an encounter...

Recently i encountered a mentally handicapped/down syndrome individual in the service-oriented industry. To make things clearer, i met a 'special' guy in the pizza hut restaurant and he was one of the staffs there. It was lunch time and the restaurant was quite packed. I think he was supposed to carry food to the customers as well as clean up when the customers left. As i wasn't aware that he is 'special', i ordered from him and he came back with a receipt which showed ala-carte price. I confirmed with him that i wanted a set instead of ala-carte and he said ok ok. Then, when the food arrived, i only got a plate of spaghetti and nothing else. So, i asked another staff which was coincidentally the branch manager. He was kinda frustrated but he apologised profusely and said that the other staff is kinda 'special'. I was ok and of course, i didn't get angry (which i would if the staff is normal). At the end, i got my set but the price was still the ala-carte price.

After i left, i was kinda worried if that 'special' guy will be scolded or worst, get fired. I think these 'special' people deserve chances, not just a chance. I would rather these fast food restaurants hire 'special' people than foreign workers.

I came across a quiz with the title 'Are you depressed?' while doing some readings and info searching for my extemporaneous dispensing worksheet and the result is.......tadaa.... "You may be at risk of major depression"

The result is quite surprising but i can't be totally agree with the analysis provided

The quiz is prepared in such as way that we have to choose between a YES or a NO for every statement given.

The first statement is "I feel sad or down most of the time" and i immediately choose a YES. The reason behind is as simple as i don't feel happy and joyful at all time. Come to think of it, can anyone except babies and people with not-so-sane-mind feel happy, excited, blessed, ecstatic at all time? Even babies feel sad and cry when they are hungry.

Next, "I've lost interest in the activities I used to enjoy" and it's a YES again. Shopping and indulging in food are my favourite past times and they will forever be. Though, at this moment, i don't yearn to shop and eat, this doesn't mean that i'm at risk of depression. It's simply because there are more important things to be done than shopping and eating.

Third question, "I feel tired everyday" and this is absolutely true except during weekends. How can i be not tired when i'm deprived of 3-hour power nap everyday which i used to enjoy during school time.

There are a few more questions but i do not feel like commenting anymore...

So, i'm not sure if this quiz is a proper tool to assess one's level of depression but finding a normal person with 'NO' as all the answer is definitely rare.

And i'll definitely be in that 'rare' group during holidays :P

a short update...

Life has been so hectic and tiring that i barely snap any photograph this year. I used to take millions of photographs with my lovely sbu and mbs friends during secondary school time. Maybe i'm growing *ahem more mature that i don't take silly photo anymore. Or maybe there isn't many camera-ready friends, like Lindsay C, to take pictures with.

Well, what made me start clicking away is that my tutor in IMU will be leaving for UK soon. He has always been very supportive in terms of academic and students' personal problems. We relates our problems and unsatisfactories to him and he always made us think from another point of view. Besides, he is one of the most interesting pharmaceutics lecturer that i have ever met. The subject itself is very, very dry and factual but he manages to gather our interests by relating to products in the market. Other lecturers are like dictators and we are 'supposed' to absorb everything like a sponge during lectures. I personally don't think it is the right way to learn.

5 of us with Mr Khalid, our tutor

Then, for extemporaneous dispensing, i made my sixth product: suppositories this week. Suppository is a dosage form intended for rectal use only. Mine didn't turn out well as they melt almost immediately after i removed them from the mould :( Some even got broken into halves. It was so disappointing that only 1 out of 5 suppositories was considerably normal. I'm so jealous of my benchmate who managed to get all 5 perfect suppositories. According to the lecturer, who is also my tutor, it was because i overheated the cocoa butter base and it turned into an unstable polymorph. That's why my suppositories are so soft and cacat!

My failed suppositories

My professional-looking benchmates

Finally, i managed to get a satisfactory one

Here it is, my one and only normal looking one

Next, we also got to play around with different form of inhalers, namely handihaler, accuhaler, metred-dose inhaler, diskhaler, etc. Those inhalers provided are actually 'dummies' with placebo, medication with no active ingredient. Not to forget that some of us also got to try nicotine chewing gum, which is used for smoking cessation. My friend claimed that the more you chew, the more peppery feeling you will get and it is definitely not pleasant taking it.

"Ok, this is how you use a handihaler. First, you open the dust cap by pressing......

I shall end my post with a picture of my friend and i with the work of art of my b107 seniors in conjuction with the 52nd National Day as well as their Malaysian Studies project. Both the kolam and klcc are magnificent!!!

In case you all can't see clearly, the girl in pink/lilac top is me :P

white in, black out

While watching our seniors happily snapping pictures in their graduation robes, one of my friends mentioned that we came in white but we will be leaving in black. This got me puzzled for a few minutes as i didn't know what black and white she was talking about. Then, she reminded me that we used to be robed with white laboratory coats on the first day of our university life and if everything goes on smoothly, we will be proudly clad in black robes with a stripe or two coloured band on our shoulders in about 3 years time. The day of graduation seems too far reaching and unimaginable for me. I just can't imagine what life is about beyond that. I wish the day of graduation will be full of joy, smiles and gratitude...

I realised that i've this tendency not to acknowledge people i know if they are occupied with something else. Whether they are engaging in a talk or busy acknowledging everyone else on the scene except me. I do not feel being offended at all when i'm not acknowledged but i definitely worry if the blames are on my parents for my rude behaviour.

Just a random thought...