The Universal God...

 This morning i received a mail entitled "Jesus's Death. 60 seconds to understand. Upon reading it, i felt compelled to reply to all the recipients of the mail. The content of the mail is as below.:-

Peace Be With you
 

 

  

60 seconds
with God....

For
the next 60 seconds, set aside whatever
you're doing and take this opportunity! Let's see if Satan
can stop this.

THE (SCIENTIFIC) DEATH OF JESUS

At the age of 33,
Jesus was condemned to the death penalty.

At the time
crucifixion was the "worst" death. Only the worst
criminals condemned to be crucified. Yet it was
even  more dreadful for Jesus, unlike
other criminals condemned to death by
crucifixion Jesus was to be nailed to the
cross by His hands and feet.

Each nail
was 6 to 8 inches long.

 

The nails
were driven into His wrist.  Not
into His palms as is commonly
portrayed. There's a tendon in the wrist that
extends to the shoulder.  The Roman guards knew
that when the nails were being hammered into the
wrist that tendon would tear and
break, forcing Jesus to use His back
muscles to support himself so that He could
breathe.  

Both of His feet
were nailed together.  Thus He was forced to
support Himself on the single nail that
impaled His feet to the cross.  Jesus could
not support himself with His legs because of the pain
so He was forced to alternate between arching His
back then using his legs just to continue to
breath.  Imagine the struggle, the pain, the
suffering, the courage. 

Jesus endured this
reality for over 3 hours.

  Yes,
over 3 hours! Can you imagine this kind of
suffering?  A few minutes before He died,
Jesus stopped bleeding. He was simply pouring water
from his wounds.

From common images
we see wounds to His hands and feet and even the spear wound
to His side.  But do we realize His wounds
were actually made in his body.  A hammer
driving large nails through the wrist, the feet overlapped
and an even large nail hammered through the arches, then a
Roman guard piercing His side with a spear.   But
before the nails and the spear Jesus was whipped and
beaten..  The whipping was so severe that it tore the
flesh from His body..  The beating so horrific that His
face was torn and his beard ripped from His face.  The
crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp..  Most men
would not have survived this torture. 

"

He had no more blood
to bleed out, only water poured from His
wounds.
The
human adult body contains about 3.5 liters
(just less than a gallon) of blood.

Jesus poured all 3.5
liters of his blood; He had three nails hammered into His
members; a crown of  thorns on His head and, beyond
that, a Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into His
chest.

All these without
mentioning the humiliation He passed after carrying His own
cross for almost 2 kilometers, while the crowd spat in his
face and threw stones (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight,
only for its higher part, where His hands were
nailed).

Jesus had
to endure this experience, so that you can have free
access to God.

So that your sins
could be "washed" away. All of them, with no exception!
Don't ignore this situation. 

JESUS
CHRIST DIED FOR YOU!

For you, who now
read this e-mail. Do not believe that He only died for
others (those who go to church or for pastors, bishops,
etc).

He died for you! It
is easy to pass jokes or foolish photos  by e-mail, but
when it comes to God, sometimes you feel ashamed to forward
to others because you are worried of what they may think
about you.

  Accept
the reality, the truth that JESUS IS THE ONLY SALVATION FOR
THE WORLD.

God
has plans for you, show all your friends what He experienced
to save you. Now think about this! May God bless your
life!

60
seconds with God...  

For the next 60
seconds, set aside what you're doing and take
this opportunity! Let's see if Satan can stop
this.

All you have to do
is:

1.
 
Simply
pray for the person who sent this message to
you:

2.Then, send this
message onto others... 

3. People will
pray for you and you will make that many people pray to God
for other people.

4. Take a
moment to appreciate the power of God in your life, for
doing what pleases Him.

If you are not
ashamed to do this, please, follow Jesus' instructions.
He said (Matthew 10:32 & 33): "Everyone therefore
who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge
before My Father in heaven; but whosoever denies Me
before others,  I also will deny before My
Father in heaven".

If you believe,
send this message... But send it only if you believe
in Christ Jesus is your Lord and Savior.

Yes, I love God. He
is my source of life and my Savior. He keeps me alive day
and night.

Without Him, I am
nothing, but with Him "I can do all things through Him
who strengthens me". Philippians 4:13.

This is the simple
proof. If you love God and you are a believer and trust
in salvation through Christ Jesus, send this to all those
you love.

