Inception.

Christopher Nolan makes me incredibly proud to say Im from UCL (yes, he graduated from my awesome school!).

And in about 10 days time, his newest work, starring none other than Leonardo DiCarprio (who might not be as good-looking as he was back when he was in Titanic, but more charming to watch with all the years of experience that has made him a truly awesome actor) and Ellen Page (who has really blossomed since June), comes INCEPTION:

And they are here to mess with your mind!

(Not that exams arent already doing so to mine.)

拳神

I think summer just has this effect on people.

It makes you want to just enjoy life and live the high life, which was exactly what i did- make a salmon pie for dinner, watch football (way to go Spain!) and then HK's (extremely embarrassing) version of The Matrix:

Or: 拳神

I have to admit I got into it 'cos of LeeHom.

Its bad, but hilariously so. A nice break if you need some laughs. And, they do have a nice cast (What i mean is ... yummy to the eyes).

But if you are looking for a show with any decent plot or acting or kungfu or meaning, dont say i didnt warn you first.

I guess we still have a long way before our movies would get anywhere near Hollywood's standards. (This movie came out 2 years after The Matrix.)

End of my World Cup Madness. Hopefully.

England's dismal performance against Germany has definitely motivated me away from watching every single match of world cup. Which is good, since its now officially less than 1mth from exams.

I guess it comes with living here in London, 'cos I have never been so passionate about any football team. Well, I did use to watch world cup and claim that I support Netherlands but never had I got so agitated with an unfair call or bad pass, and never had I known a team so well as this year's England's team. Football had never run my life (now my social appointments are organised around matches) and had never affected my 喜怒哀乐, but its a whole new ball game now (pun intended).

I suppose I never saw the need to be a fan of any team in the past, cos I was so preoccupied with my own school's sports teams. I remember going for almost all of RG's bball, swimming and track matches, and even more for HwaChong's matches and competitions especially since being in Council was an excuse to skip classes to go for them.

This year's world cup has been an interesting (albeit extremely disappointing for me) one.

With the news that Netherlands just won, i suppose it will still be exciting with Argentina, Netherlands and Germany still in the run.

Good friends, good food, good weather, good times.

Had a wonderful start to my lovely weekend with a dinner with Dada and Jamie at Villandry's yesterday. The food there was fab and the ambience real posh. The price was good as well, at 50% off on toptable.

And of course, catching up with old friends is always great. Jamie hasnt changed one bit- looks glam but still behaves in the most hilariously embarrassing way ever. Im totally looking forward to going home in Aug (:

Since my flatmate's off to Paris with her bf this wkend, I get the whole flat to myself. Which means that I get to do embarrassing (and guilty) things which I would normally not do with her about. Like waking up at an embarrassingly late hour, playing torchlight, finishing the whole tub of Haagen Daz, and watching silly commercials for hours on youtube.

Im surprised to find out Messi's not very much older than I am.

And that Kaka is an evangelical devout Christian who married his childhood sweetheart!

Summer makes everything beautiful (:

Once in a while, it really makes my day to know that I have made the right decision in choosing the right course at the right place.

It can really be such a joy to be reading about management of diseases, with my favourite oldies playing in the background, coke in hand and sun in my face in my lovely lovely new room.

Why why why the joy? I dont know either, but Im not complaining (:

Of World Cup and WWII.

Why the World Cup is like World War II?

The French Surrendered early.
US entered late.
The Brits are left to fight the Germans.

Bad luck comes in bundles.

Today is so not my day.

1. On take on a Sat. Only managed to get signed off 1h early.

2. Realised how little I know about medicine. Am def going to be screwed for exams.

3. Broke my toothbrush mug. Cut my finger whilst cleaning up the mess.

4. Spilt my hot choc all over my swanky new study chair.

And i dont want to know what comes next.

1 more day left to the end of my wkend. URGHS.

新家舒服得让我好松散。。。

好累哦。。。

老是睡睡睡，真不知是不是患了thyroid dysfunction了哦。

咳。

And a new life begins.

Didnt realise how tired I was until I have had time for a proper sleep.

Just woke up from my 3rd nap of the day, and 2nd cup of coffee and I feel like I can only possibly last for another 2 hours before Im going to KO.

And yesterday, I said goodbye to 2 of my dearest friends. It was emotional, but at least Im thankful that this year I have met people that I have met people whom I am able to say weepy goodbyes to. I must have said bye to S for about one thousand and one times which started from Schafer to the tube station to the airport itself to the departure gantry to the multiple calls as she waited for the plane to take off.

And now, I look at the Torchlight icon at my dock, and I dont feel that great an urge to play it anymore. Not just cos I dont own a mouse, but because, there isnt someone to share the joy with me when I find smthing new.

Its odd saying this, esp when its 1mth to exams and nowhere near the start or the calendar year or academic year, but now its time to put things behind and start afresh. I must be blessed to have the most awesome new apartment and new flatmate I could possibly ask for.

And now, lets all cross our fingers and hope that I am going to be able start catching up and make it up in time for a whole year of not working.

再见。。。

One more day to go.

那就这样吧，是 sayonara 的时候了。。。

I hate Packing.

Packing is a bitch.

Have been spending the past god knows how long and Im only 1/3 my way through my room.

I suppose I have myself to blame mostly for having SO much junk. I possibly (literally) have 5x the amt of stuff my geek gamer neighbour has. Its getting to an embarrassing state really. I do have a feeling that Kiki isnt going to be too happy when she sees the amount of rubbish i have.

Doesnt help that my mum and gran left a whole load of their stuff here, clothes which i wont wear and stuff which I dont use.

And my mum aint keen on my giving them all away. Which means they would continue to lie there rotting.

And packing means leaving.

Im def going to miss it here. Though, at least I do really look forward to living in my new place and with a new flatmate (:

PMS.

I wonder if Im suffering from PMS now.

Didnt have any mood to do anything at all today. Gave up very quickly after a half hearted attempt to work, Im playing torchlight and yet not really enjoying it much. Have been like this for the past 8hrs or so? But before wagging the finger and telling me that I aint no more teenager and I should not get all emo and such, I think i have definitely done a great job in looking happy :D

And despite my laughs and the wide grin on my face, I feel lonely.

I know people dont mean it when they niao me, but today is the day when I take it literally and act like I dont mind the insults (or should I say cold harsh truth) but I do.

And i know, Im supposed to still laugh it off and not spoil things. Afterall, this is what everyone would expect of the Peishan they know.

I know Im supposed to be cheery and non- chalant and take everything in my stride,

But today aint the day.

And today, I miss home. Terribly much.

考试期间，暑假心情。

咳，真的好没心情读书哦！

真希望暑假能马上来。不是不喜欢上学，只是不喜欢为了考试而念书。

And i hereby give up typing in Chinese. Cant get a half decent msg across at all.

Performance and Mastery Motivation

Today my neighbour taught me, or should i say reminded me, something about what drives people. The drive to excel which I think I have seem to lost as the years went by.

