RAmblings...

I have a rather bad habit of expecting to be treated by others the way I treat them. A reversal of the Confucian 'treat others as you would like to be treated'. But as we all know (or rather as we all should know) lovely little quotes such as the one above is regurgitated repeatedly because the world is not the garden of Eden, and we all need reminders to tell ourselves that we should be empathic, and actually give a damn about someone else's thoughts and feelings. Now, if only Eve didn't eat that horribly red, juicy apple...

Since I started uni, I can think of only 2 events that have made me really lose my temper. One was when my ex-gf and I had an argument revolving around my friendship with another girl, and I wasn't even mad at her but rather at the girl who was the 'batu api' in the situation. And another involves my elder sis' attitude towards my parents, which I can't elaborate upon without getting pissed off.

On a personal level, I make it a point to be nice and calm and friendly to everyone I meet. Whether or not I actually engange in a pleasant conversation is largely determined by how close I am to that person, along with whether or not that person deserves to be treated in a nasty way (the answer is a resounding 'no' in most cases). I'm lucky in being able to switch my PR skills 'on' and 'off' whenever I need to, along with my mood, so I can be cursing my consultant at a given time, and I'll be able to talk about the pleasant changes of the weather to my patient during the very next minute. This happens all the more frequently when I'm with my friends, folks who (I believe) should be treated in the best manner of all.

And why do I do this? Partly out of empathy, but the truth is rather less altruistic - I have this little karma-like belief, where I hope that I'll eventually be treated in a manner similar to that which I exhibit. That's why I give up my seat to old folks on the bus, that's why I don't bitch about others behind their back (unless they've done me a wrong turn, in which case I'll be bitching 'till that supervolcano at Yellowstone erupts), that's why I smile at others when all I want to do is wrap my hands around that person's neck and end his/her misery (or rather my misery) and that's why I share things with others (and I'm talking about emotional sharing rather than actual physical nonsense) - in the hope that I'll be shown the same amount of respect/trust in return.

The problem with expectations is that you're bound to be disappointed. And that breeds a certain amount of resentment. Although it tends to be a transient event, it happens anyway and I'm afraid of slowly and steadily being the very cynic that I don't want to be. There has been many a time when I wanted to shout at a person who has shouted at me, wanting to see her reaction as she watches someone who has always been nice to her let loose with the excuse of 'sorry, it's been a bad day'. After all, why bother being nice when it's seen as a sign of weakness and if it's taken for granted? Why bother being sensitive and caring when it only serves to invite tiresome jokes of homosexuality? Then again, someone did point out once upon a time that I'm no martyr.

The answer to those questions is that for every one person who chooses to take you for granted, there's another one who's eternally grateful for the smile you so generously gave them. There's always going to be someone who'll always remember you for being there when they needed a shoulder to cry on, someone who's grateful for the love you showered on them even when your own two shoulders were weary with the weight of your own burdens. And it's a fact (unfortunately) that even if someone's rude or bitchy to you, you don't actually know what it feels like to walk in their shoes, and there's no way of knowing if you'd behave in the same way if you were in their position.

Yesterday was a case in point - a lady came in for an ultrasound scan at the Maternity Day Unit, and she was one of the grumpiest person you'd ever come across. I had the 'honour' of keeping her company and spent a considerable amount of time thinking to myself how ungrateful some folks are for the care that's given to them.

This continued until I found out that her baby had some sort of congenital abnormality, and that totally changed my opinion of her. I chatted with her, and actively seeked to get to know her better and we ended up having a rather pleasant conversation. She went on to talk about how she's been praying for a miracle and hoping that her baby will turn out ok. Unfortunately, the scan did not detect a fetal heart sound (i.e. the baby she was carrying died) and when she was told, she literally wailed and burst into tears. All I could do was hand her tissues and hold her hand. I'd like to think that I made a difference, but I seriously doubt it. I can't even begin to imagine what she's going through at the moment, and all I can do is pray to God that she'll get through this tragedy in one piece.

Apathy

Here's an interesting article.

