#dailyprompt-1951 — Public Fediverse posts

Superstitious? Me? Pfft… Unless the Universe is Listening.

Are you superstitious?

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Am I Superstitious? Let’s Just Say… It’s Complicated.

This morning, my son and his buddies threw out a dangerous question: “Are you superstitious?”

Now, logically, I want to say no. I don’t walk around tossing salt over my shoulder or fearing black cats. But if we’re being honest… I also refuse to say things like “Wow, nothing has gone wrong today!” because I know the universe is listening.

So, am I superstitious? Let’s just say I respect the possibility of unseen forces—but I’m also not afraid to test them.

Let’s break it down.

1. The ‘Don’t Jinx It’ Rule (AKA, I’m Not Stupid)

You ever confidently say something, only for life to immediately slap you in the face?

🔹 Example: “Ugh, I never get sick.” Boom—suddenly, I’m drowning in tissues and self-pity.
🔹 Pain Level: 9/10. Because why does the universe have to be so petty?

✅ How I Handle It: I knock on wood. Every time. Even if it’s fake. Even if people are watching. If I forget? You best believe I’m mentally whispering “no jinx, no jinx, no jinx” to undo the damage.

2. The ‘Something Feels Off’ Rule (My Sixth Sense is Real)

I don’t know if it’s energy, instinct, or just years of experience with people being sketchy, but if something feels wrong, I listen.

🔹 Example: Walking into a place and feeling an immediate, unexplainable sense of nope.
🔹 Pain Level: 10/10 if ignored. Because the ONE TIME I brushed it off, I ended up in a situation I never should have been in.

✅ How I Handle It: If my gut tells me to leave, I leave. No debating, no justifying. The last thing I need is to become the main character in a bad horror movie.

3. The ‘Ghosts? Prove Me Wrong’ Rule (I’m Ready for This Fight)

Unlike most people, I don’t fear ghosts, Ouija boards, or haunted places—I’m fascinated by them. Do I believe in spirits and the paranormal? Not really.

But am I willing to test it? Hell yes.

🔹 Example: While some people refuse to step foot in a haunted house, I’m the one saying, “Alright, if something’s here, show yourself.”
🔹 Pain Level: TBD. But honestly, if a ghost did prove me wrong, I’d be more excited than scared.

✅ How I Handle It: If the supernatural wants my attention, it better bring receipts. Until then, I’m keeping my skepticism and my curiosity wide open.

So, Am I Superstitious?

Let’s put it this way—I don’t live in fear of bad luck, but I also don’t poke the bear (except when it comes to ghosts, apparently).

If knocking on wood, trusting my instincts, and challenging the unknown keeps things interesting, then I’m all in.

Now, tell me—are you superstitious?

Or are you the type to laugh in the face of fate?

Drop your thoughts in the comments… but if your luck suddenly changes, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

My Secret Obsession: Dark Romance Audiobooks & The Voices That Make Me Swoon

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

📌Disclaimer: Please note that if you click on any of the links and make a purchase, I will be receiving a small commission at NO extra cost to you📌

What’s Something Most People Don’t Know About Me?

If you asked Chat Ludlow, the commanding king of the dark Fae and richest man on Earth, what most people don’t know about him, he’d probably smirk and say, “Everything. They only see what I let them.”

That, my friends, is what I’m aiming for here—a little mystery, a little intrigue, and a lot of fun.

So, what’s something most people don’t know about me?

Well, I’m not just a dark romance enthusiast—oh no. I’ve got layers, much like Chat’s intricate plans to make Belle his forever (cue the swoon).

My Secret Obsession? Dark Romance Audiobooks 🎧

Yup, you read that right. While I live for crafting my own sizzling stories, I’ve got another obsession that’s just as intense: dark romance audiobooks. And not just any narrators will do—no, no.

My go-tos are the deliciously deep voices of Aiden Snow and Teddy Hamilton.

There’s something about the way they bring the tension, passion, and raw emotion of a story to life that keeps me hooked for hours.

Think of it as the Chat Ludlow experience—dangerous, seductive, and oh-so-intoxicating. Much like Belle, I can’t help but swoon every time those voices take over my headphones.

Just like how Chat’s deep, commanding voice sends Belle into a fluster, audiobooks narrated by these legends have the power to take any romance to the next level.

If you’re not already obsessed, trust me—you’re missing out on the ultimate audio romance experience.

Why Audiobooks? Because They Let You Escape.

Life, much like the worlds Chat and Belle navigate, can get overwhelming.

Between work, life, and the chaos in between, we all need a way to escape. And for me, that’s pressing play on a dark romance audiobook and letting those velvety voices take me into another world.

It’s a bit like falling headfirst into one of Chat’s steamy power games—except this time, it’s Aiden Snow telling me all the dirty details, and I don’t have to lift a finger.

When you listen to Aiden Snow or Teddy Hamilton, it’s like having your very own Chat Ludlow right in your ear, whispering all those dangerously sweet nothings.

What’s not to love? You can dive into a world of Fae kings, ruthless CEOs, and unrelenting passion—all while folding your laundry (because multitasking is key, am I right?).

Everyone loves a good escape.