The idea of mastery motivation is one 境界 which I would like myself to eventually reach- to learn because I want to , because I want to better myself, because I want to be a better doctor, because I want to know about about the world around me, to understand why it is the way it is and to know how I can make a difference. I know Im on the path and I want to, as Steve Jobs once told Stanford, to always stay hungry and stay foolish.

Torchlight

Im now positively, irreversibly, hopelessly addicted to this stupid new RPG game Torchlight which my geeky flatmate Archie introduced to me. Im becoming Morgan Grimes.

It has gotten to such a terrible stage whereby I look out of the window and its bright and the next time I look out again it is bright too. I have stooped to the level of asking a bimbo qn like "Does the sun ever set in Summer?"

That aside, Im otherwise loving life. Gen Med spec is awesome, the consultants fab and the workload just about right. Life back in the flat is almost like being home. And the weather is getting warmer.

Things are def quite cheery ...

My only want is for medical knowledge to just diffuse into my head.

Omg, its Mid- May!

Today is one of those days where my Piscean personality sets in- I get (embarrasingly) emotional. Not the head- banging/ dont- talk- to- me mood swings (I would in fact still look perfectly fine if you had walked into my room right now), but more like Im suddenly irrationally overwhelmed with a sense of homesickness. All this emotions for not much of a reason- not PMS, not 'cos Im getting bullied, not 'cos school work is screwing me over (though I have to admit Im not in the best state right now) and not 'cos Im not getting along with the people around me.

Maybe its the flu.

Time is passing way too quickly, its now Mid- May and its almost the end of year 3, the end of living in halls with a bunch of very interesting characters and the coming of the final exams proper. Im going to miss them. And I really do wonder what it would be like in future, if I would still actually keep in touch with them or do our lives just move on, with this 1 year staying as a memory which I would look back at and smile.

Now I am to move on and stop being all wishy- washy; I have indulged myself enough.

You know that when I update, Im supposed to be studying.

Time passes way too quickly. I was just reminded recently by Prisc that she'll be over here in London in 1 wk's time, and I cant believe how in 1 wk's time i would have gone through 3/4 of my third year.

What scares me most is that before i know it, i would be graduating soon and that I would be let lose on the wards with all these gaps in my knowledge, and my inability to actually do a proper examination and interpret/ elicit signs. And I would soon have to make decisions on which specialties I like, and where I would like to work, and what to do with my life in general. These are definitely scary decisions to make. As much as I hate to admit it, I definitely have one foot into adulthood now, if not both. The thought of having to deal with rents and office politics and I dont know what else is freaky.

This year has been an interesting year for me in many ways. Its not smooth sailing (you know it when Im putting on weight since Im sucha comfort eater) but Im still glad I had the chance to experience it. At least, I could say that I have never been bored.

Easter Break ... finally!

Firstly (and most importantly) Thanks Boobie and Babe for the Bday card! It totally made my day, cant say how it totally made the start of my easter break perfect (((:

Just back from an awesome lunch at Launceston Place to kickstart what i hope would be a great Easter break (although its only 1 pathetic break). The Gloucester Old Spot Pork was seriously one of the best pork dishes I have had in my life. The thin layer of fat under the crispy skin literally melts in your mouth. Absolutely heavenly! :D The lunch menu was really value, 20pounds for a 3 course meal (though they do add in a pre- starter and pre- dessert and free flow of bread on the house).

Gordon Ramsay is def next on my list of to try list.

Heading up to York for a couple of days, looking forward to trying out all the good food that dj has been talking about. And also shopping at the outlet! :D

Countdown to Easter Break.

The past week or so has literally been a bday celebration week (afterall, this is only whats expected for a princess).

But for those who are still vexing on what to get me for my bday, please ...

1. DONT get my any more food. Im in need of a diet.

I would however appreciated:

1. Tuning Fork sets: 512Hz +/- 128Hz ones

2. Ophthalmoscope set

Actually any form of sponsorship would do cos i know how ridiculously expensive medical equipments are!

Films, Films ... and more Films!

Why am I up at 4am and was asleep at 7.30pm?

My body clock is like officially screwed, which signifies Ive finally succumbed to following the lifestyles of most normal university students.

Im trying to decide if its quite loser to go watch movies on my own, cos there are so many shows now that I wanna catch:

1. Invictus

2. Green Zone

3. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

4. Crazy Heart ... on DVD maybe

And shows coming up that I would like to catch:

1. How to train your dragon ... 3D!

2. Clash of the Titans ... 3D!

3. Kick- Ass

4. Nanny McPhee

And recent films that I think are worth watching (for you Boobie):

- The Hurt Locker (there is a reason why this is a big winner at the Oscars)

- Alice in the Wonderland 3D (cos its 3D and there's Johnny Depp. But dont get your hopes up cos it really was quite disappointing)

I couldnt quite appreciate Precious too much myself, despite all the rave reviews about it.

Everyone loved Up in The Air, but other than George Clooney I didnt quite like it that much.

I liked From Paris with Love, which is not a romantic film (but a thriller) despite its title. And since Bend it Like Beckham, I havent watched a Johnathan Rhys Meyer film for quite some time.

And Im waiting for the DVDs for Valentine's Day and Percy Jackson to come out.

Ok this is not a good sign at all considering I have already been on a 2 month work hiatus. Something possibly unheard of in Singapore, or amongst Singaporeans really.

Burnt Out.

The 4h nap I just had was awesome! Though it means that it has completely screwed up my sleeping schedule, and doubly worse cos I had it after a very very huge lunch (which is not a good idea considering Im in a perpetual uphill battle to lose weight).

I was kinda feeling a little burnt out ever since I transferred to the Whit. Im not sure if Im not used to the long hours, travelling time or just a new (extremely) keen firm. They just keep going on. Or is it just me not being able to sleep well at night. And I have reached a point in time, whereby Im quick sick of trying to make friends. I like making friends, only when its comes naturally, and not having to rack your brains all the time to find conversation or laugh at in-my-opinion-not-so-funny things. 3 years on, and I still feel the culture shock sometimes. I give Stef (and some others) full credit for being able to blend in so well and so easily. Maybe its just me who's resistant to change?

And all these on top of trying to get on top of my work, which is lagging to quite an embarrassing stage, going to the gym (to lose the pounds Ive put on since ... I cant even rem when was it that i ate in moderate amts) and still having a social life.

That being said, Im still looking fwd to the fun and meals this weekend, and my bday next week. And then it would be Easter break (although its a pathetic 1wk long), when I would be heading to York :D

I was deciding between studying or going to the gym, and Ive just spent an hour online.

Ok, maybe discipline is my problem.

The Blind Side

This movie is so good that i managed to stay awake and love it although I havent had sleep for the past 36h (blame night takes).

Based on a true story, it is def one of those feel good inspirational films you'll need to get your through half- term.

