Update on Surgery – Right Eye
UPDATE: 16/01/2009
Ever since my right eye has always been the dominant eye, the brain is confused as to whether the left eye or right eye is now the dominant eye. This is because my left eye was always used when the right eye was patched up/cannot see.
Now that the righte ye can see, however the vision is blurred/have double vision. It cannot even look to the right or even downwards due to extreme pain. Maybe because it is still healing.. Because of swelling and recent operation, my right eye is bloody red. Heh. Even moving around, makes me dizzy. Even when I go out, I have to wear a cap to protect the eye from the glare of the surroundings as well as a pair of shades to look a bit cool to protect from light. (much more comfortable)
ORIGINAL POST : 15/01/2009
I sit here typing this update with my operated eye semi-closed at some points.
Initially I went to get both my eyes operated on, but the doctor said that when I was "gone", they played / "explored" my eyes with a pair of forceps.
They thought that the left eye which has the cyst, would be the one affecting the squint on the right eye. Thankfully, it wasn't the case. The left eye was freely mobile and since it doesn't affect the right eye, no operation was needed.
For the right eye, it was off up by 16 degrees and to the left by 35 degrees. Thus they "explored" with the right eye while I was still "gone". They discovered that the muscles connected to the eye's right-side was loose. And thus because the eyes work in tandem, the eye is pushed inwards (and thus generates what is known to be cross-eye) So they leveled the eye by loosening/tightening some muscles here and there *snip* *snip* *snip*.
As to how everything went, the following is my experience:
Went to ISEC, Midvalley , around 9am. Did pre-medical checkup, changed into the facility's gowns. I walked into the Operating Theatre and they asked me to lie down on the operating bed. After that, they prepped me with the GA. They inserted a needle into the left hand, but missed (which they assured me wasn't my fault). So they inserted the needle on the back of the right hand. They asked me to swallow my saliva, so I cleared my throat and swallowed everything while this other guy put a mask on me and told me to breathe oxygen, while they check my heart rate on the heart rate monitor, which went *toot* *toot* *beep* *beep*. After awhile, I was looking up and then.....the next thing I knew, I woke up on a bed, with a bandage around my right eye.
Of course the right eye hurt, I slept for awhile more, while trying to get in touch with my surroundings. They then gave me 2 panadol pills to get rid of my pain (but it was ineffective!) so they gave me something stronger.
They allowed me to be discharged, after ensuring I didn't vomit after eating the biscuits and a cup of milo. But then when my brother was driving back, I felt like vomiting, because he was driving fast, around curves, bumpy ride....I wanted to smack him on the head to drive smoother, but I was paying more attention to not vomit.
Now I sit here, with the eye still semi-closed, only can open briefly. Gonna go out / to church with shades, because the sun's / surrounding's glare hurts me eye....
PS: The vision of my right eye is sometimes blur...can;t even see the screen I'm typing, even with them glasses! I think the power changed!
Old Testament Survey – Story of the Kingdom (Part 1)
There are 66 books in the Bible.
Old Testament - 39 books - Story of Jesus Christ concealed.
New Testament - 27 books - Story of Jesus Christ revealed.
The Bible -> Theme: Kingdom of God -> God's People & God's Place & God's Rule -> Central Focus: Jesus Christ.
1. The pattern of the Kingdom (Genesis 1-2)
God is the king of creation (Psalm 95:3-7)
God's People
- What are we told about the relationship od:
- God and human beings & Human beings and creation?
-- Adam & Eve - closeness to God
God's Place
- What do we learn about the place that God created?
God's Rule
- How does God rule his people in the place he created?
2. The perished kingdom (Genesis 3-11)
The Fall: God's people in God's place rejecting God's rule
Note the consequence of the rejection of God's rule:
- God's People
- God's Place
- God's Rule
3. The promised kingdom (Genesis 3,12-24) ( sin -> judgement -> grace )
Who and what is promised in Genesis 3:15 (relates to Romans 16:20)
What are the three main elements of the promises to Abraham
- Land 12:2, 13:16, 15:5, 16:10, 17:3-6, 18:18
- People 12:17, 13:14-15, 15:18-21, 17:8
- Blessing 12:2-3, 17:2, 7-8. 18:19, 22:17
What do the promises in 3:15 and to Abraham tell us to look for as we read the rest of the Bible?
