Sunday, February 18, 2007

Happy Chinese New Year!

to all my chinese friend and anyone else celebrating !

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

The Russian M.C. system

I’m giving out information and also revising a bit for tomorrow’s ОЗЗ (Общественное Здоровье и Здравоохранение), (for you non-Russian-speaking kids, it means Public health and health services) computer test. it's actually interesting, if you want to compare the sytem here and in malaysia (which i cannot fully, because i dont know how the system works in Malaysia). It's widely used in Russia and in some other countries too.
Here it is, in short…( but it’s a long one)

In Russia, we students are given a spravka i.e. a certificate, whenever we are sick, which we must ask the doctor, and later the foreign students dept. to make and present it to the lecturer.
Workers on the other hand, will get a листка нетрудоспособности (disability form)
or Л.Н. (L.N.) which is either permanent (invalid group I, II, and III), or temporary.
It’s also given to pregnant women and people on leave to care for a sick family member (will be discussed later), or even healthy people e.g. a chef whose wife has acute infectious hepatitis)

Technically spravkas and LNs are the same, but the functions are different.
They are given for the same reason as M.C.s in Russia. For LN, they are given for
Legal reasons – giving the right to be free from work for a certain period
Statistical reasons – as a document for statistical analysis of diseases with temporary work disability
Financial – gives the right to receive help/ insurance from insurance companies

The spravkas are given out for 2 reasons:
Legal
Statistical

(But I’d rather add financial too, since without it we’d have to pay about 120rubles per hour for each class without a spravka (that’s abut 600+rubles- a little less than 100 ringgit)

The disability forms (LN) are given:
· To just about every legally working citizen and foreigner who temporarily lost their working capability
· According to the rules and regulations of the agreement “On the regulation of rendering of medical service to…”(it’s a long one)
· Citizens with a temporary disability or whose leave due to pregnancy and birth occur within a month after being discharged from work.
(the lecturer pointed out that this is the case with a reasonable reason for example when a company’s downsizing, and they were discharged, or any other reason that’s not their fault e.g. if they got fired due to disciplinary issues, it wouldn’t be that easy)
· Citizens who are registered as not working (e.g. a rare specialty making it hard to find work. The government will pay them every month-how cool is that! The lecturer told us of a geologist she knew living in Germany without working, with a wife who’s a lecturer for Ukrainian language who live off this scheme, and still afford to send their children to private schools, buy a house and cars e.t.c. There are not many in Russia since those not working only get about 1700 rubles(a bit more than 50 USD). This may sound familiar to those living in Volgograd, they register at the “служба занятости” and other similar sounding organizations
· To some other groups not in Malaysia, and some other agreements

The LN is not given to
· Nonworkers
· in temporary disability occurring during unpaid leave (leave without a preservation of salary)
· for prosthesis in ambulatory-polyclinics(outpatient, e.g. teeth prostheses, limb prosthesis, and not endoprostheses and others similar to it needing hospitalization and surgical procedures
· workers caring for a family member if they already are on holiday( later they will be given LN after the holiday is over)

The only ones who have the right to give these forms are:
· Licensed, qualified doctors, treating the patients, observing their dynamics and giving the prognosis.(this means other doctors eg radiologists cant give LN)
· Medical workers/attendants with middle medical education , in the absence of a doctor
(usual case in Russia, in villages when pregnant women meet the medical attendants every month, as there were no doctors around for miles)(only for mild cases, if there is a possibility of a sever disease, they will be sent to the nearest medical establishment with a doctor)

Ther groups DO NOT have the right to give out LN
· Ambulance
· Stations for blood transfusion
· Forensic medical establishments
· Doctors of the general practice departments (приемное отделение= receiving department) of hospitals- they will direct patients to the doctors in therapeutic or other departments
· Some others

Regulations for giving the LN
The periods:
· The LN is given for less than 10days, is continued for another 10 days if needed, for up to 30 days in total.(only in special cases the doctor can give LN until full recovery.). The doctor will determine the dynamics, treatment and prognosis within this period. E.g. for common cold – no more than 3-4 days because known short course of the disease.
· Medical attendants have the right to give LN for 5 days, and continued until 10 days (because they only treat light cases. More sever cases need the attention of a doctor). Again, in exceptional cases, after consultation with a doctor, only can the period be lengthened up to 30 days.
· After 30 days, the case is taken by a commission of experts for the decision of further treatment and prolonging the LN
· According to the decision of the commission of experts(KEK in Russian), in a good clinical and working prognosis the LN can be prolonged, but no more than 10 months. In isolated cases (traumas, after reconstructive operations, tuberculosis) – no more than 12 months, with periods of continuation of LN no longer than 30 days.