There's good ol' Sandra Bullock, whom I havent seen produce a good film in quite some time, who does the thing she does best and shows us how it can be so beautiful to age gracefully. She has managed to take on a mature motherly figure role and yet, make boys fantasize about her at the same time (not that i do, but i would if i was a guy).

The performances by the others were great as well, and best of all, all these feel good fuzzy stuff is based on something that has happened around us. This is an awesome story that is born 'cos someone has a great heart to make a difference to people around her.

虽然我们相识无言中 彼此情谊不深 心灵却相通

HC Night ytd was amazing! :D The food was alright (though portions generous, which was great for hungry people like me. But not good cos we were in glam dresses and not supposed to stuff ourselves silly) but the company was really really what made the night so awesome. So many of the councillors came down from all parts of Europe (Jamie, Kailing, Gloria, Hon) and then Stef, Wenxi and Charm from Oxbridge and then there were the Londoners- Mark, Dawei, Paul, Xun. We managed one whole table, how amazing is that!

Its nice to see changes in some people (cos it was for the better), and that some people havent changed one bit (which is great too).

But the downside to these kinda events is that there are so many people that I kinda know but i dont really know, and I dont quite know what to say after the usual Hi, how have you been or Your outfit's amazing. So I just end up sitting at my table, and talking to the same few people (which is actually, to be quite honest, what i really want to do. After all, i havent seen these friends of mine for what seems like ages.)

Got woken up this morning by Kenneth at 7-ish who came barging into my room, with Mac's breakfast. It was a nice feeling being brought breakfast, and talking to him considering that though we barely live more than 10mins apart, I dont think Ive actually seen him much.

Fell asleep right after Big Breakfast, and got woken up again in time to join my flatmates for Yum Cha at Chinatown. I think amongst the 5 of us, we ordered more than 20dishes. We were literally ordering without thinking much. Added up to 70ish in all for all of us, thats how much we had. But it was def a good meal :D Its been quite some time since I have properly hung out with my flatmates, since I was so busy running about with my family and all.

But it reminded me, how much I really like them :D

Mixed Feelings

Just a quick entry 'cos Im having mixed feelings about my brother going back home. I think Im going to miss the arguing with him, listening to him talk about how cheeky he has been and the silly things that goes on in school and also about girls in general. Im def going to miss bossing him about and having fights and knowing tt at the end of the day 'cos we are sibs things will always be fine.

But i guess its time to get on track and get some work done, esp with a new term starting. Have been jetting about and been out of school more than Im in (not good since Im supposed be a full time student, and a med student as that). Oh and also, stop eating so much and get some exercise and LOSE SOME WEIGHT :( Wished I could be someone who would be able to eat loads and loads and not put on any weight.

HC Night this Sat. Looking forward to seeing the councillors. At least that would brighten up my spirits a little after my brother leaves.

Hongbaos for Haiti

Firstly, just let me explain my hiatus.

My fam was around and its been such a crazy time with all the weekend trips to Madrid and Amsterdam and what not. Then I was hit by a bad headache which pretty much left me useless for days.

My work is currently in the most devastated state. I havent clerked any patients for 1 whole week, and this has been observed by my profs, which is utterly embarrassing.

But it is CNY after all, which perks me up a bit, though I dont quite get the atmosphere here in London. But im not complaining much cos it is nice to have my brother and alvin around to spend it with this year. I wish it wouldnt be so cold here though. Just when I thought it was getting nice and warm.

Anyway, Ive decided that this year, Im going to be doing something meaningful for CNY, after reading abt the Haiti Earthquake.

So, here I am, blatantly canvassing for support for my baby fundraising project for the kids affected by the Earthquake.

Hongbaos for Haiti

Basically, my good friend Stef and I have decided that this year we would be pledging part of our Hongbao money for UNICEF, who is involved in the relief missions in Haiti, following the Earthquake country on 12th of Jan.

Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and half of its population are under 21years old. Although rescue missions are starting to end, funds are urgently needed for rebuilding and to provide safe water, temporary shelter systems, essential medical supplies etc. UNICEF concentrates their works on orphans, young children and their mothers. As we all know, these people are usually the ones who are most vulnerable in such disasters.

So here I am, appealing to all of you, no matter where you are in the world, to extend a little of your kindness as you enjoy this festive season to these people. Please join our FB group to help spread the msg, and you can make your donation via this website.

What we hope is that, you would not only make the donation, but leave a personal msg for your friends to do the same. No amt is too little, and telling 1 other friend is also great help! And hopefully, together all of us would be able to raise a substantial amt by the end of the CNY.

Here's wishing everyone an awesome chinese new year! 新年快乐！

Family's going to be in Town!

Part of me is super excited about my family coming tmr, but another part of me is totally not excited that my brother's friends are going to be staying in my room. Everyone that I have told me about has gone "Harrr? Your room how to squeeze another 3 more humans?"

Yar, like seriously God knows why my brother invited 2 more dudes. And my hunch is that they are not cute, which totally doesnt help. (Sorry, I am superficial.)

Had a pretty damn good weekend of superb food (celebrated Carmen's Bday at Indigo at One Aldwych), and watched tons of movies. (6 in a row.)

And if you havent watched it yet, The Hurt Locker is really quite fantastic :D

职业病

Im watching Indiana Jones now, and the first thing that I think of when I heard Scorpion Bite was ... A rare cause of Acute Pancreatitis.

Sigh, 真的患了职业病.

-

Anyway, does anyone have any recommendations of any good movies? :D

Just watched Up yesterday (I know Im slow), and I feel bad for saying this but I think I only didnt like it that much cos I was truly extremely annoyed by the fat korean boy.

Staying Foolish, Staying Hungry.

Today, I think I refound my enthusiasm for medicine. Its not that Ive ever hated medicine at any point of time, but once in a while, I find it hard to remain super-keen (something that should have been built into every singaporean, much less someone from the schools ive been to) or even worse, to actually attended scheduled lessons.

But today, as I held the hand of a confused man and managed to get him to listen to me and to calm down, I am reminded that this is actually something that I really want to do. And that Im never going to be a good doctor and make a difference if I dont put in the hard work. No work, no gain.

Something that my GP said to me today really struck me- He said that sometimes, all you need to do to deal with hyperventilation, is to hold your patients hand and breathe with them.

And that was what I did with a terrified old lady with such battered hands cos so many people has failed to get blood from her tiny veins (Ken did a lovely job at finding it though), and with the aforementioned confused old man, and I actually felt like I finally did make a difference as a medical student. Not just another self- centred brat, roaming the wards so that I can pass my finals. As Steve Jobs said to Stanford, I do hope that I would be able to Stay foolish, Stay hungry for as long as possible.

Avatar!

I know I must have looked like I dropped off from the face of Earth, but I think I might just have valid excuses for it.

I finally sent my lovely sexay Mac for repair at the awesome Genius Bar 'cos it kept crashing on me. (My poor lady suffered 5mths of epileptic shocks.) They took more than 2 weeks to get back to me even though they promised 10days.

