A poem by Martin Niemoller, think about it: 

"When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out."

It is not just scary. it is real.

I'm not going home this summer, despite having a two-month break. I'll make sure I keep abreast of the news and updates as my beloved country takes her steps into her 50th year of existence. It's a significant step, a proud achievement, but there remain challenges to be overcome if we are to enjoy a markedly improved second half-century.

Have already started my summer research job at Christine Holt's lab. My work basically is a continuation of my undergraduate research project, investigating (in layman's term) factors regulating the development of frog eyes.

It’s a shame I’ll miss the weddings of two of my friends, Fairuz and Imran (Black), due to my work commitments. Anyway, here’s wishing you guys happy marriages.

Date completed: 5 July 2007

An extremely informative book about the human brain and mind. The author takes a step-by-step process by first introducing the basic components of the brain, the network arising from them, and subsequently explains the way in which such massive complicated network can give rise to what we come to know as the 'mind'.

The book also attempts to detail what the 'human mind' encompasses by taking us through the history of major discoveries in the relevant fields. Attention, emotions, learning and memory, character and personality, intelligence and creativity, and intuition are areas focused by the author. There were stories of Phineas Gage, Broca, Moniz and many others, which give us an understanding of how research in the field has emerged and evolved. And such inclusions also avoid turning a popular science book into a facts-laden, layperson-unfriendly scientific text. Nevertheless, despite incoporating evidence from several experiments to substantiate some of the points, I feel that more effort could be taken to include more interesting, simple, test-it-yourself psychological experiments such as those on the first figure plate. After all, such experiments are easy to understand, relevant to our daily life, and offer important clues to the way we behave and why we do so. Articles and books (e.g. Phantoms in the Brain) by V S Ramachandran are a good source for such exciting experimental findings.

Overall, it's a good book. Well-worth a read. I look forward to reading the author's other books (i.e. Human Instinct and Story of God).

Date complete: 4 July 2007

A fiction about IVF and selection of embryos with the ultimate aim of providing a genetically-matched treatment for an existing child. Weaving through the life of a family rocked by the unfortunate diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) of one of the children, this book details how each member of the family copes, and inevitably raises multiple ethical questions regarding the issue of creating a new life for the sake of saving an existing, threatened one.

A real page-turner. Great for a medic with a 'special interest' in medical ethics, or a budding lawyer excited by the challenges of medico-legal wrangles.

It's a pleasant surprise to read this piece by M Bakri Musa, on the day that would have marked precisely 4 years I left KMYS (KYUEM). Even more surprising was the fact that it came out on Malaysiakini, not exactly the source for such plain, uncontroversial commentary, devoid of political flavours.

Having been at the institution for more than 2 years, I had come to appreciate how big an impact my experiences there have had on me. I went there (not of my own choice) in the hope of completing my A-Level so that I could subsequently begin university education in the UK. A stepping stone, of sorts. But it turned out to be more than just that. Academically, it was excellent. Non-academically, it was the sports, cultural events and social outings that made it pleasant and memorable. And for the first time, I learnt the reality of living in an actual Malaysian society.

I won't go into detail about the education quality the college provides and the achievements it has attained within its ten years of existence, as most of these, as pointed out by Bakri Musa, can be easily accessed from the college website. But just for trivia sake, I'd love to point out what sets the college apart from other institutions at the same level, mostly in terms of its non-academic characteristics, something that all KMYSians can fondly remember:

• Nearly half the staff are (or were, at least during my time) expats.
• We (the students) lived in chalets. Air-conned. Computer-equipped. Fantastic.
• We had a uniform. The "Mcdonald's" design leaves ample room for improvement, but the idea itself is great.
• We had a college anthem.
• We had assemblies every week (at which the college anthem was sung).

It's a pity that the exorbitant college fee (RM 60,000 a year!) is in a way preventing many bright and talented young Malaysians from enjoying this truly enriching and stimulating learning environment. More so in recent years when the major contributor JPA put an end to its scholars coming in. The college has had to reinvent itself, as exemplified by the current efforts to attract private students, as well as to introduce twinning courses with overseas universities. The character of the college as a scholars-predominant, UK-oriented, pure A-Level college is to be diluted. But hopefully the quality is not. And I will be extremely proud if one day, my alma mater becomes a model for education in Malaysia.

Three weeks into my Academic Medicine module, where mornings are spent in the wards and afternoons in the lab. Clinical work is Respiratory Medicine, which will also be my 'home' firm for the coming three years. Research is on axon regeneration (what else?) at the Brain Repair Centre.

It has been refreshing. Busier and more tiring, no doubt. Medicine alone is tough enough, juggling both at a time is going to be even more challenging. And I don't need reminding that there's a third facet to Academic Medicine--teaching--which luckily, won't happen for perhaps another ten years or so.

I don't suppose many listen to, let alone enjoy, songs created for, or adapted to sport-related events. But to me, they are powerful and inspiring. They celebrate love and humanity. They provide hope and motivation. They give you strength and resolve when morale runs low.

Sport songs are timeless. And they transcend geographical and other invisible man-made boundaries amongst ourselves. From 1988 (One moment in time, Whitney Houston; Hand in hand, various) to 1998 (Bersatu selamanya, Roy; Standing in the eyes of the world, Ella), from Altlanta (The power of the dream, Celine Dion) to Sydney (We'll be one, Nikki Webster; The flame, Tina Arena), the songs never cease to inspire.

Despite not being a Reds fan, I have always had the utmost admiration for the Anfield crowd for their heart-felt rendition of You'll never walk alone. And somehow, naively, wishing that back home, I would have a similar experience.

Tell me, do you have any to share?

Escaped into the constant sunshine, golden beaches and soothing sea breezes of Cornwall over the weekend. The view from St Ives, where we stayed, was awesome, and the sound of the waves splashing on the sand made the atmosphere just perfect.

Absolutely enjoyed the seafood dinners, though I could now feel the gaping hole in my pocket as a result. And if anyone thinks seagulls are cute, tame and docile creatures, try heading to Cornwall, where I witnessed one snatching an ice-cream from an unsuspecting tourist right before my eyes, leaving her with an empty cone, and cursing under her breath.

The Eden Project was amazing. The idea itself is ingenious enough, to turn it into reality is simply remarkable. There's even a Malaysia House there, with, as you'd expect, a kampung house, a Malaysian-style motorbike and plenty of tropical fruits and plants. Well, it's a bit too humid in there though.

It'd have been better if we had a full week there. Driving two 9-hour journeys in 3 days was physically draining. There're simply too many nice places around the area to visit, which we didn't due to time constraints. Or even doing some Cornish shopping.

Maybe some other time, when the idea of hitting the road for one-third of a day sounds less daunting.

Time flies.

Memories fade.

Lives change.

People come and go.

But I never forgot, this day...

Happy 6th Anniversary!

Date completed: 21 April 2007

Review: to come