Keys, food and tears...

So something i knew was going to happened..finally landed onto my face at the most perfecting timing

I locked myself out of my house with my keys inside.

Went over to Dhir's place for a group study, after we were done at 12.30am...I was yawning and walking towards my car. Just as I took my car keys out...I realized..hmmm...WAIT A MINUTE..my hse keys!!!

So I called my most reliable saviour of all times...esp when i'm stuck - Kean Shean! Unfortunately, he searched his whole hse for the massive industrial chain cutter but failed..instead he found the the plant cutter for bonsai trees.

Stayed over at Minah's place for the night..btw I like her bed...its not overly soft like mine which makes my back hurt a lot. And the next morning Kean Shean managed to ask his friend, Kenneth's dad's friend help who was a Locksmith to come and save the day. Apparently locksmiths in Penang don't work on Sundays and he only came to the rescue cuz of the connection =) Just as I am super worried about my exam, tired and brain dead..Mr. Locksmith decided to work on Penang timing.

So now at 2.00pm I am finally back into my hse eating Chicken Rice while typing this. I was feeling hungry, so on the way back after dropping KS home, I got some really nice Chicken Rice. Feeling super hungry and tired the food was absolutely was I needed...plus it came with really nice soup....that actually made me tear. I dunno how did it happened...but I teared as if I haven't eaten chicken rice in years and its the best thing in the world. I think it was the soup that hit the spot..its was like home.

This exam is draining me...i know I say this during all my exams. But this one really is.

I am ready...

...to start WAR with my neighbour if I hear another drilling/hammering sound. Its 10pm for the love of man-kind and its insects!!!

Travellers..My View

*I wrote this at the Schiphol Airport last September during my trip back to Dublin..kinda forgot about it

You can always spot the avid traveller from the first time travellers. You can always differentiate the students and the holiday goers. You can always see a difference in the people who are reluctant to leave and the ones who can’t wait to board the flight.

Avid travellers: They travel light – VERY light. Either dress very smartly cuz they are in Business Class or dress very comfortable ie like my sister in her pyjamas. They check in online or have some frequent flier travel VIP service so they can cut the queue. They have everything in hand and ready to go anytime. No mess no fumble.

First time travellers: They dress in long pants, long sleeves and also bring a jacket. Not forgetting a big backpack AND a carryon luggage. Students going off for the first time fall into this category as well. Students will be carrying HUGE files with ALL their documents. Easiest way to spot this student is that their PARENTS and friends will be surrounding them like a precious item. There will be flashes of light everywhere, cuz they’ll be taking pictures like he/she is going to war and never coming back again.

Students: Same as above. But those who are going back for their 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th time, they are as efficient as the avid travellers. Sometimes tagging along is their family or even none. Just look at their check-in luggage you’ll know they are students – you know how?? They are filled to the rim!! With what??... As Malaysians of course with food-lah!

Holiday Goers: You have the group travellers who congregate and have either matching jackets or pulley bag. Then there will be one dude with like a million passports – he is either the tour guide or the leader of the pack.

People who are reluctant to leave: these are the one that would only pass security about 15mins to boarding time. They’ll be hugging and talking to the people that they are reluctant to leave and once they are in the boarding gate, they are then on the phone with the exact same person they are reluctant to leave. They will be the last one into the plane with tears streaming down their cheeks or a very red nose.

People who can’t wait to fly off: these are the ones that would be grinning from ear to ear the moment they stepped into the airport. They go thru the security as soon as they get their boarding pass and might be the first on in line to go to the plane.

I have fallen into each of that category. I couldn’t wait to leave the first time flying off to Dublin – def had that huge grin on my face. My subsequent trips back to Dublin, I’ll go home with an almost empty bag and come back with bag filled with food and even more clothes. Travelling with friends every holiday we got made me an experienced traveller – my packing skills of short trips are not too bad and then there was that reluctant-to-leave-phase when I left Dublin for good, I didn’t care if I was embarrassing myself crying in public.

I’m now back in Schiphol Airport with a big grin on my face – just like in 2005 when I first flew off. It never hit me that I have walked past the same bronze statue so many times, it was only my then first time to this airport (I took a picture with it!) and now that I’ve acknowledged it.

*My sister definitely falls into the Avid-Traveller category. She dresses like she’s at home when she goes on a flight, packs her own lunch and probably had a million frequent flyer points with maybe a million airlines in the States. She probably even knows the entire American airport layout by heart. BUT that was all before the babies popped out =) She is now demoted to the First-Time Traveller category because every time she travels she’s with another baby in tow..hehehehe and with HUGE bags!!

-I know I have a picture with this blob at Schiphol..but I can't find it-

I remember Minah taking the picture for me

-Instead I found a picture of the Flying Pig when I first arrived to Dublin in 2005-

Sick =(

I'm sick again...

I'm down with some kind of flu-bug that I probably caught in Taiping Hospital or in the Hotel OR my house is really dusty. But I'm having a headache, running a temperature with body ache..so its definitely not allergy =(

I wanna go home to my Mummy!!!

Taiping oh...Taiping

Taiping...the Land of Rain.

