the way i are

It's interview season in KMB and I couldn't help but feel nervous most of the times. (My fingernails even turned purple whenever I thought about the medical interviews).

Waiting for the day of the first interview is like waiting for the first visit to the dentist, first time taking an exam or waiting for the UPSR, PMR, or SPM result. It's nerve-racking!

The first.

photo by amchu

14th January 09
KMB
Manchester

Manchester interview was quite fun I think. It has two parts - the first consisted of general questions and the second one was more of a discussion on a medical issue. These are some of the questions that I was asked during my interview. (They're not exact questions though, it's not like I brought a tape recorder into the room)

First part,

1. Why medicine? (Most popular question for any interviews; though some didn't get this question)
2. What have you learnt from the attachments that you participated?
3. Have the attachments helped in giving you a deeper insight in the medical profession?
4. How can you cope with the course of medicine in Manchester?
5. How do you deal with stress? (Manchester loves this question)

The 1st part was mostly personal. I didn't think I answered it as well as I thought I would be. But, I think it was quite good. Now, we move on to the 2nd part, the more interesting one.

Second part,

1. The usage of drugs in sports can actually help in boosting an athlete's performance. Is this inexcusable?

During this question, my mind was like thinking critically hard and the interviewer actually asked whether or not I understand the word "inexcusable". I just said yes though actually, I couldn't even think what it means. (Hey, I was really nervous at that time, timorous even)

And so I said, if the drugs are helpful, why not? In other words, I'm actually supporting the usage of drugs in sports. And the attacking begins...

2. So you're saying, "Let's give drugs to all the athletes"?
3. Don't you think it's unfair?
4. Drugs can be potentially dangerous. Are you still saying that drugs should be allowed?

Honestly, I didn't really hear the first question for this part and I just agreed on that matter - to use drugs in sports. When I heard the second question, I knew it, I had given the wrong answer - nope, there's no right or wrong answer - it's just that I've given the answer which I don't intend to.

I would really like to take back my words and go against the usage of drugs but that would somehow show that I'm not firm in making decisions. And so I said the athletes can judge themselves whether or not they can win by using drugs or without drugs. And they're still attacking. And I kept defending my stand.

5. Do you think the athletes would care if they win by using drugs? A gold medal is still a gold medal.

And there're more questions but somehow I managed to answer all of them. Most of my answers are like - the public should know which athletes use drugs, doctor's consent, recommended amount and etc.

I noticed two problems during my interview - my eye contact and the smiling part. I sometimes looked at the air conditioner but I managed to look back at my interviewers' eyes. And although I smile continuously, I didn't think I smile that much in the interview. Anyway, I had a great time BUT that doesn't mean I'm confident in getting the offer but I do hope so.

The interviewers were really nice and they're the ones who smiled all the time. We do laugh occasionally but the problem is, I didn't know whether they're laughing at me or the jokes that were made. The interviewers kept saying that my answers were "interesting", I hope that's good. All in all, I would say it was OK.

I just realized something. It took about 15-20 minutes only to make a good impression to the interviewers - to show who you really are. It's freaky somehow. On the contrary, the interview in the hereafter is based on our whole life. Now that's something worth to think about...

waiting on the world to change

As I was walking along the route from Bukit Nanas to Dang Wangi to transfer from Monorail to RapidKL, I couldn't help noticing a very interesting sight which I'd gladly take a picture of it and put it on my blog. Unfortunately, I didn't bring along my digicam and my handphone is incapable of capturing photos with decent quality. (Really need to change my handphone once IB is over). Nonetheless, if you were there, you may want to do the same. It was a pathetic sight. Rubbish decorated the steps and escalators of the overhead bridge along the route. And the stench, I'll just leave that to your imagination. The question is - When will Malaysians change their mentality?


I wonder why John Mayer keeps waiting on the world to change. Perhaps, some things in this world are beyond our reach. We might just have to wait.

But still, we could not just sit and do nothing.

"...surely, Allah does not change a people's lot unless they change what is in their hearts..."
(Ar-Ra'd (13): 11)

Well, you might've heard of the saying like the only constant thing in the world is change. Thus, why do we have to keep waiting? We could miss the boat. And once that happened, it could all be too late. Change while we can.

And so I changed my English EE from literature to language near the end of last year and I'm going to change my TOK essay topic during this weekend. But hey, I could be taking risks here. I certainly do not know the outcome of these changes but I really like the vibe at the moment.

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending"
Maria Robinson

Change. It's either good or bad, either we like it or we hate it. So, it's up to us to ensure it goes our way. Simply, just change...

lagu untukmu

Dari Malaysia ke Palestin...


A snippet from a local newspaper:

"We are scared... that we can die at any moment,"
said 11-year-old Mohammed Ayyad who lives near a government compound blasted in the overnight raids.
Source: NST

Now, people around the world are awaken from their own perpetual slumber. Everywhere, here and there, demonstrations are being held and protests towards Israel are being heard. It's the time to be neither ignorant nor indifferent.

