London

Back in London now doing my special study module in O&G, high risk maternal medicine. After which, I will be back in Singapore again (I must be spending more time in Singapore than London this year) after this 4 week module for my final SSC in A&E at SGH. Kinda nervous and yet excited at the same time. Nervous cos I expect to have my ass kicked by the singaporean students and excited cos i think i'm going to be able to see loads (: It's all about pride aint it?

And its going yet another beautiful christmas in singapore with friends and family, really looking forward to it. That being said, I think Im starting to see a home in London, with all my beautiful and fun friends.

Best friend Prisc would be in town this weekend which is getting me all excited! We are going to watch the best cartoon of all times, LION KING IN 3D at the Imax at waterloo. My first time there, and to watch my fave childhood movie, how very nice! :D

Medical Electives in Singapore.

Just a quick update cos life is just way to exciting for me to document all of it down in words.

I have just been back from a 16day trip to Nepal- Bharaput, Pokhara and Kathmandu. It was truly an exciting trip that has opened my eyes to that part of the world (my little taster to India, though I am very sure that they wont be happy to know that they are compared to the Indians) and one which has allowed me to meet some really great friends. I got witness neurosurgery in a developing country, birth without any pain relief (holy!), patients with worms in their brains amongst many other interesting medical cases. We also managed to try paragliding (oh so beautiful the view of the padi fields from the skies), go on a jungle trek, go river rafting, elephant riding through the forest (i got motion sickness from this) and I managed to get myself a pretty blue sari too! Of course, the down side included battling the bed bugs, temperatures and humidity worse than Singapore and the streets of Kathmandu (just way too stressful with all the honking, spitting, dust and mud and noise).

Now i am on my second week of my medical elective, doing paeds at KKH. Its been such an enjoyable experience despite me feeling really stressed and stupid next to all the local M3 students. I think i truly miss being home. The people, the efficiency, the food and of course the friends and family.

Then Singapore just chose her new president- Dr Tony Tan (: What an exciting elections it was, afterall he won Dr Tan Cheng Bock by no more than 0.5% of the votes.

And ... I am going for the Jackie Cheung concert tonight, and Im sure it would be one amazing concert. Afterall he is the 歌神!

Seriously, I dont understand when people say that there is nothing to do in Singapore. I seem to have too many things I want to do and so little time- Singapore Zoo (check), Halloween Horror at Night Safari, MAF at HwaChong (kinda exclusive i guess), Museums (Chinatown Heritage Museum, Dali exhibition at Art Science Museum), Wakeboarding, Treetop walk, Bukit Timah Hill, the various shows going on- Hossain Leong etc! And if you are really bored, check yourself into MBS or Resorts World Sentosa for some pampering or take a day trip to Batam. Of course, and there seemed to be never enough meals for all the good food here!

Final Year Student Finally.

Oh yes, IM OFFICIALLY A FINAL YEAR ((((: Now I can hold my head up high and head back home with my head held up high! Im all hyped up about my summer plans and elective in singapore and loads of fooooooddddd. Enjoying the sun, going wakeboarding, chilling with friends and family ... here I come!

Year 4 has truly been one whirlwind year, I cant believe that its already July 2011, I dont even remember it turning 2011?! Time seemed to pass more quickly this year than any other year. But not necessarily bad for they always say that time passes quickly when you are enjoying yourself.

I think I might just have an inkling on which speciality I would like to pursue in future (although whether or not I get it, its a different matter altogether). I have grew to love medicine now more than ever, and I have also learnt to learn medicine not just to pass exams but to be a safe doctor. Someone spoke about a great doctor that heads a dept in UCH, saying that "He wasnt a brilliant medical student, but he is an amazing doctor." And that is what I would like to be. It would be a bonus if I was a brilliant medical student but I think its important that I never lose the goal in sight. For spamming MCQs would never make me a good doctor.

I have met new friends, people who have made me smile and chuckle to myself whenever I think of them. Of course, I have rediscovered old friends. I have learnt to better deal with stress- to laugh it off, albeit maniacally. I have learnt work- life balance, so thats geeky peish out of the door! This concept, Im still grappling with, but Im determined that as much as I love medicine, its never going to be the only aspect of my life.

Im looking forward to the coming academic year, especially with a great bunch of people who will be posted to the same place with me.

For now, adieu 'cos the sun is finally shining outsideeeee! xxx

The last lap.

2 days to exams, the last one of the year. Thats if i manage to get through it successfully.