The LN is given too according to the time needed for the patient to arrive at the place where he or she will receive treatment (in Russia that’s important, e.g. if the place takes 2 days to reach, they will have an extra 4 days in their LN)

Regulations for giving LN to those taking leave to treat a family member
I’m putting in this information too because I think it’s interesting, and if possible should be in any medical policy, unless anyone’s got a better one.

For mothers (or guardian) with an ill child:
<> 7 years - until a period of 15days
<>7 years who are warded - after recommendation from the commission of experts about the necessity of the parent’s care
<15 70 =" 156">

Sunday, February 11, 2007

the1st weekend and holiday planning already




I literally lost a screw on my head recently :P




this summer will be a relatively short one in Malaysia for me. InsyaAllah I'll be going for a trip around Europe, following a certain Kelana Convoy InsyaAllah, with Zam, Usen, Sam5, some friends from Moscow, and hopefully more friends who's looking for a chance to travel europe at a reasonable price, with minimal worries about transport, lodgings, Halal foods, and Prayer times (which are observed during the whole trip by the organizers)
Also, the more people joining in and booking, the bigger discount we'll have (up to 20% )
Most probably we'll be taking the one in August, to 9 countries for 15 days which costs about RM3400. but that depends.



Sometimes life gets you down with one of those tests.
Right now I get depressed by the feeling that my life is going around in circles, giving me the notion that I never changed, that I keep having the same situations, and the same problems over and over again because of my weaknesses.
But I try to shrug it off.
Sometimes, I have to sit down, stop for a while, close my eyes if I must, and remind myself that I AM changing for the better, insyaAllah…even if for a little bit, even if only an iota…remind me again that in 1 and a half years, I’ll be in Malaysia doing my internship. And later, a good doctor, insyaAllah…but most importantly, a good Muslim.
I just have to be patient, and pray

Saturday, February 10, 2007

eh silap!



i made a mistake on the post about the snowman

it's snegovik, not snegurochek...which is a derivative of snegurochka, the russian snowman's female counterpart ;p


yesterday the snowman fell..huhu...well that answers the question on how the snowman would fare in russian winds...and how long his life span would be here.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

troubled muslim test??

here's another one

You know your Islam is in trouble when...
...the last thing you learnt about Islam, the Quran,or Jihad was from CNN
...all your conversations with your friends have todo with guys/girls, or movies, or guys/girls inmovies
...you spend more nights at the club duringRamadan than at a Masjid
...you can't remember the last time you askedsomeone a question about something you didn'tunderstand in Islam
...you find time to watch three movies a week butfind yourself too busy to pray Salah regularly
...that Quran translation you were given last 'Eid isstill sitting on the top shelf of your bookrack
...the 'inner voice' you hear when you are incomplete silence sounds surprisingly similar to thelatest hip-hop song you heard
...you don't know any people who you can saySalaams to without feeling embarrassed
...the feeling that God is watching you in all thatyou do is never more than a passing thought
...you are available to receive phone calls at 2 a.m.
...your clothes and hair smell of cigarettes onSunday mornings even though you don't smoke
...knowing something is right or wrong and feelingguilty about it does not effect whether you actuallydo it or not
...you gave hope of ever entering Paradise becauseyou don't feel you deserve it after 'all that I havedone
...when you want something in your life youfantasize about it and say "I wish!"
...you can't figure out why you are never trulyhappy deep in your heart and why nothing good inyour life ever seems to last (why does it alwayshave to end?)
...the happiest day of your life so far was on aChristmas, Valentine, or a dance
...you are loneliest when you are sad or whensomething bad has happened to you (where did allmy friends go?)
...you don't think of the Prophet at least once a day
...when you hear of Muslims dying somewhere inthe world, you consider it part of 'politics' whichyou have nothing to do with
...your 'best friend' is a person of the oppositegender yet not your husband or wife
...you have no motivation to change things in yourlife
...when your faults are pointed out to you, youreply "This is who I am, for better or for worse!"
...listening to the Quran does not make you feelguilty
...you are actually flattered when people on thestreet stare or ask you out
...you friends never object to any of your badhabits or behaviours and vice versa
...you don't care whether you go to heaven or hellsince no one can really be sure about these things
...to you, Islam is just another 'organizedinstitutionalized religion'
...you actually agreed with everything yourphilosophy professor taught in class
...you generally feel crappy and often find yourselftelling people that you consider and justify yoursins as 'a part of who I am'
...you want to travel around the world someday butMakkah is not one of your planned stops
...your parents hate you and have said so to you
...you read the horoscopes yet have neverperformed Salat-ul-Istikharah
...you have never felt like falling down on your faceand crying to Allah
...you look down upon people who are morepracticing than yourself as 'just mullahs and ustaz'
...your past bad experiences with some Muslimsprevent you from getting closer
to Islam and otherMuslims

