10 things I will miss about London

As Spring approaches and London gets increasingly more beautiful by the day, the idea that (should I pass my finals which I very much hope so) I'm leaving here possibly for good is starting to sink in. It makes me sad, but yet I'm happy that I have spent some of the most formative years of my life in this amazing city. London has taught me an incredible amount of stuff, shown me so much, and shaped me in a way I never expected (be it for good or bad).

10 things I'm going to miss about London:

1. Good Food- from like really good Michelin Starred quality food, to world- class coffee, affordable yummy crepes and those cook-outs we have to recreate the dishes we miss from home

2. Cheap Cocktails- Yes, Im a convert. Im no longer a teetotal. Bring on that sexy lychee martini, peach bellini and my all time favourite (white) sangria

3. UCL- I will miss cruciform and that beautiful main building that never fails to take my breath away be it in winter or summer.

4. UCLH, Whittington and even, Barnet- Yes, the memories I have here may not be all hunky dory, rosy and good. But these are the places that have motivated a very lazy peish to work hard(er) because I have met people (colleagues, seniors, consultants and even patients) who have changed me tremendously. I want to be a great doctor, hopefully in both the eyes of my bosses, my friends, my patients and finally myself. I want to do more than just my job, I want to look forward to it daily, to remain incredibly excited about all the possibilities in my career and in my life and I want to remain true to myself. Hopefully, Singapore can maintain, if not better, this spark that my medical education here has fueled in me.

5. Online shopping (and free returns)- Speaks for itself. Shopping and trying on clothes in the comfort of your own home? Who can resist it. Plus I will no longer have free next day asos deliveryyy!!

6. Musicals, Plays and the likes- I am not arty, farty at all. But yes, coming here has changed me that slightly bit in that I will get incredibly excited about a new show on Shakespeare Globe, a new Picasso exhibit or new play. Yes, everyone loves musical and I count my blessings that I have West End just a stone's throw away.

7. Europe at my back door, and budget airlines to make travelling to these places possible- Europe is fascinating. The rich culture, the beautiful architectures and the good food (and occasionally, hunks). I havent had the chance to explore much of Europe, but I doubt 1 lifetime is enough really. At least, next time I have SEA, Japan/Korea and Aussieland to entertain me.

8. Conferences, Talks and the chances to be part of cutting edge research- The academics here inspire me tremendously. Not just medics but people from all fields, from global health epidemiologists to statisticians. People here are incredibly passionate and proud of their work, and many of these people have such great lofty (I mean this in a positive way) dreams. Many of them also have a good heart- one that constantly seeks to make life just a little more beautiful for someone else. I always feel incredibly privileged to be listening to them share about their work, to hear about their dreams and to learn about what our world is going to be in for. I will truly miss my ready access to these critical care, trauma, surgical, international health, HIV conferences.

9. Friends- From new found coursemate/schoolmate friends (especially all my yellow mates) and ex- flatmates to old friends who are planning to stay here, I dont even want to think how I would behave when I have to say my goodbyes.

10. Flat 313 and Kiki- Yes Kiki warrants an entry all to herself. Indeed, she is heading to Singapore with me, but really, its gonna be different when are back with family and (old) friends.