I felt the need to express my thoughts in this matter for the longest time. Hence my reply:-

Dear friends of all faiths,
Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Chee Hung, and I am a Buddhist. Since this mail was sent to me, I felt it's an opportunity for me to express what my opinion is in the matter of religion. Many of us believe that the two main topics that we don't talk about is politics and religion issues. Well, somehow I felt compelled to discuss on the latter. I sincerely hope I don't offend anyone as it is not my intention to do so. I am just expressing my thoughts on this matter for a while now.
I would like to quote a few scriptures from the Bible,"..And there is salvation in no one else for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.." - Acts 4:12
 "And this is the testimony that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life, he who has not the Son has no life"- 1 John 5:11-12
"Again Jesus spoke.. I am the light f the world.He who follows Me will not walk in darkness,but will have the light of life."-John 8:12
"Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, but by me."-John 14:6

You might ask how do I know these scriptures? Being Buddhist, I see the beauty of every religion that exist today.I own and read the Holy Bible from time to time.(NKJV),as well as the Bhagavad Gita, as well as the Buddhist sutras. I strongly believe God is one, and that He created man with "subtle" differences(different religions) so as He may be glorified by different names. Its the different facets of the same diamond.
I am sure a few of you would disagree with me in this matter. I know I might sound a little harsh, but there is no denying that there are Christians who believed that Christianity is the only way to salvation. From the scriptures that I quote above and from the sermons that is preached by the pastors in church(yes I do go to church). The pastor in the church that i attended actually condemns other religions, which I feel its very unbecoming for a pastor. I don't blame some Christians for having such views, as you were born and brought up into believing that. Similarly to individual from other faith who was born and brought up in their parents' faith, were taught to abide on their own teachings.
But, for the sake of discussion, lets put aside all our differences, and have an open mind. I don't restrict myself only to the faith I was born into, but God has given us the intelligence, the wisdom to think. I see the unity behind the diversity. If God is a way of life, why are there being so diverse, which in the course of history of mankind, nations has gone to war in the name of religion. Genocide has been committed simply because we call God by different name. Don't you think there's something wrong with the picture here?
Again before I continue, I would request you to have an open mind and not to prejudge me or brush away my opinion as nonsense.
Let's open up and for awhile put our differences aside. Forget the religion that we embrace for the sake of a mind stimulating thought provoking discussion.
Do Christians believe followers of other religion will be condemned?Doomed? Some do, while some don't.
Some take the Bible so literally without analyzing it's content that they thought they belonged to a small minority of God's plan in this vast land we call Earth. That only Christians will be salvaged simply because their name is written in the Book of Life.
While there are some Christians who look at Christianity as a larger and different perspective and emphasize inclusive rather than exclusive. I believe in the previous.
   "Beloved,let us love one another,for love is of God,and he who loves is born of God and knows God" - 1 John 4:7
Personally, I believe Christ came to reveal that God cares and loves ALL of us. While Christianity is unique, but it's not exclusive.
For the sake of making fellow readers comprehend what I am trying to convey, let me illustrate.
Imagine placing a magnifying glass over a piece of paper under the hot sun. The rays of the sun gets intensified so much so that it burns the paper. But the source of heat comes from the same sun. Religion is like the magnifying glass. My believe is that God is trying by all means necessary to make us believe that He loves all of us through various religions, including Christianity.
To Christians, perhaps it's their way of pointing out to non Christians that Christ's way of life is exemplary to salvation and true understanding of nature of God. Perhaps it would be helpful to engage in dialogue with people of different religion to discuss on the true meaning of God's universal love for all of us, rather than bashing other faith during Sunday mornings as what the pastor of the church that i attended. I remembered one particular Sunday morning, the pastor condemned the idea of Interfaith Network. He strongly believe that these people are under the influence of Satan, and tries to involve Christians in it. I was perpetually shocked at his statement, at one point, I had this urge to stand up and walk out as a true religion is a religion of love and respect, and not condemning other behind closed doors.
Some people believe that their religion is the only true religion and the others are deviants and their followers are doomed. They can think like that as it's to their convenience. But deep inside, I am convince that's not how God works.
In the course of history of mankind, God has revealed Himself in many ways and forms. The Old Testament alone uses four different names of God.
Why is it that these group of people think that their way is the only way  and not others? I believe this isn't the Truth. It all stemmed from the individuals themselves. The same sound may be perceived differently, the same sight may be seen from different perspectives.
This only reaffirms the limitations humans have on both the true understanding of God and richness of our Universal Almighty Heavenly Father. Those who proclaimed that their way is the only true path to salvation only presents a small and narrow God. When you open up and sees God from different perspective, you'll see how wonderful and complex, yet simple our Universal God is.
We need to have an open mind that all of us are born equal. That there are many different pathways that leads to God. When Jesus said,"I am the way, and the truth, and the life" - John 14:6,
He probably was just adding himself as another path to God, and not proclaiming that other religion and their methods are invalid. I encourage people to look at God from other religion's perspective,and try to understand them before jumping into conclusion, and you'll begin to see how similar their ways are to yours.
Why would you want to make "your GOD" so small by proclaiming that ONLY your way is the correct way? God is universal,  isn't?
There are people who call themselves Christians who aren't Christians at all. Their conviction moves them further away from Christ.On the other hand, there are Hindus, Buddhist, Muslims, Sikhs, etc.. who truly and sincerely seek out for God. Didn't Jesus Christ Himself said ,"ANYONE who seeks,finds"?
Think about it. 