4. The partial kingdom: Part 1 (Genesis 12 - Joshua)
The Kingdom of God
Promised -------------------------> Partial Fullfillment --------------------------------> Perfect Fullfillment
Genesis 3,12 Genesis 12 - 2 Chronicles Mark 1:15
(Abraham - Solomon) Jesus Christ
God's Blessing/Rule (Exodus 2 - Numbers 9)
- Exodus 12 - Salvation by substitution (Passover)
- Exodus 14 - Salvation by rescue/conquest (Red Sea)
- Exodus 20:2, 19:4 - The Law
- Exodus 25 - The Tabernacle
- Leviticus - The Sacrifices
Applications:
1. Creator God is Sovereign - He is in control of all things.
2. God is loving - His grace is indeed amazing
3. God is knowable - Can have a personal relationship with the God of the universe.
2nd Brunei Expedition (part 1)
Saturday (21/11)
So after a few hours of travelling/flying, I finally arrived in Brunei. This time however, I didn't need to tick the box which stated "first visit to Brunei". But even after that, I'm beginning to feel sick of flying. I just wish I have that Doraemon "Pintu Suka Hati".
So I didn't need to have my bag personally searched this time and used the X-ray machine instead.. ( I wonder whether it is because it's not my first time to Brunei? )
I came out of the airport. But Yan Shiang was late because of an office function, so I waited while watching the news. Then she came wearing a black pants and some colored top. After that we went for dinner, she already had dinner. I had Tom Yam Chicken Noodles while she had a drink. Then we went to Giant nearby her house to wander around a bit and have a personal chat regarding recent events. Around 10pm ish, we adjourned to her house and I met her mom again (after a long time) and turned in early.
Sunday (22/11)
I think that Brunei and Malaysia (west malaysia/peninsular that is) has very different timings. In Brunei, the sun rises early, around 6.30am, the sun has already risen so high and around 6pm, it has already begin to get dark, and by 7pm, it's already very very dark.
So I woke up around 7.00am, heard Yan Shiang's mom already up and about. So my brain started its rebooting process, and I held up a non-fictional novel depicting Genghis Khan and started reading it. It was quite an interesting book. Around 8.15am ish, I heard a knock on the door, and Yan Shiang came in. She saw me reading the book and leaned down to see what I was doing. I patted her on the head, smiled at her. Then she showed me her room and stuff.
After that we adjourned to Giant (again) to buy ingredients to cook one of my specialties in England. I couldn't find shrimps and beer...so I had to improvise and get crab-sticks (yes, I cheated!) and Coke, to make : plum-sauced laced chicken stuffed with mayonnaise-lined crab-stick, cabbage and loads of mushroom. As usual, it only takes 30 minutes of cooking time....
During lunch, Andy came over and Yan Shiang had to go over their impromptu MC-lines for the dinner later. Yan Shiang and Andy had trouble forming their words so I lent them a hand/ear while a headset was plugged into the other ear, whilst I was playing Call of Duty 6: Modern Warfare 2.
After lunch, around 3pm, YS and I adjourned to the CFCB church and there we surprised a lot of people; firstly because YS and I had agreed not to tell anyone and we pretended to be mad at each other on FB and MSN. Hahaha!
One of the people we surprised was Annie. Her reaction was priceless:
Annie: *looked at me and went* You, what, how, ......
I could see that she was at a loss of words because I surprised her.
Now the sermon was given by a certain invited speaker known as Nelson. I could see that he wanted to share some insights, but the sermon was too long winded, speaking on just 3 verses. I could also see that YS was going... ZZZZzzzzzzz, with her long hair covering her face (hehe). The sermon title was: Rejoice, for God, but was somehow diverted to the subject: Run for your life....and only the last 5 or so minutes suddenly turned to Rejoice, for God...
