once upon a time...

It’s time to pay my tuition fee for new semester. It’s my 9^th semester already can you believe it? I just checked my pictures in my laptop and found some old photos, memorable ones. I don’t think we can take photos like this anymore now. Most of us are separated. We don't live together already. We don't go to campus together already. We are not doing many things together now already.

First semester, we went to campus together by van provided by our agents. Of course, we already paid the transportation fee even before we came here for studies. 

This was taken after exam.
Examination attire: black & white

I remembered how much everyone complaint about this university, including myself. The boys got to bald themselves for orientation week. Some guys escaped by saying ‘I’m a Punjabee I can’t cut my hair’. 

One of the pillars in my university.

Biochemical Laboratorium

We attended practicals in lab together. Those were the time where we all lived under the same roof, in a hostel. It was fun! FUN is like, we really enjoyed ourselves. We were so young and energized that time. We played crazily like small kids when we gathered. I remembered how we celebrated each and everyone’s birthday. Whenever somebody’s birthday is near, we will start keeping eggs till it stinks. Some others would go look for CHEAP birthday cake and bought extra cream to add on top of the cake. 

Mixture of margarine and cream on a CHEAP cake.
Of course, we prepared another birthday cake for him.

Splashes of water on him from upstairs.
Note that we kept dirty water with cockroaches in the bin right next to him.

Some guys would prepare dirty water with dead cockroaches in it. Won’t you escape these tricks? Not to forget the flours! We threw flours too! We won’t stop running and hunting until the security guard scolded us. There was once the guard got so angry he locked the water supply to our rooms so that we couldn't wash ourselves =.=! but our men are smart! They would secretly go unlock it! XD

Second semester of studies, we, Malaysian Chinese in Medan decided to organize a dinner. We worked together, we looked for sponsors together, we sold tickets together, we practiced for performances together, we prepared gifts and souvenirs together! We divided jobs well. 

Our break dance coach.

Modern dance choreographed by Lorna Ting.

I’m not good in dancing but I joined them. I attended 3 dinners that semester and I was the master of ceremony for 2 of the dinners.

2 of the MCs in the dinner organized by Malaysian Chinese Cultural Club

sang with my senior, Terecia (just graduated as a dentist) in the dinner organized by Dental Student Committee

Third semester, we all shifted out. We rented house since the hostel was meant for the first years. I lived with all the dentistry Malaysian Chinese students. They are helpful. We study and do things together. Juniors are here. We ‘bullied’ them. I remembered how one of the guy juniors was asked to dance. It’s easy to recognize who are the juniors, who are the seniors. Spot for the botaks they’re the juniors!

We have no other family here in Medan. We celebrated Mid Autumn Festival together. We had games. We chose the most popular seniors of the year.

Johnathan Lin and Li Ting

We chose a colour as our theme and everyone must wear that colour. Those who didn’t will end up like this.

Forth semester, we organized a bigger Chinese New Year Auspicious Dinner! We had around 600 guests. We had improved from the previous dinner. This time, we invited magicians. We rented a grand piano.

Piano duet by Li Ting and Zheng Kang.

Masters of Ceremony of the night.

It was the first time I present myself to campus activity. It was Sports Day in the Faculty of Dentistry. I only went for the bazaar on the closing ceremony =P

Penutupan Porseni
Li Ting's classmates (2007 class)

There was once a photographer came and asked me and a few friends for a photo. I thought he was one of the crews working on my university’s website. Few months later, I got to know that he was actually hired by an agency, to promote this university in Malaysia.

P.S. I didn't come under this agency =.=!
This photo is up in the newspaper lately =P

Fifth semester, we went to Air Terjun 2 Warna together. It took us 3 hours to the waterfall and another 3 hours to get out from the place. Exhausting but it’s all worth!

I was shivering when we captured this.

 It seems to us like the Malaysian Chinese in this town has got nothing else better to do. This semester we organized a gathering for ourselves and we named this gathering “Just For Fun (JFF) Awards Dinner”. Guess what award I got? Best Dressed! We chose these according to votes.

I was asked to help the dental supplier from Beijing as a translator in the 4^th Regional Dental Meeting and Exhibition in Medan.

Alex (dental supplier from Beijing), Albert, Li Ting, Zheng Kang

Sixth semester, it was hectic yet happening! I didn’t go home for Chinese New Year because I only have a day for holiday. I never dare to skip classes because I had a lot of practical that semester. This Chinese New Year is the second CNY I visited the temple at 12AM sharp! Perhaps I was a little too greedy. My 2^nd wish didn’t come true. Perhaps it is all FATE? We will always meet the wrong one before we get to find the right one.