Boo Hoo Hoo

I've only been in M'brough for less than a day, and I'm already hating it.

Why? A number of reasons. But it's primarily to do with the over-enthusiastic supervisor I have who believes that we should attend every other clinic in order to fully appreciate Obs n Gynae. And when asked if we could spend time doing more important work for finals instead, she replied that O&G is THE most important thing to concentrate our time on, and it'll help us prepare for every other aspect of medicine.

To which I replied: that's total bullshit. Of course, that reply remained within my head.

To make things worse, she has deviced her own little log book that we have to carry along and get folks to sign (despite the medical school providing a log book themselves), she has instituted policies that she believes are 'right' without confirming things with the medical school, and she has also organised various MCQs and Long Cases for our assessment, in addition to the assessment that we'll be having at the end of the rotation anyway. Unfortunately for me, the damn MCQ test will take place in the morning of 19th May, which is the time that I was planning to catch Star Wars. Now I'll have to find someone else to take my tickets. And here I was thinking that I've seen the end of MCQs during my undergraduate years...

The place also has no telly, no access to Hotmail (which is naturally a huge blow to me) and now I can u'std why MH called me up a couple of weeks back with the words 'Help me, I'm bored!!'. Ah well... have to make the best of things, the rooms ain't bad and hopefully this period of time will see me doing more work. I just hope that I'll be able to skip the various unnecessary sessions and go on to do proper work/revision with some of my friends here.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was quite amusing. Having low expectations definitely helped matters, I guess! Hahaha... the screenplay was co-written by Douglas Adams, so I'm guessing it at least partly adheres to the principles that he had in mind. I haven't read the whole series, nor do I remember much of the first book, so I can't really comment on the production as compared to the book. I do know that he created new characters specifically for the movie though, and unlike Jar-Jar Binks, they're watchable.

Also caught Don Giovanni last week. It was my first opera, and being a person who isn't exactly the biggest fan of operas, it wasn't too bad. The music chronicles the fall of the libertine Don into hell, basically as punishment for his various amorous and murderous sins. While the music itself was entertaining (can't really go wrong with Mozart, I guess), the opera was sung in English. The use of contemporary words like 'wanker' just spoilt it for me, and I had the impression that I was watching a musical that was trying hard to come across as an opera. That, along with a very tired me, probably contributed to me almost nodding off a couple times. Goes to show that the old adage of 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' holds pretty true.

Beached Whale

I'm currently quite bemused by the replies to my letter that've been sent to M'kini, and the comments they've generated elsewhere. While I don't necessarily agree with what's being said, I'm quite pleased that debate is being generated. Gotta start somewhere I guess. I just sent in another one, which quite unashamedly is an attack on fundamentalist Islamic principles in M'sia, and I'm looking forward to that being lambasted as well. I really should be doing more proper work...

At this point in time, the girls of 102 Brighton Grove (except one), Mq,Yus and myself are moving about sluggishly as a result of the massive intake of lamb and chicken that were barbequed earlier this evening. Add to that mixture a fair amount of mashed potatoes and coleslaw, and you get a bunch of folks who're paradoxically 'high' on meat whilst simultaneously being slow and not wanting to do much. At the moment, we're even entertaining the idea of going clubbing, but whether or not that will materialise remains to be seen.

Yesterday was kinda crap for me. Nothing seemed to have been going my way. For example, the various teaching sessions/clinics I went to were either cancelled or non-existent. I also decided to donate some blood, but halfway thru my vein collapsed, thus putting the bag of my blood to waste and leaving me pointlessly anaemic. In town, I decided to print some digital pics off one of the instant Kodak machines, and halfway thru, the printer ran out of colour. Not the best of days.

Yesterday was also the last day I was attached to the RVI. Will be missing RH, since we've been partners in crime - from planning our study sessions to targeting all the drug lunches and looking forward to the various freebies! Looking at the bright side, I'll have Jo for company next, and we're also planning to restart our revision session sometime close in the near future.