Fellow bloggers already have their own posts on this matter. My post may not open the eyes of 1 million people but if I can make 1 person be cognizant of this issue, at least it's a start.

Marilah kita berdoa. Bukankah doa adalah senjata orang mukmin?

"...Berdoalah kepada-Ku, nescaya akan aku perkenankan bagimu..."
(Al-Mu'min (40): 60)

From Malaysia to Palestine...

bring me some water

When I looked at NST's front page yesterday, there it stated - Klang Valley will face water shortage in 2010. I was like, Great! Now we have a water crisis.

photo by Hypergurl

With the economy is tumbling and food prices keep going up, up and away, there's no telling what else will happen in this world.

People will start looking for solutions like maybe the Earth Hour 2007 - 2.2 million people in Sydney, Australia switched off their lights in order to fight global warming. So, what does it have anything to do with the water crisis? Well, maybe everyone in the world can skip their morning shower on a certain day or maybe don't go to the toilet for 12 hours. Who knows? If people are desperate, they might just go for the extreme measures. I guess we are being ignorant towards the fact that our world is in a state of environmental turmoil.

When I was in MRSM TGB, there were several times when we faced water shortages. Plus, KMB also had occasional episodes of water crisis. When humans face impediments such as these, that's when they realize the value of water. Maybe we should do the same to our nation; stop the water supply every now and then so that people would suffer, thus hopefully we would be thankful enough to have access to clean water. Imagine that. Haha, don't take me seriously.

What should we do? Well, moderate our water consumption and practice this everyday; we don't need to opt for the hyperbolic steps. After all, istiqamah is much better. It's like doing your EE, whether you want to write all the 4000 words in one day or you want to write it slowly but progressively and in the end producing a top-notch essay. You decide...

everything is not what it seems

photo by GranDadWoof

You might probably have seen lots and lots of optical illusions in science classes. But, have you seen a real one? (Wait, if it's an illusion, how can it be real?) My point is, have you seen a real world optical illusion or in this case, anamorphic illusion?

Entitled 3 Ellipses for 3 Locks, this piece of art at Cardiff Bay Barrage was created by Swiss artist Felice Varini and his team in 2007. It's his first work in Wales and also the first in the UK. So, KMBians who'll be going to Cardiff next year, you'd know where to find this illusion!

We may always think what we see is true but then again, it's not always like this. Ergo, when should we trust our senses to give us truth? (Don't bother answering. It'll take more than 1000 words to answer this question)

Try not to be judgmental; especially if you don't have the necessary knowledge or skills. I know a doctor shouldn't.

judgmental Definition
from Your Dictionary

judg·men·tal (juj ment′'l)

adjective

1. of or having to do with the exercise of judgment
2. making or tending to make judgments as to value, importance, etc., often specif., judgments considered to be lacking in tolerance, compassion, objectivity, etc.

So you see this person at a very strange place doing something very weird or you see that person walking side by side with a very interesting person, (am I making any sense here?) don't always believe the thoughts that you have in mind, they might be illusions. Husnu zan, ok.

And Hammad actually wrote a replied version of this post on his blog. Do read Not everything is what it seems.

By the way, I've just realized my concept of writing in most of my blog posts. It's multi-definition. My posts somehow have bits of everything as I tend to write about lots of things in my mind but each of the bits actually refers to the title. It's sort of ambiguous at times. I guess it's true, everything is not what is seems...sometimes, that is...

bebas berlari

Imam Ghazali pernah bertanya kepada anak-anak muridnya:

Apakah yang paling berat di dunia?

Memegang amanah.

photo by speedgrafer

Aku ingin berlari
Tanpa menoleh belakang
Menuju destinasi
Ke arah fajar
Ketika dinihari

Aku ingin bebas
Di tengah-tengah padang
Luas terbentang
Tidak dicengkam prioriti
Tak perlu fikirkan implikasi
Bebas berlari...

Mungkin aku telah sedar - betapa beratnya amanah ini.

I have always wanted a big brother; someone that I can look up to, so I don't have to hold the responsibility as the eldest child, so I can be free.

Somewhere inside me had always wanted to escape from taking up responsibilities. You might think I'm selfish but it's just that I don't want my current priorities to be obscured by new ones. That's why I try my best to say NO to new tasks. I'm scared that I couldn't manage everything. I might end up making people feel upset but it's better than to do things unwillingly.

"Sesungguhnya Kami telah kemukakan tanggungjawab amanah (Kami) kepada langit dan bumi serta gunung-ganang (untuk memikulnya), maka mereka enggan memikulnya dan bimbang tidak dapat menyempurnakannya (kerana tidak ada pada mereka persediaan untuk memikulnya); dan (pada ketika itu) manusia (dengan persediaan yang ada padanya) sanggup memikulnya. (Ingatlah) sesungguhnya tabiat kebanyakan manusia adalah suka melakukan kezaliman dan suka pula membuat perkara-perkara yang tidak patut dikerjakan."
(Al-Ahzab (33):72)

Tiada guna memegang amanah tanpa sebarang komitmen. Namun, tanggungjawabku sebagai seorang Muslim, akan tetap kupikul sepenuh hati...

slumber

I know... I should be studying right now. Let this be the last post before the Final Exam.

