Early BBQs gets the doctors

I'm pretty sure we're all quite familiar with the phrase "early bird gets the worm" or something similar. The fact is, even as early as 1st year, I have been slowly but steadily been signing up for more and more FREE "Defence Association" membership, you know, just in case I really do forget to remove the scissors I left in a patient's peritoneal cavity.

The many, many defence associations available here in Victoria, Australia, seem to be always queueing up (probably cajoled by the medical student association - but queueing up makes it sound like we medical students are important) to pay for our many BBQ events. Of course I'll also be looking forward to free pens, penlights, diaries, drug samples etc from beloved pharmaceutical companies.

Are 8am lectures really necessary?

Despite the wide resources of Melbourne University (and the many many lecture halls), the Faculty of Medicine seems to find thrill in allocating one 8am lecture, at least, every semester. Going to these early morning lectures feels like another morning routine...it's a blur - at least I don't remember much of the lecture (it is debatable how much I remember from other lectures, a control study might be indicated here).

I'm pretty sure the lecturer would appreciate the extra time for him/her (political correctness - no longer masculine when gender unknown) to prepare for the lecture (reminds me of last minute assignments) and students, the extra sleep.

Do you trust me?

trust (noun): firm belief in the reliability, truth, or ability of someone or something

"trust noun" The Oxford Dictionary of English. Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. Oxford University Press, 2003. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Melbourne University. 19 March 2005

Trust is a commodity very lacking in the world lately. Since the incident on Sept. 11th 2001, people around the world feared further terrorist attacks and lost trust, in other people. Fear is a strong wedge against trust - fear of death, fear of destruction and fear of hurting one's heart.

AND yet without trust, friendship cannot form, relationships impossible and misunderstandings rife. It is difficult, sometimes, more so for some people, to take a leap of faith to place trust on someone and believe. The fear of betrayal and rejection is strong, deep seated and hard to uproot. Yet, yet it is important to be able to trust, to have the courage to believe in others and to have a strong heart to face the fear of rejection and betrayal.

I didn't realise that 'trust' is a basis for for many human interaction, until recently. Even with this realisation, it doesn't make it easier to open oneself up and trust others not to break your heart.

The early Saturday morning post

It has been quite a hectic week for me. I guess that's why I haven't been posting much during the weekdays. In addition to the movie and the birthday bash, I think there was a lot decisions to be made and things to be done as well.

The quiz on Monday morning was alright I guess (as far as I can guess...but what really annoys me is that I remembered Staph. aureus wrongly...basically I selected an option that said S.Aureus was catalase and coagulase negative!!!)

And then on Thursday I went to St.V to meet my AMS coordinator. He seemed to have lost his voice (hoarse!) but there was another lady which seemed really friendly. She was the 'new' Research Officer of the Emergency Research department (I mean the whole department is new...so who's not new?) The research topics that they suggested were all very interesting, I'll have a hard time deciding which one to do for my year there.

Sorry no reflections on life or anything on this post. I really wanted to talk about something the other day but Blogger kinda screwed up, so I can't be bothered typing the whole thing all over again...maybe next time when I'm really free :D

Another long night

Well basically I'm back posting these blog posts if you guys haven't noticed. (This and the previous one). After St. Johns today I went for a movie at Crown's complex (yeah the only place possibly with a 'night' life in Melbourne!).

It was a fantastic movie - HITCH! I must say though I have a soft side for comedies and Hitch was a comedy (and romance). It was funny too to look at how allergic reaction can cause facial oedema (which we were learning about - hypersensitivities!) when Will Smith had his face all puffed up. If you are looking for a movie to watch (or to download) it is a good choice!'

Birthday celebration

A whole gang of medical students rocked up to a Mexican restaurant today and caused such havoc never previously seen before. Obviously the birthday boy (I'm using that term very loosely...over 21...urm...boy??) is a typical thick skinned =) "let's make a 'MTV Video' right here, right now...in the restaurant". I must say it was hilarious...singing the Cadbury ad song ('...wouldn't it be nice....'etc etc. i forgot!).