Whether you’re listening to a podcast or, like me, you’re falling for a brooding fictional alpha on audio, there’s something magical about immersive experiences.

What This Says About Me (and Chat)

Now, I know what you’re thinking—What does an obsession with dark romance audiobooks have to do with writing or being Chat Ludlow’s obsession?

Well, everything, actually. People expect you to be a certain way based on what you create, but there’s always more beneath the surface.

For example, Chat may come off as a dominant, ruthless man in control of everything, but underneath it all, he’s fiercely in love with Belle—someone who softens his edges and makes him vulnerable.

Similarly, when I’m not writing, I’m melting into the worlds created by my favourite narrators, where love, danger, and passion intertwine in a way that’s just so satisfying.

Your Turn: What Don’t People Know About You?

Okay, now it’s your turn. I’ve spilled my secret—dark romance audiobooks narrated by the dreamy Aiden Snow and Teddy Hamilton. Chef’s kiss, right?

What’s something about you that people don’t expect?

Do you also escape into stories when life gets overwhelming, or is there another secret passion you’re hiding?

Drop a comment below and tell me your favourite audiobook narrator or what surprising hobby you’re obsessed with.

You never know—you might just find a fellow audiobook addict (and I’ll definitely be here fangirling alongside you).

#DarkRomance #AudioBooks #AudiobookAddict #SecretObsession #AidenSnow #TeddyHamilton

Culinary Adventures: When Food Abroad Bites Back!

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Prepare your taste buds and buckle up for a gastronomic rollercoaster ride as we explore the wild world of culinary adventures abroad. From mouth-watering delicacies to unexpected surprises, join me as we delve into the delightful and sometimes downright daring realm of international cuisine.

https://benable.com/abnolte/81c35f813073af56266c

1. The Spicy Spectacle

You pride yourself on your tolerance for heat, so when the friendly street vendor in Bangkok offers you a taste of their “mild” curry, you confidently accept with a smile. But as the first fiery bite hits your tongue like a flamethrower in a chili factory, you quickly realize that you may have underestimated the true meaning of “Thai spicy.” Cue the frantic gulps of water and the impromptu fire-breathing performance that leaves your fellow diners both impressed and slightly concerned for your well-being.

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!u0026amp;u0026amp;p=1af6e7abb1f6d9dcJmltdHM9MTcxMTkyOTYwMCZpZ3VpZD0wODliYmU2Yi02OWRkLTY4MGQtMzdhYy1hY2MwNjhhZjY5MjMmaW5zaWQ9NTE5NAu0026amp;ptn=3u0026amp;ver=2u0026amp;hsh=3u0026amp;fclid=089bbe6b-69dd-680d-37ac-acc068af6923u0026amp;psq=funny+articals+of+the+most+spicey+food+from+around+the+worldu0026amp;u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly9hbWF6aW5nZm9vZGFuZGRyaW5rLmNvbS9zcGljeS1mb29kLWRpYXJ5LWRhcmluZy1zcGljeS1kaXNoZXMvu0026amp;ntb=1

2. The Mystery Meat Mishap

You’re feeling adventurous, so when the menu at that quaint little bistro in Paris lists “escargot” as the house specialty, you decide to throw caution to the wind and give it a try. But as you take your first tentative bite of the slimy delicacy, you can’t shake the sinking feeling that you may have just eaten something that was alive mere moments ago. Cue the existential crisis and the fervent vow to stick to more familiar fare for the remainder of your culinary adventures.

https://benable.com/abnolte/81c35f813073af56266c/details?detail_id=5416811

3. The Cultural Conundrum

You’re determined to immerse yourself in the local culture, so when your gracious host in Tokyo presents you with a steaming bowl of what can only be described as “mystery soup,” you graciously accept with a smile and a bow. But as you tentatively take a sip and try to identify the various unidentifiable floating objects, you realize that sometimes, cultural immersion comes with a side of gastrointestinal distress. Cue the polite nods and the silent prayers for a speedy recovery as you struggle to maintain your composure in the face of culinary adversity.

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1104783950741628

4. The Street Food Fiasco

You’ve heard rave reviews about the street food scene in Marrakech, so when you stumble upon a bustling market teeming with tantalizing smells and exotic flavors, you can’t resist the siren call of the street vendors. But as you dig into your first bite of falafel, you quickly realize that street food adventures come with their own set of risks – namely, the inevitable battle with food poisoning that leaves you regretting every culinary decision you’ve ever made.

https://fb.watch/raaTplsMbg

5. The Sweet Surprise

Amidst the chaos and confusion of culinary mishaps abroad, sometimes you stumble upon a hidden gem that restores your faith in the power of international cuisine. Whether it’s a piping hot plate of pad thai in Bangkok or a decadent slice of tiramisu in Rome, these unexpected delights serve as a delicious reminder that sometimes, the best culinary adventures are the ones that catch you by surprise.

https://benable.com/abnolte/81c35f813073af56266c

So there you have it, fellow foodies – a humorous glimpse into the world of culinary adventures abroad, where every bite is an adventure and every meal is a memory. Remember, no matter how many culinary mishaps you encounter along the way, it’s all part of the delicious journey. Until next time, happy eating and may your taste buds be forever adventurous!

This is the second last post about Travelling…..keep your eyes peeled for the next blogs all about????