Towards the latter part of the day, I was at least entertained by the sight of Jeremy Paxman grilling Michael Howard in the last episode of his series of interviews with the leaders of the 3 main parties. I would never want to be sat opposite Paxman and be grilled. He has managed to make Howard come across as a hypocrite, make Blair lose his cool, and worst of all, Charles Kennedy came out of the interview looking like an amateur. Kesian jugak la... but I'm a fan of Paxman, and it'll be most beneficial if we have something similar back home. At the moment, I'm looking forward to next week's Question Time, which will have all 3 leaders on the panel.

Tomorrow ought to be fun as well, since I'll be catching the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, courtesy of RH's free tix. I'm a fan of the book (which is highly laughter-inducing), but the trailers I've seen so far are a tad bit disappointing. Hopefully, my low expectations will translate to a better viewing. And if I'm in a good mood, then I'll be able to psyche myself up about moving over to M'brough for the next 4 weeks.

Changes

The forerunner in the election for the papacy, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany, has been chosen as the first pope of the 21st century, calling himself Pope Benedict XVI. While it's no surprise that this 78-year-old veteran (he was one of only 3 - I think - cardinals who were around during the conclave that chose John Paul II) has been chosen, it'd be interesting to watch as he stamps his authority throughout christiandom over the next few years. One can't help but wonder if the prevailing thought of him being a dogmatic conservative (after all, he was chief theologian) would hold true in what will inevitably be a comparatively shorter rule.

Talking about changes, I've been trying to force myself to think differently lately. Not changing what I think, but rather changing the method in which I think and come up with a decision/diagnosis. As you can probably guess, this has been happening as a consequence of me attempting to study for my finals. I find it quite annoying and a little bit challenging having to think in terms of symptoms and differentials, as compared to what we've been taught throughout medical school. But I think I'm slowly getting the gist of it, albeit a little belatedly. And I was continually surprised by how everything interconnects. After all, you'd think it'd be obvious to a 5th year medical student by now. Things like SLE seem to prop up EVERYWHERE.

This is gonna be my last week of attachment in Newcastle. The next time I might do any work within the central hospitals is probably gonna be just prior to the exams. Am off to M'brough next week for Obs&Gynae with mixed feelings. Don't quite fancy certain aspects of it, such as the fact that I'll be stuck with O&G for the penultimate weeks prior to exams. But looking at the bright side, I just found out that my flatmates will be MH and Jo, so that's something to look forward to.

Happy happy Joy joy

At the moment, I'm feeling pretty exhausted but immensely satisfied. And before anyone gets any dodgy ideas, it's due to the fact that I've been scrubbing/vacuuming/wiping/dusting my house for a good couple of hours, which was followed by an immensely relaxing hot shower. The good news is, besides the fact that my kitchen and bathroom is more pleasing to the eye, I probably won't have to do much housework anymore for a long time 'cause I'll be off to M'brough soon, and after that various reasons (exams, going home, moving out of the house) would ensure that I'll be spending less time with Mr Muscle.

Yesterday was particularly productive as well. Spent the morning at the clinical skills lab - we played around with the various dummies, got our heads around catheterisation, and I was also mildly amused with a particular bout of bickering. And have I mentioned that drug lunches are great? Good food, plus I've gotten myself a USB drive as well as a hot-cold anti-inflammatory pack.

The best bit about yesterday though, was the fact that I finally came across an original edition of Sandman #19, which was top on my little list which I put together the other day. As I was rifling through the collection of back-issues, I suddenly spied the cover and it took a great amount of self-control to prevent myself from hopping around in joy. Even better was the fact that it cost me 3 quid. I'd probably have paid 5 times the amount, which is apparently the value of my Sandman #1 at the moment in the shop.

Also just purchased my tix for Star Wars. I'll be catching the show with a couple of peeps during the very first show, which is kinda early in the morning. Will be watching it at UCI, Silverlink though, which is not only cheaper, but is of higher quality than Odeon. And more importantly, it's got a whole lot more space for my legs.