Later that night, at Orchid Hotel, we went for CFCB's 35th anniversary. YS was dressed in a red dress and she had a white-colored shawl. The interesting event during that dinner was when the Kiarong Group (YS's group) was presenting a song where the guys had to do a cangkul-action and the women sow-seed action. G-Eng was looking for some of his missing members and YS was trying to hide. Thus I wanted to tease her a little, so I pointed to her head from behind her back, gesturing towards G-Eng....and she couldn't hide and was pulled in, while I evilly laughed away... (Hahahaha)
The Beast Within
The feeling is there,
I have simply never let it out.
The pain, the scream, the cry of agony,
They all fall silent on the wind.
I can feel it inside me,
Choking me, crushing me, beating me from the inside.
The pressure is overwhelming,
If I let it out, there will only be a husk of myself left.
It is angry at me,
And why shouldn’t it be?
I have kept it in a prison for countless years,
It has every right to hate me.
But the thing is,
I don’t hate it.
I know its there,
It has tortured me since I put a lock on its cage.
But I don’t hate it,
And in return it feels the same.
If it is not hatred,
Is it love?
How can a man love the beast that tortures him,
Unless the man is not a man,
But a beast himself?
Career Orientated Survey
This morning I took an interesting career-orientated survey and the following are my results:
Survey 1: Work Style Preferences:
1. Investigative (problem solvers)
2. Artistic (creators)
3. Social (helpers)
4. Realistic
5. Enterprising
6. Conventional
Survey 2: Work Values:
1. Accomplishment
2. General Creativity
3. Lifestyle
4. Knowledge
5. Intellectual stimulation
Survey 3: Personality Test: Extravert (E), Intuitive (N), Thinkers (T), Perceiving (P)
Survey 4: Central Motivation:
1. To win/overcome
2. To be of service
3. To change/influence
Survey 5: Multiple Intelligence :
1. Visual-spatial
2. Linguistic
3. Interpersonal
4. Intrapersonal
5. Logical-mathematical
6. Body-kinesthetic
7. Musical
8. Naturalist
Survey 6: Left Brain or Right Brain :
Left brain : 12 points
Right brain : 7 points
The Mark of the Horizon
Things of the past, all far and long gone, deep into the reaches of memories. Matters yet so sad and some so painful. Those were the days, in the distant memories. Time is forever moving forward, there is no turning back, no repeats, no more cycles. As the earth I stand upon cycles around the sun, so must my life cycle travel forward.
As the darkness arrives on its heavy-laden hooves, overwhelming the earth at a great speed, conquering all, all hope seems lost. But even as small as I am, I shall never fear the dark, as it is always... At the end of everyday, during the darkness, there is but a small hope, sparkling in all its splendor, granting hope even when there seems to be none. Even one such as the moon, sometimes yet there and sometimes not.
I shall always remember that light. The light beyond the horizon, when darkness flees from the sight of it. As I lay hugging myself to protect from the cold, that glint of hope, may seem so small and far away. But I know and I await for the time ... before it burst forth from beyond the horizon, the dawn of the new morn, as it marks a brand new day. Then shall my fears flee my soul, and I shall travel forth once again into the world as my burdens and chains fall to the earth.
And then I shall always remember those words carved upon my soul:
"Blessed are those who are patient. Thankful as we are for the days we have lived so far. For the Lord has blessed us with yet another day to live..."
A State of War
The war raged, seven long generations it was. Waves after waves of legionnaires clashed against the amazons. Shields clash against each other, weapons breaking into halves, legionnaires collapsing due to severe wounds and fatigues.
One commander stood upon the hill, overlooking the ravage. His heart pierced each time he watches every single of his men fall down, wounded.... He sighed and could not stand such carnage. He sounded the retreat. As what's left of his army retreats in an orderly fashion, he looks at the blood red skies and pondered how all this could have happen.