Wrote my wish down on a paper provided by the temple and hung it on the tree.
Not all my wishes came true but most importantly, my 1st and 3rd wish came true ^.<

we gambled!

 My friends and me went to Tuk-tuk. It was my 3^rd time to Lake Toba. It was way more FUN than the previous time maybe because we wandered around and explored the island together. This was the first time I rode on a motorcycle for 1.5 hours just for a hot spring! And guess what, we stayed at the hot spring for less than 15 minutes!

outside the hot spring

boys at the hot spring

I joined the seniors for odd job at a place named Bukit Lawang. I learned a lot here. 2 days 1 trip here was quite exhausting. The bus broke down so we waited till night for them to repair the bus to fetch us back to Medan.

Seventh semester, it started with Junior Clerkship where we went for duty at a hospital for a week. It is the semester I did my thesis. I rushed my work every day. I was lucky getting a very nice and helpful lecturer to guide me. Mid Autumn Festival this year had blue colour as its theme instead of pink and red for the previous years. Blue LOOKED GOOD too!

I attended another odd job, in an Islamic school. This was different from the previous odd job because we only deal with kids here. It’s more to pediatric dentistry.

I'm as tall as the kids =P

Due to the registration for my graduation as a scholar, I stayed in Medan in December instead of going home. I helped my junior to take care of his hamsters but one of them died. I felt so guilty. I buried it outside my house.

Eighth semester was a challenging one. This was my first time celebrating my birthday in Medan. My Malaysian friends here gave me surprised ‘knock on the door’ at 12AM sharp. I opened the door and saw this cake with candle lit on it with balloons all around BUT with nobody! Then they suddenly just ‘hello-ed’ me =.=! My family came for my convocation. I was very happy that day. My hard work was paid. I managed to get my academic years shorten by 6 months!

Then I entered clinical life. It’s like working life. Difference is that, we spend instead of earning here. I couldn’t believe I’m now in my 4^th department already and I have only 3 departments LEFT! I celebrated Chinese New Year here again where I went for 2 reunion dinner. I think I’m closer with my juniors comparing with my batchmates. They’re like my family here. Never look down on these boys. They all professional chef!

reunion dinner with my batchmates

reunion dinner with my Medan family.

Medan flood on the April fool where I thought my friends were fooling me. I went out and was stuck out there for 12 hours.

entrance of my faculty

Juniors asked me to join a Buddhism event. I joined for the first time and loved it very much. Not the event, I only loved the last part where we lit up lantern with our wishes on it.

I had my 4^th trip to Lake Toba! This time is a little different. It was a sudden plan. It was an adventure. Life of a co-assistant is full of excitement and stress. It all depends to how we respond to what is happening around us.

What will happen in this ninth semester? There were a few things I’m expecting. My friends and I had discussed about the coming orientation for new students. Every year around this time, the seniors will be so excited, thinking of ways to ‘bully’ the juniors. I’ll start extracting teeth next week. Hopefully everything goes well. 

North Sumatra University Hospital

Finally, something we should be proud of about my university. A teaching hospital is built. It was said to start operating early next year. Guess what! The North Sumatra University Hospital is the biggest teaching hospital in Indonesia. It’s looking good from the outside and I loved the color they chose for the hospital! No one had entered and take a look in the hospital yet except for the workers since it’s still under construction. They had been telling us about building this hospital since I was here in my first semester. Now I’m in my 8^th semester already. Sadly, I won’t have the chance to use it. Juniors are lucky but pity them at the same time. Their tuition fee had been raised to quite a big number due to this teaching hospital.

I'm so pissed off!

I was so happy this morning thinking of going back home. Why must these people spoil my mood? I already tried my very best to be really patience but I can stand NO MORE!

I almost argued with B last night at home because of Radiology assignment given by Dr. Cek Dara that day. I am very sure that if I didn't control myself last night, I might have already exploded. Living at a place like this, with this bunch of brainless people around me, I really must control myself so that I don't explode easily. I am very clear myself that I can't be the old me anymore because everybody here is just SO different.

I won't say I hate them because I know if I hate them, my life here for the coming years will be real suffering for me. I just don't like the way they do things! I did some parts of the journal. L passed it to me yesterday evening. I didn't take my usual short nap just to complete this assignment thinking that I have to submit it today. When I was doing it, B messaged *which I don't know why he must message when he is just outside my room* he asked if his thumb drive is with me. I said yea... because the files are in his thumb drive and I'm doing the part I should do. He replied, do faster and hand me back my thumb drive.

