Better Health

Alhamdulillah, finally seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. After months of battling with my cough. Managed to narrow it down to my Diabetes medicine. Specifically Metformin.

Culprit!

After talking to pharmacists a month back during my regular visit to the health clinic they confirmed my suspicion that Metformin can cause gastric/acid reflux. They asked me to consult my doctor on stopping or replacing it. That would be a month away. I know I can’t simply stop as it can cause havoc on my glucose levels. A few days later I decided enough was enough. Couldn’t take the on and off coughs anymore. So I stopped cold turkey. Stopped metformin entirely.

After a month, I can say that my health has improved. Still has irritations to my throat from time to time but no longer has chronic coughs. No more sleepless nights due to coughs.

A week back I had my monthly appointment at the health clinic. After telling the doctor everything she agreed with my findings. And supported by the fact that I was able to maintain a healthy Blood Glucose level, she amended my prescriptions. So now I have one less meds to be taken daily.

Alhamdullillah, so far so good. Hopefully I can get off more meds after this.

The Traveller

I am a traveller on a journey,
A journey of knowledge,
On a path to fill this thirst.

O lonely rocks,
Do you not wish to traverse the world?
Enjoying sights unknown.

Join me!
Let’s walk together on this journey,
A journey full of wonders.

Voyage of enlightenment,
A never ending quest,
A purpose to fill.

The Cough Story

My Cough Meds

A few week back… Was among the worst week in my life. Scrambling to get a rein on my health. Day after day my health was deteriorating.

I developed a cough back in early January. Initially I thought it was just due to my sore throat. Went to the doctor and got some antibiotics and sore throat lozenges. But it lingered.

Day after day it was worsening. Tried another clinic, another doctor… Getting a second opinion. When I told everything that I knew about my symptoms he concluded I had asthma. Shoot. My childhood illness has apparently come back?

Was prescribed another batch of medicines. But instead of improving, it only worsened for me. Coughing was still there.

Went to government clinic. The doctor concurred that it may be asthma, and added a few more meds.

Then, I lost my voice, the cough was so bad it only stopped if I vomited. The frequent vomiting affected my voice. My voice was ermm undescribable.

All this while I was in communication with my sister. We talked about other possible causes of my cough. We talked about acid reflux. Went ahead and got myself over the counter medicines for acid reflux.

Still not much improvement.

Then I went yet to another doctor trying to get some more asthma medication. He suggested changing it a little bit. Dropping theophylline and instead getting clenbuterol.

Days went by and my condition improved.

So here I am still unhealthy but in better shape. Voice is still hoarse. But can carry far longer conversation. Though I still get winded if too long.

Sugar High Pressure High

Starting my high blood sugar/pressure journey. Have been delaying the pills for quite some time.

The doctor told me it can’t be avoided anymore.

Eat twice daily!

Logical Fallacies

How many logical fallacies have you seen today?

One of the first few things we need to learn before we start delving into debates or arguments is logical fallacies. A good debater need to develop the ability to recognize logical fallacies and not be pulled into it.

If you see someone, basing their arguments on a fallacy. Side step!

Let’s start with a few logical fallacies

1. Ad Hominem
The worst type, a personal attack, because someone likes something, is affliated with another person, comes from a place then he/she is deemed something else regardless of the truth.

2. Equivocation
Using an ambiguous term, or a word which have several meanings. Then proceeding not to clarify which meaning is intended.

3. Appeal To Pity
Using pity to mislead and sway your opponent. It often appears as an emotional manipulation.

4. Slippery Slope
Claiming that through a series of small events, a bigger impact/event will happen. Essentialy messing around with the probability.

5. Circular Reasoning
When a person repeats the same argument that they have already assumed without coming to a new conclusion. A is true because B is true; B is true because A is true.

Let me stop here, obviously there are more fallacies, but we’ll cover those on another day.

Aidilfitri 1441h

Visuals are always intertwined with festivals. Be it the Petronas adverts that we eagerly await for every year, our need to decorate our houses or a simple poster wishing Happy Holidays.

This year I took up the task of creating a Hari Raya Poster for my alumni. Not an easy task to begin with, but I my tried my best. So I looked for inspirations and managed to edit a poster I found on the internet into this.

1st attempt

But of course the first attempt would always garner a lot of comments, with one striking comment requesting a jawi or arabic version of the poster. Easier said than done, but hey I’m a guy who like to tinker. So I made two more version of the said poster.

Obviously it wouldn’t satisfy everyone but comments were heavily leaning on the jawi version of it. So I found a nicer jawi writing for Salam Aidilfitri and it lead to another version of it.

This gained more comments, and there were critics who requested more changes. But after 24 hours of editing and moving things around I didn’t really want to change anything anymore. So finally, we came to this version which was used by my alumni.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri 1441h

You probably thought all of that took seconds to finish but in reality, it took more than a day to realize. Reminder, am not a professional graphic designer so please be kind with your comments :p

Till next time, my adventure continues…

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri everyone…

We Teach

~We teach
  because there is a great fulfillment that comes 
  in working with boys
  and girls.
 
~We teach
  because We wanted to be sculptors,
  and We can do so,
  by shaping lives for the future.
 
~We teach
  because We wanted to be artists,
  and We can do so,
  by painting dreams for children.
 
~We teach
  because We wanted to be musicians,
  and We can,
  in giving inspiration to children.
~We teach
  because We wanted to be historians,
  and We can 
  in having recorded something
  for the lives of great men to come.
~We teach
  because We wanted to be poets,
  and We can
  in writing impressive passages of mankind.
 
~We teach
  because of the reward
  We receive when a child's frown turns to smiles,
  or when he/she says, "Now We understand."
~We teach
  because of the personal growth We receive each day
  as  We venture out on a quest
  for knowledge and techniques
  to help our students understand.
 
~We teach
  for it is in this where We can see the worthwhile
  and true fulfillment of living.

Originally a poem entitled “I teach” , was done as a choral speech during my KPLI days. Credit to the original poet.

The End Is Nigh?

A lot of people have intuited that in the future we will be forced to live indoors, it spawned generations of preppers.

The reason for it have all seemed to be along the lines of war, man made catastrophes. Some have pitched biological warfares. Now it seems the reason would be a pandemic. Not so exciting as a zombie apocalypse, but it certainly is dangerous enough to force us into our homes.

My out take from all of this hits closer to home, I am an educator and I have always believed that we should prepare our kids for the future. When all of this occurred, we could immediately see how people with (medical) skills are in high demand. Through the ages it has always been so. But more so now that its is people who can make things, who can create, defend, heal… These are the people that matters. So what should we do?

Skills, that is what we should do. Focus on creating a generation with hands on skills. Through our TVET programmes. We have to realise that knowing how to sing won’t get food on the table. We can’t all offer conveyancing services, but those who can build those buildings, who can automate said buildings, these are the people that will always be in demand.

Let us not say anymore that TVET is a last choice. It should be our first choice in creating a future ready generation.

Anugerah Kecemerlangan Ko-Kurikulum Peringkat Negeri Kelantan 2018

I am truly honoured to be one of the recipients for Pegawai Teknikal Cemerlang (Ko-Akademik) this year. Couldn’t have done it without support from fellow teachers. Every competition hinges on the team that handles it not just me alone. Thank you for a great year.

National Level English Carnival 2018

Working here at UiTM Pulau Pinang from 16 to 19 August as Scrabble Tournament Director, my 3rd year as one since I started at state level in 2014.