"Loving one another and respecting neighbours and friends irrespective of their religions are in line with Islamic teachings."

Prime Minister

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

On another front, if a Buddhist is invited to have a meal with a Christian, does that mean that, the Christian would be less Christian and will the Buddhist be less Buddhist. NO..... The more important issue here is the differences that makes us unique, because I belief that it is in this differences that we can learn how to embrace our multi-ethnicity and strengthen our mutual understanding of one another. It is by this means where racial integration can be fostered, which I believe has been our greatest achievement. It is through racial tolerance which has bonded all of us despite our religious and cultural differences and thus as a result promote peace and encourage development in our country. Thankfully the ones who pose a threat to racial unity are a minority.

It is in this festive mood where we should all reflect on the importance of living together in harmony which sets us apart from most countries. As our Prime Minister says....

"Let us celebrate this festive season in a spirit that would spur us to progress together and strengthen relations between the various races, not only based on the spirit of tolerance but more than that, based on mutual respect and trust."

Prime Minister,
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI AND HAPPY DEEPAVALI

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Rombongan to KLPac

Main entrance to KLPac and KLPac from far .......

Entrance to KLPac and KLPac close-up

Pentas 1 inside

The Hallway

The entire purpose of the rombongan was to test the mic which is supposedly one of the most expensive wireless mics around, and so we are gonna use them in the upcoming show. Me, Mimi, Nigel, Yu Ling, Cheryl and Zal were there trying out while the rest were MIA with work and other responsibilities going on. Finally went backstage and can start imagining when our props and lights goes up for the show. Can start imagining the proposed "light corridor", spotlights and "corridor of light" emanating from the ceiling or backstage from our staging that Michael was talking about.

In fact, an early trip to KLPac did give me a early impression on how we will look like on stage. Exposed and Vulnerable if we slack like mad. Fantastic and Entertaining if we do well.

Finally we started testing them, sang a few songs to try to tell the difference between the expensive and the cheaper one. Can't hear a darn difference between the two from the bottom. Supposedly the cheaper one had some little buzzing/static going on when we sang together which was especially obviously higher up.

The rombongan ended up with us feeling rather indecisive on the mics we should use, basically because the rental is not cheap and sound was the issue. But you know what I think, let's just focus on our singing and staging and worry about it later.

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Something Very Interesting

Came across a notice at a flower shop today. If you're thinking of giving roses to a significant other or someone special, chances are, you might think of the number of roses you want to buy (and that is if you buy roses!!!) and the recipient might ask why 50 or why 100 or why 500 or why 10?? So this(the notice)may give you the answer....

1 Rose
Exceptional love all concentrated on you.

2 Roses
Two of us deeply in love.

3 Roses
I love you.

6 Roses
I want to be yours.

9 Roses
Love each other eternally.

11 Roses
You are the one I love most in my life.

12 Roses
Satisfactory union and mutual affinity.

13 Roses
Secret admirer.

24 Roses
Remember fondly every moment
(24 hours cannot forget you).

33 Roses
Saying "I love you" with PROFOUND LOVE.

36 Roses
Feeling romantic attachment because you come to me.

44 Roses
Constant unchangeable pledge.

50 Roses
This is "Regretless Love".

56 Roses
My love.

66 Roses
Successful love affair.

99 Roses
Love with understanding makes love eternal.

101 Roses
No other love but you.

108 Roses
Please marry me!

111 Roses
Eternal love.

123 Roses
Free love.

144 Roses
Loving you day and night eternally.

365 Roses
Thinking of you everyday, love you everyday.

999 Roses
Everlasting and eternal love.

1001 Roses
Faithful love, 'till forever

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Everything's Fine....

Oooh... Thank God the tumour is benign though it was Stage 3. Medic students/doctors should know what I mean. My aunty is now recuperating and recovering well. Hmmm, i really want to see the 6" by 5" by 4" growth. It will be really interesting!!

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Just doing my part...

Recently a member of my family has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I just feel that I have to do my part to spread the word on ovarian cancer. Since there are non-medical readers visiting this blog, I should spare them the intricate details and medical jargon relevant to this subject. So Ladies, please read on...Guys, get educated!!!

Ovarian Tumours

There are basically two common origins

1. epithelial, the outer layer of an ovary
2. germ cells, the part of the ovary where your ovum(egg) is made.

Epidemiological studies

• Ovarian Tumours affect predominantly postmenopausal women, ie around 50-60 yrs
  
• Ovarian cancer is a disease that principally affects middle and upper-class women in industrialized nations.
• One of the most common cancers affecting women especially those who are unmarried

Ovarian Tumour Info
Ovarian tumours have a high mortality rate, mainly because symptoms don't show up, usually presents as a buldge on your tummy. Therefore mortality rate can be high as 70% because at the time when it is diagnosed, it's already spread to your other organs around your abdominal and pelvic area.

Symptoms

• Sense of pelvic heaviness
• Vague lower abdominal discomfort
• Vaginal bleeding
• Weight gain or loss
• Abnormal menstrual cycles
• Unexplained back pain that worsens over time
• Increased abdominal girth
• Non-specific gastrointestinal symptom
• Increased gas
• Indigestion

There are marked differences in survival among patients with ovarian cancer, depending on factors such as age, cancer stage, and tissue type. Younger patients tend to fare better in all stages than do older patients, whereas race does not play a factor.

Ovarian tumours which are complicated by forming deposits on your peritoneum(peritoneal implants); basically your inner abdominal wall will have a poor prognosis.