So I thought he rushed me that way because he wanted to do his part that time. I did them as quickly as I can and I passed it back to him at around 6pm. What happened that pissed me off is he disturbed my mood right before I sleep! SLEEP is a very important thing to me. Those who gave me calls while I’m sleeping will surely get a good scolding from me if the call is all of nonsense but if that call is important, I’ll answer the call seriously and of course, I’m not that mean to scold. Come one, I know when and who to scold.

It was about 12.30am and I was preparing myself for a good sleep last night since I didn’t take a short nap in the evening, I was lying on my bed already, hugging Mr. Patrick in my hands and I received message from B again.

Hey, sleep already? I guess it is still early for you right? Busy what?

Why? Radiology assignment done?

Assignment? Why? Hmm… I don’t know how to say. The others just seemed not to concern about this assignment. Every time I asked them about it, they just answered don’t know. I also don’t what to do with it.

Excuse me, tomorrow we have to pass up le… Print out the journal and also the slides we did, also, burn them both into CD. I saw Joel’s group submit both hard and soft copy yesterday. Has C got the email from Andrew already? I’ve asked Andrew to send the format of the first page for the journal to him.

You want to know about C, you go ask him yourself la… Eh… you know why I’m absent to class today? I got food poisoning again T.T

Reading that message, I got up from my bed and walked out of my room to C’s room, knocked his door and asked him about the email. He said he got it, I was relieved. So I asked him if he can pass me the completed journal and presentations at the same time, together with the format because I also need it for my pharmacology journal which I have to submit tomorrow morning. He said all the journals are done and surprisingly, he said it out loudly ‘hey come on la… We were given 3 weeks to do this journal. How can I not finish them?’ That moment, I am pretty sure he thought I was mentioning pharmacology journal so I told him ‘I meant Radiology journal. We have to submit that tomorrow.’

He looked at me, puzzled and then gave me a great shock by saying ‘where is it now?’
I was like ‘huh? You’re asking me where is it now? Alright! Forget about it, you pass me the format. I need them for my vitamin B6.’ Then, I walked grumpily to B’s room, knocked his room and entered without him answering the knocks. I asked him where are the slides and the journal now and if everything is done. He opened up the files in his thumb drive not knowing which file it is. It was so obvious he hasn’t open up or go through the work ever since I passed the thumb drive back to him. He then asked me what he should do. He thought I’ve done everything.

What?! You were rushing me and now you things like this. I sounded quite angry talking to him that time. L is here at the right time to say he will do the rest. I wasn’t angry because they didn’t do the work. I was pissed off because they were not doing it and they didn’t let me do it when I say let me finish up the rest. He said never mind. What did he mean by saying all these? I don’t care if you have food poisoning or what so ever because I am so NOT going to trust what you say anymore. I mean, dudes… let you guys judge this. He is saying he has food poisoning that is why he can’t attend the classes in the morning. That must be quite a serious case right? But what I see when I arrive home at 3pm after class was, he is gaming. He was gaming until the time he messaged me at 12.30am! Do you think he is sick or what?!

He sent me another message at around 2.45am later telling me not to worry because he and L had done everything. Okay. I tried to trust them for the very last time and it was an ABSOLUTE wrong to trust them. This morning I came out of home early to Medic Ed and Dent Café to get online to book my flight ticket. I was so happy that time because I thought I’ve done all my assignments, Pharmacology, Prosthodontics, Radiology, everything! You name it, I’ve done them! And I just book my flight ticket back. What a wonderful morning huh.

I was so wrong. I entered the class, I only see N in the class. The others all skip class as usual. He showed me the things he printed. While handing the compilations to me, I asked if they already burn them into CD. He said no. Fine. Soft copy is not a very big deal. Once I looked into the journal, GOODNESS GRACIOUS!!! It was all in a mess! Everything is not in order! Slides?! Wow~ I’ve never seen such great work! It was the 3 slides plus another two slides that L did. 5 slides?! Still that 5 old slides and he messaged informing me he done them last night?! Kill me! KILL ME! I feel like banging my head into the wall for that instance! OMG! I really never thought they would give me such a big surprise in this early morning. Luckily I have my laptop with me.

I tried my best to continue doing the slides after class at 11am. Now, this time, N rushed me telling me to do faster because it is Friday today. The Muslims will have to pray and so all departments will close at 12pm. I did them at my best and I managed to do another 5 slides. At least 10 slides look like something I am not embarrassed to hand it up to my lecturer. N quickly ran out to get them printed again and then submit the work to the department.