The Red Dirt Audit

The neon sign of the servo flickered against the vast, bruised sky of the Outback, casting a rhythmic, sickly green glow over the red dust. The Three Best Friends—Liam, Dax, and Dev—had been driving for ten hours, their old 4WD chockers with server-grade hardware and a beat-up esky full of lukewarm water. They were performing the ultimate hard yakka: tracking a digital ghost to a physical location.

“Fair dinkum, this place is isolated,” Liam muttered, stepping out into the dry heat. He adjusted his glasses, his mind still racing with the content audit he’d been performing on the fly. He knew that to beat the Raven, they had to be beyond reproach. He had spent the drive ensuring their own documentation followed the most rigorous standards, providing informative, unique page titles for every log entry they created. He knew that for each web page, they needed a short title that described the content and distinguished it from others.

Dax climbed out of the passenger seat, immediately checking his handheld light-meter. “She’ll be right, Liam,” he said, though his eyes were fixed on the servo’s flickering signage. Even here, Dax couldn’t stop being a designer. He noticed the signage lacked sufficient contrast between the foreground and background, a cardinal sin in his book. He knew that foreground text needs to have sufficient contrast with background colors to be readable for people like Elias or Lexie.

The Terminal in the Dust
Inside the servo, the air was thick with the smell of deep-fryer oil and diesel. In the back corner, next to a rack of faded bathers and fishing lure, sat a heavy, industrial-grade terminal. It was humming with a low-frequency vibration that made the floorboards rattle.

“There it is,” Dev whispered. He moved toward the machine, his fingers already itching to check the code. “The Raven’s physical gateway.”

Dev knew that to dismantle this, he would have to use appropriate mark-up for headings, lists, and tables to understand the machine’s hidden structure. He reached for the keyboard, but stopped. The screen was a nightmare of unnecessarily complex data blocks.

“It’s a trap,” Dev said. “Look at the interface. They haven’t provided clear and consistent navigation options. There’s no site map, no search, just a single, pulsing cursor. It’s designed to make you feel lost”.

Decoding the Raven’s Form
A form suddenly popped up on the screen, demanding an administrative bypass code. It was a masterpiece of inaccessible design:

The form elements did not include clearly associated labels.

There were no instructions or guidance to help users complete the form.

The input requirement for the date format was not described.

The system used a CAPTCHA that was purely visual, with no audio alternative for someone like Lakshmi.

“You little ripper,” Dax whispered, but not in a good way. “They’re using color alone to convey information here. The ‘Required’ fields are just red boxes with no asterisks or labels. If you can’t see that specific shade of red, you’re stuffed”.

Liam stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. “I can fix the content. Dev, get me into the markup.”

Dev bypassed the visual CAPTCHA by injecting a script that identified the non-text content through its metadata, though the Raven had tried to hide it. As the code bloomed across the screen, the trio saw the “Raven’s” true face. The “Shadow of the Raven’s Wing” was a script that intentionally removed the lang attribute from the html tag, making it impossible for screen readers to identify the primary language of the page.

The Audit Begins
“We need to audit this and flip it,” Liam commanded. “Dax, check the viewports.”

Dax began testing how the page information presented in different sized viewports. He ensured that when font size was increased by at least 200%, the content didn’t clip or require horizontal scrolling. “The Raven’s site breaks at mobile sizes,” Dax reported. “It’s not responsive design; it’s a digital wall”.

Liam focused on the text. He began rewriting the Raven’s cryptic error messages. Instead of saying “System Error 404-X,” he provided specific, understandable explanations and suggested corrections. He wrote in short, clear sentences and paragraphs, ensuring the information was as simple as possible for the context.

Dev, meanwhile, was doing the hard yakka in the backend. He was ensuring that every interactive element was keyboard accessible, especially the custom-made buttons the Raven had hidden in

tags. He used tabindex=”0″ to add those elements into the navigation order so they could receive focus.

“I’m also adding WAI-ARIA to provide information on the function and state of these custom widgets,” Dev grunted. “The Raven used aria-expanded=”false” on elements that were clearly open. It was a deliberate attempt to confuse assistive technology”.

The Raven Speaks
Suddenly, the terminal’s speakers crackled to life. It was an audio-only file, a podcast-style message with no transcript provided.

“They’re pulling a swifty,” Liam said, reaching for his headset. “They think because there’s no text, we can’t index the threat.”

“No dramas,” Dev replied. He quickly ran a speech-to-text algorithm, creating a real-time transcript that included not just the spoken information, but also the important sounds—like the distant caw of a bird in the background.

The transcript read: “You think you’re clever with your WCAG guidelines. But the desert doesn’t care about meaningful sequence. The sand doesn’t have a logical reading order. You’re carrying on like a pork chop in a world that has already moved past you”.

The Counter-Strike
The Three Best Friends didn’t flinch. They knew that providing easily identifiable feedback was the key to a successful interaction. They weren’t going to let the Raven’s unnecessarily technical language stop them.

“Dev, use the progressive enhancement strategy,” Liam said. “Ensure the core functionality is available regardless of the technology the Raven is using to block us.”