Tonight though, I'll be watching something a little bit older at The Sage, after going out for a meal with a couple of friends. This time I've managed to get a whole bunch of peeps to come along - RH and JL, along with CT, Shanti n Yus. Actually, I think it was CT who managed to get Yus to come along; don't think anyone else could've persuaded him to leave his Friday night football! We'll be catching the Northern Simfonia, and this time the performance will include Scarlatti's Pastorale and Capriccio (Scarlatti always reminds me of the horrible 'practise' book I had to play back during the earlier grades), Ibert's Concerto for cello and winds (no idea who he is), Mozart's Symphony no.36 and Beethoven's Piano Concerto no.3.

Sweetie's online now, and it's time for our little chatting session, which was the reason I came online in the first place (as usual). The perfect way to start my relaxing evening.

Treasures

I haven't jotted down some recent important world events in this little diary of mine. At the moment, the various political parties in the UK are steadily moving into full gear as the election approaches (5th May). Campaigning is gaining momentum as each party to seeks to out-do each other, and this is especially so with reference to the issue of immigration. The Tories are busy wanting to look tough and stern on the issue - and this has a positive impact on the people who're worried about 'overrun' and losing out to immigrants.

The problem with this issue that the terms immigrants and asylum seekers are being used interchangeably, and as much as Michael Howard would deny it, he's playing on the fears and racial sentiments of the public. Immigration has brought untold benefits to this country (heck, Michael Howard's parents were immigrants themselves) and in a situation where the economy is prosperous, an extended workforce is needed to keep it going. There might be a mis-use in the facilities offered to asylum-seekers, but I think that has more to do with a lack of proper enforcement more than anything else.

I was having a discussion with a friend the other day, and he thinks it's a waste of time to look into the various election issues and to vote here since it's 'not our country'. I guess it's true if you're living/studying here for a year or two, but this would be my second election in the UK, and there's probably more to come. As far as I'm concerned, I'd like to play a part in the electoral process of this adopted country in which I'll be living in and try to help change it for the better.

Other recent events include the marriage of Charles to Camilla (of which I don't have too high an opinion of) and the deaths of the leaders of the world's 2 smallest countries - Pope John Paul II and Prince Rainier.

Watching the Pope's funeral brought back memories of the trip Sweetie and I took to the Vatican. It was a memorable occasion, and not only for the fact that I took the trip with her. The history and grandeur of the place was quite formidable, and as we looked at the Pope while he was delivering his sermon, I couldn't help but think how the folks from my mum's side of the family would've loved to be there. My grandma was very excited when I told her I had seen the Pope, and at this point in time, she's rather depressed over his death.

It's funny watching people's reaction when it comes to religion. You get a diverse range of affect, from the mundane to the extreme. And it's surprising how some people hold on to their faith like there's nothing else to live for (and in most cases, that's quite true for them). I'm always disheartened by the fact that more people have been killed in our history due to religion than for any other reason. Kinda silly, wouldn't you think?

On the other hand, religion has helped us reached dizzying heights, and it is very much evident in this series I've been watching, well, religiously. Around the World in 80 Treasures is a documentary shown over on BBC2 that seeks to list 80 man-made items that the narrator considers to be treasures that should be savoured by mankind. It's a rather interesting mix of items - from the grand (e.g. the Taj Mahal) to the practical (e.g. the Berber granary) - and they all have one thing in common, they've served to elevate mankind both on a physical and spiritual level. Thus, it's only natural that you see a number of mosques, churches, temples and other places of worship on the list, which can be seen in its entirety here.

One can also see the various ways in which the powerful seek to dominate their weaker companions, not just physically but also in everyday life. Hence, the destruction of all that's glorious in the past (e.g. when Alexander the Great ransacked Persia) or the slower seeping through of one's influence, as can be seen by the presence of Coke in deepest, darkest Africa. At the end, one either gets an amalgamation of cultures or it just heralds the end of individuality.