See… I really am not mad at them because they didn’t do work because I already know them few days back. I just don’t understand why B acted exactly like a weirdo? He acted like that ever since the incident during our last holiday. Is it my entire fault that he acted so awkwardly right now? If it is a YES, I apologize but why is he doing all these to me? Telling me he is sick and stuff. Sending me messages like… sigh… This is not the first time already. I’m speechless. Sometimes, I really felt like shouting at his face ‘YOU ARE VERY ANNOYING! STOP DISTURBING ME! DON’T MAKE MY LIFE MISERABLE. I WANT TO STAY HERE HAPPILY SO PLEASE, GET OUT OF MY LIFE AND MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!’ But in the end, I think I shouldn’t say these to him. It hurts. We are still housemates, course-mates and classmates after all. I don’t want us to be not talking to each other even though we are living under the same roof.

frustrated with people's attitudes >.<

I'm NOT HAPPY with the guys in my house. Very very disappointed indeed. Why do all the guys play games crazily ESPECIALLY DOTA?! Gosh~ Gaming is more important than assignments now? Why can't they stop just for an hour to complete the assignments? Wanna say I'm fussy? busybody? GO AHEAD! Shout at me! I won't be like this if I'm not in the same group with them. Who cares if they didn't submit their assignments. It is none of my business! BUT now that I care so much because all 5 of us including myself is in the same group.

We've been given 1 week time to finish up this assignment of Dental Radiology on Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ).I know I was lazy and did only 2 slides of the presentations, and I then passed the things I've done to N 2 days after the assignment was given. 2 slides are not too little right? See... 5 people in a group, each do 2 slides, that makes 10 slides. That is just nice! Brilliant me! wakakakak...

So, we're supposed to submit this work today morning. Yesterday morning during my Pathology Anatomy practical, I asked the guys if they've done the work. They asked me looking innocent 'what are you talking about? What assignment?'. FINE. I explained to them about what to do.

Last night, at arounf 8pm, B messaged and asked 'what assignment were you talking about this morning? I just came home. The others are gaming. Nobody seemed to do this assignment. So what should I do? I thought TMJ, lecturer haven't teach us that. Where do we find the materials and info to do the presentation.' I replied 'Lecturer haven't teach about it and she wanted us to do the presentation.' Guess what he replied next? He said 'Then what should we write in the slides? Write whatever we like? You said you did 3 slides and that 3 slides include the first slide which only write the title and our names?!'

I was like OMG! Can't you find the infos online and then as usual, translate all the English articles into Indonesian language?! I don't want him to think that I have prejudice on him so I instead choose not to reply him. I walked to L's room after that and told him to do the slides with the others.

Alright! I thought they would do it after they finish their so-called last round. This morning, they said they done another extra 2 slides, which means we got altogether 5 slides right now and gave me reasons saying they didn't know we have this assignents. They only know it last night. How can they find the infos that late. I was like WTH?! I've told you guys and I passed my works to N few days back and now you guys are putting the blames on me?! Talking bout can't find info online, I thought Mr C still has the internet service for himself in his room?! They then didn't dare talking to me.

Fortunately, Dr. Cek Dara didn't call any of our names to come out for presentation. I wonder what she will comment seeing our great work. She got to know some of my classmates who haven't done their work though and she gave us another few days time, so we have to submit it to her by this Friday. I won't want to be in the same group with these people anymore unless there is no other choice. I don't want to take the risk.

Wow~ I'm here fo 2 MONTHS liao..

I'm here just to kill time actually. Living alone right now makes me think alot about loads of stuff, so I thought I better start this off. Well, at times, time really flies. I never thought I'm here in Medan, Indonesia for 2 months already. Wow.. *applause for myself* I sort of adapted myself to the great conditions here already. Coming here really make me realise how much I miss MALAYSIA, especially our food back home.

I'm living in a hostel right now, named Asrama YPAP (Yayasan Pendidikan Anak-anak Perkebunan). I wonder since when my parents are 'pekebun'? hmm..

Well lets see some pictures down here. You can view these from my room. Cool? nahh..

Next, look how old is my university. Why is there nobody around to fix this??

I really got shock when I see this broken pillar on my first day in University of North Sumatera. sigh...

What to do? Its Indonesia. Its lucky for me not putting much hope on this wonderful country.

Talking bout the food here, they are wonders. Everywhere you go, high class restaurant? mamak tepi jalan? cafeteria? hostel canteen? you name it, they'll surely recommend you with thier famous NASI GORENG. I wonder why they like the goreng goreng so much. Its really oily and spicy.

Weather? Its very hot here compared to Malaysia. I can't stand the heat here anymore. I like Berastagi's weather though. Its really cooling there and I had fun staying there even though its only for one night.