Yours sincerely,

Dr Wan Chee Hung(MBBS,Ind)

Family & Aesthetic Physician

Breach of law...

Lately I've been hearing a lot of very disturbing news about beauticians. They have been injecting Botox for their customers.

Yes, you heard me right. BOTOX! And how do i know? Because another beautician told me so. Her circle of friends who are also beauticians use to work in a prominent cosmetic centre in Klang for several years. Apparently the doctor supplied them the Botox as it is strictly sold to doctors.
By law, doctor, medical assistance(called male nurse in US), and board certified nurses are allowed to give intramuscular, subcutaneous, intradermal,insertion of IV lines(if they are able to), and administer drugs via intravascularly. Botox injections are intramuscular injections into selective muscle groups to minimize or to temporarily paralyze it's movement, hence that's how dynamic lines are corrected.
Countries where the field of cosmetic medicine is far more advance than ours, Eg Australia (As far as I know as I was trained there), the nurses are the ones who injects as it's not difficult at all to administer botox. All you need to know is the anatomy and function of the muscles of the face, which muscle to inject to and it's consequent effects, and the dosage needed.
While simple ones like forehead lines, Crow's feet, and Glabellar lines aren't complicated at all, they are being routinely done by the nurses, while the doctors attend to more complicated cases and surgical cases. As a matter of fact, the nurses and beauticians are the one who operates the IPL(Intense pulse light) machine.
Unless if the nurses are well trained by their doctors, they should not inject even if they are able to,legally speaking. Cosmetic treatment is an art, one needs to understand the characteristics of a beautiful face, then only able to administer the right treatment, and very often Botox by itself does not suffice.
Though legally they are allowed to, but are they capable is another issue altogether.

Understanding the anatomy is not difficult, but understanding what beauty is and how to manipulate the movement of individual muscle to produce a beautiful and youthful face is an art that no one can claim they've mastered.
I simply don't understand as to why would the customers request for botox injections by the beauticians. Do they have the impression that just because a doctor administers the botox, it's more costly? No! Why do you think  beauticians are doing it? Simply because for the commercial returns! Well, I don't guarantee the injected material is the original botox, as there are "fake" ones, or "yet to be approved" ones.

Are you sure you are getting the real thing? How would you know if it's the real Botox?

The photos speaks for itself. There! Only trained physicians are allowed to inject, not because we are can, but because we understand the characteristics f a beautiful face! (provided you are trained, that is...)
How would you know you've been injected with the real Botox?The label on the vial has holograms that states the name of its manufacturer,ALLERGAN.

Can't see it, ok, allow me to magnify the image and do some colour alteration.

Ok, i admit, my photo processing skills is bad! But you get the point, right? Despite all these measures taken by the manufacturer to ensure it's originality and preventing other parties to product the "fakes", they can still use the empty original vial, and fill it up with the fake ones. Why not? It has been done before.
One of the clinic that i used to work in for 11/2 years (hint:it's a well established clinic that has 4 branches)
The clinic is a panel to several restaurants in the area, hence for all their employees, they are required to be vaccinated for typhoid. Since they ran out of vaccine, the "smart" owner prefilled the empty vial with sterile water and administered to those poor fellas.
I  immediately quit working there.

So much has happened for the past 2 weeks....