Dax added whitespace and proximity to the new interface they were building over the Raven’s ruins, making the relationships between the content more apparent. He styled the headings to group the related content, reducing clutter and making it easier for the next person who stumbled upon this servo to understand what was happening.

As the sun began to rise over the Outback, the terminal finally let out a long, defeated beep. The “Shadow” was lifted. The form now had clearly associated labels for every control. The images had meaningful text alternatives. The link text was meaningful, describing exactly where the user would go next.

“Good on ya, team,” Liam said, wiping sweat from his brow. “We just turned a ‘rejected status’ claim into a fully approved, accessible reality”.

“But the Raven is still out there,” Dev reminded them, pointing to a set of coordinates that had just appeared on the screen, marked clearly with a descriptive label. “And it looks like the next stop is an abandoned opal mine.”

Liam looked at his friends, then back at the esky. “Well, it’s going to be a long drive. But she’ll be right”.

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My New Year’s Eve – 2025

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• Reflection: 2 Months As A Floating Medical Officer
• My FIRST SOLO Oncall Shift As A Floating Medical Officer
• I SURVIVED My First Month Of Tagging As A Floating Medical Officer
• My First Tagging On-Call Shift As A Floating Medical Officer
• My First Day As A Medical Officer In KKM
• My First Day Of Locum And As A Medical Officer
• 2026 – The Beginning
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• Life After Offtag In Emergency & Trauma | Housemanship Diaries
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• Appreciation Towards The Medical Officers (MOs) – Housemanship Diaries
• Another Good Advice I Will Remember For The Longest Time – Housemanship Diaries
• Enjoying The Journey – Housemanship Diaries

31st December 2025. I was NOT oncall.

It was a Wednesday and it was a normal working day. Hence, at 7:45am, I left to work as usual and was there by 8am. It was the New Year’s Eve. I thought that maybe, just maybe, there would be less patients in the clinic.

The day started off smoothly. Surprisingly, there were many patients who came for their follow up followed by additional patients (the defaulters and walk-ins) but it was manageable. We went about our day, seeing each patient and when lunch time came, we went for our lunch break.

At 2pm, we went about our work, seeing patients as usual and I was taking my time with each patient. The patient load in the afternoon shift was lower compared to the morning shift and both my colleagues were done with their patient load.

Suddenly, a staff nurse barged into my room saying that there is a massive accident that just occurred nearby, 2 patients were already brought in and 2 more were on their way. They called in all available doctors (which were only the three of us) to help out.

I told my colleagues to head out and help out first while I rushed through the consultation of my final patient. After that, I rushed to the tiny Emergency Room of the clinic. My colleague who was oncall on that day was already attending to a child. I went over to the other patient, an old lady and did my primary survey and fast scan.

She was desaturating badly under room air and needed oxygen support. She had an open skull fracture, multiple abrasion and laceration wounds over her face, upper and lower limbs as well as rib fractures and on top of that, her left leg appears shortened and she has a closed fracture over her right lower limb.

I didn’t think that we should proceed with an x-ray at our clinic even if we had the facility at that time, the best would be to send them straight away to the hospital because she could deteriorate further any time. Thankfully, her GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale) was full.

I was focused on my patient, stabilising while referring her to the specialists of various specialities as well as the emergency physician that when I finally got ready to transfer her out that I noticed the child that my other colleague was attending to. The child’s right arm was crushed and the distal limb of his right arm was pale and his right lung was obvious till mid-chest.

Just how in the world is he still awake? The poor child was crying out in pain…

Judging by the state of his and my patient’s injuries, it was definitely high impact.

The story was, the whole family were travelling back from Miri to Kuching. Both the parents were sitting in front and the father was driving whilst the two children and their grandmother were sitting at the back.

The father claimed that he was not speeding but as he was about to make a u-turn at a junction, he claimed to have hit the curb and the car turned many times into the other lane before finally stopping and the grandmother and one of the child were thrown out of the car.

It sounded like a very high impact collision. Thankfully, the parents and the other child were well and unscathed.

We had to transfer both patients in two separate ambulances to the Red Zone of the Emergency Department at Hospital Bintulu as one ambulance could only transport one patient at a time.

Upon arriving, I met my colleague and friend at the Red Zone of the hospital. After we have handed over to the medical officers and specialist in the Emergency Department, we headed back together. However, upon reaching back, there was another patient who came in who was extremely tachypnoiec.

Oh, here we go again… Another Red Zone referral…

We stabilised the patient and referred her to hospital again. The clock was already showing 10pm when we left. The journey to the hospital takes about 45 minutes to an hour for each journey and the both of us have yet to have our dinner. This time, I choose to accompany her for the referral, mainly for emotional support and also in hopes of stopping by McDonald’s to get a takeout.

Yes, we did stop by McDonalds after sending the patient safely to the hospital and yes, we used the ambulance and went through drive-through.

By the time we left, it was already 11pm. The journey takes around 45 minutes to an hour and it was raining heavily. At this point, I was wondering if we would end up celebrating New Year’s in the ambulance.

Me and my friend ate in the ambulance on the way back while we joked and exchange oncall stories. Thankfully, we reached a little before midnight. The day was completely unexpected, not to mention tiring but it was nice to have spent it with a friend.

It’s still the beginning of 2026, so if I’m not too late, Happy New Year!