So people, pray for me, pray that I'll be blessed with the strength to get through the last few days, and that I'll shine during the exams- that all I have studied I will remember and that I wont eat up my words and go uhm & ahh during OSCEs.

I cant wait for home (((:

The price of freedom.

I really wish I had a secretary to work out my schedules for me, make sure that bills are all sorted, elective applications and random bits and bobs sorted.

And if its not too greedy, it would be really nice to have someone to help me out with cleaning and ironing. I dont mind doing the cooking hehehe.

But i guess, I do have the freedom of doing whatever I want :)

>:(

I know Im usually happy and cheery and problem- less.

And I know that exams are not near, and there isnt anything thats troubling me right now, Im having a great social life, heading out almost nightly and Im not even supposed to be having PMS now.

But sadly (no pun intended), my baseline mood has gone into deficit, Im just perpetually sleepy/ tired and I feel ... erms, lonely? I dont even know if thats what i really feel, but its really a mish- mash of emotions that i dont normally associate myself. Maybe its the effect of doing a Psychiatry rotation. Im probably getting mild depression. But statistically speaking, I dont have any of those bad prognostic indicators.

Or maybe my puberty came late and Im just going through that moody phase now.

That aside, Im heading to edinburgh this weekend, so hopefully it will clear things up.

Plea for Postcards!

Now that my time in London is ending, Im starting to treasure it more. And being a sentimental nostalgic little girl, Im trying to compile an album full of my memories my uni life (which actually a large part aint in uni or uk for that matter).

So i would really appreciate if anyone could get me a postcard from the following places:

1. Dubrovnik, Croatia

2. Brela, Croatia

3. Oslo, Norway

4. Highlands/ Isle of Skye, Edinburgh

5. Dublin, Ireland

6. Barcelona, Spain

7. Venice, Italy

8. Verona, Italy

9. Naples, Italy

10. Cambridge, UK

11. Oxford, UK

12. Birmingham, UK

13. Prague, Czech Republic

Thats as far as I can think of for now! (:

Would pay you back and love your for ever and ever xoxo

My First Ever Vote for Singapore

Once again, I have to repeat myself for the 1000th time that I LOVE SPRING!

Even if it can get wayyy to hot in the very crowded non- airconditioned rush hour tube or super crammed & slow royal free lifts.

The days are long and people are just generally nicer and happier! Its less cold and most importantly, THERE IS SUN! I know Im becoming a Londoner when I obsess so much about the weather.

And today's a very important day, cos i voted in the Singapore General Elections. Im really thankful that I'm in London 'cos its not ridiculously difficult for me to get to the polling station (Singapore High Commission near Hyde Park Corner). Everyone tells me that my vote doesnt matter cos they aint going to count the votes of overseas Singaporeans unless there is an ambiguous win. But you never know right? I have to say I'm not really a fan of either of my candidates and with almost every seat ('cept for the unshakeable MM Lee) being contested, people will definitely forget my small constituency. It's a pity, 'cos potentially someone so much more capable could be our voice in parliament. Being an MP is not only about upgrading ... and erms, payouts? Its disappointing how neither of my candidates (Sitoh and Lina Chiam) addressed bigger issues that many other politicians have been discussing. The opposition party (Lina Chiam) appears to me to be merely trying to stir up angst amongst the residents against the government who has pretty much been neglecting our area ('cos its an opposition area) and Sitoh seems to be only dangling upgrading incentives (and he only had 1 rally). And sadly, neither are very engaging, sincere- sounding, charismastic or grammatically- correct speakers. Well maybe there are on the grounds, but it doesn't appear so on the online videos that I have to rely on.

Potong Pasir aside, I'm definitely way more concerned about the bigger guns- Aljunied especially. And I have no qualms that PAP would once again win in Marine Parade, despite Tin Pei Ling's "spectacular" performances and slips of tongue once and once again, but I'm excited to see how the results would be like. Yes, Nicole Seah is good, but can she compare to Goh Chok Tong? Indeed, she is more impressive than TPL but we cannot forget that there are very worthy candidates in PAP as well like Tan Chuan Jin, and can she compare to them? Much less GCT. Nicole Seah is one of the opposition party's stronger candidates and we are comparing her to PAP's weakest link. Is the opposition's weakest link even weaker than TPL? But as GCT said, (sadly) with GRCs you've gotta vote for the team and not only for individuals. TPL ain't ready, but if she doesnt perform (and in fact flop completely), I'm sure PAP would (hopefully) have a change of strategy next coming elections and understand that every single MP represents the voice of the people and fielding someone so unprepared can be a costly mistake.