Life is so fragile. 2 days ago, my aunt succumbed to pancreatic cancer. The same day, my mother in law was diagnosed to have stage 3 ovarian cancer.
And who to blame? Statistics show that by the time ovarian tumour are diagnosed, they are often already in late stage, as it is asymptomatic initially.
No one is to blamed in these cases.
But what pissed me off was when she showed me her previous blood test. My mother in law would get her blood test done annually without fail, as it is free since she subscribe to a health policy. She was complaining of constipation and feeling of uneasiness for quite some time now.When she went for her annual blood test, she brought up the fact that she felt a mass in her abdomen. the doctor examined her and immediately referred her to a gynaecologist for a ultrasound.
My wife's world fell apart when the report came back as presence of 2 huge masses and ascites(fluid in the abdomen) They did a tumour marker test,(CEA,CA125,CA19.9,CA15.3,AFP,HCG) and was charged RM275!! What the hell. Each of these test cost only RM10 as cost to the doctor, which would normally double the amount to the patient. So, 7 test should be RM140, right?
They then brought the report to me in the evening, and the moment i looked at the ultrasound report, I just sat in silence. I simply couldn't believe it! Another???
Why in the world would they take 5 working days, when they can get the result on the same day if the doctors simply requested it to be done urgently.
First, I got pissed of for the doctors who treats patient with such cavalier. I did my own blood test, and on the same night, I received the results which was faxed to my home.
I was shocked to see the result.

These are tumour markers. Elevated value means there is some inflammatory reaction going on within the patient. In my mother in law's case, her Ca 19.9 was 654(normal is >32)
Ca 125 was 1153, (normal value >36), and CEA at 18.0 when it's normal value is >2!
I knew instantly the prognosis wasn't good.
Why wasn't this being detected earlier? I asked for the previous test results done. A day later, she brought all her previous test results, since 2007 until 2010.
What shocked me beyond believe was at 2008, her serum CA19.9 was already triple the upper limit! Why didn't the doctor requested for further test? Elevated tumour markers is a sign that indicate something wrong is going on, and that they should be further investigated.
But no. According to my mother in law, the doctor simply did not mention anything to them. Already feeling angry beyond boiling point, I calmed myself down and looked at the 2009 test results! The smart doctor did everything except for tumour markers!! Oh, my freaking, GOD!!!  Why on earth would the doctor not do the test when the result of the year before showed a pathological increased in value??!!!
Though the gynaecologist mentioned that her prognosis isn't good, but I am not giving up hope. There are numerous stories of  cancer survivors. Of course I felt a little discouraged when the doctor told my wife that my mother in law is either in stage 3 or 4. I felt really bad. What about my wife. I was most heartbroken when she told me she can't imagine not having her mother around anymore.
My mother in law is undergoing operation as i am writing this. 

Passing on...

Back in mid June last year, my aunt came to me with jaundice that had lasted 2 weeks. She had clay coloured stool with tea coloured urine. She was seen by a doctor earlier on , where she was prescribed some antibiotic, which did not resolve her jaundice.
I had a very bad feeling then, knowing that one of the commonest reason for post hepatic jaundice is carcinoma of the pancreas.
In less than a week time, my diagnosis was confirmed when she was thoroughly being investigated upon by the hepatobiliary department, Selayang Hospital. I remembered the uneasy feeling I had while explaining to her the differential diagnosis, and asking them to prepare for the worst case scenario. Upon investigation, she was diagnosed to have carcinoma of the head of the pancreas, that had compressed upon the bile duct, resulting in jaundice. Her tumour was inoperable as the tumour had adhered to one of the main blood vessel, and the tumour is highly vascularized, making it impossible to remove it surgically. I knew back then that her prognosis was bad, as only 2% of patient would survive beyond 5 years.
Since then, she was depressed,anxious, and begin to lose weight rapidly. She became insomnic. The effect was not only on her, but on my uncle as well as my cousin sisters. Despite prescribing her with sleeping pills and anxiolytics, it doesn't seem to alleviate her problem. She became increasingly emaciated as time passed by.
From time to time, she gets fever due to infection of her repeated blocked stent.
Since then, from time to time, she was brought to my clinic for dehydration, where I would infuse a few pints of fluids into her.
I could clearly see her becoming increasingly emaciated, depressed, and  withdrawn. The feeling of hopelessness was overwhelming.

When i visited her on the 28th March, she was already on oxygen mask as she was having difficulties breathing. Her abdomen was filled with fluids. Her blood pressure was low. She appeared frail, and her breathing was laboured.
She has been going  in and out from the hospital for the past 8 months, the last was 16th March this year, and it was her last admission.