If you are travelling anytime soon or in the future, do drive safely, stay within speed limits especially if it is raining. Remember to get your car and tyres checked before any long distance journey and NEVER drive under the influence.

Stay safe always!

Related Posts:

• 12 Hours Shift – Counting Down My Hours Each Time At Work
• Reflection: 2 Months As A Floating Medical Officer
• My FIRST SOLO Oncall Shift As A Floating Medical Officer
• I SURVIVED My First Month Of Tagging As A Floating Medical Officer
• My First Tagging On-Call Shift As A Floating Medical Officer
• My First Day As A Medical Officer In KKM
• My First Day Of Locum And As A Medical Officer
• 2026 – The Beginning
• My First Night Shift In Emergency & Trauma | Housemanship Diaries
• Life After Offtag In Emergency & Trauma | Housemanship Diaries
• Surviving The Night Shift In The Medical Posting In General | Housemanship Diaries
• Appreciation Towards The Medical Officers (MOs) – Housemanship Diaries
• Another Good Advice I Will Remember For The Longest Time – Housemanship Diaries
• Enjoying The Journey – Housemanship Diaries

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12 Hours Shift – Counting Down My Hours Each Time At Work

Related Posts:

• Reflection: 2 Months As A Floating Medical Officer
• My FIRST SOLO Oncall Shift As A Floating Medical Officer
• I SURVIVED My First Month Of Tagging As A Floating Medical Officer
• My First Tagging On-Call Shift As A Floating Medical Officer
• My First Day As A Medical Officer In KKM
• My First Day Of Locum And As A Medical Officer
• 2026 – The Beginning
• My First Night Shift In Emergency & Trauma | Housemanship Diaries
• Life After Offtag In Emergency & Trauma | Housemanship Diaries
• Surviving 10 Days Of Tagging | Emergency & Trauma Department
• Surviving The Night Shift In The Medical Posting In General | Housemanship Diaries
• Appreciation Towards The Medical Officers (MOs) – Housemanship Diaries
• Another Good Advice I Will Remember For The Longest Time – Housemanship Diaries
• Enjoying The Journey – Housemanship Diaries

How do you waste the most time every day?

At the time of writing this article, which was back in June 2025, I was going through my 6th Rotation of my Housemanship which is in the Department of Emergency and Trauma. As a House Officer in the Emergency Department, we go by the 12-hours shift.

This meant, our shift is from:

• AM Shift: 7am till 7pm
• PM Shift: 10am till 10pm
• Night Shift: 10pm till 10am

In this department, they are strict in regards to adhering to a minimum of 60 hours per week in total. Thus, in a week, our schedule is as follows;

• A total of at least 4 daytime shifts (AM or PM Shifts)
• One night shift
• One off day

That is provided one has off-tagged of course.

Perhaps, it is the “last paper syndrome” that I was experiencing being in the 6th and final rotation, I would be counting down my hours each day at work. Thus, upon arrival at work, I would start my “12-hours countdown“ on my phone.

On slow days, I made it a point to go to toilet every hour, technically my so-called “hourly break” whereas on busy days, the toilet break is the only time I could take a break. This is followed by ensuring I have at least one meal per day during my shift.

Otherwise, the schedule in the emergency department is relatively better as compared to my previous rotations. Nevertheless, the tiredness is still there.

Related Posts:

• Reflection: 2 Months As A Floating Medical Officer
• My FIRST SOLO Oncall Shift As A Floating Medical Officer
• I SURVIVED My First Month Of Tagging As A Floating Medical Officer
• My First Tagging On-Call Shift As A Floating Medical Officer
• My First Day As A Medical Officer In KKM
• My First Day Of Locum And As A Medical Officer
• 2026 – The Beginning
• My First Night Shift In Emergency & Trauma | Housemanship Diaries
• Life After Offtag In Emergency & Trauma | Housemanship Diaries
• Surviving 10 Days Of Tagging | Emergency & Trauma Department
• Surviving The Night Shift In The Medical Posting In General | Housemanship Diaries
• Appreciation Towards The Medical Officers (MOs) – Housemanship Diaries
• Another Good Advice I Will Remember For The Longest Time – Housemanship Diaries
• Enjoying The Journey – Housemanship Diaries

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Reflection: 2 Months As A Floating Medical Officer

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At the time of writing this article, I’m on leave which I took from the 1st of October till 15th of October, which my Head of Department (HOD) was more than kind enough to allow.

I needed the break, perhaps it was an adjustment disorder on my side but I was struggling. Physically, I caught up, I showed up and I was there but mentally, I felt left behind and lost and on most days, I was low.

Perhaps, it was out of tiredness as I have just recently off-tagged and in combination with my low mood, I felt demotivated and in general, felt that I have lost my love for medicine. I decided then that clinical life in the hospital was not for me. True, we were lacking doctors in various departments and hospitals in general across Malaysia. However, during that time, even if there enough manpower, I don’t think I would still want to continue.

I tried looking on the bright side, tiny things as well as the positive aspects of things to help me to get through the day.

Firstly, I’m thankful to be in a subspeciality department instead of the bigger and more hectic departments, I think I would have broken down within the first week itself. Secondly, I was in the department with the sweetest and kindest bosses who were more than happy to teach or lend a helping hand when needed. We are small in number, yes. But it felt like being part of a family.