After that, it was preparation for the highly disastrous exam I look yesterday. I felt like I have pretty much wasted my time studying for the paper.

I mean I was laughing as I walked out of the hall, cos its one of those papers which Im pretty damn sure I failed. It was basically a paper which tested the whole year's work as a practice for our end of years, but there were almost like zero surgery questions, which is basically the only thing which I have done properly. Cant say how depressing it was to flip through pages after pages of rheumatology (God help me on this.), skin problems, illnesses associated with the elderly and Gen Med Spec stuff :( Oh and not to forget histology. I dont admit those pink stuff aint pretty, but after 2.5years I really still have no idea what those blobs are man.

Decided to go watch Avatar: The Movie in 3D after that. And it was pretty damn awesome! :D

It was a pity we missed the first 20mins of it though (cos we were too hungry and greedy and thought that its unforgiveable to miss dinner even if it meant missing part of the show). I think I might actually go back to watch it in 2D, and get the DVD (extra footages!) when it comes out.

Going for Indian tonight with the councillors cos Hon is popping by from Lyon. Looking forward to some curry, esp in this awfully cold weather.

And Im so going to get all those movies from my flatmates and cuddle up in bed and catch up on what I have missed for the past, what feels like almost eternity.

Not so Merry Christmas.

My holiday plans are seriously getting screwed all over by this bug of mine.

I wake up late, feel my stomach growling, have a huge meal and then start feeling drowsy and ache-y all over and then go back to sleep.

Which totally screws my revision AND diet plan.

And i hate having to breathe through my mouth, cos it makes my tongue feel like its got scalded and my lips crack. My heart rate's also racing, though I have no idea why. Im drinking so much that I going to the loo every 10mins or so, so I doubt its going to be dehydration.

What a way to spend xmas and start the new year :(

Im def going to be booking a flight back home for next Xmas.

Its not like when I stay here i do anything productive or have plans to travel anyway.

Chubby Tummy's Hols :D

I have been wanting to go to the gym for the past 1 wk or so, but the horrid weather is just making me dread the disgusting walk (although its not more than 10mins really). And now Im down to with a runny nose and bad headache. What a way to spend xmas hols.

The moaning aside, Im glad I finally settled all my travel plans for Jan and Feb :D My brother and some of his friends plus my mum and gran would be coming over! Yay. After days and days of hounding my brother to confirm with his friends on their plans on where they would like to visit and their budgets, we finally have come up with a pseudo- finalised itinerary. We have plans for 2 weekend trips to Madrid and Amsterdam, which Im pretty much very hyped about. Shopping and Hookers, what more can we ask for no? :D Oh of course, not to forget waffles, fries and TAPAS! I hope it would be a blast, thats of course, if I dont get so annoyed by the 2 extra dudes that I would want to stab their eye.

(Erns, I totally feel your pissed-at-thick-skinned-arses now.)

And then it would be off to Venice after that! Im pretty tempted to book a nice place to chill and relax in Venice, instead of staying at a shoddy old shack. But thats also depending on what Carmen have to say about it.

Im still thinking if I should take a short break and stay in London for a weekend or do another trip during the CNY/ Vday wkend. If so, Im considering either Germany, which I have always wanted to visit, or Manchester, since the latter has a huge Chinatown.

So thats one whole month of burnt weekends. Hopefully, I wont be too shattered after that.

Hols are here!

Im so thankful for holidays :D

I have been waiting for this break for a real long time. The days of being able to wake up without swearing at the alarm clock for 2 whole weeks :D This is life!

And since most people are out of town, finally Im going to start having some me time. To catch up with work (unlikely), to catch up on sleep debt, to clean up my room (unlikely, either that or its going to get messed up again)and to read all the Jeffrey Deavers and David Baldaccis that have been waiting for me.

Of course, there is going to be the Boxing Day and New Year Sale to look forward to!

And hopefully, try to go to the gym. (3kg since i came URGHS.)

I cant believe 2010 is coming, time is passing way too quickly!

OK, time to go back to check on my fish pie. 2nd attempt, hopefully it would taste better than the first which I found way too dry.

Christmas Wishlist

Christmas Wishlist:

1. Hair Straighteners

2. Foundation Brushes + Bronzers

3. Uggs

4. Winter Coat

5. Ear Muffs & Gloves

6. Wellies

7. A nice big mug

8. Shoe rack

9. Bathroom (Under- the- sink) organiser

10. A nice thick Gym mat

As you can probably tell from the last few items that Im running out of things to ask for (esp when Im asking for household items.)

But of course, I would never mind ...

More dresses, more shoes and more bags! :D

And my greatest wish of all time... LOSE WEIGHT.

Please please please stop buying me food!

Randomly, I know Ive only visited the hairstylist less than 2months ago, but I think i might need another haircut soon. This is the problem with getting an interesting hairstyle, it starts looking really odd after 0.5cm has grown.

Lie to Me

Im positively addicted to Lie to Me.

Its definitely one of the best American dramas produced in a long long time.

And i love the clothes they have inside, wished i didnt have to wear such boring stuff to work every day.

A pretty damn good week :D

The mandatory tourist shot just as we were about to leave.

With the councillors, my family away from home.

At the dubiously fast ferris wheel. (With not much safety precautions.)

The cold of the day totally didnt help in calming down my nerves. But it was memorable i suppose :D

The nougats were pretty awesome. We had the Amaretto one :D

DUTCH PANCAKES. Yums.

Random french stuff that was pretty yummy too.

Spanish Paella.

It was pretty good and quite a good serving for the price (at a fair where you would expect to be completely ripped off.)

The indoor part of the fare.

Us 自highing as usual.

We basically climbed into the emergency exit of a hotel's restaurant and pretended we were explorers.

I have had pretty good week :D

Went down to Bury St Edmund's for the xmas fare on Sat and then to watch La Clique on Sunday with the councillors. La Clique was quite ranchy and pretty awesome, I would say its really one of the best shows to watch. We had the standing seats and it gave us a real good view of all the acts (in fact it was nxt to one of the 2 stages), costing at only 15pds :D

Started Pathology week at Archway, and I would say i really quite like the whittington hospital. Its alot newer and nicer than I expected it to be (And yes, it is my first time there. Sad I know considering Im in my 3rd year.) And the food there is really just quite amazing. Muffins from muffin break are like ooooppphhhhhmmm (I dont want to think about the calorie intake). Esp the apple and cinnamon ones. Though the carrot one is pretty good as well. The cakes they do are pretty damn awesome too. Though I think going to the gym for 1hour would only help burn off like 1 muffin worth of calories, but Im choosing to be a camel and delude myself into thinking that working out allows me to eat :D I cant do without sweet stuff. And as Wenxi said, sweet stuff is meant to make you happy! Why be miserable yeah?

Staying in home over this wkend to catch up on sleep (woke up past 11am today, how shiok is that!) since we would be starting Cardio nxt wk and it does look pretty intense.