Watching this show, and visiting places like the Sistine Chapel, is a very humbling experience. Many items just make your jaw drop - Nefertari's tomb, the ruins in Petra for example - and I can't help but wonder how amazing it must have been to view the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. Watching these places, the sense of awe is almost overwhelming and everytime I start to think highly of myself or be a lil perasan, I'll just think of these works of art, and it sort of puts me in my place, making me aware of my myriad limitations. As a kid, I used to wonder what I'd be able to offer if the Earth was about to explode and there's be a limited number of spaces on the escape pod. Sadly, I haven't quite reached the stage of convincing myself that I deserve that space but hopefully that'll change one day.

Oh pocot

Yus convinced CT and I that we should join him in a football game which was held during the early part of this evening. After all, the weather was rather nice and we were of the opinion that it'd be rather warm. And what do I have to show for this evening? A throbbing headache, a broken pair of glasses (my favourite, no less!), jogging around in the shiver-inducing cold and a throbbing headache. Or have I mentioned that already...?

But things are better now. Got the specs back together with the help of some of Shanti's superglue. Guess I'll be getting myself a new pair when I get home in a couple of months. And we were feated to rather scrumptious meal by Elly - she cooked the tempe I brought for her from Sheffield. I'm not normally a tempe fan, but there are always exceptions.

The trip to Sheffield was both relaxing and entertaining. Kinda pity Jaja, 'cause I was 'bullying' her most of the time. Especially since she was kind enough to buy me dinner at Jumbo's, a halal-chinese restaurant that has one of the best-tasting buffets I've had the opportunity to taste. We ate like there was no tomorrow, and all plans to stay up that night were shelved in view of the rather swollen tummies that led to all of us being extremely sleepy. Not the most pleasant of sights, I know.

As Kudo pointed out, shopping in Sheffield ain't much different from Newcastle, but I had a couple of things to pick up from GAP, and in Newcastle, the GAP store is kinda far off and I doubt I'd be making the trip anytime soon. So since I was already in the neighbourhood, figured I should make the most of my opportunities.

Watched a couple of movies as well - Sahara and The Machinist. The former is another one of those treasure-hunt movies which is watchable (but I'm biased 'cause I don't quite like Penelope Cruz and I think she wasn't exactly convincing as a doctor who's supposedly oh-so-very-dedicated to the health and general well-being of mankind) while the latter is a psychological thriller featuring a rather cachexic Christian Bale aka the new Batman.

Can't say it's the best psychological thriller I've watched so far, but it's definitely worth watching, if only to see his rather convincing performance as an insomniac who's having a rather rough patch in that dreary existence of his. The movie's damp and depressing setting and lighting also helped the mood, and while the ending ain't exactly earth-shattering, it'll have you go nodding in comprehension.

The worst part of the trip was having to sit in Starbucks and listen to an awful, AWFUL jazz rendition of Smells Like Teen Spirit. Cobain must've been doing somersaults in his grave. That, and the awful, AWFUL weather. As is typically the case, the moment I start talking about and looking forward to nice, warm weather, things take a turn for the worst - it actually snowed a little over the weekend. So much for spring and sunshine.

Of course the trip was kinda nostalgic as well, since everywhere I went/looked, there would be something that'd remind me of Sweetie. The park where we sat and tried to comprehend the behaviour of swans, the BK which was the reason I had received my first scolding, the pancake bar where she got me some lovely (what else?) pancakes, the cinema which she is very proud of (it's got Europe's biggest screen, along with ample footspace at a rather reasonable price) and lots and lots of others. Luckily I was kept company by my two companions, and that sort of helped me push things to the back of my mind.

Speaking of my mind, it's high time I get home and give it some rest. It's not everyday that it gets whacked, and I guess it deserves some spoiling. Which means there ain't gonna be much work done tonight!

Oh pocot

Yus convinced CT and I that we should join him in a football game which was held during the early part of this evening. After all, the weather was rather nice and we were of the opinion that it'd be rather warm. And what do I have to show for this evening? A throbbing headache, a broken pair of glasses (my favourite, no less!), jogging around in the shiver-inducing cold and a throbbing headache. Or have I mentioned that already...?