I was happy, the environment was good, kind and non-toxic. However, mentally, I knew that this is not my place.

This further saddens me as I have always looked forward to being part of this lovely department. Yet, I knew, it’s just a matter of time before I slip and broke down. My body knew that I wouldn’t last long here nor do I foresee myself handling the complex and complicated cases here. If my interest is not here, how would I even make it through to specialise?

Amidst the business and my mind and body trying to keep up with the steep learning curve place before me, I was unable to view my options or to consider other departments.

I was just done in general and sadly, I wouldn’t be able to fulfil my quote in my medical school yearbook, I feel myself losing my will every single day nor do I find the strength within myself to serve.

Sadly,“sometimes what we like is not necessarily what is suited for us”, a fellow colleague told me and that hit me hard. I had no interest in other departments either or practicing in general at that point. All I could think of at that point was to quit and to hand in my resignation letter. After all, I have successfully completed my 2 years of internship / housemanship training. I can still locum if I wanted to. But of course, I didn’t enjoy it either. All I was ever passionate of was to teach. Thus, I considered changing my field and entering university as a lecturer did not sound appealing either as I did not like research at all.

Thus, after much contemplation, I approached my Head of Department (HOD) to validate my 30-day-resignation letter. My HOD is another kind soul who enquired to know what prompted me to come to such a decision. She signed my papers but advised me to consider changing departments instead of quitting.

However, at that time and at that current state of mind, I was fixed on my decision. Hence, the following week on a Monday, I submitted my 30-Days-Notice of Resignation, only to have it retracted the following day. Although I have handed in my 30-Days-Notice, a part of me felt a tinge of regret and sadness. Somehow, some part of me did not want to leave but I could not see any way out of this virtual box that I appear to be caged in.

My colleague and my parents played an important role in my decision to retract my resignation. Instead, despite my limited amount of leaves left for the rest of the year, I chose to take some time of work. Perhaps it was due to tiredness that contributed to my rash and impulsive decision.

On the 1st of October 2025, I took the first flight out and then throughout my leaves, I locummed at several General Practitioners. Remember when I said that I did not like locum either? This time, I decided to give it a second try and to keep an open mind.

The first GP I locummed at was a rather chill one with only 3 cases being seen throughout the whole day. The subsequent GPs were hectic and had multiple procedures, literally from the beginning of my shift till the end. In all of those times, I was the only doctor in the clinic. In my previous experiences, I have locummed at clinics which had 2-3 resident doctors.

Honestly, I don’t know how I managed to pull it off. Despite the hecticness and the patient load, I found myself looking forward to return and I enjoyed talking, listening and consulting the patients. It was fun. Slowly, I found myself enjoying and falling back in love with medicine and practicing medicine and thinking on how I could improve myself to serve better.

Then, I realised, perhaps venturing into family medicine might not be such a bad thing. True, there is abundant of family medicine doctors now and lack of doctors practicing in the hospital but that doesn’t mean that they are still not needed. Sadly, as much as I want to force myself to carry on and stay practicing in the hospital, I knew that it is not meant for me in the long haul or for me to last for even a year.

The opportunity to specialise is there but how can I continue if I can’t even see myself as one, or even have the inspiration?

Suddenly, the plan and my pathway seems clearer and I’m more than ecstatic to embark on my next journey. It was definitely the rest that I needed. To think and to reflect. If I were to stick to this journey, how can I do so for the long haul and at the same time, enjoy it?

I hope that in months or years to come, the decision to stay is the right choice. Perhaps, I still need time to discover my interest in this vast field. At times, I wish that it can be simple and that I would know what or which department I’m fitted to or destined to specialise in.

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• Another Good Advice I Will Remember For The Longest Time – Housemanship Diaries
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My First Day As A Medical Officer In KKM

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Housemanship or Internship for Doctors in Malaysia lasts for a duration of 2 years, upon completion of our medical school journey.

For some, they began shortly upon graduation whilst for others, they took a gap year.

I submitted my application to pursue my internship in the Ministry of Health, Malaysia (Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia, KKM) shortly after my graduation but did not actually begin till 6 months later in 2023. Two years later, thankfully, I’ve completed and fully registered with the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) and possess a valid Annual Practicing Certificate (APC).

Post housemanship, I went on a 3-weeks-break and on the 21st of August 2025, I reported for duty as a Medical Officer.

Upon my completion of housemanship, one would have to go through a “floating period” of maximum 6 months prior to receiving their placement in whichever department, hospital or state of choice. Usually, the floating period occurs in the same hospital that one had completed their housemanship or internship in.

Thankfully, I was offered to float in the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. However, I was diving into the world of Surgery with no experience or knowledge in basic suturing.

During my first day, I reported for duty at the Hospital Director’s Office to receive my “floating” placement letter, checked my remaining leaves and proceeded to Burn Ward of Sarawak General Hospital.

The Burn Ward.

I’ve had good memories previously as a House Officer here and I was beyond ecstatic as well as relieved to be accepted into this department which is filled with understanding and helpful bosses.