Plus meeting Charm and Esther for dinner on Monday, UCL festive fair on tues, Grease with the councillors on Wed, Dinner party with the medics on Friday, Steamboat/ KTV with HC people on Sat ... What an exciting week it is going to be!

And after this, it would be time to save up.

Thank goodnes Im not going on Hol, I will def bankrupt my parents at this rate :x

Life is good, but I still miss home :(

I miss the sun and my room and going wakeboarding and being able to run around my estate and skip in my car porch.

I miss my maid's cooking, and Sgp's so damn awesome food.

And most of all, I miss just randomly walking into my brother's room and making fun of him.

-

Wilson (Season 6 Episode 10) must be one of the best House episodes ever. I was starting to get bored of the subplots and melodramas taking over the series (which should be concentrating on the medical cases yeah). I found myself bawling away at how sweet House and Wilson are (and how insensitive and annoying Cuddy is. Why rub it in, and why make someone who's into you so miserable. And why choose a loser over a smart ass doctor who is head over heels into you.)

And Im also glad that Wilson has finally stopped becoming too nice. I found it absolutely shocking that he was once willing to give his (jerk of a) patient his own blood to save his life and now part of his liver. I dont think I would ever be able to do that really. For family, yes, but for a patient, I dont even think it would ever cross my mind.

-

T Mobile sent me a text recently telling me that my phone bill for the last month was 60pds. (Like what the @£%^U right!) I nearly had a heart attack there and then. Im def going to call them first thing on Monday and find out why. And I think im going to change my phone provider to O2 since they do free landline calls, which would make my skype to go really cheap :D (Since calling home is pretty much what is sucking up my talktime.)

Time to get back to trying to do some reading :D

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Sometimes I do wonder if Im more emo than I think I am/make myself out to be.

Or maybe I should just blame it on Hormones? All girls get to do that right.

I feel like I need a break, but I dont know from what.

And I do feel like going home quite terribly, sigh.

Pied a Terre

Firstly, apologies that the photos are coming up in a weird order.

And also, cos I was too excited that i didnt quite manage to get proper photos of all the food there :D

A very bad photo of the main dish, which was fowl on mash + carrots & parsnips on top.

The fowl was very very well done, loved the texture of it and like the crispiness the skin on top. And the mash was smooth, and carrots really sweet, having taken in the sauce on the chicken. Not a big fan of parsnips though.

Came complete with the tempura like cabbage, which I really really loved.

The other main dish- which was the fish. It was pretty good too.

As before, I loved the crispy veg that went with the fish.

Pre- dessert.

Had chilli in it, very interesting tasting.

My starter.

Duck hearts, sausage and foie gras. I really loved it :D

Pre- starter.

Loved the little pastry thing on the left. Forgot what it was though.
Had a pretty awesome day today.

-

Slept in late, cos there was nothing but ward duties today. Didnt manage to find anyone to sign off my forms for me :( Hopefully tmr I would be able to grab hold of someone if not I would be seriously screwed.

And of course the highlight of the day was a 5 course lunch at Pied A Terre, a 2 Michelin Star Restaurant at Charlotte Street. (For about 33pds incl of additional charges.)

It was lovely that we managed to get hold of the private room, which was pretty comfy and gorgeous. Lighting was nice and romantic, which got me pretty sleepy.

However, I wasnt all that pleased with the service. Its not that the waiter serving us was rude or anything but I had feeling that it was done in a pretty slip- shod manner. Maybe cos I used to work in Banquet, but i hate it when waiters clang utensils on the plates too loudly. Although, I have to admit that we were behaving in the most unglamorous manner ever.

The food was good, I have to admit. But below my expectations of a 2 Michelin star restaurant meal. I definitely have had better food elsewhere without Michelin stars, but it might also be because we have had a meal that was on discount. It might possibly have been better if we ordered other stuff from the proper menu itself.

All in all, i still did enjoy myself tremendously there. There was good food, nice ambience, pretty good service and lovely people around. A very awesome lunch! :D

Headed down to New Bond Street for the Mulberry sample sale, but was rather disappointed by it. Didnt like most of the stuff too much anyway, so didnt get anything. I think Carmen and I were possibly the only people who left without getting anything. Ah wells.

Surgery's ending in 2 days time, and I still need to get a bloody CEX done urghs. This sucks!

More plans for Good Food.

My current line- up of Sins now includes:

The Fat Duck, of Course.

2nd Best Restaurant in the world, with 3 Michelin Stars to it.

Need I say more?

And possibly to The Waterside Inn, just next to it.

Le Gavroche, by Michel Roux Jr.

It must be great, since the man himself is so absolutely amazing.

The menu too, looks extremely extremely tantalizing, and relatively value for money, compared to the others on the Michelin List.

Murano, one of Gordon Ramsay's many Restaurants, with Angela Hartnett as the Chef.

The Lunch Menu looked pretty good and is pretty affordable too!

Maze, another one of Gordon Ramsay's ventures as well.

Its French, with some Asian Inspiration, and everything in tasting sizes (good news for girls!).

Its apparently pretty new but has had loads of good reviews already, well of course, including 1 Michelin Star :D

The chef has trained as the famous El Bulli (Best Restaurant in the World 2009!) in Spain as well.

York and Albany by Angela Hartnett/ Gordon Ramsay.

Its actually just at Camden, and I never knew about it.

They even have this small grocery store next to it :D

And this is why London is awesome :D

Salt Yard.

The highlight of my meal at Salt Yard, Charlotte Street.

Courgette Flowers, with goats cheese and a tinge of honey drizzled on it.

Plum and Almond Cake with Salt & Caramel Ice Cream.

Picture doesnt quite do it justice to be honest, tasted loads better than this looks :D

Salt Yard seriously serves amazingly orgasmic Tapas.

The tortillas here were my fave, and in my opinion better than those I had in Barcelona 1 yr back. (Hear this Ernie? :D)

Yum and Happy now!

Edna mode.

My new edna mode haircut. (Or Lady Gaga wannabe.)

That smile there seriously does not reflect my insides :(

Wish me luck in facing the public tmr.

Weekend trips :D

Heading down to Bury St Edmund's Christmas Market in 2 weeks time with the councillors, my flatmates and some of the medics! If you are up for it as well, please please please join us :D Though you would have to book your train tickets from nationalrail on your own. Afterall, parties are always merrier when there's more to make noise and do silly stuff!

Hopefully it would be good, considering online reviews have been making it sound so awesome. They have a trail of markets, selling stuff from christmas food (ooooh yeeeharrr!) to little trinkets. And im crossing my fingers and hoping that it wouldnt be insanely cold up there (though this place is only slightly up north of London, 45mins away from Cambridge) cos my cold tolerance is really very pathetic. But, Im still pretty much very very excited about this as of now!