I found myself sleeping in classes be it in Economics, Chemistry or even Malay. And most of the times, the teacher was right in front of me or even next to me. Well, this urge to fell asleep does not come intentionally and it's not like I never dozed off in classes before; but in the 3rd Semester, it's more prominent than ever.

Reminiscing back at all the mountainous work (IAs especially) that had to be done; it's a wonder how I managed to survive out of all the franticness. With several of my IAs managed to pass muster and another handful ended up badly thus forcing me to go all out in the May 09 IB Exam, I just can't deny the great relief that I felt to find out it's all over. IELTS, Mock interview, UKCAT, UCAS - All done! The MPP of 07/08 has also stepped down and I do hope Semester 4 would be a smooth ride.

Yet, a sudden realization woke me up from this perpetual slumber. It's not over yet!

"Every human mind is a great slumbering power until awakened by a keen desire and by definite resolution to do."
Edgar F. Roberts

Despite the success of overcoming all these impediments, there's still the Final Exam before the final curtain falls on Semester 3 and I still have my EE to worry about.

I have probably been sleeping too much. I need to wake up...

gossip

photo by ala care este

Pssst...did you hear about that?

You like it don't you? Hearing nasty things about others. Assumptions, speculations, tittle-tattle, scandal, call it whatever you want, the list goes on...

It's interesting yet disappointing to find out that humans have this peculiar fondness of hearing negative stories about others. Once the information is acquired, it needs to be circulated whether it is true or not. Well, did you know that...

"...and fitnah is more grievous than killing;..."
(Al-Baqarah (2):191)

And even if it's true, I heard from someone about this...

"O believers! Avoid most suspicions, verily some suspicion is a sin and do not look out for faults and do not backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would abominate it. And fear Allah, Verily Allah is Relenting, Most Merciful."
(Al-Hujraat (49):12)

Well, what you're waiting for? Spread the word! You know you love it. XOXO, adlan wafi...

7 things

I got tagged...again! It's a different one though. Considering the time of the year, I think it's time to write 7 things about being me...

Thanks petite girl for tagging me. At least I have something to write about ;)

Rules of the tag:
Link to your tagger and post these rules in your blog. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

Tagged by: petite girl

1. Because of Allah

We may not realize it but we should actually do everything for Allah. Every single thing - starting from the glorious dawn when we wake up till we close our eyes under the night sky; it's all for Allah. And the reason why I have this blog is...because of Allah. If our intentions are sincere, then we shall achieve what we want one way or another.

2. Prefer pictures than words

A picture is worth a thousand words. Whenever I want to publish my posts, I would try my best to find the right picture to go along with it. Pictures can really attract our emotions. It tells a story which can only be known by those who observe them.

3. 3 dots...

Each of my posts ended with three dots. It's very symbolic actually. A mystery. Continuity. A technique in writing. But most of all, to tell others that the road of da'wah is day and night.

I choose blogging as a way of da'wah. The basis of da'wah is amar makruf nahi munkar which means everything that promotes to goodness and prevents evilness is essentially da'wah.

"Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong: They are the ones to attain felicity."
(Ali-Imran (3): 104)

4. Published on Saturdays

Most of my posts are published on Saturdays and I try my best to keep it that way. It's all because I'm a perfectionist and it's a drawback sometimes. I want to make everyone follow my way and try to give the best that I could and make sure everything's perfect. But as I grow older, I began to be a bit tolerant and try to be less of a perfectionist. It's hard but I have to do it somehow.

5. All posts are named after song titles

Anyone who realized about this feature on my blog, do tell me. I want to know how many people are very observant and aware of this trait.

I love music. There's something about music that makes me feel calm and relax after a long day of work. If we can really utilize the specialty that music has, then I believe we'll be able to bring tarbiyah to the next level.

6. Blog to keep in touch

The sad fact about life is that we have to say goodbye to some of our friends as time passes by. That's why I hope that I will still be a blogger after many years so that I can keep in touch with them though we might be miles away. I might not visit their blogs everyday but whenever I see their names on my blog list, it gives me a soothing feeling that they're just a click away.

7. Today's my birthday!

It is indeed my birthday. However, I still wonder what my birthday on the Hijrah calendar is. I hope I find out about it one day.


I may be a year older but it would not just be an addition of numbers. Instead, I hope it will be more of an awareness of everything that I've done in the past and also a reminder of the expectations that I wish to fulfil in the future.

To all my friends, thank you so much for celebrating my birthday with me. You made my night...