I'll get one next year :D
This week has been a rather interesting week. It started off rather busy as the previous resident and registrar in my ward (Geriatric Rehab) were replaced by another pair of doctors.
Goodbye Adam and James. Adam is a pretty cool doc, really friendly dude, he was from penang too. And James, who is cynical like Dr House, but very funny. And hello Alice and Leyla, our new supervising docs.
As I said, Monday was pretty busy as the docs got me to do discharge summaries for the patients about to leave. Ward rounds took longer than usual as the new docs were familiarizing themselves with the patients. The patients at my ward are old timers, and some have interesting stories to tell. One elderly gentleman, Frank, is a veteran who fought in WW2 against the Japanese stationed on Borneo.
Tuesday was pretty interesting. I went to Dandenong town, and basically explored the area. I walked into one of the shops and guess what I found?
A dumbell.
Just what I needed to keep in shape! And at 11 dollars, it was a bargain :)
I realised I had to present my patient's case to the other final year students later in the afternoon, so I hopped onto a bus labeled "Station", assuming it will take me back to Dandenong station, where I can take another bus to the hospital. That was smart of me...
Instead, I ended up stranded on a bus sign in the middle of nowhere. It was 1pm and the Aussie summer sun was scorching hot. The next bus arrival was half an hour away. There was no shade around, and all I had was a useless dumbell I had just purchased. There seemed to be no one around, so I took off my shirt and tie (as the heat was unbearable) and started doing exercises with the dumbell (because I had nothing else to do). Anyone passing by would have noticed a strange shirtless Asian dude lifting weights on the roadside! But I wasn't that self conscious to bother. The endorphins from the exercise made the wait more bearable plus I got a nice tan (unintentionally).
I arrived at Dandenong hospital just in the nick of time as the case presentations were just beginning. I screwed up my presentation a little as I told everyone my patient had hypokalemia, even though his potassium level on my powerpoint slide was normal. How can I ever be a good doctor next year if I can screw up something so basic! Well don't ask me...
I was free today so I woke up late and headed down to the suburb of Oakleigh to buy some groceries. I bumped into an old friend of mine, Melissa, on the train! I hopped off at Oakleigh station and walked around town. Oakleigh is a town with many immigrants from the Mediterranean. There are many Greek coffee houses and butchers in this quaint town. It hasn't really changed much since I last left Melbourne 4 years ago. I bought blackcurrants (awesome stuff), king prawns (pricey stuff, 32 AUD a kilo), 3 boxes of bacon (only 2 dollars!) and some Greek pastries (baklava, eclairs etc.)
Tomorrow's gonna be another long day. I'll be having law tutorials on campus. Yawn. Law.
And my brother Fred is flying down to Melbourne tomorrow! Can't wait to show him around the city.
I'm beginning to love my new iPhone. Yeah, I'm hard to please when it comes to gadgets. But I'm glad it hasn't disappointed me yet. I had it jailbroken within the hour I had it and now it has all the apps and games I would ever want. Hundreds of dollars worth of medical applications and games (actually worth more than the phone's price) for FREE...shhhh :P Amazing little gadget!
2010.
Ah. I do not know where to begin.
First off, Australia. I week in, and I have begun to readjust my life to the local Aussie ways. It's been about 2 weeks now, and I have a lot of things to tell about what's going on in my life now. It's been a season of reunions with old friends, meeting new and awesome (and less than awesome) people, and trying to lead a relatively normal life as a final year student doctor in a country I'm barely acquainted with.
My ex :)
It's way different here than it is in Malaysia. Firstly, all shops close by 5pm. It's summer now, so the sun rises at 6am and sets at 9pm! So we see shops closing in broad daylight. The weather bearable even on the hottest days because it isn't humid like Malaysia. A shower a day is usually enough :D
Can't you believe it's frikkin 8pm?
It really feels awesome to be hanging out again with the old pals I met in med school when I first came to Melbourne in 2006. It been 4 years, frikkin 4 years!
1. Been hanging out a lot with a buddy of mine, Brian a.k.a. The Bulgogi Master. To be fair, he can cook up fairly awesome bulgogi. He sticks proudly to his Korean roots even though he's lived away from the motherland for more than a decade. This guy is true blue and I can see many more exciting years (and adventures) to come.
Hot Chocolate with Chillies @ Chadstone
2. I managed to hang out with some other old pals. Steph and Angela! Together with Shehara we hung out in Brunswick (or is it Fitzroy?), had a nice dinner at a vegetarian place (but I still love meat) and visited Angela's messy (an understatement) place in Carlton and played snooker along with her sis. Steph and Angela played way better than me that night (even though I first showed them how to play 4 years ago!). And I'm having my ex(guitar) back from Steph. Thanks Steph, you're awesome!
Steph and her imaginary paparazzi
Angela
3. Also got to hang out with another buddy of mine, Mano. Hung out in Clayton and went to a garage sale. We have a thing for bargains. Plus I got a poster for free. He's still one of the most funny dudes I know, and it never gets boring hanging out. Totally awesome.
This is hanging on my wall. Click to enlarge and enjoy.
4. Got to meet up with Aunt Bee Ling whom I first met at the Ong's. Went to Belmore Road Church of Christ with her family. Their worship session is in a capella and reminds me of Cornerstone COC in JB. Got acquainted with her son Cedric and his brother Nick. Cedric's a pretty cool dude. He can fix cars up and apparently went to kung fu school(how awesome is that!) Aunt Bee Ling made us satays for lunch and we played the Wii which was fun. Even though I kept losing @ Mario Kart to a 7 y.0. girl XD. And btw, I'm hearing a lot about liver flush and vitamins on both sides of the planet, thanks to Aunt Bee Ling and YOUR mum. U hear that Karyn? XD haha
So that's it for now. Next up, I'm gonna blog about what's going on at the hospitals. Lots of interesting stories so stay tuned!