But this election is exciting, and in less than 24h, we shall see what our new parliament will be like. Let's cross our fingers and hope that we have worthy MPs.

Easter Ends :(

Today marks the final day of my (well-spent) Easter holidays.

Its been definitely one of the best holidays- having gone to 4 different countries in a span of almost a month. Never have I ever travelled so intensely before, and never have I been to 4 such different places one after another. I guess in a way that is good, because the contrast brings out the beauty in each of these places.

Rome + Naples: The historical sights are just so well preserved in Rome that I feel like I'm almost transported back in time. Naples was alot less clean and organised as a city, but alot less touristy as well. And Pompeii was just breathtaking, its undoubtedly my favourite sight of the whole trip. Of course, what is Italy without the Italians who are always so friendly, helpful (going out of the way to help you with directions even when they dont speak English) and gorgeous (oh yes, check out those dark curly hair).

Croatia: Its beautiful with clear waters and unending scenery. And I can totally see why the Plitvice Lakes with the awesome waterfalls, clear lakes and hillsides make it as an UNESCO world heritage site. Unfortunately, it was too cold to swim at the season which we went. But still, it was a good (driving) trip with loads of laughter, joy and great company.

Paris: Its just so beautiful in Spring when the weather is great, and also when youve a local french- speaking friend to bring you around. The food was great, and now i can understand why people said that Paris is a romantic place to go to (only if you head there the right season)- the view from Eiffel, sitting by river seine, roaming the streets and picking up little things. Yes, Im glad i returned and let Paris have another chance (:

Istanbul, Turkey: A very interesting experience for me, travelling with 2 people Ive never travelled with before. Although I was ill the 1st 2 days, having about 6days in Istanbul meant that I had more than enough time to see/do most things anyway. (For a hurried tourist, 2days would suffice.) It was exciting for me 'cos Istanbul was just such a beautiful mix of Western culture and Asian (Islamic) believes. It was different from all my previous travels 'cos I was visiting mosques and the architecture & artwork are just so different from that of most of Europe's. Turkish food was great but Turkish coffee and tea (incl apple tea) was definitely my highlight! And I was lucky enough that one of my travel buddies had a local friend who invited us to her place for a great local turkish meal, which was awesome 'cos her family was just so inviting, friendly and it really showed me what a typical turkish family (& dinner) was like. Of course, what makes me fall in love with a place is the people. The turks are just so friendly-- like genuinely warm and helpful. Although they can get a little cheeky (maybe cos I was an Asian girl and there were hardly around. So as we all know, scarcity= highly sought after), but it wasnt so bad as to make it repulsive. Moreover, some of their pick up lines can be quite funny really. (Needs improvement though definitely.)

"Excuse me, can I hassle you?" (remains my absolute favourite)

(Conversation) "Oh, so you are a student. Do you have a sponsor, can I sponsor you?"

"You are my dream girl."

"You have a baby face. Can we be facebook friends?" (Is baby face even a compliment?!)

7 yo: "Hello, you are beautiful. Friends? Can I have a photo?"

"Hello you dropped something. You dropped my heart."

"Hello, where are you from?" remains the most common of all.

And so, this concludes my Easter break. Its now back to reality- Neuro, Psych and Ophthalmology. But it aint all bad, cos the weather outside is great (spring is great!), Im gonna be meeting my council mates who are in London for electives, and I still have 3 weekend breaks all lined up. 'tis an exciting term i foresee (:

Istanbul, Turkey Day 1-2

I spent my first 2 days in Istanbul sleeping in the hostel.

Which works well for me 'cos I really am completely shattered from all the travelling in the past weeks. I basically spent the day munching on cookies and bananas and finishing Michael Crichton's State of Play, which presents a really interesting perspective on the environmentalism and global warming.

Although my impression of Istanbul is based merely on a 1h drive from the airport (and the limited stroll around my hostel) but I still find this place really interesting- it seems to be a city of contrast. Western and Islamic culture meets and also, it seems to be conservative (almost communist like with the Turkish flag everywhere) and yet, it embraces democracy and I believe its one of the first cities in the world where women are allowed to vote.

The food too is interesting (although I havent really had it considering I have barely stepped out of the hostel) cos its like pitta (western bread) plus meat (grilled and roasted, which is pretty asian to me).

Im really looking forward to touring the city tmr. Hopefully the weather would be good, food good and people friendly!

Good night world (:

Easter 2011.