i dont really understand some of it....if it's interesting enough i'll take a look again and add some comments or something.

toilet graffiti

welcome to my boredom, where i am king, or just a wannabee \/(.'')
talk about hypocrisy, today i'm about to do something i said i wouldnt do just a few entries ago (and judging from the dates it wasnt that long ago)
here's one of those articles u might find passed around in your email, friendster, etc.. so what?

.:: Toilet's Graffiti collection ::.

Here I sit, broken-hearted -Paid a penny and only farted.
Every day, 88 InterCity trains leave Birmingham. - but only 5 get back.
I've just lost my virginity. - let me help you look for it.
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

Women like the simple things in life - like men.
Why are men like lavatories ?They're either vacant, engaged, or full of crap.
A women without a man is like a fish without a bicycle. - yeh, but who needs a stationary haddock?
It begins when you sink in his arms. And ends with your arms in his sink
Men only put women on pedestals so they can look up their skirts.
If you can reach this high you should be in the fire brigade. (Above urinal)
Wet Paint. This is not an instruction. (Above urinal)


anything else to add?

Crazee talk


I’m bored
so I’ll be putting my line of thoughts for the day that usually I wont tell(and has nothing to do with anything,anyway)
How would I feel if my children get to see this blog? “what’s this, were you that lazy daddy?” “Err, that time was a tough time for me…[shifty movements]” “then, can I be lazy too?” “err, ask your mommy sweety” :P
Do I write like a girl? Is there a gender specific writing style? If I read it out loud, would my entries sound like a girl’s? I hope not… I’m a male through and through, last time I checked. You know about those retrosexuals and metrosexuals? I’m the kind who cant tell the difference between deodorants and perfume, and I shower in less than 10 mintues :P
If I were to meet someone with a personality exactly like me, with about the same good (:P) looks, living standards, and principles, I wonder if I’d hate my ‘other self’, or like that other ‘me’ more.
Must guys over 20yrs chase after girls? I feel like another buffalo in that stampeding herd heading for the cliff. It’s not just the raging hormones anymore, even peer pressure is terrifyingly, well, actually annoyingly trying to make me and other single guys my age find ‘someone’.
Do I think too much? Am I thinking too much?


Medical joke of the day
Med student: Patient V, 5years, entered the hospital with a toxicoallergic skin reaction….
Immunologist: how many exacerbations did she have in a year?
Med student: about 4 to 5 times
Immunologist: and what was the duration of each exacerbation?
Med student: more than 3 months
Immunologist: hmm??
Med student: err? (oops!)
Immunologist: that might have been possible if you had 25months in a year

A good laugh thanks to “abang C”,hehehe

paintball!!...

....in snow!!





this was a pic from a few days ago
some 5th years + an imported faiz (1st yr) vs the 1st years
it was really fun the weather was just the right temperature for us to have fun in snow - w/out neither sludge(when it's too hot,like a 0) nor inversely the kind of weather when it gets chilly to the bones no matter how thick your winter gear is.
we played for a solid hour before calling it quits (some had to go for an UMNO meeting)



i hope the snow stays a few days more...till i get a chance to try skating at radezh!(only 100rbls per hour,50 per hour or with own skates, murah! murah!) :P

Sunday, February 04, 2007

Fun with Mr Снегурочек


(Posing2 "bajet comel" pelajar-pelajar tahun 5 bersama Mr Снегурочек)