My aunt passed away early morning at 2.35am. I arrived at the hospital at 11pm. She started becoming restless by the time I arrived. Her breathing increasingly laboured. Her skin was cold and clammy, her blood pressure was low,and she was gasping for air. By 1am, he wasn't responsive to questions and people around here. He stare was blank. Her extremities were cold and clammy. Her blood pressure was low, so low that i could hardly feel her pulse. The reading of the attached pulse oxymeter on the finger wasn't accurate anymore as the blood flow was so low, by 1.45am, her breathing slowed down, heart rate and blood pressure wasn't recordable anymore.
I checked her pupil, not reactive to light, plantar reflex gone. Corneal reflex absent. She was probably brain dead then, if assessed clinically, but she needs to fulfill several criteria, which is highly inappropriate to perform in front of the family members.
Seeing my uncle and cousin continuously talking to her was a heart wrenching sight. My uncle expressed his regrets for not taking my aunt to China, something which they had planned long time ago which did not materialized. Her three daughters repeatedly telling her not to worry about them, asking her to pass on peacefully, without worries, without hesitations.
By 2.00am, her breathing slowed down. I knew the inevitable is near. i approached the staff nurse requesting them to attach the cardiac monitor as it is customary of Chinese to know the exact time of death.
She flat lined at 2.35am.
Now I know how it feels like to be a family member of a patient who succumbed to illness. I was there to see her passing. It feels different when someone within your family passed away, especially for the past few months where we developed a close relationship while attending her.
She has passed on.. not away.. but on.

"We are lucky to be blessed by your presence,

Almighty God graced us with your existence

You'll always be in our mind, our heart, Aunt Susan,

We'll certainly miss you wholeheartedly with your absence.

Among God's  children,

You're one of the most beautiful of His creation

We know you're with God's angels in heaven,

Forever dwell in God's heavenly mansion."

                                                 -- WCH, 29.3.2010

-This post is dedicated to my aunt Susan.(Nov. 1948- March 2010)-

A wonderful song with in depth lyrical significance

Yes, for those who reads my blog, you would have easily have guessed which is my favourite musical group. U2 !!
I reminisce, brings me up to a higher level of consciousness, just simply by listening to their songs. As I have another 6 minutes left before closing my clinic, thought of sharing a great song, one of U2's classic, "Where the streets have no name."
 

Check out the lyrics below.

I wanna run
I want to hide
I wanna tear down the walls
That hold me inside
I wanna reach out
And touch the flame
Where the streets have no name

I wanna feel sunlight on my face
I see the dust cloud disappear without a trace
I wanna take shelter from the poison rain
Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We're still building
Then burning down love,
Burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do

The city's a flood
And our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Trampled in dust
I'll show you a place
High on a desert plain
Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name
We're still building
Then burning down love,
Burning down love
And when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do

Our love turns to rust
We're beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh yes, in dust
See our love turn to rust
And we're beaten and blown by the wind
Blown by the wind
Oh, when I go there
I go there with you
It's all I can do  

 Are you able to interpret the meaning of the song? It's beautiful isn't?
"I wanna feel sunlight on my face
I see the dust cloud disappear without a trace
I wanna take shelter from the poison rain
Where the streets have no name"
What Bono tries to convey is his desire to be in a special place, a beautiful, wonderful place, that doesn't have a name, probably refers to a place that doesn't exist in our world.
He probably refers to heaven.
Such artistic and simplicity with such in depth meanings. Beautiful.

Impermanence in life. What is our potential as human..

