Say Cheese!!! Oh well...these are my flatmates (+Val). Yeah....we've got something in common ;) In case you think I've gone mad here....well you're right! We've gone mad playing this 'word bomb' game after dinner one night. In hokkien.....people say 'chiak pa siau eng'. haha! Well, the game goes like this....there's like a battery operated bomb that you've to pass from one to another before it blasts. But, before u can pass them, you need to pick up a card and form words with the letters on it. But, if you can't spell fast enough, you can't pass the bomb....and after awhile, that's what happen to us when you're not good with spelling....:(

Ku rindu pada mu
Malaysia, oh tanah air ku,
Ku berdoa untuk mu,
Agar mu mengerti kebahagiaan.

Ku rindu pada mu,
Bagai lautan mendalam,
Ku masih teringat,
Detik di saat kebangaanmu.

Ku rindu pada mu,
Mengharungi cita-cita,
Berbilang kaum,
Hidup bermuafakat.

Ku rindu pada mu,
Takkan kehabisan,
Walau kini,
Ku tiada disisimu.

Malaysia, negeraku, selamat menyambut Hari Kemerdekaan!

Here we are....the professional posers of Judah IV!

We, the Judah IV were at Bribie Island last weekend for our unit getaway! It was a fun, peaceful, and relaxing time we had learning and getting to know one another better. We rented a BIG house with many, many rooms.....it was quite cool actually....reminded me of my grandma's house in Menglembu! We took turns cooking, and Yes, I'm now an experienced chef.....cooking for 25 people. Any takers???? I enjoyed myself being by the calm and serene beach without any commercial interruptions. We played some team bonding games, captain's ball and frisbee......the Ultimate Frisbee...which I'm beginning to enjoy! and of course not forgetting....the yummy ice-cream. So, here am I eating and exercising.....

Do, Re, Mi, Fa....

When I did my practical at the aged care last semester, we did lots of reminiscence with the old people to help them maintain their memory, and stimulate their cognitive skills. However, It's my turn to reminisce......although I'm not that old....but reminiscence is for everyone!

I've just got news that my best friend back home is going for post grad studies soon. Which means that I'll be missing her even more.....and even if I go back, I won't get to see her until ......i really don't know when I'll see her again. Yes, we've just celebrated 10 years of friendship!

I got to know her since secondary school. We've had really good times together and had each other to share our really bad times as well. I really missed the times when we used to go swimming almost every week (yes....we were very health conscious ppl then...hehe!) and then go to "mamak" or dinner together.....and talked and talked and talked.....until I had to leave for Aussie :(

Also, I've just got to know that my other childhood friend is here in Melbourne doing her post grad too. Looks like all my friends are like me....hehe....busy studying. Time really flies.... I could still remember the times when we were still schooling and had slumber party, roller blade, gossip and stuff .....haha! Those were the days, my friend.....

I guess now, we are all walking in different paths but I am glad that we met along the path....once upon a time.....

Hi friends! I've decided to come up with a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Music Therapy. Hope it is useful for all of you to know a little bit more of what I'm doing. If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to email me.

FAQ on Music Therapy

1. What is Music Therapy?

The use of music to help people: physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally and socially.

2. Has it got to do with the “New Age” concept?

No. Music Therapy has been in existence since the ADs.

. According to the Bible – David played his harp to ease the
depression of King Saul.
· Alexander the Great came to his senses through the sound of a lyre.
· In the Himalayas, Buddhist monks have been using chants to heal for over 2,000 years.


3. What is the role of a Music Therapist?

· To facilitate communication between 2 persons or more.
· To help clients cope with pain & stress (physical & emotional).
· To evaluate clients’ needs, formulate goals & objectives for Music Therapy intervention.

4. Who attends the music therapy sessions?

· People with physical disabilities
· Patients in hospital – cancer patients, patients going for surgery, patients in rehabilitation, patients in burns unit, patients in ICU, patients with traumatic brain injury, neonates/premature infants
· People in aged care – people in dementia
· People with disorders – post traumatic stress, autism, down syndrome, ADHD
· Students in special education schools
· People in palliative care
· Refugees
· Young mothers & children


5. How does Music Therapy help?

· Encourages expression /creativity – through song composition, instrumental playing, improvisation.
· Promotes interaction / proper social behaviour – in a group setting.
· Means of communication – in a palliative care setting, with children (eg: mother & baby), opportunity for choice making.
· Stimulate motor skills – fine and gross motor coordination via playing of various instruments.
· Stimulate sensory skills – aural, visual, tactile, kinesthetic.
· Mental & emotional health – through validation, self expression, role-play (eg: people with depression)
· Relaxation – using progressive muscle relaxation techniques (eg: pre-surgery, anxiety disorder).
· Music as medicine – pain relief, physiological aspects (eg: increase/decrease heart rate, oxygen saturation level, respiration, blood pressure, hormonal levels)

6. What is the difference between conducting a sing-a-long session and a music therapy session?

· sing-a-long session - does not require thorough preparation, detailed observation, evaluation of outcomes and treatment.
· music therapy session - requires a therapist to have sufficient knowledge of client’s condition, evaluate, formulate goals, objectives, and choose the right intervention process.

Say "Hi" to my wonderful friends from Judah IV ! We were at Surfers Paradise last Saturday and went Whale Watching. Well....we did see some humpback whales, dolphins & seagulls....after quite a distance into the deep blue sea.

My friends actually teased me and asked me to sing some whale songs to attract the whales.....however, due to lack of knowledge on "whaling"......I didn't of course....hehe! If not I would have made a pod of friends!

Here are some interesting facts we were told on board about the Humpback Whale :

• adult usually ranges between 12–16 m long and weighs approximately 36 tonnes.
• well known for its breaching (leaping out of the water).
• has long front fins.
• are curious mammals

And.....for more interesting facts that weren't told on board:

The Whale song: repetitious sounds produced by whales at varying frequencies

• collection of sounds made by whales to communicate.
• Male Humpback Whales perform these vocalizations only during the mating season.
• These sounds vary in frequency from 20 Hz to 10 kHz (the typical Human range of hearing is 20 Hz to 20 kHz).
• The whale will repeat the same song, which last perhaps twenty minutes, over and over again over the course of hours or even days.
• each whale's song will slowly evolve over time. For example, over the course of a month a particular unit that started as an "upsweep" (increasing in frequency) may slowly flatten to become a constant note. Another unit may get steadily louder. The pace of evolution of a whale's song also changes—some years the song may change quite rapidly, whereas in other years little variation may be recorded.
• Whales occupying the same geographical areas tend to sing similar songs, with only slight variations.
• the Humpbacks also make a of sound called the feeding call. The exact purpose of the call is not known, but research suggests that fish do know what it means. When the sound was played back to them, a group of herring responded to the sound by moving away from the call, even though no whale was present.

That's all for now...... got to go practice my "Whaling..........";)