Saturday, May 31, 2008

Blood Donation 2008

Remember that event I mentioned where I found out about my "health problems"? Well, I've finally remembered to post the pictures! Hehe.

It was an event I organized on behalf of the Omega Leo Club of Monash University on April the 21st and 22nd. We invited the National Blood Bank over for two days and we also got the National Kidney Foundation to drop by with their health screening bus (it's a huge long bus set up like a clinic).

Anyway, here are the pics. The photos were taken with my 2.0MP Sony Ericsson k530i. Didn't bring my better camera with me since my mom was using it. (All photos in my blog will, from now on, be clickable thumbnails. The previous food post reminded me of why I've always put up clickable thumbnails.)


Blood Donation, 21 - 22 April 2008


Registration first. Here's where leo members are stationed to explain to blood donors as to what are they supposed to do. There are certain forms to fill for first timers and certain criteria to be made clear as not everyone can donate (like me).


Here, they check for blood type and weight. If you can make out the table just to the left of the one in front, that's where they check your blood pressure and finalize whether you're truly fit to donate blood. Here, I found out I had low blood pressure and that I am not fit to donate blood. Boo!


9-10 AM when they were first setting up.


Our first few donors. It seems that people take to blood donation very readily. A lot wanted to donate and most were extremely disappointed when they found out they couldn't. A total of 191 registered and 149 were eligible to donate. The rest found out they couldn't donate before they could register.


Donors were given bread, milo, cookies and even zinc pills. These are especially for those who might become anemic after losing blood.


As you can see, we were in open space. The concourse area to be exact. This is where almost all students had to pass through in the uni so it was pretty strategic.


Lots of people came and the NBB team were almost always busy. They told me on the second day that they'd prefered it if I invited them over for longer as it would lessen their work and they could get more response.

Health Screening, 21 April 2008


Actually, not only students were interested in donating blood but staff members too! I couldn't tell them apart at the registration counter at first but I recognized some of them here at the health screening bus. They're all waiting for their turn to board the bus and beginning their check up. (It's priced at RM2 per health check. But I found out later that there were others who gave more.)


Waiting in between stations. They have seats inside the bus as well. There are about 6 stations altogether. You get your initial blood pressure checked at the first, BMI at the second, waist circumference at the third, urine analysis at the fourth, blood glucose and cholesterol at the fifth, and counseling at the sixth. Yes, you get counselled.


The first, third and fourth stations. The second station was behind me and the picture didn't turn out well at all. (Not that the pictures here are perfect...) But as you can see, they're really just small tables where you sit across the health screening team and they tell you your results on the spot.


The blood test station... how can my cholesterol level be high when my blood pressure is low???!!


The counselling station... I was told NOT to eat loads of stuff. Others were told to cut down on everything I was forbidden to eat! Then again, they didn't have high cholesterol like me...


Outside again, the waiting area. That guy standing there made sure that everyone had a registration form and that they entered the bus in turn.


The bus was pretty long so they took awhile to actually park where they parked. It's at the foyer, a stone's throw away from the blood donation area.


That's it for the event post. I haven't planned an event like this since... high school! Lol! And this was a dual event too. So many people to communicate. I had forgotten about that part. The part where you have to talk to people and make sure everyone's happy with what you have decided. The making sure they were happy part was... tough. I'm glad I had the help I had.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Special Countdown, Noble Restaurant

Today marks the day when I have to really start studying. It's not only the time when I have to study but the time when I really have to study.

(That did not make sense.)

Exams begin on June the 10th and ends on the second last day of the final examinations, June 24th. I'm thankful for having only four papers to worry about rather than six or so like last year.

That's why I have to start studying!

Before that, a funny story from last saturday. Haha. My brother and I were blessed with a good friend who would fetch us for dinner with the rest of the cell group (we usually drive ourselves). So, my brother went out first with the friend (they have lots to talk about) and I followed after getting all my things and making sure the lights were all off etc. After locking the doors, and getting into the car, my brother turned around, "did you take the house keys?"

We were locked out of the house! And mom wasn't going to come back until much later that night! Our dinner was set at 6.30pm and we finished by about 8pm (at a very nice chinese restaurant). Very early. We were stranded for almost two hours with nowhere to go. At least our friend was kind enough to let us hang out at his place. Even though he had to study for his exams! (So sorry! And thank you lots!)


Noble Restaurant, Klang (Town area)
This was the place where we had our chinese dinner. I must apologize for the lack of photos. We only had time to take pictures of the first dish. The rest came in a blur because, not only were we too busy eating, we ate so fast and the dishes came twice as fast! Having 12 persons at a table is certainly something else. Haha. It was good though. I have nothing to complain of in terms of taste and service. They cleaned up our plates after the second dish as our plates were already full of bits and pieces that couldn't be eaten. Like prawn skin and the such. It was a very good and pleasant experience.


The first dish was really amazing. I took a lot of photos of this dish. The fish that we see is actually made of yam. You know the usual yam basket we get as a first dish for chinese dinners especially? That's what it is. It's filled with the usual yam basket contents and it's entirely made up of yam. Then we have the tofu pouch, fried balls with prawns in them (ate it and got allergies), cold slices of meat, and a selection of scallops and vegetables.


When this dish came out, I thought to myself, I have to snap a photo of this. Well, I wasn't the only one who thought so because everyone else started snapping with their camera phones. Haha. One of our elder members mentioned that kids these days all use camera phones while we still carry digital cameras around (our age difference is about 3 years so... they're not like uncles or aunties).


At first all we could do was stare and wait for everyone to snap photos. But finally we decided we had to eat.


They finally turned the lazy-susan around to serve the individual portions.


This presentation was meant for ten persons. We had 12. So the extra ones get special plates with all the extra bits. Haha. There's only one fish though.


Those who didn't get the extra plates had to, of course, arrange our portions nicely on our plates and bowls. Hehe. This was my plate.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

May 2008 Update

May.20.05:Tuesday
+ lab test ended at 10.43am today +
+ had to demonstrate gel loading technique +
+ laptop crashed last week +
+ was without laptop since... last Monday +
+ I think I did not install the drivers correctly when reinstalling windows +
+ now... blue screen appears spontaneously +

May.19.05:Monday
+ InterCG Life Monopoly with cell group members +
+ set up a life size monopoly board at church +
+ board version had to do with 'offering' +
+ was interesting and fun +
+ had lunch at McD +

May.17.05:Saturday
+ reformatted laptop +
+ reinstalling drivers is a pain +
+ lost my corel painter CD +

May.16.05:Friday
+ dad's blood test came out +
+ Praise God! He's cleared of infection +
+ doctors want to continue the full treatment to be 100% sure he is bacteria-free +
+ open heart surgery to correct damaged valve still required +

May.15.05:Thursday
+ finished first project: web-design +
+ will probably have to fix it through +

May.08.05:Thursday
+ started part-time job at SyUC +
+ working as a student helper +
+ given four projects to complete +
+ dad got a haircut +