23.

i turned a year older without a fuss. a flood of wishes through text messages and on facebook (even my mother wished me on facebook and i got REALLY upset), a few cards, a couple of gifts and absolutely no celebrations. but really, i wouldn't have had it any other way. i am a year wiser and a year richer in experience, opportunities and friends. what more could i ask for. that said, i am not exactly thrilled to have turned 23. it just brings me closer to being 30 and in my personal twisted dictionary, that is the exact definition of old. i know. i'm harsh.

so many things to do, so little time. i need to buck up and start being an achiever.

here and gone

my days in blackburn are almost coming to an end. once again i have to say i cannot believe how quickly time actually whisks by - in less than 2 months i will be far away from the cold (it's spring and it is still cold and i hate it!), with my family and dogs and friends, lazing in my air-conditioned room watching ASTRO, indulging in all that glorious food i've missed so much the past year. but first i have two hurdles to jump over, well three if i count that 4-week SSC placement i've to do right before the holidays begin, in the form of a stupid progress test and my final 3rd year OSCE. bleurgh.

i have been so tired lately. ICU is draining the life out of me. i start at 8am daily to attend their boring handovers (and have to try to keep up with their ICU - not normal medical - jargons) and attempt to "act busy" the rest of the day when really, what is there for a medical student like me to do, when all the patients are intubated and attached to big ass machines? so i just tag along with the anaesthetists as they go around reviewing patient after patient, making big decisions as to whether it's time for a patient to be taken off life support (which so happened was the FIRST thing i witnessed on my FIRST day on ICU - what a mood killer!), wait for them to die and then certify their death, and then continue reviewing other patients. sometimes i get to watch them do cool things like tracheostomies, but other than that, i really despise being in ICU. i actually don't remember disliking a medical specialty so much before.

some days i get to escape that hole and follow the anaesthetists in theatre, which is anytime more interesting and less depressing. at least they let me manage airways and stuff! in fact the other day the anaesthetist i shadowed was doing a C-section list and i finally witnessed my first birth! so exciting and overwhelming (although i must say, newborns are really ugly - like baby smeagols). :) can't wait for O&G in 4th year.

and that's the thing about medicine isn't it. one minute you are witnessing the death of a person, the other minute you are welcoming the life of another. very emotional on two different ends of the spectrum, but you've to learn to control your emotions and not let them get in your way of doing your job. and i'm glad that on both occasions, i managed to hold back my tears.

well such is life. here and gone. for now, my life depends on my trusty OHCM. hoho. progress test on monday and i still feel like i don't know ANYTHING. :/

i really need to cut my hair and shape my eyebrows :/

london overload

an overdue post on our trip to london over easter.

since our medical school isn't exactly generous with term holidays, we thought of making use of our one week break to go out of the country (like to barcelona or amsterdam), but ended up being too lazy to plan. so since tr and adrian hadn't been to london, we decided, why not? :)

london's always so exciting and colourful, especially when the weather decides to be kind (and we know that is really quite rare). we covered virtually all of the touristy spots, watched Wicked, got lost looking for Mastura at hyde park, met up with IMU batchmates in chinatown, had dinner with Chongkz whom i've not seen since forever, had pretty good food, paid a visit to my beloved Harrods... very productive indeed!


borough market, as recommended by Vanessa. had really good german sausages and desserts but both pairs of hands (i.e. tr's and mine) were too full with food so couldn't take pics. :p

don't get modern art and never will. this is one of the many MANY questionable exhibitions inside the Tate Modern.

houses of parliament. i hear tchaikovsky's 1812 overture.

thames.

london eye and big ben in the background.

westminster's. nothing once you've been to the vatican and notre dame. :P

the royal courts of justice.

st james's park.

teehee cute squirrel!

Wicked the musical. went with absolutely no expectations, came out feeling exceptionally overwhelmed. really good!

bumped into friends from belfast in chinatown.

mas, me, adrian at hyde park.

buckingham.

met up with the warwick people...

for some duck at four seasons.

emo shakespeare at carnaby street.

happy happy tr in front of the famous billboard at piccadilly circus.

chongkypongkz and i at leicester sq!

aww harrods ♥. kwan said it's like sg wang. he also said oxford street is like petaling street. go and die, kwan. how is oxford street like petaling street? it's green colour on the monopoly board.

dog beddings for more than £1000 each.

doggy snacks! hahaha. crazy.