P.S. This sums up my life right now
I wrote a friggin testimony
Some people I've met in 2009
It's approaching Christmas and I've finally left the sleepy town of Johor Bahru behind. I've never done this before, but I would like to dedicate this post to some special people I've met this year who have made my stay in JB more bearable and actually even enjoyable. Yep, that's you alright! I'm writing this down for posterity should I ever forget your faces. A shot of cognac would help unleash my fuzzy memory. Here goes, with no clear order:
Mano
An exchange student from Melbourne. What can I say about this dude that I haven't said already? My 1st impressions of him: White guy with tight pink shirt. meh. Let's just say he overturned all expectations and we get along LEGENDARILY. He is the life of the party, getting drunk and ending up in all sorts of situations. Which makes for good stories to tell after that! When sober (more often than you think), he makes the best of company, with his quick wit and snappy comebacks. Other than YOUR MUM. He is into lots of things, from comic books (knows the difference between Marvel and DC, wow whatta geek) to training his enormous 'ceps, pecs and abs. The best thing about this guy is his amazing confidence, and he will get far in life with it. A true blue mate who gives without expecting anything in return as well. There are few pleasures greater than having ice-cold beers with ya. Let's just say this year would truly suck without you around!
Sam
A junior med student of mine. This girl is unique, if I have to describe her in one word. Quirky and bubbly, and has a megawatt-smile. She has an eclectic taste in music, like yours truly :) She appreciates art and architecture, just ask her about Art Nuovo or Art Deco. One quirk I find fascinating about her is her particular-ness. She would try out a dozen highlighters until she gets that perfect shade of yellow-green! She can be a little neurotic at times, especially when she worries a lot about small matters. Hanging out with Sam is a pleasure, its real fun and easy-breezy, be it catching films at the cinema or just walking around town. If I were to be stuck in an unknown city with someone, I'd pick her :)
Karyn
First thing that came to mind is that she is very pretty. An understatement really. Nice cheekbones and perfect teeth. Makes the guys go woot-woo! Any guy would do a double-take :) I suspect she already knows it...
You'd think she'd be a total angel or something, with God-fearing parents and Sunday morning services...but even I was a little surprised. Turns out she has a morbid sense of humor, and she's pretty sarcastic to boot. ALMOST as sarcastic as me. Bantering with her can be fun, and frankly annoying sometimes. Hanging out with her is fun most of the time (The other half honestly makes me think of murder) and her mood swings are like a roller coaster, when hanging out becomes more like hanging on to your life! She has her unique quirks too, like her obsession with hygiene and she avoids fruits like the plague. She is pretty awesome with kids, knowing when to discipline or reward them. She is extremely capable and independent, especially with stuff like laundry and finances where she likes to have her way. She can be sweet occasionally, and you'd kinda forget how evil she can get at times...No one gets on my nerves like you do, and that's one reason why you're special!
Yu En
Another junior meddie I got to know better this year. She is slim, elegant and extremely ladylike. The moment you meet her, you'd kinda sense that she is used to the finer things in life. Plenty of guys are after her, I figure. She says that she is spoiled, but she likes spoiling others as well. And it shows :) Thanks for your kindness to me throughout the year. She is a brilliant medical student and is super humble about it. That is...until people like me screw up with the facts. Then you'd correct me and I'd go WOW. She can be rather suspicious of people's motives at times, which I think is a bit pessimistic. She is also pretty health conscious and knowledgeable about things like nutrition. And one of the best drivers I know, teaching me a thing or two about parking properly. It's been a pleasure getting to know you.
Shan
This dude is Karyn's younger bro. He has the same good genes and height, so he's naturally a hit with the ladies. Except I left out the fact that he's only thirteen. He's reached puberty and is enjoying it A LOT. He is a pretty emotional guy and falls in and out of love quite a lot. He's a cool dude nevertheless and I'm beginning to miss those punching games. With a little direction and guidance, I'm sure he'd reach his full potential and achieve a lot in life.
I may or may not see any of you anymore, so I want you to know how much I appreciate every moment we've spent this year. You have enriched my experience in a town I once thought of as dull & boring (I still do). Cheers and goodbye for now!
Weather Forecast
Four corners of sky blue he stumbled in,
A familiar world within a nation of strangers,
Eyes glued to a glowing screen, over machinery din,
Relaying tales of scandal and unforeseen dangers.
The fallen angel sits in her usual posture,
He barged in without a welcome for the matter,
Throwing caution to the wind he sat, in his head a picture,
To relive a moment or two of merry chatter.
A duel of words they engaged a while,
With no intent of malice, just light-hearted banter,
Sarcasm a theme as bitter as bile,
The result a hint of a smile; or light laughter.
As they say all good things come to an end,
Drumming light taps on the door a bad omen,
A banquet ill planned and a will to bend,
An exchange of harsh words, it felt an hour or ten.
Dismayed he watched a fading smile as uneasiness lingered,
His efforts at giving solace were as futile as ever,
A dark cloud she became, rainfall and murder conspired,
The storm was coming and there was no shelter.
His welcome was soon over, out he was ushered,
In the darkest hour, his guitar the greatest comfort,
Damned he sat, numbed from being clobbered,
Knowing twilight will end without need for pointless effort.
Homemade phone themes
Got bored with my phone theme so I decided to design a few myself, as I have a lot of free time as of today. Free to download and use, as long as you don't sell it. Karma's a bitch like that.
Envy Download here
Bloodlust Download here
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