There are a couple of things that I would like to get down to writing but I just do not have the time to type them out post by post.
The bites
I was bitten by a kind of insect called “tungau” (in Malay) the last time I stayed overnight at the river terrapin project site at Pasir Kumpal, Dungun. The areas that were badly affected were my belly and the areas behind both my knees.
The bite marks were very itchy unless I take a shower and apply some cream thereafter. A couple of hours later, I would start to itch, and sometimes it was so itchy that I had to scratch at places I’d rather not tell. The marks worried my Mum and to an extent, myself. I got scared a couple of times when I looked at the scratch marks (NOT stretchmarks).
I went to 3 different doctors in Terengganu but none of them knew what to do to me. None of them knew what a “tungau” was. In fact, none of them really paid attention to what I told them when I saw them. The only advice all three of them gave was to bring along some kind of insect repellent the next time I went into the forest. Like I didn’t bring any during my first few trips *bluek*
The Medical Officer on campus gave me a bottle of calamine lotion though I repeatedly told him it wasn’t chicken pox. The second doctor was even naughtier. He injected me. In the butt *bluek* The third doctor was a dermatologist - at least the sign outside his clinic said so. He said he didn’t know what to do with me, but he would give me some cream nonetheless. When I asked him what I should do after I finished the cream, he said, “Up to you. You may come back to me. Or you may see another doctor.” *bluek*
When I went back to Melaka before my trip to Kuching, I went to see MY own doctor. Not only did he adviced me not to be afraid of the forest, he ensured me that the bites would heal and that the itchiness would do me no harm. What good news to hear. He prescribed me a months’ worth of medicines and cream, and I am already seeing signs of healing.
The bite marks have stopped itching, and the marks are also beginning to dry and heal. I am a happy girl now *smiles* Special thanks goes to Moz for helping me look up the medical dictionary as I described to him the signs and symptoms of the bites 
The eye-infection
And then all of a sudden I had this eye-infection. I admit I sometimes pop my contacts longer than the recommended hours because the nature of my “job” requires me to be out for the most of the day. So now, like it or not, I have to wear my glasses instead. Hmmph!
Oh by the way, I just got my new pair of glasses today. J said it looked the same as my previous pair, and wondered why I bothered making a new pair. That got me thinking. Maybe I am too much a coward to try new things. I still think I look better without them.
The release of terrapins
I have been pretty busy lately preparing for the release of hatchlings event to be held tomorrow at Pasir Kumpal. My colleague and I attended a meeting with the Department of Wildlife and National Parks on June 7th concerning the release ceremony. We were put in charge of the exhibition and the others will be taken care of by them. We selected and prepared specimens of dead hatchlings and unfertilized eggs as well as mini posters.
The snatch thief
A friend of mine who had just graduated as a dentist from USM Kubang Kerian returned to Melaka about a fortnight ago and a couple of days ago, she became the first snatch thief victim whom I personally know. The buggers took snatched her handbag, which obviously consisted of her purse and other important cards, and her handphone. I have not contacted her since then, but I hope she is coping well. At least the st*pid boys didn’t push her to the side and hurt her.
The hairclip
I broke my favourite butterfly hairclip yesterday morning. I never had problems with the hairclip and there were times I thought I could have broken it by opening it too widely, but I didn’t. And it wasn’t that I exerted extra strength on it yesterday, but it decided to die on me break *sob*
The passing
J’s maternal grandmother passed away yesterday evening. And I just sent him to the jetty yesterday morning. His maternal grandmother had been a vegetable for 10 years following two falls. J’s mother had been selflessly taking care of her mother for a decade. She had never been on a vacation eversince, except for the 3D2N spent in Redang after attending J’s graduation in 2004. She had never failed to attend to her mother, day and night. In fact, it could very well be a decade ago since she had had a good night’s sleep, uninterupted by her mother’s coughing and wheezing. Talk about filial daughters.
The cat
I came back from campus yesterday and saw a black cat sitting in my car porch. The st*pid black cat did not budge an inch despite being probed with a broom. Hmmph! I wanted to chase it away because I hate cats. Black cats especially. And I didn’t want it to DIE in my house. And when I got home this evening, I could smell that st*pid cat’s urine. I knew it urinated in my car porch but I couldn’t pin-point exactly where. And I had no time to clean it. Will do it the day after tomorrow.
The phone
I went to a phone shop the other day because I was thinking of getting myself a new phone. My Nokia 8310 is still functioning, and this had been the sole reason why I am still keeping it with me. But then again, maybe it’s time to get a new one, I don’t know..
I am still considering whether or not to get a new phone, and if yes, which model. I have already shortlisted 3 phones:
Basically, D600 is in a class of its own. It has an expansion slot for a memory card and a 2 MP camera.
On the other hand, E730 has a built-in FM radio. BUT E760 has a 8-hour talk time compared to 3 hours in E730. And E760 has a 1.3 MP camera compared to 1.0 MP in E730.
Anybody has any ideas/comments/suggestions?
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