GP Attachment

I’m in not much of a cynical mood at the moment. The explosion of pent-up frustration was therapeutic, a form of catharsis if you will, and the fact that the past few days have been rather fun probably helps as well. It was both touching and amusing having friends worry about me after reading my previous entry (obviously, I haven't gone on a murderous rampage), and the entry did serve as a catalyst for some rather interesting debates (Yes, I like to argue). I’m lucky to have a sweetie and close friends who’re more than willing to discuss the finer points of philosophy at a given moment, followed by something trivial like Beyonce’s thighs in the very next minute.

Was kinda sad that paeds was over. The assessment went well, and it was gratifying to know that my supervisors liked me as much as I liked them. I have to say that I will be missing that place. It had a good combination of teaching and clinical experience, and the people were nice and helpful. It’s also one of the only places where you get compliments for not listening to the consultant and playing with the kids instead.

Spent the weekend catching up with the (mostly) usual set of friends. Met up with Sha for coffee, and Apek and his bro for a bit, whom I haven’t seen in ages. Had meals with Em, along with chats about law, the stock market and ethics. Watched a movie with CT, Shanti, Yus n Em. Ate Elly’s choc chip cookies. And I also spent a remarkable (and totally unforgettable) 4 and a half hours webcamming with Sweetie, courtesy of the girls’ net connection.

Assault on Precinct 13 was pretty good. If you liked Ethan Hawke in Training Day, and Lawrence Fishburne in The Matrix, you’ll like this movie. ‘Cause they’re more or less reprising characters that are reminiscent of the characters that they played in said movies. Wanted to catch Meet the Fockers, but the crowd wasn’t worth wading through. Next week, perhaps.

I started my GP attachment yesterday, at a rather ulu place called Morpeth. The practice is quite impressive – it was established over a 100 years ago, it’s equipped with rather posh furnishings and it has a very modern set-up (e.g. impressive use of their intranet, the paperless concept, the range of services provided). The people I met were remarkably nice as well, and my supervisor is a rather nice guy, whose wife bakes a lovely banana muffin.

The only complaint I have is the fact that my attachment will see me placed in both Morpeth and Lynemouth, which are approx. 40mins and 70mins from the centre of Newcastle respectively. Add the time it takes to get from my house to town, and I’ll probably be sitting in a bus with a sore butt for up to 2 ½ hrs each day. I’ll also be spending a small fortune by the end of the month. Not a very pleasant thought. There goes the plan to buy that Asics shoe I had my eyes on. And for some reason, the Medical School has screwed things up by not being able to provide accommodation for me, so I don’t really have much choice at this point in time with regards to saving my money, time and energy.

I guess I’ll have to charge my iPod fully, or make sure I’ve got readable material with me whilst I’m travelling, but those can only go so far. That reminds me of an amusing article I read in yesterday’s paper. For those of you who’re Jaffa Cake fans, apparently a motion was brought to court years ago, contesting the fact that it’s a cake and arguing that it’s actually a biscuit. The court decided that it was a cake, after the makers decided to bake an extra large version of it to prove their point. And before you think it was a total waste of money, the rationale behind the case going to court was the fact that cakes aren’t charge VAT but chocolate-covered biscuits are charged the 17.5% tax. Hence the attempt by the regulating body to reap in a little extra brownie points.

Am off to watch Arsenal beat Manchester United. Hopefully! I shall end this entry on a high note and attempt to quash any thoughts of mind-numbingly dull travels. I received my last (but not least) b’day present last night (thanks again, Em!) – ‘Mythology’, DC’s homage to Alex Ross' art, who is (in my humble opinion) one of the best in the business. Check out these examples, or just visit the link above.