I was then given orientation by one of the medical officers, clerked a burn patient that was just admitted and spent most of my time accompanying a fellow friend who thankfully is in the same department. Considering it was my first day and a rather slow one, I was able to return home at 5pm.

There’s just so much more that I have yet to learn. Hopefully, I’ll have both the mental and physical strength to push through.

Thankfully, the environment is one that is filled with love and encouragement.

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My First Day Of Locum And As A Medical Officer

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A locum or locum tenens, is a person who temporarily fulfils the duties of another; the term is especially used for physicians or clergy.

– Wikipedia.

The first time I ever tasted or ventured into locum or a so-called “part-time doctor” was on the 3rd of August 2025.

At that time, I was back in my hometown and on a 3-weeks-break post housemanship / internship at a small private clinic, yet to officially begin as a Medical Officer.

While I was in medical school, I would occasionally hear this term “locum” from my fellow seniors or batch mates, lecturers, parents or even friends of my parents. However, in order to locum, one would need to be fully registered with the Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) and possess a valid Annual Practicing Certificate (APC). In short, I had to graduate medical school, finish my internship or housemanship first, then only am I able to dive into this.

Thus, upon acquiring my full MMC and APC licence, I was looking forward to locum. Looking forward to it as well as nervous to dive into this. Thankfully, I had just completed my final rotation in the Emergency and Trauma Department.

In the Emergency and Trauma Department, there are various zones in which the patients would be triaged into in terms of presenting complaints, severity and their vital signs. The least critical in severity would be triaged into Green zone. The Green zone is similar to a clinic setting, thus, it gave me some idea on the type of cases I would be expecting.

My first locum was just 3 hours long, from 7pm till 10pm. I figured that since I am just starting at that time, it would be better to start with minimal hours in order to get used to it and also.. if I would enjoy it.

The clinic was quaint and small but equipped with basic necessities and a scan machine. The only thing that it did not have, was an x-ray facility. The moment I sat down, the patients kept coming back-to-back. As soon as I was done with one, another came.

For a first-timer, I felt it was equivalent to the Green Zone in General Hospital whereby the cases were always there but the patient load was manageable.

However, I was extremely scared.

Mainly afraid that I might accidentally jeopardise the patient’s safety in terms of mismanagement. Thankfully, by 9:30 pm, the clinic assistant stopped accepting new patients and prepared to close the clinic.

For a first experience, it was a good one despite it being rather terrifying for me.

But, we all have to start somewhere and build our confidence, don’t we?

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• 1 Year Of Housemanship Update – Housemanship Diaries
• Another Good Advice I Will Remember For The Longest Time – Housemanship Diaries
• Enjoying The Journey – Housemanship Diaries

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Surviving A Month Of Tagging In My Fourth Posting – Surgery | Housemanship Diaries

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I tagged for almost a month here.

The tagging timing in the Surgical Posting is from 7am till 10pm which is same as with other postings, except Obstetrics & Gynaecology (O&G).

In the Surgical Posting, we all have to complete a compulsory 14-Day-Tagging period irregardless of having “off-tagged”. Entering the Surgical Department as a senior or fourth poster, we are allocated to special shifts such as night shifts in ward or night shifts in ethe emergency department (ETD).

This serves as an advantage to us seniors as we do not have to work the morning shift for one week straight prior to having an off day. It is also better as it allows us to recuperate in between by not having to go to work extremely early.

However, the disadvantage is that our tagging period is somewhat extended.

As I mentioned before, we are required to complete a 14-Day-Tagging period. The night shift is not counted. Hence, the tagging duration can go up to 3 weeks.

For me, it extended up to 4 weeks due to my medical leaves (MC).

During my first week of tagging, I took a day of medical leave due to extreme fatigue and in the second week, I took 3 days of medical leaves due to extreme fatigue and COVID-19.

At the time of writing this article, I am on a 6 weeks medical leave due to my ATFL injury.

Sometimes I wonder, if I will ever exit this posting and proceed with my last which is medical.

Back to the tagging part, thus my tagging period lasted for a month.

Going to work as a tagger, I would leave home around 5:45am – 6am. Partly because I’m just tired and felt like I needed more rest because there will always be an active issue in ward and I am only able to return home at 10pm.

In the evening around 7pm, I would go for dinner after handing over to the night colleagues and completing my tasks and on-call reviews for the day. Most of the time, it would be our first meal of the day.

Some days, we would be done by 8-9pm and on some days, earlier. Most of us, upon completing, would head for dinner and head home or to just head home straightaway.

This is wrong of course but we were simply exhausted and burnt-out during the tagging period. Thus, we grab the opportunity while we could.

Towards the end of my tagging period, I started bringing packed dinner boxes and reheating them as work prior going back.

Surviving the tagging period in the Surgical Posting was hard and tiring but eventually, it did came to an end.

Thus, if you have yet to enter the Surgical Posting, the tagging period is indeed tiring as with any posting. However, try to learn as much as you can and take comfort in the fact that it does come to an end.