But things are better now. Got the specs back together with the help of some of Shanti's superglue. Guess I'll be getting myself a new pair when I get home in a couple of months. And we were feated to rather scrumptious meal by Elly - she cooked the tempe I brought for her from Sheffield. I'm not normally a tempe fan, but there are always exceptions.

The trip to Sheffield was both relaxing and entertaining. Kinda pity Jaja, 'cause I was 'bullying' her most of the time. Especially since she was kind enough to buy me dinner at Jumbo's, a halal-chinese restaurant that has one of the best-tasting buffets I've had the opportunity to taste. We ate like there was no tomorrow, and all plans to stay up that night were shelved in view of the rather swollen tummies that led to all of us being extremely sleepy. Not the most pleasant of sights, I know.

As Kudo pointed out, shopping in Sheffield ain't much different from Newcastle, but I had a couple of things to pick up from GAP, and in Newcastle, the GAP store is kinda far off and I doubt I'd be making the trip anytime soon. So since I was already in the neighbourhood, figured I should make the most of my opportunities.

Watched a couple of movies as well - Sahara and The Machinist. The former is another one of those treasure-hunt movies which is watchable (but I'm biased 'cause I don't quite like Penelope Cruz and I think she wasn't exactly convincing as a doctor who's supposedly oh-so-very-dedicated to the health and general well-being of mankind) while the latter is a psychological thriller featuring a rather cachexic Christian Bale aka the new Batman.

Can't say it's the best psychological thriller I've watched so far, but it's definitely worth watching, if only to see his rather convincing performance as an insomniac who's having a rather rough patch in that dreary existence of his. The movie's damp and depressing setting and lighting also helped the mood, and while the ending ain't exactly earth-shattering, it'll have you go nodding in comprehension.

Of course the trip was kinda nostalgic as well, since everywhere I went/looked, there would be something that'd remind me of Sweetie. The park where we sat and tried to comprehend the behaviour of swans, the BK which was the reason I had received my first scolding, the pancake bar where she got me some lovely (what else?) pancakes, the cinema which she is very proud of (it's got Europe's biggest screen, along with ample footspace at a rather reasonable price) and lots and lots of others. Luckily I was kept company by my two companions, and that sort of helped me push things to the back of my mind.

Speaking of my mind, it's high time I get home and give it some rest. It's not everyday that it gets whacked, and I guess it deserves some spoiling. Which means there ain't gonna be much work done tonight!

ladida

It's been a rather pleasant day so far. Woke up rather late - around 11am I think - due to the late night I had. It was a nice mixture of entertaining friends over a dinner of tom yam (or at least my attempt at it), a couple of horribly played chess games, mediocre telly and some bedtime reading around the fascinating morphology of myeloproliferative disorders. Of which I still know next to nothing about.

One piece of good news is that I've been invited to present at a conference that will be held in conjunction with the 500th anniversary of the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh. I won't actually be there physically though, since I'm hoping to be celebrating back home with my Sweetie during the dates in which the conference will be held. But my supervisor will be attending it, so all I've got to do now is to prepare some stuff for him to present. And study hard for my exams, of course.

Been busy in town today, and I've added to my collection of books that I won't be reading anytime soon. I'm bound to curse myself once the process of moving house begins. Also paid my weekly visit to Forbidden Planet, where I was very, very close to buying a figurine of Batman. Unfortunately (or fortunately), it was £45.

Am currently back in the library, with the hope that I'll be tempted to do some work before my revision session tonight in front of the telly (read : ER). Won't be doing much work over the next couple of days 'cause I'm off to Sheffield to spend some time with Sweetie's ex-housemates and to do some shopping.

Me, Myself & I

I'm feeling rather sluggish at the moment, and it's probably due to the rather large amount of meringue and cheesecake I had during the drug lunch this afternoon. I think my menu consisted almost exclusively of cream and sugar. Not the best of diets for a guy with a strong family history of diabetes, but I guess it's ok at the moment since I probably have to put on a little weight (having weighed myself in at a 'hefty' 66kgs). Needless to say, I was halfway across to The Dreaming while one of the Drs was busy giving a detailed analysis on the latest drug regimen in the treatment of Parkinson's.

