Everyone Loves Cake

I just had one of those moments in life when you’ve just spent 3 hours trying to wrap your head around something insanely difficult, only to realize the readings designated for the week were from another chapter (with the same page numberings) and far easier to digest.

UGH.

On the plus side, today was interesting.

It was Russell’s birthday today, so Rachel and I teamed up to bake him a cake last night. Well, it started out as a cake, but finished off with the consistency more aligned towards the “cookie” category. With a glittery pink candle provided graciously by Jeremy, the cookie-cake was shared by a whole bunch of us meddies at the KFC nearby.

While you may be thinking “Why KFC is such a strange place to be having a birthday lunch!” there were several contributing factors that led to this decision (mostly due to its proximity, the lack of any substantial amount of lunch time, and the presence of the awesome value meal coupons that appeared in the mail earlier last week).

Glad everyone had fun despite being very thoroughly stuffed with oily chicken.

So today marked the end of our first week of Pharmacology. To the best of my knowledge, I don’t believe we have anymore on the subject for the rest of the week, letting me heave an enormous sigh of relief as I set aside my Pharmacology Face (which consists mostly of a furrowed brow and a constant frown of confusion).

We got to examine the flora cultures we set up last week, and I found out my hands actually do not have an abundance of flora, and practically all of them were neatly annihilated by the chlorohexidine. While I find myself sinking deeper and deeper into overwhelming truckloads of work and studying, it’s a relief to find words like “Golden Staph.”, “efficacy”, “inverse antagonists”, “systemic”, and “Neisseria Meningitis” not only progressively easier to spell, but making some form of coherent sense. Plus the added effect of thinking “Oh I want to grow up to be just like them” while watching Grey’s Anatomy on tv.

Yes, I feel like a med student.

Day 10

Today is round about day 10 of medical school, and so far it’s been more or less smooth sailing. We finally got the internet up this morning upon the arrival of the much awaited wireless modem and as of now, this post is brought to you from the sweet comforts of my room.

I should start taking some photos soon…

Anywho, this week was finally getting down to the business of medical school. We had a good couple of sessions of microbiology, anatomy, physiology, embryology, some clinical skills (which mostly involved drawing pictures of houses with a marker), histology and later today some epidemiology. So far it’s all been very exciting and I’m trying my best to keep abreast with all the readings (as horrifyingly boring and dry as they may be).

My extra hours put in before school started to read up on anatomy is helping somewhat, and I’m finding it easier to follow the lectures on the bones of the upper limbs.

I got even more books from the monash bookshop this week, an endeavor which took large snappy chunks out of my wallet, but left me with a gorgeous Stedman’s Medical Dictionary, the elusive Talley and O’Connor’s Clinical Examination, and Norm’s fabled anatomy textbook (replete with accompanying dvd).

PBL this week went much better than last with a little help from Russell who held a mini PBL with me beforehand. Adequate preparation is a definite must in order to lower my chances of looking like a total dumbass on Mondays.

This weekend will be another quite one at home while my housemate forays off back to Melbourne again. At least this time I have internet.

And the ability to bring to you some long awaited photos.

My Aussie car!

Pa helping me set up the table in my room. It was a total ***** to put together.

And the new little bear in my room!

My first cooked meal in the house consisting of pork with onions, oyster sauce veggies and a nice omelette.

Right. Off to school!

Day 5

Day 5 of Being a Medical Student:

Unbelievably, the temperature in my room has reaching a point where I’m covered in a shimmering sheen of perspiration (something which very rarely happens in the already unbelievably hot Singapore). So in the sweltering 33 degrees of my room, and trying to drown out the mind numbing sound of the fan in the back with Korean music, I decided to give my microbiology readings a rest for a couple of minutes to reflect on the past two weeks down in Gippsland.

The first 10 days seemed to whizz by terrifically quickly, my parents coming down to help us sort out the house. They really made the place somewhere I seriously don’t mind coming back to every evening. Settling down seems so much easier when you’ve got nothing to worry about except what a C3bBD complenent component is. Gippsland seems a whole lot less forboding than when I first came down to recee the place a couple of months ago. (SWEET POTATO IT’S 34 DEGREES NOW!)