He turns to his trusted advisor:
"How could such a thing happen? My nation always had good diplomatic relations. We have always traded in fairness. True enough that we may have stepped on a few toes and gotten into minor disputes. But why a sudden attack on our nation? Why the sudden violence? Why the slaughter of innocents? Why such slander?"
His advisor raises his head:
"Sire, things are not always perfect. But such sudden violence could only mean one thing.... external or even internal influence."
The commander sighed and rubbed his eyebrows:
"But to even slaughter our diplomats, to even destroy our embassy, and launch an attack deep within our nation! This is unspeakable! This is not right! This is unforgivable!"
The advisor shook his head:
"Milord, this is indeed an outrage, this things should not have happened. But still we need to push for more diplomacy. We need to show them mercy, need to show them our grace for their misbehaviors. We need to teach them whats right and whats wrong."
The commander sat down in anger and frustration:
"I..I shall consider your counsel. But for now, we must withdraw and hold this out. I need to ponder about this issue. Sending more diplomats might threaten their lives.... I shall ask for a volunteer diplomat to travel there."
And so the diplomat risked his life to reason with the amazons. But their reply was not so comfortable and the diplomat was treated with hostility. The armies of Kamael returned and encamped in their fortress awaiting the decision of their Lord.
Insights into The Hand of God
Over the past week, I was watching an interesting Japanese drama series known as : Orthros no Inu
The storyline was about an innocent guy having the Demon's Hand which can kill someone with just a touch, and another guy who likes to plot a lot but has the God's Hand which can heal someone with just a touch. The series borrowed a lot of influence based on Catholicism. Throughout the entire series, I saw several interesting points; which is related to how the human heart (both adult and child) works as well as a peek into (in my honest opinion) to the character of God.
Now, onto this drama, it points out that if there was ever a power greater and beyond the scientific understanding/comprehension of humans, there will always be pockets of humanz, who will crave the power, either in search to gain it for themselves or to use it to their advantage : political, economical, etc. Eventually these people will go crazy and crave for more, more and more. But I too wondered, how about those who have the power and wish themselves to be normal? But to this, there is always two sorts of people: those who have the power and hate using it or those who have the power and enjoy using it.
That being said, if there were people with miraculous gifts, able to heal/kill with a single touch, all religions would claim it to be a prophet on its own. Would that just spark off a war? A religious war?
Putting that aside, there is a relation of that with the very very "aggressive" question: Why does God allow this to happen? Let's see.... If in 200X, where the tsunami happened in Indonesia. If at that time, someone stood up and said: Tsunami will happen soon. If that fella who warned everyone was a Christian, what would be the reaction? If a Muslim, if a Catholic, if a Buddhist...what would happen?
Considering a normal government, if someone were just to stand up and say: Tsunami will happen in XXXX, at XXX time, on XX month 200X. Would the government issue a warning to move couple million people from one city to another? I'm sure there will be a few government officers who will say : It takes XX million bucks to move, and XX hours...etc etc. But that is from an economical point of view.
Now coming back to that drama, there was this scene, where someone threatened to blow up a hospital if the guy doesn't heal all the patients in the hospital. For this part, it strikes me that if someone were to appear with miraculous healing powers, people would use all sorts of ways to get themselves healed; even if that means selling themselves/relatives out. But these are questions I have put through, knowing that the world is not as easy to live in, the world is after all tainted and corrupted. Only those living a sheltered life, would not know this.
Even in the drama itself, there was this guy who couldn't get both powers for himself, and thus he made a statement : "This world does not need God."
Some may question that statement, some others may agree with the statement. But for me, I disagree with that statement. I believe that this world does need God. That is because people need hope, people need faith and people are lonely in general.
An example of people need God: When loved ones die in terrorism acts, car accidents, and you are left all alone, where do you turn? If an entire family/relatives reject you, where do you turn? When something bad happens, where do you turn? The first question will and shall always be: Why, God? Why? Why me? But then again, all of us have fallen short of God, but it is only by His grace, that we are saved...... He will never abandon us, eternally....