I know Im going to get slapped for whining that I have to go on holidays (ie. travelling). But i have to admit I am truly getting some sorts of travel fatigue. Firstly, I know something must be seriously wrong when I all I wish I could do now is to hole up at home (preferably Singapore home, but London will do fine), read a book and occasionally study (yes, I mean it).

But that aside, I really did enjoy myself in the past 3 weeks in Italy (Rome and Naples), Croatia (Dubrovnik, Brela, Split, Plitvice Lakes, Zadar) and Paris, France. I will be off in to Istanbul, Turkey in less than 12h time, with the same backpack, and barely anything unpacked from the Paris trip.

Italy was great, cos I got to see a side of my mum I never knew. Someone so childlike, so sweet and who likes to laugh so much. To me, she seems to be reliving her youth again, afterall she did devote her prime years to us. And, Im glad that now I have reached a stage of my life whereby my mum becomes one of my best friends and I listen to her because I respect and value her advice, more than because Im terrified of her. Im also glad that when I give her feedback or tell her I dont agree with her actions or ideas, she takes it in and we talk about it instead of me being dismissed as a naughty kid who 顶嘴s. Its really refreshing because its been a long time since I had the luxury to spend this much time with my mum.

This aside, Rome was beautiful. I love the Italians- the men were dropdead gorgeous and really friendly, even when we dont speak their language. They would go out of the way to help you and show you directions or offer tips. The streets of Rome were clean and despite many warnings about thieves and conmen etc, we didnt meet any. The food was good- I loved the pastas (squid ink pasta omg yums), pizzas, italian starters, coffee, biscottis, gelatos and the list continues. I basically had too much food there. The weather was slightly too warm for my liking, but that is of course better than having it chilly. The typical tourist sites- Trevi fountain, Colosseum, Vatican City etc were majestic but too crowded for my liking. And because it was just after exams for me, I was getting slightly saturated after a couple. But that also means that I have another excuse to go back there again (:

Although Naples was a more chaotic city (definitely more unsafe with rowdy teens and drunks in the noon), Pompeii is definitely worth a visit. Im not sure if its cos I was able to identify with it more since I studied it for history last time or that it is actually just really amazing that an entire city can be so well preserved. It also really struck me how good engineers, scientists and artists the Romans are. Many of the technology that we see today appears to have had some of its roots from their times- saunas, ovens etc. Naples is also the birthplace of pizza, and indeed, it did not disappoint. I definitely had the best pizza I have ever tasted at a small family run place near my hotel. The staff was extremely friendly- the cook even came out to have a chat with us, the food was fantastic (portions a little too generous) and prices good. In fact, all the best meals I have in Italy seemed to be in Naples. It was also really interesting for me to contrast Rome, a tourist hotspot, and Naples, what I would imagine to be a less well- to- do italian town.

I will update soon about Croatia, whereby some of my mates joined us and Paris- who is truly beautiful in Spring (and when you have a local to bring you around). Meanwhile, I need to catch some sleep before I head off to Istanbul, Turkey for yet another week long trip.

Ciao!

End of Paeds!

Exams are finally over! ((((:

It was definitely difficult, but all I can do now is to just wait for the verdict to be out this coming thursday.

And I still find it amazing that I have managed to cram Paeds, Derm AND GP in 2 days. (Yes we literally end school on Friday and have the weekend to cram it). And somehow we manage it.

Heading off to Italy (Rome and Naples) and Croatia. Hence, will be on yet another hiatus.

Plans after that will include Paris, Turkey, Sardinia, Edinburg and Berlin. What a mouthful. WHOOPS.

HELP!

Im positively suffocating under the sheer amount of work for this end of module exam. I really wished there was no exams so that I could go in every day and roam the clinics and wards and enjoy Paediatrics & Dermatology. (Or they could just cut down the number of weeks i had to spend in GP.)

Im currently swinging from 2 extreme ends of total panic to complete depression & hopelessness.

I really cant wait for this all to end and head off to Italy, Croatia, Paris and Turkey. Actually, I want this to end so that I can have a good night's sleep without nightmares and having to wake up to mug.

So all you kind souls out there, pray for me that I will somehow get through this with some sanity intact :D

Happy St Pats Day!

Happy St Patricks Day everyone!
And for those who intend to wear green and get really wasted tonight, why not add go green on your to do list as well!

I think I really have finally reached the age whereby birthdays ain't such a big deal anymore. I can't decide if it's cos I'm so paranoid of flunking my upcoming paeds end of module exam or that I'm feeling the age. I don't think I've really recovered since public policy challenge from the lack of sleep. It appears that I can no longer do nights like I used to in my teens.