As a doctor, I had my share of seeing the beginning of life, as well as the end of life. Too often to the extent where breaking the news to family members on the passing of their love ones becomes a routine. Emotionless, feeling numb against the heart wrenching moments as such. I knew then I have to take a step back and reflect upon the reason on why i took up medicine to begin with. As far as I could recall, I started following my parent on their weekly hospital visits since the age of 9. They would just approach patients and start talking to them just to distract them from their sickness for which they were warded for. I could clearly see the faces of these patients lighted up the moment someone approach them to talk to.
Initially I was a little apprehensive and nervous on talking to these patients as who the heck wants to have a conversation with a 9 year old?
One day, I had this overwhelming need to talk to them myself. Finally I managed to overcome the fear within me and approached the first patient. It felt really good as at the end of the day, i knew I made someone happy, and knowing that, it made me happy. The feeling was simply indescribable. it's a sense of bliss, overwhelming but calm at the same time, it felt good. Soon, hospital visit became a weekly affair that we don't miss. We did that for years, until I was 17 years old. By then, I was so sure of becoming a doctor as i want to play a more active role in alleviating one's health problem and sufferings.
Many people had warned me about studying medicine as one needs to be a "nerd" who is willing to sit for hours everyday for studies. That did not hamper my desire, though I am not the "very keen to study" type. Being a medical student was quite an experience by itself. The fact that being in a foreign land where one need to learn the language to converse with the patients adds on to the challenge. A hospital unlike a typical general hospital we have here in Malaysia where Echo cardiogram is easily accessible, we had to diagnose a triple valvular heart disease purely by clinical means. ( which pose a challenge).
While posted in the accident and emergency department, throughout 3 years of my posting there, I seen so many death, so many that i became immune, or mechanical, often look at death as if it's "simply all in a day's work". I knew then that I am losing the essence of being a doctor, that I took death with such cavalier.
Finally when i was posted in medical department under the guidance of one of the greatest mentor i've had the opportunity to work under, Dr Christopher Lee. As an initiation, he would scream and shout at you in front of the patients for trivial matter, amplifying your minor incompetence, which potentially result in catastrophe to the patient.
Later as he begin to see the genuine and sincerity in your work, he would guide you under his wings, tagging him everywhere he goes.
I had the opportunity to experience the proceeding on counseling on  HIV patients, which takes time to master. I could say the true reason for being a doctor have been reaffirmed.
He was the one who told me not to treat the disease, but rather, treat the patient. Take a few step back, you'll see a clearer picture, that besides the patient, stands family members who worries during the entire stay in the hospital. I've been told the nature of my work is not to treat the disease, but instead, treating the entire family. If I am looking for financial rewards, medicine is absolutely the wrong choice, provided you are true and genuine in your work. Yes, most of you would remark, most doctors are rich! Yes, that's because in case you haven't notice, medical treatment is now commercialized. You'll get good treatment if you have the financial means to. But if you aren't, you're condemned to poor treatment, stay in a hot, humid, and often overcrowded ward in General Hospital.
I admit I am not a saviour, but I was given the opportunity of a lifetime to become someone where reward of a job well done is a life being spared, and at the end of the day, irrespective of the number of patients, I would still walk out from my clinic smiling.
Instead of being passive, waiting for patients to seek me out, I find it is my responsibility to share with the public, to create an awareness with the community on the latest medical advancement, treatment available to date, create an awareness on prevention medicine.
Besides treating patients, educating patients is equally satisfying. I take my job rather personally. Patient pay their hard earn money not just to get treated, but to be educated on the nature of their illness, how to prevent it, the rationale of treatment regime that I administered, etc.. Nothing is more satisfying than to see your patients walk out from your consultation room with a smile on their faces.
To be dead honest, I use to worry about the future, my thoughts are often negative. But lately, I came to realized that I can't do anything about the past, the future is unpredictable, and the only time that i truly own is the present moment. I live for the present moment.
As an adult living in a globally ever changing, highly competitive society where one often work hard to attain a certain level of comfort, so hard that one often compromise their integrity in achieving their goals, it is easy to lose the innocence within them.
Some of us would look at a photo of a baby sleeping soundly, and reflect upon themselves, asking when was the last time you ever slept this well, so serene that it careens the universe that surrounds them. When was the last time you ever slept so soundly.  I often look at my children, and I learn so much from them. How nice it would be if all of us are as innocent as a child. How ideal it would be if we have their innocence, where there's no place for vengeance, hatred, and crime.

When was the last time you ever sleep like this? Serene, peaceful, free from worldly worries.

When was the last time your smile was as genuine as this child?
We often lose ourselves while growing up. Lose our personality, lose our integrity, lose our child like innocence.
Wouldn't it be ideal that everyone grow up without growing old? To treat one another as sisters and brothers. Share a common love, a common goal, a common dream. We are made different so that we may glorify God Almighty in different names.

Unfortunately, due to our own insecurities, we develop this distance that separates the spirit of brotherhood by the colour of our skin, or by what name we call God. We fight and kill due to petty differences, go to war for own selfish agendas. When can human realized that we are all the same deep down, beyond the skin, our blood has the same colour, we breathe the same air, live on the same mother Earth that flourishes from the same sun?
We have only one chance to be alive, and we better make good use of it, for non of us will ever know when our time has run out.
The world today need more people with saintly quality. Great souls that graced mankind with their presence, where their names are forever immortalized in history of mankind.
Chiune Sugihara.

Saint Theresa...

Mahatma Gandhi...

The Dalai Lama...

And of course, the man who fought against all odds, against hundred years old suppression, against an old way of life, a revolutionary, human rights activist, who changed the course of history, Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.