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• My Downfall In Surgery Which Led To My Extension – Housemanship Diaries
• 1 Year Of Housemanship Update – Housemanship Diaries
• Another Good Advice I Will Remember For The Longest Time – Housemanship Diaries
• The Time I Turned A Baby’s Hand Blue – Housemanship Diaries
• My First On Night Experience In General Paediatrics – Housemanship Diaries
• My First On-Night Experience In Nursery Ward
• My Experience In General Paediatrics (Paeds 2B) – Housemanship Diaries
• Enjoying The Journey – Housemanship Diaries
• Housemanship Diaries: Surviving the Tagging Period in Paediatrics
• The Benefits Of Working During The Weekend / Weekdays As A House Officer | Housemanship Diaries

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Do you remember life before the internet?

Warning: Slight mention of an attempt at CSA

I usually use writing prompts whenever I can’t fully think of something concrete that I want to write about. I would like to write a short story, or a series of short stories, but story-crafting takes a lot more energy than just typing words. Despite how much of it I have in drafts.

But, today’s prompt, is about a topic I can actually speak on. Why? Well, yesterday, I just turned thirty-nine. Yes. I was born in 1985. I have … glimmers of a memory of a time before we were all connected.

I remember sitting with my brothers as a child, a very young child, in front of a large wooden television. You know, the ones with the tube inside of them. And we’d be playing Super Mario Brothers together. It was a little house on the road down in New Jersey, and we had a neighbor who liked to skate on his long-board. Heck, I remember that house specifically, because every room was connected by doors in a circle, and you could run through it in seconds. But, I’m not writing this to recollect on the layout of a house I lived in toward the end of the eighties.

My Dad was a radio DJ, and there were things he needed at home to do his job. One of those things, was one of the first home computers you could get in the late eighties and early nineties. Now, I’m aware there were even older computers you could get or have, but I’m talking a DOS machine, that dialed into bulletin boards so that you could share your thoughts on a topic.

That was the extent of the internet we had when I was only five years old.

Before that, I don’t remember a lot. I just know that what my brothers and I did consisted of simply using our imaginations, playing videogames that were not online, heck, they didn’t even save our progress. And looking back at it now, it’s hard to imagine or grasp how I didn’t go nuts not having the entire world at my fingertips. But I didn’t! I was a kid.

I remember in another house, in the same state, one of my favorite cartoons were the Ninja Turtles, and we wouldn’t even dress up like them, we’d just run around the streets of the neighborhood pretending we were fighting crime. Yeah, I remember all of that. I remember the large gash in my forehead when I accidentally ran directly into the side-view mirror of a car.

But then you had the nineties, and I can’t really say fully that this was with the absence of the internet, because it was there, and it was in our house. But it wasn’t some interconnected thing where you logged on and spent hours babbling about politics and your thoughts on quantum physics. Nah.

The very first time I ever had tangible, live connections to other people online, at the same time, in one space, was a thing called Worlds Chat in like 1995. It still exists today!

You would log on and pick a two-dimensional avatar in something that looked like it was built in the same engine as Doom. And then you’d walk around in this … virtual chatroom, and just talk to people! That was … until a man somehow figured out that I was a child using this chat program, and propositioned me in a corner away from other chatters.

That was the last time I ever saw Worlds Chat.

I’m getting a little off-topic again, though. Mostly, life before the internet was a lot of phone calls, and no text messages. They didn’t exist. There was a lot of reading maps (a skill that is surely lost on generation z and alpha), and phone books. A phone book! What the hell is that?!

You see, we had these big old books that got updated yearly, and they’d have everyone’s name, address and phone number in them. And if you didn’t know someone’s number, you had to look them up in this book, a book that had literal yellow pages. I think you can see something like this in Back to the Future 1 or 2, and Terminator (I honestly don’t know if they’re still made today, in 2024).

It was a wild time.

As a kid without the internet, I spent a lot of hours just playing with toys. Making up scenarios in my head. Stretch Armstrong needs to fight the G.I. Joes, and win! Because … Yeah!

Or, I’d run outside with my brothers, clasp my hands together, and pretend we were soldiers shooting at each other. That was back before things got a bit darker in the world, and you really didn’t want to just let your kids run wild in a neighborhood. But we did, we did that a whole lot.

Even when I started noticing girls, I didn’t really use the internet to … explore all that. At least not until I was well into becoming a teenager. But, by that point, we had Geocities, and AOL Instant Messenger. Artifacts of the past I wish they’d revive. I don’t think many people would object to their presence.

I guess the gist of the story here is that, life before the internet was … really simple. You didn’t think about the war across the ocean, because you didn’t really know about it. You didn’t think about millions of people within digital arm’s reach in devastating situations, or reaching the end of their lives, because you just did not know about these things, at all.

There was no such thing as engagement farming, or clickbait, hell, even spam email wasn’t really a problem. Not at least until the late nineties.

There weren’t Twitch streamers, or Youtubers, or Instagram influencers.

There was just … people going about their lives, in an entirely different way that we, well, will never, ever see again. I couldn’t tell you if people were happier back then, because I just didn’t notice. I also can’t really say whether it was intrinsically better or not, because honestly, I didn’t really have a concept of all of this back then to really think about and compare.

Would it be better if we didn’t have the internet we have today, and people just kind of sat in their homes reading books and watching television? Maybe, but maybe not?

But that’s just what life was, before the internet.

https://cmdr-nova.online/2024/05/28/life-before-the-internet/

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