---------
In conclusion or rather a non-related side note:
Trust me, it's paradise
This is where the hungry come to feed
For mind is a generation which circles the globe in search for something we haven't tried before
So never refuse an invitation
Never resist the unfamiliar
Never fail to be polite
Never outstay your welcome
Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience
And if it hurts, you know what? It's probably worth it
You hope and dream, but you never believe that something is gonna happen for you
Not like it does in the movies
When it actually does, you expect it to feel different
More visual, more real, I was waiting for it to hit me
I still believe in paradise
For now I know its not some place I can look for
Because it's not where you go
It's how you feel for a moment in your life
If you find that moment, it'll last forever
The looooooooooooooooonnnnnggg journey home from work
This is the long journey home from office. Usually it takes me 15 minutes to get back home. This time, it took me 4-5 hours. With this entire duration, I can travel to Penang and eat my dinner!
Thursday:
Work just finished. Wrapped up a lot of stuff. I was going to send Marcel home.
It was already 8.15pm, on the turning near Marcel's home, the radio died (not that critical), and then the headlights died (at night, this is very critical). I was puzzled and when I rolled just outside Marcel's house... the engine died. (OMG!!)
I tried to start my engine but it failed, so Marcel and I pushed the car in. So I sat there, wondering what to do...when I decided to just call AAM to send a mechanic. Meanwhile, Marcel and I just sat down, talked and then hung around outside.
Then we noticed some fireworks were flying around, and we were looking around for the source (which was actually the neighbour). After which we heard:
Neighbour (probably telling his kid) : No no no...you put it in the bottle to shoot it in that direction.
Around 9.20pm, the AAM guy came, popped the hood and then stated that the battery connection was dirty. He cleaned it by spilling water all over the battery. With that the car started back up. He then packed up and left. One minute after he left, I switched off the engine, and tried restarting... the engine wont start again! (Oh NOOOOOO!!) I quickly called AAM and ask them to turn the guy around.
After 5 minutes, the guy came back and stated that the battery wasnt charged. So he tried charging it with his battery much to his despair, it didn't work. So Marcel reversed his car and jump started it. Before the AAM guy left, he asked me to leave the engine running for 10 minutes or so.
After 10 minutes, I was about to leave when suddenly........the car began to rev by itself.... so I helped it rev wanting to keep the engine running. And the engine died and cannot restart. (OH NOOOOOO v2.0 NOT AGAIN!!!).
Then I called the AAM once again (and I heard on the phone: AAM fellas: kes ini lagi.. ) and asked for a tow truck instead.
Around 11.20pm, the tow truck came. Marcel and I pushed the car outside and observed how the car get puts onto the tow truck (those tow trucks which have the car on it instead of pulled behind it) since its my first time and he gets to observe it too.
Then the car went to the Hyundai service centre and poor car has to spend the night alone. By the time I got back home, it was around 1.00am.
Friday:
At 7.45am, went to Hyundai service centre, got the car serviced and fixed. The service guy discussed with his manager and they said that the battery wasnt charged so they charged it for me and told me to come back if the battery died again. Left around 12.00pm and was heading towards office...when the car was only travelling at 20 km/h no matter how much I pressed the accelerator, the speedometer, petrol meter and the temperature meter was all dead, so even though I was about 1 minute away from office, I turned back to Hyundai and tried to speed there.
Alas at the traffic lights at what used to be the University roundabout, due to the looong traffic waiting time, the car started to rev again. And then it died (WTF!!!! NOT AGAIN!!!). So I turned on my emergency light, and only then at the point of time the traffic light turned green. Then the car behind me saw the light green, and rammed into my car. (WTF!!!!! It's emergency light!!!). So I got down, stood over the window, she wound down and this conversation took place:
The woman: Errrr..
Me: Errm, didn't you see the emergency light? I saw that you're on the handphone too.