-

Visited the London BBC Good Food Show 09 at the Olympia yesterday and I really enjoyed myself tremendously. I was seriously stuffed from going around tasting all the awesome cheese and wine/ alcohol and cakes and udon and kickass sausages and loads of random stuff. Managed to nab a couple of real great deals like 90p Calpis concentrate (I know its weird getting Jap stuff here in London), Rachel's organic yoghurt (the yoghurt rice is unbelievably smooth and awesome), sausages of course, jam for friends and aiyah, Im too lazy to type everything down. The sample size dishes which they sold there was disappointing though. The venison burger from Launceston Place was a little on the dry side, Kungbao chicken from Min Jiang good but not fantastic, and the Lemon sole with white wine sauce created by one of the Masterchef Winner was a little too salty (though I suppose it would have been better if it was the creator himself cooking it).

BUT BUT BUT ... I MET MICHEL ROUX JR in person. I was literally like 5m away from him. Totally made my entrance fee worth it :D :D :D

-

Today's the day whereby I told myself that its not too late to start afresh, and pick myself out of the ditch I have dug myself into. I heard that subtle relief from my mum when I announced that to her today.

10 weeks of play (excl summer) is enough. Its time to show people what Singaporeans are truly like :D

I love online shopping.

Just went into this crazy frenzy of getting shoes and bags and coats online.
Whatever happened to self- restraint :(

Rebirth.

What a week it has been for me.

Having Stef over, Meeting the PKK people and councillors, Mini- Maf, falling ill (so much so I had to take time off school), getting better, having dj over, watching Blood Brothers (4th row from the front for 15quid hehe), catching up on my sleep debt (out at 9pm, up at 9.45am) and a very lovely quiet Sat morning and noon.

Its going to be my flatmates' reading week, and my busy week. Not that I am complaining cos i really do like going to the hospital. I love my Hepatobiliary (basically the liver and gall bladder and stones and stuff) rotation. The consultants are absolutely charming, and awesome teachers.
As Rae said, I would feel rejuvenated after a bought of illness. And indeed I do, I feel like its time for me to start working very hard to catch up on all that I have missed. Esp since there is only 3 weeks left for surgery. I think im going to miss it very very much :(

Time really passes too quickly.

Sick.

I hate being sick :(
Esp when Im having such an awesome module with such great teachers who are so willing to teach us!
For some strange reason, I fall sick everytime i dont sleep well. I think Im getting old. Either that, or I blame stef for passing the bug to me when she was over during the weekend. Or maybe its my patients, or the freshers, I dont know. I'm basically surrounded by coughing, sneezing, tearing people all the time.

Mini MAF was cool, though me and Stef went super late, barely in time for song and dance. But it was sweet meeting the councillors. Everyone seems to be doing real well.
And now we have planned a trip up to oxford, I cant wait for the all- awesome .... Moo Moo's! I heard that they do hot milkshakes too :D

Posh.

Today, my patient taught me something interesting.

Did you know? ...
That the word Posh came about from "Port out, starboard home" (P.O.S.H). Apparently it was on the passenger list for for people travelling from UK to India because the sun would be on the Starboard side when outbound and Port side when Inbound. Tickets for those cabins would be more pricey, and hence usually only the richer people would be able to afford.
And hence, the term really :D

Its interesting what we can learn from just talking to people, and being willing to give some the extra time to "blabber on". You never know what surprises lie ahead of you.

UP and around on a bright Monday Morning

Turned all my clocks, but my handphone/ alarm clock back 1 hour.
So here I am, chirpy and awake and WAITING FOR SCHOOL TO START (?!?) at 7am in the morning. This is beyond sad! But i like the feeling of getting ready for work in a relaxing manner, taking my own sweet time to get dressed and have breakfast.

And Im so glad that Dj is going to be around for xmas to travel around with me! We are currently looking at somewhere sunny.
Stef is coming over for the weekend, and there is going to be Mini Maf for me to meet everyone.
I have a hunch this is going to be a relatively good week, crossing my fingers and hoping that I wont lag for my new Urology rotation as I did for the past few.

Im ashamed to say this, but i am now officially extremely sick of B&J's icecream, after having (too much of) it for the past 1wk (every single day, urghs). Things like this happen when there is 2for1 offers and only 3 flavours are restocked each time -_-"

Quick Update :D

I just finished my ENT (Ear Nose Throat) ultra-short posting and I have to say this is definitely smthing tt i really enjoy. I was speaking to one of the specialist reg and he was saying tt you get a good mix of clinics and surgery on ENT which is great. I like being able to use my hands and work on stuff, and yet I like the whole idea of meeting pts and chatting to them as well. Plus the surgeries for ENT are pretty "clean" and sleek, and these surgeons sure do play with loads of toys. Double plus! I like rotations cos it allows me to open my eyes to more fields and things tt I would not have considered otherwise, but at the same time I dont like the fact that I dont quite get to know my consultants and the staff well cos we just keep switching firms.

I havent been all too proactive and working as hard as I should be in school (I dont think i have properly clerked all tt many pts this wk), and I have been having way too much fun with my flatmates. Like i do find it rather ridiculous tt Im having dinner from 7-10pm on a daily basis. Even my mum has started saying things like, why dont you try working, for 2-3days and then play for the rest. -_-" But still, its cool to have smthing to look forward to after a long day at work. The feeling of a pseudo- family away from home.
But the last couple of weeks have been really great for me, from gg down to Billingsgate Market and getting loads of lobsters and crabs and throwing parties and meeting up with friends and all.

Im going to watch a Chelsea match nxt wed, and Kep is just insanely excited about it. Im looking forward to it, hopefully catching a glimpse of ballack or smthing. But not all tt excited about the cold.

And i havent yet decided if I should go home for xmas, cos Stef is not going to be ard to travel w me and I think dj is off in Japan. URGHS.
Either tt, or I will make my brother come over to go Morocco with me :D

Skiving off On- Call.

Considering that I havent been doing any reading for the whole week and that I just managed to skive off from my on-call duties which I swopped with Morrison, I should be getting some work done now instead of waiting for House to load. (Yes, the new season is finally out! So is Heroes. I dont even want to check if Chuck's out, even though I dont think I would eventually be able to resist it anyway.)

The whole week has been so hectic, coming in early and all. We aint going back tt late, but still having to be rushing about and taking in all the info just completely drains me. I havent called home much, and my mum called to ask if I had died or smthing. I have now FB-ed my brother to tell him to periodically assure my mum that Im alive and well, not that I think he actually checks it with A's coming up and all. Hopefully, he would actually be working on it to some extent.

My flat has been like totally the most amazing thing that happened to me ever. Going back now is to some extent like going home. With people to chat with and stuff. Its really a nice feeling. I have half made my immediate neighbour (the one who looks like asian harry potter) my slave. Which is cool :D

I met up with Egg, Dada and his twin sister last night for dinner and some drinks. We had Fish and Chips and I have to admit that 3 years down, I still dont get British grub. As much as i love fish, I still cant bring myself to say that I loved dinner last night. It was good for fish and chips, but I really would rather have it done say, the Italian way. Headed down to Potions after that, and it was claustophobic, though i did get pretty used to it after a while. And i am starting to like my cocktails, though for the sake of my liver, I do try to keep it down to the bare (social) minimum.

