Happy New Year! 2012 Hola!

I know it's really pathetic that I haven't been updating my blog much. HONESTLY, I WAS SUPER BUSY. Yeah, like the rest of the world isn't busy. As if I'm running a country or something. Anyway, enough monologue. Happy new year people! Hoping for another blessed and prosperous year, insyaAllah.

I have a good news to share! Reason why I was so busy and still am is because I was offered a sponsorship to further my education! I will be doing my Master in Clinical Audiology, in University of Melbourne. Woot, woot! :D I'm flying on the 1st of Feb: 010212 and will be arriving on 020212. Nice number, isn't it? :)

So I have resigned from my job. It was a great 2 and a half years journey. I don't think I could learn as much if I was elsewhere. Had the best mentors and colleagues. Period. They seriously were like a family to me. I had a farewell party and farewell cupcakes. Touching moments...


And since my resignation, I have been a lot more busier! I moved out from my own house to my parents' so that I could have quality family moments but turned out that I became the "house manager" - my mom own words - and been meeting up with good friends to catch up and say goodbyes. I have also started doing translations, just so that I have some back-up money while I'm in Melbourne. I'm a student, every dollar counts! (btw, the current conversion rate from RM to AUD is a nightmare!!!)

Oh, how could I forget to mention. My lovely husband is also following me, doing his MBA and CPA. He'll be enrolling into RMIT. It'll be like uni days all over again! Love on campus hehe.

I think just by reading this post, you would already know that I'm super-excited. It's a bit of a mixed feeling though: excited, scared, sad, tired (because the thought of having to start over after being quite stable earning own money and such); but it'll be an experience of a lifetime, I'm sure. Alhamdulillah, Allah has given me the opportunity, it would be a shame to mess it up.

So, hang on tight guys, will definitely write more once I'm there. Hopefully it'll make up for my previous absence ;) Do pray for me and wish me luck!

One of the times I wished I have a small otoscope in my handbag!

I was having my sahur (meal before the start of a fasting day) with my family at my parents’house during the recent Ramadhan. My husband came to the dining table, looking uncomfortable, and told me that he feels that something is inside his ear. He thinks it’s an insect and that it’s flying around at the ear canal. He asked me to look into his ears. I looked with my bare eyes and of course I couldn’t see anything. My sister, Najat, then offered me her torchlight which she took from her room. I used the big white light but still I couldn’t see anything, plus his ear hole is pretty small! I got pissed because I couldn’t help then I played around flashing a small red light (laser-like, also from the torchlight) inside his ear canal. A few seconds later, a small fruit fly flew out like a drunkard. I guess it must have been scared and lost, unable to find its way out until it saw the red light. So I managed to “laserized” it, haha.



If I had the otoscope, I could have seen it sooner! And it really is expected from an audiologist. Countless times my family members would occasionally complain about their ears to me but all I could say is, come to the clinic, then I’ll check you out because I don’t have the equipment at the moment. If I have the otoscope, at least I could rule out minor issues like blocked ears!

So, does anyone know where I can find a cheap, small otoscope that’s less than RM50? :D

A Conference on Autism for Professionals

Autism has always been complicated. Be it in terms of assessing, diagnosing, intervention, schooling - the possibilities on what's the best way to manage autism has been endless and debatable. Challenge your mind and clinical experience by participating in this in-depth conference - Unraveling the Paradox of Autism: A Conference for Professionals this November 2011 at Sunway Medical Centre.

Please click here to register. If you register before 30th September, you'll be entitled to early bird price! So hurry, it's a conference you wouldn't want to miss! :)

Wanna win an iPad, Galaxy Tab or D5000?

Just follow these simple steps: Go to Coopown website (click here), put in your e-mail to subscribe, then go to their facebook page and like Coopown Malaysia, then follow Coopown on twitter! As easy as A, B, C!

I joined. What about you? :)

Never Take Hearing for Granted!

A blogreader recently shared this with me:

"A man reached 80 years of age and he had an infection in his ears which made him almost deaf. The doctors informed him that an operation was necessary to cure this disease. He agreed to have the operation done as he couldn’t hear anything apart from the severe pain in the ears.

When the operation was completed successfully, his doctor gave him the bill which covered all the costs.

The old man looked at the bill and started to cry. Upon seeing this, the doctor felt pity on the old man and told him that if the cost was too high then they could make some other arrangements.

The old man said “I am not crying because of the money but I am crying bechttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifause God let me hear for 80 years and He never sent me a bill.”

Moral: There are so many blessings of God which we don’t realize its importance, until it is snatched away from us."

I end this post with a tearful video:



or if it is not showing on your screen, click here.

Syawal is about forgive and forget. Have a blessed and joyful Eid Mubarak. Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri :)

Say NO to Ear Candling

OMG. I was doing some MASH work while watching “Keeping Up with the Kardashians”. In this particular episode, Khloe came by to Jenner’s house and commented that she knows that Bruce, her stepdad is concerned with his hearing. So she bought him something. A “Harmony Cone”. Guess what that is? It’s a freaking ear candle! Khloe performed ear candling on Bruce on international television! And the whole family totally believed it and was like asking her to do his other ear! A definite no-no for an audiologist!!! Sigh. I am seriously AGAINST ear candling. It’s hazardous and actually caused deaths! In fact, I wrote a really good article about it, just waiting for it to be published in the local newspaper. If it’s not, watch out for this space!




Continuing with the Kardashians, so Bruce was obviously not hearing things and as a consequent not doing his responsibilities right. So he decided to see the Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Specialist, Dr. Sugarman. Bruce did a hearing test in a small sound booth and what looked like an ancient audiometer! (Sorry, but seriously I am feeling very much proud that my centre has a better audiology clinic and audiometer, hehe). I think he’s losing his high frequencies but the doctor was kindly saying that his hearing is normal for his age. I just wonder, what norms is he using?? Dr. Sugarman was also counselling him saying that maybe Kris (his wife) can try talking to him in a gentler, clearer manner rather than nagging him or screaming at him (that’s what I concluded). That made Bruce think he has selective hearing, which he then told Kris later when he got back home. Big mistake. You don’t tell your wife you’re tuning out on her! That’s the stupidest thing to say to a wife. I hope my husband won’t do that, ever! But then they talked things over, and things were good again.

Lesson to be learnt today: GOOD COMMUNICATION IS ESSENTIAL! (especially in marriage :P) And if you’re not hearing well, do a hearing test, NOT EAR CANDLING!

RM35 for a Hearing Screening Package by Gnosis Hearing Worth Up to RM520

Caught your eye? It certainly caught mine. I am very much impressed that Gnosis Hearing (TTDI branch in particular) is jumping in the bandwagon of promoting their services via social media. The buying power is definitely there right now. I myself am a regular visitor to the likes of dealmates.com.my (click link to this particular offer), groupon, hahah deals, ilovediscounts and many more. I am actually anticipating coopown to launch, because it looks pretty cool. (Yes, I am easily superficial at times :D)

Anyhow, good effort, Gnosis Hearing! All the best :)