The woman: Sorry! Sorry! I didn't see!
Me: Hmm... (looked at my car and her car)
The woman: How much ah?
Me: There is nothing wrong with my car. So no need. If there's anything wrong with yours, then well even though if we go to the police, you have to pay saman of 300 bucks, and go through all those nonsense which is a waste of precious time....I see there's nothing wrong with yours, except maybe some scratches, so if we consider the weightage of going through the police and with just driving off, repairing your car. I would advise that you just drive off la.
The woman: Yes ah? Ok ok ok! Sorry ah!
And after that while waiting for AAM's tow truck (again), I became the new traffic light. Just as Moses split the Red Sea into two. My car splits the traffic into two (because I'm stuck in the middle!!!)
Then another conversation took place:
Another woman knocked on my window.
Another woman: Hullo! You left your boot open! (closes the boot)
Me: (I got out) No no no, must leave boot open!
Another woman: Why ah? You're just stopping here?
Me: No....my car broke down.
Another woman: Then close the boot.
Me: If I closed the boot, and I was inside the car, another person will ram my car again and I will fly out of the car into the traffic and die. So if I open the boot, people will know that this car broke down and won't ram into me.
Another woman: Yes ah? Sorry sorry!
Then the AAM tow truck came yet again and I stopped being a traffic light.
The AAM tow truck towed my car into Hyundai and I alighted and I saw the service guy, who was in charge of my car in the morning: "Yo I'm back!"
He was very surprised (that when he said come back if any problems, I bet it meant after several months and not several hours). So the service manager and assistant manager came out. Together with what I can see; 5 mechanics and the 2 managers, they hovered around the car's engine trying to figure the problem. I lepaked in the waiting room, waiting for the result.
After 1 hour or so, at around 3.30pm, they told me it was an electronic problem. The alternator died and so the engine was drawing electricity from the battery and since the alternator died, it wasn't giving any power back. That's why the engine could only last so long. So they replaced the alternator ( money fly away/pocket big hole ).
Around 4.30pm, they took the car around to test, just in case..... and so the conversation with what seems to be the manager:
Me: so errm, I replace this alternator and the engine shouldn't die anytime soon right?
Manager: yeah.
Me: I don't wanna get towed again.
Manager: How many times already?
Me: Yesterday, once. Today, once. I hope not tomorrow, another time!!!!!! (if I get towed on Saturday, I would just shoot myself!)
Manager: No problem, sure work! (pats me on the back)
And so I drove home instead, better car die at home and not on the LDP (highway!)
At home I ate what seemed to be last night's dinner, this morning's breakfast/lunch/dinner. Then I crashed on the bed... (too many bad things happening in1 day.. must sleep it off)
What a loooong 24 hours.....
My Wonderful trip to KK
So the entire day, I travelled to KK. When I first arrived at KK, I saw the seaport, which was not far from the airport. The sea was amazingly beautiful and fascinating.
As I travelled along the road parallel to the sea while wearing my McDonald cap, the view was breath-taking.
Then I decided to start climbing up Mount KK. My first glimpse of the path to Mount KK was horrifying. OH NO!!
In the end I managed to reach the top. The beautiful Mount KK. Surrounded by lush green forests and the tip was as blue as the sky. Ahhhhh....
See the tip..it's like frosty snow...reminds me of Frosty cornflakes by Kellogs.
No....actually I wish it was like that. But in reality, I had to work..... Below is a conversation between my colleague and I who are working hard to satisfy the angry customer:
me: can can...wanna go KK with me?
Yang: buy yoghurt?
me: no we go see sunrise, and climb the mountain of goods and watch the sunrise together.....the picture I meant, with
the wind (aka air-cond) blowing at us.
Yang: woosh.
So we went to KK:
Around KK, I enjoyed the cool wind from KK (Panasonic branded!) and watched the sunrise (though it's lacking a bit in colour):
Wahhhh so fantastico!!
My current company reorganisation is as follows:
Die...