Its my second posting to Taiping this time for Gastro/Infectious Disease/General Medicine. This trip was not as bad as the first trip where I was sick and was very very under prepared about this peripheral posting plus there was the Bed Bug scare regarding the Hotel that we were staying in.

This time I was ready and the experience is definitely different. It kinda sucks to be here when I have my exams next week. I should be at home studying my ass off.

Surprise surprise...I'm studying okay over here. Plus we have big group discussions in our rooms - that actually helped a lot.

We have 3 groups here this trip (2 Medicine group and 1 Surgical group). When I first came, my group was the only here...so it was actually a pretty nice group bonding session. This time despite the big group we never see the rest...not even in the hall ways. I guess that's cuz we are all hiding in our rooms.

Seriously, I shouldn't be writing about Taiping when I have one more Medicine case write up to do, Surgical portfolio to finish, Opthal, ENT AND an end of assessment on General Medicine tomorrow to study for.

Can someone inspire me again as to WHY am I doing medicine??

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I have been a pretty good girl this year. Ate my vegetables and also listened to my parents. Can I have a Blackberry or a Tefal Mini Oven this Christmas. I promise to be a good girl next year too.

xoxo

Love

Angela from KL but currently staying in Penang

Blackberry Curve 8900

Blackberry Pearl Flip

Tefal Mini Oven

*P.S I like the Oven more!

Old Posts

I was looking back to my old posts (like in 2006 cuz that was when I did most of my blogging)...and I'm pretty surprised at certain things that I write. One post actually brought me to tears..that was probably the best writing I've ever done in my LIFE!

Well another one that I'm pretty shocked to have gotten loads of comments from ppl that I didn't know was the post regarding my visit back to Sri Inai when I back for my pre-med summer hols. I wrote about how my private school was different from other private schools. I wrote about the in-sights of the schools and also the things that I didn't like about too....

I actually had parents leaving me comments about asking me to write more about the school cuz they want to send their kids there.

As much as I love Sri Inai, unfortunately it no longer exists. The Inaian spirit will no longer be passed on but it has definitely not died. Once an Inaian, always an Inaian.

So...

Just as I was going to turn off my laptop and actually get some reading done (yeah right!) a few thoughts came into my mind.

1. Today during the video session for our surgical skills practical, Prof Lee paused at a frame with this beardy dude in green scrubs confidently explaining about Endotracheal Intubation and asked what do we think about this guy? What would be our first impression?.... (he went on and on about us M'sian students lacking that oophm with our first impression cuz we are so "mouse-y")

Which leads to...

What was people's first impression of me? Do I look like someone who you would trust your life with?...okay too far fetched..Would you trust me poking a needle into you? Would you trust my judgement?...All just by my first impression? Medicine aside. As a person..am I approachable? Friendly looking? Scary? Bitchy?...Hmm I wonder

2. I wonder if one day I suddenly wake up with a unlimited supply of cash in my bank account. What would I do with it? One thing my mom taught me is to never let money sit on its bum..it'll multiply in the bank at a certain rate, but it will also devalue in time. So invest..invest..INVEST. I would also get a nice private jet (or advised by Sunisha..co-share a private jet cuz its cheaper) to fly my parents over to my sister's place in comfort anytime they want and also vice-versa if Jie suddenly missed OUG Wantan Mee and teh tarik. I would go visit places I've always seen on TV but never had the chance/money to go. I would go visit Family that is scattered everywhere in the world. Donate to UNICEF/World Vision and also go on humanitarian trips. Maybe get my medical degree and never work at all but just for Doctors without Borders/Mercy...or open a non-profitable hospital for the poor.

3. I wonder how would it be if I had stop studying Medicine and go pursue something else? (I can hear my mom at the background going "See...told you" )It is kinda a shame that all these new interest and hobbies of mine came only when I was studying overseas and already in Med School. I think I would've chose a different path...a much more artistic one. Might go into Photography and also studied art. Or maybe stuck on with my Ballet.

4. I wonder how would I have turned out if years ago, my sister managed to persuade my parents to let me study my High School years in the States with her. Would I be less Asian and less cultured? Would I be able to speak up more?

Very random thoughts...I know =)

Procrastination

The Queen is back!

The infectious bug is killing its prey..

In a few weeks time (actually in less than 2 weeks) I'll be having my Senior Res 1 exams - Medicine, Surgery, Ophthalmology and ENT.

7th Nov Dec - Medicine and Surgery MCQ

11th Nov Dec - Opthal and ENT MCQ

14/15th Nov Dec - Opthal Long Case

16/17th Nov Dec - ENT OSCE

*Teehehe...I typed the wrong month. Good thing my friend noticed.

I'm not too worried about medicine and Surgery because we have been doing it since we got back from Ireland and also mainly because its not a barring examination. I am VERY worried for my Ophthalmology and ENT because they are my first two barring examinations and the failure rate every year is high. It doesn't help that I procrastinate so much.

I haven't finished my surgery Portfolio.

I haven't hand in any of my medicine cases.

I haven't found my Poly trauma case for Emergency Medicine.

I'm doomed!

Can someone take away my ADD for studying...I seem to get an acute attack near exam time..Hmm maybe Ritalin can help..