The first three days of medical school went pretty well, with the slight exception of the sudden appearance of homework on the second day. Got to know lots of other people I highly believe will become nothing less than fantastic physicians and lovely people I will be undoubtedly be referring my patients to in the future. Everyone here has been so welcoming and helpful. I can really get used to this!

The professors have been quite insistant on welcoming us to medical school, doing so at the beginning and end of every presentation throughout the first few days. Not that I would get sick of it, of course. I never thought I would be sitting in that lecture hall, listening to someone tell me “Welcome to medical school” over and over again. I should record it and play it to myself while I sleep…

But the serious bits of medical school hit pretty hard during my first PBL (which was the first item on the schedule on the second day of introduction week). I realized that what I didn’t know was truly crippling, and I thought I knew didn’t apply. It’s a scary moment when your group members turn to you and ask “what do you think?” and all you can do is gape like a goldfish with nothing intelligent to say about rural doctoring or support networks for internationally trained doctors in the bush. Well, in my defense, it was not too long ago that I thought rural meant a tent in the desert surrounded by various wild animals. I have lots to learn. LOTS.

And that brings me to the readings I have to complete this weekend. 6 chapters for microbiology alone. I’m about 5 chapters into my readings, but it is taking so agonizingly long. Not to mention it’s incredibly quiet in the house this weekend with my housemate gone back to Melbourne. Just me, my computer, and Mr Mims’ textbook on medical microbiology. We haven’t got the internet up yet, though the phone company people are coming down tomorrow morning to hook us up with a land line. The garden is also turning very rapidly into a deciduous forest, while the spiders in the corner of the living room window decided it was high time to weave me new curtains.

The last thing I need now is for my fan to pop off on me.

I might actually turn into a cave person and run around in nothing but a bit of dishcloth, brain inevitably cooked by the intense heat.

How am I supposed to remember all this stuff? Am I supposed to remember all of it? There isn’t enough space left! How do I check how much memory is available on my brain drive? Should I take a shower now? What should I cook for dinner? And when did a C5a appear?

So far, I feel pretty good about myself, keeping up with homework and readings and all.

Then I realize it’s only been 5 days.

And I rip myself to pieces all over again.

Goodbye

Hey you.

By the time you read this, I’m already miles away. The hardest part about leaving was leaving you behind. We’ve been through so many long goodbyes, but no matter how many times we part ways, I can never seem to get used to it.

I love you. No matter how far apart we are, or where in the world we might go. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’ll study hard and won’t let you down.

Be safe.

Counting down

Today is the last real day I spend in Singapore before I fly off tomorrow. And while I keep telling myself I’ve done everything I wanted to do, I’m left with the incredibly gnawing feeling that I don’t have enough time.

I’m not ready to leave yet.

I dont think I’ll ever be ready.

It’s a big comfort knowing you’ll be waiting for me. Not sure how many more times I must tell myself time is just going to whirl by before I actually believe myself.

I think I’m all packed. Two tower fans, one enormous box of books, the kettle and rice cooker baby got for me, and a mish mash of clothing I’m sure to regret bringing later. Is it normal to feel completely unprepared? My relatives came over last night with a ton of durian as a farewell party. Grandma looked so happy when she told me that having a grandchild do medicine was 威风。=) well, I suppose I just have to make sure I don’t let her (or anyone else) down.

Took me a while to get all my vaccinations done. I ended up taking 5 jabs, 1 serology, and a dose of polio vaccination. The horror lies in knowing I have to do this again when the vaccinations wear off in 10 years. -shudders-

It’s about time to head off now.

One Year

Today was our one year anniversary!

A year passes really quickly these days, and I’m left with the all too alien feeling that someone is just sneaking into my room to adjust all my clocks and calendars, and that we haven’t actually been together for an entire year.

Surprised dear with a modified version of breakfast in bed. She had always wanted me to cook and prepare her a bento box. So after the quick shopping at NTUC yesterday and some coaching from Lu, I smushed together this bento box this morning.