After dinner, I thought I was going home...but wait those people "convinced" us (being me, Ming, Chit and Mei Ying) into going to Vanessa's place. We were initially at Wai May's place but suddenly someone called and told us that Vanessa was coming to fetch us to her apartment. Wai May stayed at home because the car couldn't fit her...otherwise...she would have had to coming along as well! It was a long night...

Group photo at the Mexican restaurant. L2R: Me, Ron, Bala, Chit, MeiYing, Ming, LiYong, Sharan, Edwina, Calvin, Vanessa, Amy, WaiMay.
Thx Hello!

Birthday Celebrations at a Mexican restaurant on Bridge Road, North Richmond. From left to right: Calvin (Birthday boy), Myself and Wai May
Thx Hello!

A delicious meal at the restaurant, mexican half-chicken something! :D
Thx Hello!

Delicious brunch made for myself by myself - Lightly toasted wholemeal bread with light shaved ham and lettuce, served with baked beans and scrambled eggs
Thx Hello!

Fireworks at Moomba Festival Melbourne. It's kinda blurry because the fireworks scene on my camera requires a tripod , otherwise results are as seen!
Thx Hello!

The Road Not Taken

One of my favourite poems, yet so ever relevant. Medicine especially is career with ever branching sub-specialties and sub-sub-specialties. Sometimes I wonder if I could ever not be doctor. What would I be?

You know I first read this poem when I was in still high school learning Literature in English (yeah it's different from English Literature, I'm serious!). Amazing really how this poem has stayed with me all these years...and after all those decisions that I have had to make at that time. Doesn't seem so long ago really, but like Frost, I too know that I can't go back in time and change my path anymore. Still I have a long way to go and my path I know has not ended but sometimes, sometimes; I wonder what I would see if I had taken the other paths.

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN - Robert Frost
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;	5
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,	10
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.	15
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

First published December 1995; published July 1999 by Bartleby.com; © Copyright Bartleby.com, Inc. (Terms of Use).

I have a fungal infection: A self-diagnosis

After finishing my clinical class today, I've decided that I have a fungal infection. That's, by the way, in addition to the angina that I have (and may still have) since Semester 3 and my irritable bowel disease from Semester 2.

I'm considered fortunate by most, I must say. Amongst my group mates, one thought that she had melanoma and another thought he was being poisoned (his fingernails had a strip of black lines outwards).

I bet by the time I reached my clinical school years, I would have had at least diabetes, the most resistant bugs you could find living up my nose and my throat; and probably my angina would have progressed to unstable or a heart attack.

It's really no wonder the world is short of doctors, eh?

Short hours, long day

I woke up at 7.30am, left for uni at 7.50am, and reached lecture theatre at 8.05am for a lecture that ended at 9am. And that was the only lecture I had for the day (other than SALP seminar during lunch hour).

Feeling a little sleepy still at the moment even though it's already nearly 11. I'm a little worried about the coming test next Monday, for I don't seem to be prepared yet. And here I am being reminded by my housemate that there was a "War of Emperium" going on tonight in Oceania Ragnarok Online (oRO). This would be happening between 6-8pm.

Also feeling a little anxious about cooking tonight - I'm planning to cook steak. I really hope I get things right. Heehee...then I can start inviting people for dinner ^^.

----edit @ 10:20pm -------------

Experiment was a qualified success! I managed to cook steak with sauce, albeit the steak was more cooked than I wanted it to be. Wait till I learn to cook better sauces - my aunt is coming down from Sydney...hopefully could learn a few tricks from her because she's good with steaks and stuff.

Regarding cooking for you Jacob, urm...why don't you just ask Carl Lin to cook for you? ^^

First post

So this is my second blog that I'm starting. I really don't know what happened to the first one. In fact I don't even know why I'm blogging again. Probably some bad undue influence from people I know (you know who you are).

I have nothing much to say at the moment. Probably be getting something to munch on and then sleep. Bloody faculty had to schedule a class at 8am and then my PBL tutor has the guts to complain that the turnout was poor...I've definitely seen worse turnout. I thought most people were surprisingly prompt for the 8am lecture too.

---edit @12.05am March 9, 2005--------------

The milk got frozen in the fridge. Heh, that's after we turned up the cooling settings for the fridge because last week fungus (green stuff, looked kinda furry) grew on the aluminium foil of the yogurt I bought. Can't have my hot cup of Milo then.