Just a mere look at their photo, you'll sense an aura emanating from them. A radiant energy that's refreshing. A reminder that we are all brothers and sisters living on a same soil, that we'll see the unity beyond the diversity, that we are all children of God. Our temporary existence on Earth can be a trivial fleeting moment, or forever immortalized in the history on mankind like these people.
The next time before we complain how boring our life is, think of the people who faced annihilation and condemnation, the next time we complain how mundane our job is, think of those people who is physically incapable of performing a simple task, the next time before we complain of how long since the last time we bought a branded clothes, think of those war torn countries where children cover themselves only with canvases, before we complain of how small our house is, think of refugees who had to flee from their country, before we complain about how fussy our parents are, think of those orphans who wish for a family member to accept them, before we complain of how mechanical and life being a routine, think of those in war torn countries where they aren't sure whether they'll make it to another day.
Why am I writing about this? Why am I in such a reflective mood today. Perhaps I should contemplate more on life, perhaps I should persistently and constantly remind myself how lucky i am. Perhaps I should learn to appreciate what I have, rather than hoping for something that i don't have. Perhaps it's my inner conscience talking to me.
Or perhaps it could be due to the message U2 tries to convey in their songs as I am listening to them while writing this particular post.   Their lyrics never seem to fail to put me into this deep meditative state of mind. I feel like I could ponder on life forever, like i can continue writing for hours, like there's so much to write about. But I guess you fellow readers must be bored by now.
Anyway.....One race, mankind,
..............One love, selflessness
..............one purpose, one love.

Cosmetic scene in Malaysia.

Due to the number of response I've received after publishing the post on filler injection for breast augmentation, I felt its only fair if I were to write in a more detailed post about this filler.
Today, our society has embraced the idea of cosmetic surgery/medicine as part of mainstream medical service. Truth be told, it is not. As more people seek for treatment, or rather augmentation of their features, cosmetic medicine today has become a highly commercialized field,where the number of doctors jump into it's bandwagon is rising exponentially. Obstetrician and Gynaecologist incorporate cosmetic surgeries in their practice, where patient undergoing Cesarean section is followed by liposuction and abdominoplasty (tummy tuck) on the same setting. Orthopedic surgeon who sees a more lucrative income in this field, that there are those who abandoned their specialty, and use their board certified surgeon status to perform cosmetic surgeries. (In Malaysia, a doctor needs to be a board certified surgeon,eg general surgeon, obstetrician, orthopedician. to be able to operate). Just because they are surgeons, that doesn't mean they are well versed in cosmetic surgery. As a matter of fact, Plastic  surgeons and dermatologist who did their specialty course in Malaysia do not have "cosmetic surgery/cosmetic medicine" in their syllabus. Quite a number of them actually fought for exclusivity in the practice of cosmetic medicine, claiming that this field should be exclusively theirs. Those plastic surgeons who practices cosmetic surgeries have to go overseas on their own to learn this field.
I am not surprise if they aren't well versed in laser treatment.(click on it to find out why)
In Australia(where I received my training), one need not to be a surgeon to be illegible to operate, as long as you are well trained in cosmetic surgery, you are qualified. Would you rather be operated by a person who is well versed and familiar with the procedure, or just because a piece of paper being hung on the wall stating the doctor is "allowed" to do so?
To be frank, there are multiple loopholes in our law and regularity system that most doctors make use of. Just ask yourself, what is your first impression upon meeting up with the doctor? Did he simply suggest a procedure without listening to your concerns, expectations, and financial limitations?(especially the latter), or did the doctor tries to convince you that you need not undergo such  a drastic makeover that burns a huge hole in your pocket.
Doctors are humans too. As humane as anyone can be, there are those who take their job seriously, and put patient's well being ahead of their own, while there are those who only see the dollar sign emanating from you. When comes to money, there is no ceiling of desires, yes...even among doctors who took the Hippocratic oath. So, ladies, be wise. Especially those who are overly concerned on their appearance and public perception upon them , they are the ones who are most susceptible for unnecessary procedures.
Due to the overwhelming response I've received on non surgical breast augmentation, I am afraid that I may have slightly given the impression that augmentation by filler injection is convenient, fast, uncomplicated, minimally invasive, and promises a more natural feel and look. Indeed those are true. But it is also highly selective, expensive, and to some individuals, does not last as long as it claimed to be.
I have encounter with patient who undergone breast augmentation and reduction in size of breast as fast as 7 months!
(to increase by 1 cup, approximately 90-140ml of filler is needed on each breast)
The result of some unfortunate individuals does not justify the cost of the procedure. It may be as high as RM25-27k, which a saline or silicone implant doesn't even cost that much.
If money isn't an issue, then there are other parameters one needs to consider. Fillers do not produce good result in sagging or tubular breast.

The top three reasons as to why women seek augmentation among Asian is:-
1. Small breast
2. sagging breast
3. unequal breast
Besides that, patient preferably married and completed family, no history of breast tumours or abscess, no other procedures  like fat grafting, or implants being done prior, normal state of mind, and level of expectation should be evaluated.