The bento consisted of sesame and plain onigiri, chicken karage, some octopus sausages and fruits! The octopus sausages didn’t really turn out right though. Their legs refused to splay right, instead choosing to stand in a coy, and demure manner in the corner of the box.

The chicken karage surprisingly turned out yummy despite its not-too-fragrant beginnings. We polished off all the 6 chicken wings!

Lastly were the fruits consisting of these really sweet and cute cherry apples and watermelon slices cut in the shape of hearts! I feel particularly cheesy today…

=) Just glad she didn’t get a tummy ache from all that.

She planned our date today to follow the path of our first ever date together at PS, right from where we first met. It was all going well till we got distracted by the UFO catcher machines in the arcades and proceeded to squander away our small fortunes on this ill-conceived notion we would “win big” and carry home a giant pink bear.

We didn’t win much today. =\

We also got to watch Sherlock Holmes today! I’ve been dying to watch that film since I first saw its trailer and it didn’t disappoint.

Preparations for leaving continue after I took three jabs to the arms this week. Next week would entail another three depending on the results of my serology. Not to mention I have yet to complete all the FOBS material  and time is running really really short.

Happy anniversary dear. =)

Presents!

Baby bought me two books today as a belated Christmas present.

Weird books, I know. But she knew I liked them and bought them for me despite their (and my) weirdness. She even tried looking up the zombie book on the net while I was away! -pats head-

Been hanging out with her nearly everyday. Today, I got her a Fred Perry shirt. =) In my totally unbiased opinion, I think she looks rather nice in it. The sales lady tried to get her to buy this bright yellow shirt instead, but it was decidedly too chirpy for my totally somber and stoic partner. The same partner who later tried to force me to study today, while playing Wii in front of me. =\ SO DISTRACTING!

We later met up with her friend and went to play some Left 4 Dead 2 at some dubious LAN shop overflowing with testosterone and overgrown boys yelling “BURN THE WITCH” at their computer screens. Overall, it was a nice day. =)

I was reminded today that exactly a year ago, we were out someplace fishing! Time passes so quickly.

2010

Happy new year to all! Hope 2010 will be one of tonnes of joy, oodles of smiles, dabbles of success and full of opportunity.

It’s been a year already since that day! And as our first year anniversary swings closer, I can’t help but look back and smile on how far we’ve come. Without you in my life, none of this would be possible. Though I might sometimes lose my patience, or whine the windows down, or sulk at the breakdown of our communication devices, you’re nothing less than perfect to me, and I wouldn’t change a bit of you for anything.

Here’s the song I was playing in the car. Just for you. =)

Try, by Asher Book

If I walk would you run
If I stop would you come
If I say you’re the one would you believe me
If I ask you to stay would you show me the way
Tell me what to say so you don’t leave me
The world is catching up to you
While your running away to chase your dream
It’s time for us to make a move cause we are asking one another to change
And maybe I’m not ready

But I’m trying for your love
I can hide up above
I will try for your love
We’ve been hiding enough

If I sing you a song would you sing along
Or wait till I’m gone, oh how we push and pull
If I give you my heart would you just play the part
Or tell me it’s the start of something beautiful
Am I catching up to you
While your running away, to chase your dreams
It’s time for us to face the truth cause we are coming to each other to change
And maybe I’m not ready

But I’m trying for your love
I can hide up above
I will try for your love
We’ve been hiding enough

I will try for your love
I can hide up above

If I walk would you run
If I stop would you come
If I say you’re the one would you believe me

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

Merry Christmas everyone!

Our xmas tree this year is stuffed with goodies!

Christmas dinner (sans the turkey still in the oven)

Finally got to see the stethoscope Lu bought me!

A bit blurry, but it has my name engraved on it. Hope it doesn’t fade for a while. (the camera seems more engrossed focusing on the ching ching in the corner)

Lu also bought me a bear wearing scrubs! SO CUTE

And Yuan bought me a Galileo thermometer.  Pretty isnt it?

Lots more present and lots more photos! But after I come back from Vietnam in 5 days. =D Tata everyone!

Conversations with my dear