Treatment

Treatment for Ovarian Tumour varies and depends on the stage of cancer, type of tumour, age of patient. Treatment varies from

Excision/Removal of ovaries

Chemotherapy

Radiotherapy

SO LADIES Get full body health checkups at least once a year, if not twice. Please do PAP Smears especially those who are married and above 30 years old. Though PAP smear is not diagnostic for ovarian tumour but it does reveal abnormalities that are tell-tale signs of Cervical Cancer, another major cancer affecting Ladies.

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The Top 5 Pick up Lines...???

This is something which I pick up from LIME magazine...and they call it the Top 5 pick up lines:

1. "I may not be the best looking guy in here, but I'm the only one talking to you."
2. "You must be Jamaican, because Jamaican me crazy"
3. "What's your name?"
4. "See my friend over there? He wants to know if you think I'm cute"
5. "So what haven't you been told tonight?"

Ok...I'm not a girl but frankly, I find those top pick up lines rather cheesy and a bit lame...sorry maybe I'm a guy so I wouldn't understand. This is what I would reply/respond if I'm the girl and some guy came up to me and use them.

1. Stare at guy blankly or surprised with eyes/"Ahah....."/"And?..."
2. "Very Funny..."
3. Bryan/Is this a trick question??
4. "What?..." with a rather puzzled facial expression/NO or YES/If I'm in a bad mood I show him the L
   
5. I suppose if I'm the girl and got played into it or if the guy is a hunk I would say "I look great...?" but if I feel indifferent, I might just say "Tell Me..."

So for me, if a guy picks a list from the so-called Top 5 Pick-Up Lines there, I would maybe play along if he chooses the 1st and the last one. HAHA :)

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Stress Factor

Right now, nearly everyone in Sem 5 is already free of most responsibilities and stressful extracurricular activities. I'm feeling that my stressful moment dip a tad bit over maybe a week or two and will exponentially rise over the coming weeks.

Now that Neuro is already starting to give me ths shivers due to its sheer load of facts and understanding required by this very demanding system. I have already something extra to worry about from my performance in the coming month. Not the singing part though, but staging where you have to constantly shake your ass, ok maybe not all the time but since "Mostly we moon", I'm sure that we all have to do it more often plus the minor dance routines that would be incorporated in some songs. OK, I'm not whining here cause this is entirely new for me, and dancing is great. I've actually discovered that shaking asses and dancing is really fun to do. I'm definitely gonna do it more often after the show. But it would be more comfortable for me if Neuro exams isn't just around the corner.

Thank God, for the 1 week Raya Break if not I'm definitely gonna have problems with neuro which would increase my studying load later on if I don't get this system sorted out when I prepare for EOS in January.

I'm stressed out now, but I know moderate stress is good and it keeps people going. Too little makes people too comfortable. Too much drives them mad... But the problem with me is I want both things to work out great. I'm actually worrying that I might do one really well and screw the other...like screw Neuro and pull out a wonderful 5-show performance or vice versa.

So, God I know with You all things are possible and I pray all my worries will go away

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Wicked Pitches PROMO!!!!!

This would be the show I'm doing in a months time in KLPac. For Tickets, call the number or contact me...

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Finally on WP website

As you can see, that is me and none other than me standing at the door at Nigel's place looking like a mad medical student trying to vent out his frustration after the many weeks of manic studying for MSK exams...

OR you can think of it as:

Someone who is ready to take on the stage 1 month from now in KLPac. Don't be fooled by the energy you see there because truthfully I 'm feeling a little apprehensive about the whole thing( cause I've never done any of these before on such a large scale) and excited at the same time.

And of course if you want to know the details about the show and me, don't hesitate to direct your browser to The Wicked Pitches website here.

By the way this picture was taken from the website...

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The Story of the Mid Autumm Festival...

Why do we eat mooncakes?? Or why even bother making them?? It's nice to have a variety of mooncakes every year. Every year, there would be so many fantastic flavours to choose from including my mother's recipe. She always try to make it better and indeed she does because if we don't save any for her, there would be none left.

Personally I don't know how the celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival exactly came about. As far as I know, the one story that had been imparted to me over the years was that a long time ago in China, the people were ruled by the Mongols; and the people didn't like it. Most wanted to overthrow the government led by a Mongol leader but had no idea what to do because there were many rules and one of them was any form of rebellion is illegal. So some guy came up with a brilliant idea of staging a rebellion secretly, by inserting hidden messages into special cakes to commemorate the "moon festival". This special cakes were designed to look like the moon but more importantly is what the message was all about....

This message was to inform people of a plan to overthrow the government which was at that time cruel and unjust. I don't know the details, though...True enough, everything worked out and the government under the Mongols were quickly overthrown on the very day of the Mid-Autumn Festival and many people continue to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival till this day because of this....

It's nice to know that there is a story behind this great food or should I say delicacy whch comes in Single yolk, double yolk, triple yolk, Lotus Paste, Yam, Teochew yam, Red Bean, Wu Ren and many many more....

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Bad Air Days....

Haze is back.....an almost every year...irresponsible people from Indonesia start burning trees as if they have an abundance of trees to torch. Why can't the authorities stop them??? Every year we have to bear with the haze. Strangely the authorities always mention that the necessary steps would be taken to reprimand those who are responsible and yet it still comes back as if it is a routine in this region.

Maybe something would be done but never will be... because once it's over everything ends until the next haze...then everyone starts complaining and the cycle continues...I guess it's the Malaysian mentality..."tidak apa la...."

A hazy view of KL skyline

A recipe for disaster

and more gray days ahead. Hopefully this year will see the end of the haze cycle or if not until all the trees end up in smoke....

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