The latest quote in my sidebar (which I had wrongly attributed to Ben Franklin earlier during a conversation I was having with RH) has been playing in my mind since the beginning of the week. It sort of reminded me of the general feeling of 'dengki-ness' that is oh-so-patent in this world of ours, and although many of my friends have attributed it as being a particular scourge of the Malays, I do think it's rather more generalised than that.

RH had recently had a contribution of hers published in a medical newsletter. It was interesting to watch the faces of some of our colleagues as they heard the news - basically, nobody was smiling and sharing in her joy. In fact, rather unkind comments were made and these were uttered by those who were supposed to be her friends.

It got me to thinking about the rather 'cut-throat' nature of people in the circles I occasionally linger in - medicine, in particular. Talk about a work of yours getting published, and the green glint of jealousy surfaces. Or mention that you know the 27 causes of clubbing, and someone will start panicking. I guess it's understandable when you think about it - most medics tend to come from a secondary education background in which they were probably the top student, and they were looked upon in awe. Enter medical school, and you're surrounded by individuals who put you to shame, and you have to work that little bit harder to gain your place on the pedestal.

I've seen it happen so many times, and I was sharing little stories with RH about how some folks only come to you when they need something, or how others (despite proclaiming to be your bestest friend ever) will do just about anything to gain a step higher on the ladder that they're always obsessing about.

It's kinda sad when you think about it, since medicine is supposed to be a noble profession, but heck, it's a fact of life isn't it? Then again, not everyone is equally selfish and I'm grateful for the friends I have that I can truly share my every success with. I'll definitely be holding on to them for as long as I can.

2/12

The past week has gone by rather quickly. I guess doing Special Meds (aka Special Skive) has its advantages. It also helps that the weather's getting more tolerable. Yesterday, I was actually convinced by Yus to join him and a couple of the girls at the park for some football. Not football proper, but just a lazy kick-about that turned out to be rather fun.

Special Meds is different from what I expected it to be. Yup, there are loads of free time. But the cardio and respi attachments also played host to what's probably the best teaching I've had so far this year, and that's saying a lot! So instead of buggering off and doing next to nothing (as I was sort of planning to do), I find myself waking up early in the morning in order to catch the teaching that's provided by some of the top specialists in their fields, followed by a short session over at wards, where I tend to examine a patient or two with a friend. This results in me not feeling too guilty about being rather relaxed.

Compared to some of my friends, I think I'm kinda relaxed about exams at the moment. I know there's only 2 months to go, but I'm currently at the stage of 'There's still time to learn all the stuff I need to know'. Of course, that'll probably change in May, at which point I'll enter the Oh-Shit-There's-Not-Enough-Time-Left! mode.

Hung out with W2k the other day. Watched La Nina Santa (which can be summarised by the first words I uttered as soon as the movie finished - What the...?!!), admired his nifty little camera, and proceeded to have a rather convulated chat about religion and spirituality over some Oreos. This was after the usual case of me making myself look rather silly upon answering his medic quizzes.

Spent the weekend being totally engrossed with DC's Countdown to Infinite Crisis, the sequel to Identity Crisis, and is the start of a whole chain of events that will lead to Infinite Crisis, which is pretty much gonna be as 'earth-shattering' as Crisis on Infinite Earths back in 1985. If you don't know what I'm talking about, don't bother. Am going into comic-geek mode! But this particular storyline is rather intriguing, as I'm curious about Batman's reaction now that he knows that he had his memories wiped by his own friends.

The Star Wars : Clone Wars cartoon has also debuted over the telly, and at the moment, Coruscant is being attacked. Mace Windu is amazing, and I can't help but wonder how he's gonna die in Episode 3. Heck, I'm all excited and jumping on the bandwagon. I guess it's true what Jo said - we're gonna use Star Wars as a distraction from being stressed, and it'll only be after MAy 19th that the enormity of our situation will be realised. Joy.