Colorectal firm's over. Which is quite a pity, cos I really really loved it so much. The consultants and regs are absolutely amazing, all of them excellent surgeons and interesting personalities in their own unique way.
Its going to be Upper GI and Bariatrics next, heard it loads more relaxing, which is cool 'cos I think Im going to need a slowing down to not burn out. I applaud the singaporeans back home who can just go on and on like energizer bunnies. Sometimes I wonder if I would be able to handle all of these when I do eventually go home. Hopefully, I wont be like the crappiest doctor around.

Its a lovely day outside today, and thats a good sign always!

On Call on Sat is afterall a good thing!

I had one of the most productive days ever yesterday.

Managed to successfully take bloods from a terrified kid. Which was really a cool feeling cos he thought I was pro. Hah. Even though i was probably trembling more than him. But I had to keep that confident smile on, and assure him things were going fantastic. And thank God, I got the vein the first time. Nothing beats the feeling of shiokness as you see the flash-back (blood flowing back into the needle for the first time before you insert the tube), when you got the vein.
Really, now i see the wonders of good communication. I mean last time I used to think that PDS was such a waste of time and they are teaching the plain obvious. But now Im starting to appreciate the little tips and all which I picked up from there. For one, it makes pts less angry when you mess smthing up, which is smthing med students are bound to make.

I failed my first cannula but the pt was chilled with it thankfully. The FY1 on duty failed on his first try too :P
But after that, i managed to cannulate this anesthetized chap. And it felt good. And honestly, I think I was real lucky to have met cool nurses and anesthetists and surgeons who were willing to show me things.
Watched a hip replacement op after that, and now i do have second thoughts abt ortho. And i see why my neighbour was telling me to run 5miles a day at the very least and to work with weights. Tough stuff.

I then popped by the next theatre to watch my consultant do a complicated colectomy on this lady with metastasis in her sigmoid colon, following spread from the left ovary. They had to create a permanent end ileostomy after that. I was amazed totally by the concentration levels and dexterity of my reg and consultant. I think as Medstudents, I really do have to sit back and think when I complain about how tough my timetable is, 'cos i think our bosses have it worse. Not only do they not complain one bit about it, they still have to juggle teaching responsibilities on top of it.

Managed to get off 2h from work, which was cool. Went down to oxford street hoping to do some shopping only to realise that I am in London and shops are off at 5pm. So headed down to my snr's MAF party after that. Came back shattered, showered, slumped onto bed and slept without an alarm clock. Shiokness.

Going shopping in a bit!

Eradicate the Freshers!

Im feeling murderous today. Like Im freaking pissed at the freshers in my block who are partying daily till 4am everyday. I cant bloody sleep at all with all the noise they are creating and its frustrating when you are in bed for 4 damn hours. (You get my point from my choice of vocab.) They kinda forget that there are people who dont want to hear their convo and flirting and have to wake up at 6.30am for work.
Im real thankful that my flatmates are angels.

Well of course, other than my animosity towards the newbies, Im otherwise quite happy. Clinic's awesome and so busy. We are up and running from 7.30am and only off at 5pm, with like 15mins in between classes for lunch (in the midst of walking to the next class). Its kinda crazy, but exciting in its own way. I prefer this to having to wait around for things and being bored.
Managed to clerk someone with 4 pages of past medical hx. But in light of pt confidentiality and what not, I dont think its a good idea to share it here. Really, i never knew that so many prblems could be present in the same person at the same time. But i suppose, I should be qte immune to this already no?

Nitin and I then went to watch a colonoscopy through a stoma after that. It was cool stuff, since most of the time they tend to insert the telescope through the anus. Im quite impressed by the Reg's skill. I mean it does require some sort of coordination and practise to be able to maneuver that stuff well. The pt had some sort of mutated HNPCC, which predisposes him to colon cancer. Results from the colonoscopy wasnt too good, a previously removed polyp is now a fairly large lesion. He prbly has to have a colectomy lined up. It would really be interesting to do some follow up with him since the Reg mentioned that he prbly has to have a surgery lined up qte soon.

On a side note, I think Im pleased with myself thus far. I dont think Im doing fantastically well as far as rankings are concerned. But i think i have largely surpasses my expectations in terms of being able to communicate with people- both pts and peers alike. For the past 2 years, I have had this irrational fear that Im going to pass out everytime i spoke up in a group, but I have to say it is getting better now :D And i think im finally really enjoying hanging out with the angmohs. Which is good news really.
Im thankful that clinics is going well for me, and hopefully it would continue so.

Hell's Kitchen!

I have refound my love for cooking. I mean, its completely time consuming and can potentially be more expensive than eating out (Well, since you cook for 8 people and when you are out, you pay for only yourself), but once in a while, its definitely worth all the trouble.

I was supposed to be making Tiramisu, but I couldnt find Kahlua so I decided to make some other dishes.
And so our dinner consisted of:
1. HK Style/Dimsum Carrot Cake (courtesy of Carmen)
2. Pineapple Rice (Miche)
3. Thai Green Chicken Curry
4. Stir fry Veg
5. Jap Curry Chicken
6. Ma Po Tofu
7. Honey Glazed BBQ Pork Ribs
8. Victoria Sponge Cake with Ice Cream
9. Passion Fruit and Manga Yoghurt Dessert (Miche)

And that's why my Sat night was awesome. How can it not be great when there's good food and good company yeah? :D
(Well hopefully, they did think the food was good la hehe.)

Kep's already in town, and I heard Dada's coming next Sat.
Reunion on Maf night, sweet :D

Pathology Week

Im going to give myself a break today (what's new). But Pathology week has been a tad too much for me, I mean Im totally not built for lectures from 9am-5pm, plus I dont see how we are supposed to be absorbing so much in 1 week, and having to immediately apply all these knowledge at the start of next week. On top of getting ahead with revising stuff, I think I need to get more intelligent.

I dont see how I would be able to juggle stuffing knowledge into my already full brain, waking up for ward rounds at ungodly hours (7.30am properly dressed and looking fresh?!) and having fun at the same time. Oh, and of course, staying healthy. Its easy to degenerate into eating crap instant food (I have had sandwiches for all 3 meals for 1 week now) and not exercising (Im proud to say I have finally signed up with the gym!). But i think if I could graduate from MedSch and say that Ive had a blast of student life, then I think Im capable of doing anything. Though I do suspect that Im going to be saying "I could get through foundation/ reg/ consultant years and say that Ive had a blast" for the rest of my life. But of course, providing that I do graduate in the first place.
All these busy-ness while trying to keep in touch with friends and family back home. Phew. But Im thankful that 3rd year has been kind to me, Ive been loving it and being the new kid on the block aint that bad 'cos the people around have been real nice, accommodating and friendly. 4 weeks into term and Ive only had 1 bad day. I hope such good fortune will continue :D

People are starting to move into Schafer this week, considering school for all the others are starting next week. No one has moved into my flat yet, but I suppose its a matter of time. But people that I have met around have been really nice and friendly. Plus I met another Singaporean HC dude (and incidentally CheeGake's friend) who is staying in my block on the floor abv me. I do hope that I would be able to meet more Singaporeans around. Afterall, Im starting to feel this irrational fear that one day I wont be able to converse with anyone who's life doesnt revolve around medicine.