In the latest medical studies conducted, there is a clear correlation between women whom had cosmetic surgery with higher suicide rates. It was found that women whom had corrective or enhancement surgeries are three times more likely to commit suicide compared to those who never had any corrective surgeries.

A conclusion is made where a person's self esteem is relatively lower for those who seek enhancement surgeries.
Very often, women who constantly seek out corrective surgeries subconsciously mask their psychopathology. Indeed, I've have my share with patients as such, and often I would assess the patient's state of mind indirectly by trying to understand their worries and concerns. I would often turn away patient with unrealistic expectations, and i foresee problems post treatment. Your reputation is on the line when the result don't meet their expectations.
I've got a few patients who sends me e mails once every few days asking why they don't see the result yet?

Experience tells me which patient is psychologically right, and not. Those who approach me expressing their unhappiness with their looks, and wanted something do be done to improve, YET they don't know what is it that they aren't happy about is a clear cut indication that these group of people should be avoided.

Don't get me wrong. I am not implying that those who seek out cosmetic treatments are psychologically unsound. What I am trying to say is that often one of the symptom of psychological unsound patient is manifested through low self esteem and constantly seeking corrective surgeries.
One the other hand, those who confidently walked into a doctor's clinic, and express their desire for an improved  appearance, are in fact, highly confident, sure of what they want, and assertive, are in fact healthy. They aren't shy to address their flaws, and have a clear cut expectations.
What I am trying to address here is cosmetology is a field that is expanding at an exponential rate, and the need for enhancement procedures is common today. I am merely explaining the necessity of such procedure, and the reason for it.

My weekend

It has been quite a while since I wrote on my weekend outing with my family. Though it would be nice to start writing again.
It has been quite busy week for me. I don't know why am I feeling lethargic most of the time, despite the amount of coffee I drink daily. Could it be due to what doctors call "sleep depts?"
As usual, our weekly hang out place would either be 1Utama, Midvalley Mega Mall, or The Curve.
This week, I promised Isabelle a pizza treat. As my wife is still within her confinement, and Natalie normally would eat at home before going out, so it's just going to be Isabelle and me.
Upon reaching 1utama, we were asking ourselves, where should we eat?

Either Nyonya food, or.....

Pizza Hut... "Pizza, daddy! You said you'll bring me for pizza this weekend!"
"As promised"....

So, it was only Isabelle and I. We ordered the new promotion, pizza with plenty of cheese toppings.

I can see Isabelle's face, happy and contented. I figured she deserved to get indulged in something that she likes, as i could clearly see her childhood which is so different from mine.As far as I could remember, I don't recall doing homework till I drop as a kid. But as she is studying in Krista Kindergarten, as well as being enrolled in Kumon, 90% of the time, she would be doing her schoolwork, once done, then Kumon homework, upon completion, there's no more time to play. On top of that, we are planning to enroll her to a Chinese medium school next year. At times, I feel children today are too overworked.

See how happy she is in this picture!

It's only once a week, that I get to spend quality time with my children.

Children today are overworked, and overstressed.  I don't believe in subjecting them to tons of workload. Learning is something which is fun, but with the tremendous amount of homework, it become a chore, something she must do, rather than something fun.

Her favourite has been the cheese sticks dipped in the mushroom soup. Yummy, thinking about it makes me hungry already.

That's how much a father and his 51/2 years old daughter ate that night. A medium size pizza, a plate of pasta, 2 bowls of soup, 4 cheese sticks, and ice creams. While we were eating, Natalie, my wife and our maid did their shopping.
After our dinner, we met up.  

Natalie was ecstatic when she saw her sister laughing and running towards her.

"Natalie, smile!..."
 My wife was strolling inside Popular bookstore checking out some children CDs, while I was outside looking after the kids.

That's Isabelle and Natalie, running around. Its a wonderful sight seeing both of the enjoying themselves.This is how a child should be.

Face always smiling, so serene, careening the universe with the sound of their laughter, that as adult, we often lose as we grow older.
  One thing that I love about my wife is the depth of understanding she has on me. She knows what I love to eat, what kind of music that i love listening to. She knows there's this Singaporean artist by the name of Olivia Ong, a typical Bossa Nova style of singing, that I love to listen to. Just last week, I was told that it's going to have difficulties looking her album anywhere due to some copyright problem. But, while browsing the store, she stumbled upon 2 of Olivia's album.

Sweet memories by Olivia Ong, and

and a self titled album, Olivia. The songs in this album are mostly cover versions of old songs,

While Sweet memories is a collection of some of her old and new songs.

To all reader, grab a copy of her CD today. You won't regret it. Her songs are simply soothing, heartfelt, and heartwarming.