biggest hurdle yet

... crossed. :)

i really don't know where to start. i can't believe all my 6 years (well, 5 1/2 actually - the 1/2 year bumming at home before i came here to Manchester probably shouldn't be counted) of work, stress, tears, laughter and joy have finally brought me to this day. i am so, SO relieved. so relieved that i have secured my grasp on the 2 letters that i've been frantically chasing after (the big D-R in case you were wondering); but above all, i am thankful.

thankful to my Heavenly Father for all the blessings He has showered me with. i've gone through lots of ups and downs throughout these years, but He has seen me through them. the past few months have been crazy that many a time i felt like screaming and pulling all my hair out, but He gave me peace and assured me that i was going to be OK.

thankful to my parents and grandfather for the opportunity to do this course in the first place. it is an unbelievably expensive course and one of the pressures was certainly the fact that a lot of money has been invested in me and therefore, by hook or by crook, i can NOT disappoint. money matters aside, the emotional and mental support that i have received from them have been tremendous. my few-times-a-week skype sessions with mum (and dogs) were what i looked forward to (still do) at the end of each hectic day. i am grateful because my parents have never pushed me. they never knew when my exams were unless i told them (sometimes they even forget. it's frustrating at times, but i won't complain). they've never asked about my results. but one thing's for sure: they were always, always there to listen to my rants and to calm me down when i was in need.

thankful to my dear teong rhen for being there 24/7. well, almost 24/7. we'd finally crossed this giant hurdle hand-in-hand! a big congratulations to him too. he thoroughly deserves it and i am sure he will be an amazing doctor.

thankful to my beloved manchester friends, without whom my life here would be so dull and depressing. i am proud of each and everyone of us. we've definitely put in a lot of heart and soul into our work, but at the same time we've enjoyed the last 3 years so damn much that sometimes it hurts to wonder if we'll ever experience the same sort of joy together again in the future.

thankful to all my other friends (IMU peeps, ipoh peeps) for all the kind words of encouragement. you know who you are and you know that i love you!

2 more months here and i will be back home for "electives"! i put electives in inverted commas because, well, who's going to do any medicine then, really? then back here again for graduation and the big move to the city before starting work at north manchester general hospital.

so that's my life planned out for now. i am very blessed. :)

twenty twelve

2011 was a relatively mundane year for me. it went by smoothly with nothing too exciting (ie no major milestones) and hardly any bumps along the way (thank goodness). that said, it was probably one of the better years of my life. i'd discovered a renewed passion for medicine, learned to appreciate the people around me more, found out that i have a job waiting for me, enjoyed life to the maximum while working hard in medical school, and had an awesome summer break back home.

this year, many, MANY things will change. i don't know if i'm ready to face those changes but i know i'm going to have to take it a step at a time.

for now, i must get through these exams.

do. or die.

happy 2012 everybody.

my 2011 summed up :)


(and yes, that giant platter of sushi made it on the list of significant events)

merry christmas!

i had such an amazing week with my favourite people - the people who keep me sane at a horrible time like this (finals in 2 weeks'!) and who basically made my last 3 years here worthwhile. although we unfortunately have to go separate ways after graduation, i'm sure we'll continue to make time for each other, and hopefully this is the first of many christmasses to come (last year we were back home in malaysia and the year before tr and i were in paris).


our annual visit to the manchester christmas markets - those german spicy bratwursts and bavarian beer are a MUST.
christmas eve at daniel's. our dinner spread included turkey with pork and chestnut stuffing from M&S - no way were we going to go through the trouble of roasting our own from scratch, potatoes and veg of course, bacon and cheese bruschetta by kheng, my chocolate and pear pudding for dessert, and a bottle of fine bubbly for sure! everything was SO YUMMMMY and so christmassy.

of course we had to do the whole secret santa thing. kheng bought a thick scarf for daniel to brave the scottish weather for the next 2 years (a scarf which came in a £5 box, as kheng so crucially emphasised). daniel got me an expresso maker - something which i never bothered buying for myself even though i've always wanted it! i got teongrhen (yes i was his secret santa *yawn*) the bourne books and a 2012 organiser (because he definitely needs one). teongrhen bought peihua a set of body shop products. and peihua got kheng a zara t-shirt!

the five of us, missing vanessa.
indeed the most wonderful time of the year. :)
but alas it must come to an end. now to get our engines running and just get the exams over and done with.

merry christmas all of you reading this, and a very happy new year in advance.