And I promise to blog about public policy idea sometime soon :)

Happy St Pats Day!

Happy St Patricks Day everyone!
And for those who intend l wear green and get really wasted tonight, why not add go green on your to do list as well!

I think I really have finally reached the age whereby birthdays ain't such a big deal anymore. I can't decide if it's cos I'm so paranoid of flunking my upcoming paeds end of module exam or that I'm feeling the age. I don't think I've really recovered since public policy challenge from the lack of sleep. It appears that I can no longer do nights like I used to in my teens.

And I promise to blog about public policy idea sometime soon :)

A Father's Love.

I'm not a Christian but I really do want to share this video with all of you out there about a true story of a father's love for his son.

I have to admit I was bawling by the time I finished the video not only because I was touched by this case but 'cos I have seen so many similar cases in the Paediatric wards that Im roaming in now. The sacrifices and unconditional love that each parent would give to their children is just overwhelming, and I find it so beautiful that every single child is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to them no matter how imperfect/wrong medical opinions would classify them.

So, may you enjoy this (:

And love your parents more every day.

A Son asked his father, "Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?" The father who, despite having a heart condition, says "Yes". They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son went on to join other marathons. The father always saying "Yes" to his son's request of going through the race together. One day, the son asked his fater, "Dad, let's join the Ironman together."

To which, his father said "Yes".

For those who don't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island.

Father and son went on to complete the race together!

For more details: Google Team Hoyt

Helping Japan.

For those of you guys who are thinking of doing your own little part for Japan, one of my friends have set up a JustGiving page to raise some funds for Shelterbox. Shelterbox provide emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for families around the world who are affected by disasters at the time when they need it the most.

I tried to do my part by putting in some money and keeping them in my prayers. My friend has set up this page and pledged to give a 100USD Amazon voucher to 1 lucky person. (Although this should not be our motivation in contributing anyway, but if it gets the job done, I suppose its good too.)

I know ideally, we would all like to give abit more than just cold hard cash. But, I guess whilst money isnt everything, it can get us some things as well. So, hopefully with this little bit that we are doing, it can all add up to alot. Spread the word, like this you are giving more than just your X-amount.

For more details, your can visit Rachel's page.

Back from PSC Public Policy Challenge London

Am absolutely shattered now having only slept less than 4h last night.

But am a very happy (and well fed) girl and am really really glad for the amazing experience I had over the weekend.

For now, good night! Need to catch up on the sleep, my head is spinning right round right round ...

1st Morning of PSC Public Policy London

At St James Sofitel London now with 3 of my best mates in UK as part of the Singapore PSC Public Policy challenge, which is an initiative to get some of us from the younger generation thinking about policy making. Cynics see it as Singapore's ploy to recruit/ tie down more of us to the government whilst optimists see it as their way to attract more talents into the public service to do good for the country.

Was such a pity I had to come late for the event last night cos I was tied down in clinic with my Prof, but they did serve a good dinner (complete with macarons even though Im not a massive fan but I can imagine girls back home all going nuts) and that was definitely a good way to give any Singaporean a good impression.

It was followed by a talk on how to craft a public policy challenge and what really struck me was how much drafting a public policy mimics medical practice (or vice versa). It appears that the principles behind coming up with a good public policy is what should be guiding us young medics to become a good clinician. Shant talk too much about the concepts here. Propaganda or not, but I was impressed by how well Singapore as done thus far (based on the accounts of the speaker). But as most would know, I am ridiculously patriotic.

And on a more bimbotic level, the room is absolutely beautiful here at St James' Sofitel. The rooms are vintage meet modern, and I am truly inspired to model my home in future after this.

7am, bright start to the day, Im ready to get my case scenario. Till then, adieu! xxx

Hwa Chong Night London 2011

Last weekend was definitely amazing, and it got me counting my blessings.

(Omg, my Itunes just started playing 心旅 as Im typing this.)

I have to admit I had formal events like this. I hate it that I dont know how to put on make up properly and that every single dress makes me look extremely fat.

Yet I love that it is an excuse for all of us busy people to out aside what we are doing grudgingly and end up enjoying ourselves tremendously anyway. At events like this, I count my blessings that I have such great friends around me who can always make me laugh, whom I could count on and who make breathe a sigh of relief instead of turning bright red when they remind me that I have a wardrobe malfunction.

4 years down, and I love and trust them even more than ever.

Presenting the 32nd in London 2011 (:

And for the first time, I could really relate to the song lyrics. And in our eyes, I see signs of "having seen the world" and "age".

Gosh.