Kep's flying in tmr, exciting stuff. And Rae on Sat. Finally, London's coming alive!

Breaktime!

Decided that it was time to take a slack since ICCM and OSCEs ended, and this weekend has been quite a blast.

Went out to shop at Covent Garden and then had dinner at Las Tasca on Friday. There was 50% off on food, so it was a real good deal. Kiki, Carz and I had a sharing meal for 2 and we were totally stuffed by the end of the night. I had 2 glasses of sangria and I think I was a little tipsy by the end of dinner. Which prbly explained why i actually agreed to go Huntley with them after that. People were absolutely shocked to see me there. I mean its beyond rare that Peish turns up at a social event and almost unthinkable that im at the school bar.
I have to admit its real sad considering its only my 2nd time there, and Im in my 3rd year of medschool. But it was good fun, and I got a taste of my new current new fave- Smirnoff Ice. I like my drinks sweet and this was pretty light. Though I think by the end of the night, I was a little whoozy since i KO-ed pretty soon I got the chance to hit my sack.

Sat was a rather domesticated day for me. Finally got the chance to properly clean up my room, pack my table, vacuum the floor, clear the kitchen. Its nice to be starting a new term with a newly cleaned room.
Spontaneously decided to watch Sister Act, the Musical after that. And it was great. The vibe was amazing and the stage set was impressive. I personally preferred Hairspray though, but Sister Act does have good songs! Managed to get real good tickets at an awesome price. Single seats, but i suppose we dont quite have to sit together with friends for shows yeah?
Got back and continued watching old Sister Act clips on youtube.

Ive spent this morning doing my laundry and getting random stuff for Kiki who is going to be making ondeh ondeh and baking! Cant wait to try it, crossing my fingers and hoping that it turns out well.
And im just going to spend my Sunday lazing around, watching youtube and catching up on all the rest Ive been missing. Surg's starting soon.



This dude totally moved me to tears.

Ive been tearing a whole lot recently, like I was bawling my head away in Sister Act. The couple nxt to me prbly thought i was nuts or emo or smthing of sorts.

The end of OSCEs!

OSCE went disastrously today. I mean I was so nervous I couldnt even spell accessory. I think i had like 4 S-es in it. I can totally imagine the examiner's face when he marks my paper. Even Ken was laughing at me for not completing the cranial nerve question, which was a total giveaway. Plus I was shaking so hard when I was trying to palpate for the brachial artery.
Im just glad that its not included in the final yr's grades, which actually counts for MBBS. Urghs.

Went to celebrate the end of OSCE with Carz and Ken. We had a last minute change of plan, and headed down to Belgo's in Chalk Farm for some mussels instead of French. The sausages (esp so!) and chicken there was good too. And we managed to beat the clock at 5 (so we only paid 5quid for our main dishes). The desserts werent fantastic though. Speaking of which Im kinda craving for some Pistachio ice cream at Selfridge's/ Le Chocolatier.
And i really should make good use of the 2for1s at Cafe Rouge and GBK. Oh, and 50% off at La Tasca! Sangria anyone? :D

Its not good that I have been feeling too full too much recently. And its worse when I havent even signed up for the gym yet.

One of those shit days.

Today is a shitty day.

I had a crap day at school.

Wanting to make myself happier, I had a strawberry cheesecake. Only to realise it was rotten after I finished it.

Im bloody sick of having crap food for meals daily.

The weather sucks.

And i have a freaking OSCE Im damn unprepared for in 2 days time.

Most of all, I wish I was home.

I actually miss my brother, mum & dad and friends.

Damn a lot too.

2 weeks into Clinics!

I was meant to be practising OSCE with Carz this evening, but everything totally went awry the moment I started having a craving for ice cream. Starting with a trip to Sain's for ice cream and cheese cake, and then it morphed into a long 5hour chat. But its nice having a chat about my friends back home, and all the stuff I used to do. It made me really nostalgic (as usual) about life back in singapore, of rgs and hc. Those were good times really.

2 weeks of Clinics has passed. Actually not clinics proper, more like learning how to examine body parts and roaming the wards/ accosting the patients. I really think the school should get us unhealthy patients to practise on. I just get so accustomed with declaring my actor healthy during the practise sessions that I dont know what abnormal is on the wards.
I totally did myself in when I declared a patient who had heart murmur as healthy during one of my clerking sessions. But i suppose, as medical students, we are meant to make mistakes and not know anything.
I love the way things are now, I mean its no more long hours of lectures. Yes teaching does start ridiculously early (7.30am for ward rounds, horror!), but everyday's so different and fresh and exciting. At least at this point, things are. And thankfully, Im blessed enough to be meeting people who would stop and teach me.

Thorpe Park last weekend was good stuff :D I really should make plans to check out Alton Towers, heard that the rides there are def more awesome.
Having plans now to check out Cafe Rouge again this thurs after OSCEs with Carz. Im totally having a craving for duck now.

Throw your Sigg away. Its poisonous!

Stef is trying to kill me!
Throw away your Sigg Bottles people, they contain the stuff that caused our paranoid Mamas to throw all those disposable plastic stuff away!

Weekend's here, finally.
Just had an awesome korean dinner with some of the medics to kick it off. Awesome stuff :D

Starting Clinics!

Have been real busy moving house (I shall not bitch/boast anymore about lugging stuff myself), settling in, having fun before term starts (Went for the Nottinghill Carn, which is like Europe's version of Chingay. Pictures will be up soon when my internet's fixed.) and sleeping alot (Ive been like konking out before 10pm daily). But life's good, weather sucks and ... Clinic's started!

2nd day into Clinics and I have this uneasy feeling that everything's going to be a lot worse. Esp when my tutor said smthing along the lines of "You get to come in late on Tuesday at 8am. And dont be late, you dont want to end your career by pissing Dr XXX off."

Im thankful that today is a wed, so we get to have the (late) noon off for "sports", smthing that i really dont see myself doing much in the coming year. I had great plans before starting clinics to do evening language classes, but totally having second thoughts about it now. I give Kiki and Jean and whoever else all the credit in the world for being able to do gym like everyday or so.

But im still happy that pre-clinical med is over, and we get to actually do stuff now. Even though we are like below the bottom of the food chain, and whatever we do actually doesnt help anyone but ourselves one bit. Afterall, all those consultants saving tons of lives out there started as amoebas like us right?

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Randomly ...
And I do hope this Sat's Thorpe Park outing works out.
People in London, drop me a msg if you are interested in coming along! Bring on the roller coasters baby!