The Expensive One Mark

We had our Community Medicine intergroup quiz this evening. It was part of our round activity with participation from both Egyptian and Malaysian groups. Supposedly there were 10 groups in all represented by five members each, but group 8 and 10 couldn't make it and there were other groups with nearly 10 members participating.

I should have expected leniency with these guys, hehe.


The quiz consisted of one question per group with eight rounds of question covering five major topics in our curriculum. Our group (yours truly, Nisa, Piqoh, Is and Izany) finished 6/8 tying with Group 3, the other Malaysian group (Nasywa, Echamar, Haizura, Amir Syahid and Acap Kosnan) nailed 7/8 with another three Egyptian groups and three Egyptian groups helmed perfect score.

Is kept saying along the line of "Diorang ada Nasywa, mesti okay, nak kena bincang jugak ke." LOL

Round leader took our other two papers.

The quiz took nearly two and half hour. But the thing is, I think we took nearly an hour for the Egyptians student to argue with our doctor about the apparent vagueness of their question that costed them one mark.

One mark and the lecture hall turned into a wet market with chickens clucking and dogs barking!

Poor doctor and our round leader standing in front trying to maintain order. Us Malaysians shook our heads and said among us should one of us raised such disrespect in our class, the whole class would have thrown him out! If such thing were to occur in Malaysia, the lecturer would have kicked everyone out or banned the whole students for a week, at least.

Finally doctor really raised her voice and the class went silent. She spoke to us sadly that "You must have a nice vision on us now" and dejectedly gave the arguing group a new question.

They scored their one mark, but I think it was a lot to pay with the damage they had done.

Being Arabs, I supposed their competitive nature runs in the blood and it was excellent. They are and always will be more outspoken than us Malays; take me writing this post instead of saying this to their faces.

The doctor had said that the whole quiz was for educational purpose and mixing us nationalities; "because we are all friends," she said in Arabic. Raising such ruckus and wasting our time (quiz ended at 4.30pm and we all ran to pray Asar; Maghrib was before 5pm dammit!) for one mark made me think people can be insensitively stupid at times.

I am sorry, but I really couldn't fathom the idea of disrespecting the people in front of you. This may be the common thing to do in any particular sitting, but I don't see this as a rightful behaviour for a Muslim.

But! as always the Egyptians balanced their rudeness out by promptly and personally apologizing to the doctor. And everything went cool again after that.. except they kept making noises that Ahmed Salah had a hard time reading the next questions!

Speaking of the round leader, it was really an awakening to see him in his element; how he had to deal with his colleagues. And I thought I had it hard, haha.

It really does take a less fortunate to remind you of the blessings you have, doesn't it?

I am grateful for what I have, the opportunity I was given, the people around me. I admit I am a bit of a social retard at admitting this orally, am trying in baby steps; but let this post serves as a reminder that I am a human after all.