Volgograd, 10mlm – seekor ular sawa sepanjang 10meter telah ditemui beku di dalam salju di ulitsa kommunisticheskaya 10. 5 orang kanak2 ribena berusia 23 tahun telah menjumpai ular itu bersama2 sebijik tangan, artifak pyramid yang tak jadik dan topeng muka yang agak…. :P


Not only that, we had loads of fun making the classic snegurochik (mr snowman), burying me in snow, making the biggest snowballs we’ve ever made, and other afore-mentioned objects… our goal was making the snowman – something we wanted to do since our 1st year. Before this we’ve played snowball fights, a sort-of rugby ball game in 1st year, and I ski-ed once, so now I can say I’ve played almost every imaginable snow game I've always wanted to play (except skating which was cancelled a few days ago. Maybe I’ll get a chance later)
Ritual misteri yang berlangsung di depan rumah
We also met a nice neighbor who was very fluent in English with a British accent. She was nice and amusing and we chatted for a while and found out a few stuff from the history of our house (almost everyone was a relative of the KGB member- she was a daughter of a KGB member), to the difference between a snegurochek and a snegurochka (snowwoman) (the snowman has 2 carrots :P)

Well, the holiday’s gonna end soon…
Tomorrow we already made plans to play paintball games with the 1st years (in snow- that’s a first)!!

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Something that's been buggin' me for some time..





When I started blogging (when friendster.com started offering the feature) I had set certain criterias of what I would and would not put in it. for instance, it shouldnt have anything too personal that I may regret posting later on(which is also sometimes boring), but should be about my personal life and observations. It should be interesting, mostly light subjects and just about anything can be put with a subtle moderation to be able to be read by parents, peers and just about anyone else. Most importantly, it should be entertaining. Another very important point, and to an extent defining this blog further from some i've seen, is that i usually am not likely to post anything that has been published or form other sources. In other words, everything is original (i personally think it's a selling point). It's also to avoid some problems, like copyright, the authenticity of the information (eg those forwarded emails etc). If it's something religious, I'm afraid of giving the wrong information, since there are a lot of those (things that can lead to syirik, fake hadiths etc). My opinions are my opinions. And if i read info from any sources, and take note from them, unless i'm sure it's authentic and can be spread, I will treat it as info to help my daily personal doings. InsyaAllah, I might be able to be a better da'ie, but subtlety is not so bad. I believe doing little is best as opposed to doing nothing or doing it wrong. Even taking verses from the Holy Quran makes me think twice, as i might interpret it wrongly with what little knowledge I have. for this reason, and others(eg it got too personal or one-sided or offensive, although thankfully I never used the 2 latter reasons) sometimes my posts were drafted instead of published.
Eventhough I think it that way, i cant help thinking if I'm holding back too much. Maybe pasting words of wisdom might help others, since some fellow bloggers do it all of the time. I thought of making another blog so that I can copy some stuffs there and write here, but, being the lazy procrastinator I've always been, it never got started Besides, it might become one of those 'forgotten' projects and that blog would stay empty, since it made more sense to make a blog with more than one author, than one author making a few blogs simultaneously.
Another problem with this 'helping others' stuff is my state of mind. For a good deed to be accepted, it has to be from a good intention- not, for example, if I were to do this because I wanted fame, or just to show that I'm this or that good. To an extent, everyone likes attention, but then, it would be pointless, and possibly self-destructive for me. I also dont want to do this if it's only for getting acknowledgement from others. It wont be as good as the truly rewarding intention of helping others and promoting& upholding my beloved religion. Any other reason might just turn out to be just for my ego, and I'd hate that. but is not actively(or directly) posting stuff like that a sign of my ego too(especially if someone asks it of me)?
Anonymity seems to be an answer, but that raises another question: Could anonymity be interpreted as an ego too? since any anonymous nicknames i might come up with can also be praised or criticised, and I might end up in one of those awkward conversations talking about my alter-ego, for good or bad.

Actually someone did ask me to add more Islamic stuffs, but I believe in my way, though theirs is not wrong either. Please don't compare, and less criticism (although sometimes it's needed and I ask you to give me any whenever necessary) is better, for Muslims should support their brothers and sisters (not the other way round and turning agianst each other or causing others' grief/downfall/regress). That is my advice for the day


PS: whoa.. colourful fonts now...it shows how much free time I have right now,hehe.. if time is gold, I'd be wallowing in luxury right now, swimming through the golden coins like Scrooge McDuck (you know, that old rich duck in "Duck Tales"..)