28/05/07
Just came back from adelaide over the weekend.. many thanks to our half-star michelin chef cum ahmad zihan, and bubbly real dietician (haha fancy that after the previous post) charlotte who ensured greens at every meal. other than meeting up with another life-long fren= ), it was such a quaint and charming place, with beautiful hills and countryside towns like Hahndorf and a stunning glenelg beach.. one of the times to marvel in God’s creation. Of course there was wine-tasting.. which was popular with everyone.. sparkling wine! Dessert wine! What is it.. the fiery alcohol or the bittersweetness.. that OJ doesn’t have. Haha ya when the intern wrote metronidazole in OJ, there was a return note saying, “please specify medications properly”

Simple cheap dinner of grilled fish, calamari and scallop but so fresh and nice = ) from the fish and chippery next door..

A little overwhelmed from the Koko black chocs, bought them as an afterthought, to bring home.. but after paying.. the staff told me they had to be eaten within a week! What.. ok so started them reluctantly after numerous tastings at chocolate factories, regular hot chocolates and a disappointing max Brenner (I mean it was nice, but think I’ve grown out of milk chocolate) but oh. My. These were the best chocolates I’ve ever tasted. walnut, coffee liquer (usually hate alcoholic chocs but ah, this one..) today.. and the ganache and cinnamon proudly sitting in the fridge.

What does it mean.. when tastes change. More into smooth jazz than pop rock, the darker the chocolate the better, and hate alcohol mixed with milk, just want it clean.. maybe I’m growing up.. in a superficial way.

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The Sophisticated drug charts here amazed me at first.. until I tried to write one for a patient this morning.. which took half an hour! They use real latin here.. no OM/ON but mane/ nocte etc..

Could go on forever about the food here but hey, as far as living in eternity goes.. whatever remains on the palate for 5 seconds isn’t impt.. like I said.. anyone who’s going to Melbourne and fancies a list, let me know~

Met up with my mum’s cousin again. Haha quite funny, sat in the car that I was carsick in when I was 3. Greensborough has everything! Pity it’s in zone 2.

Well..guess it’ll be the last time blogging before leaving.. lotsa stuff to do.. sorry if couldn’t reply all the mails.

Shocked myself at leo’s supermarket the other day.. a friendly elderly staff said “g’day, ya alright?” and my reply was “g’day, I’m fine thanks. How’re ya goin’?” hmmm….

But I really love it here.. you never address anyone as doctor so-and-so, everyone is a friend to you, and interested in asking after you. It’s not often u see a doctor pat the patient on the back and say, “oh, you’ll be alright mate!” for males and “not to worry, we’ll sort it out dear/sweetheart/luv” to females.. positivity swims in the air.. and it’s heartening to see Chinese/ Vietnamese/ Caucasian/ Indian/ Greek/ Ukrainian/ Croatian/ dutch/ Lithuanian etc etc doctors and nurses working together. When I first came, haha was the usual grumpy self.. complaining about basic sciences exam, working hours in s’pore.. but after a while, realized no one was really sympathizing, in fact they didn’t quite like to hear it.. cos they believe in seeing the happier and lighter side of things.. and perhaps I’m beginning to too = ) hopefully can implement this amicable culture back home.. but who knows how long I’ll last. while here, I’m forced to drop all negativity and now, I think.. I’ll be alright! Gd’on ya!

Awesome, all that’s left is pack me bags, finish me timtams and be on me way. Cool. Catch ya later!

Ps. Too much shopping = P
even more food.. there's a food and wine exhibition on sat.. to wind up all the research for abof.
well-fulfilled trip indeed.

hair-raiser

oh no!:

Thank you for your interest in Hair for Hope 2007. As all 250 online registration slots have been filled, registration is now closed.

the consequence of being away.. = ( now i can't be a baldie anymore.. sorry daffy..

excuse me, are you a foodie?

18/5/07
Wow.. town is really crazy on a Friday night.. people are drunk everywhere.. alcohol smell reeks in the air. But ok, not as bad as london. Haha so funny.. bumped into timothy, margaret and Thomas.. they were in a Singaporean restaurant! We were saying we’ll see each other again when we get back to church but ended up meeting here. Small world. But it’s nice to see some familiar faces. Settled on a lovely café (where else) along little Collins called coffee and biscotti (C&B). realized what qianling meant.. nothing could replace the rustic feel of sitting in a cobblestoned pavement, live band crooning.. wow the pumpkin and white bean soup with spinach and parmesan was delectable.. the accompanying ciabatta tasted so real, wasn’t hungry but finished it all. The latte tasted strangely like rum though.. think I’m just paranoid. After, tried an emu sausage haha.. quite tough but interesting taste, part pork, part beef. The food near Austin’s really wonderful too.. café burgundy had the marvelous caramel and macadamia cheesecake with a glassy almond topping.. in addition to the 30 other cakes they have. Apparently café scintilla just opposite has the best iced coffee in Melbourne.. gonna try next wk = ) trying to wean off yoghurt.. but it tastes so nice here, raspberry and pomegranate, apricot soy, black cherry, passionfruit and mango.. the list really goes on.

Went to this café called sycamore tree next to the sycamore church.. there was an explanation abt their name, from that bible study passage in the 2nd session fr Luke 19.

Therefore, it is hoped that whoever steps into this café will find peace and salvation in Jesus, like Zacchaeus did that day in the sycamore tree. Aw..

Feeling a bit.. saturated now. Just craving for a big cup of fruit juice. Think I’ll need to run a few marathons when I’m back. Ex cg mates, can I crash your training?= P


Joke of the day no 1: what do you call a medical ward round?
Ans: shifting dullness.

Joke of the day no 2: what is a lady like you doing alone on a Friday night? Someone stood you up?
Ans: no, and I have to go back to my hostel. Bye.

It’s not a big deal, and after so much time alone.. well I’m finally used to it = ) and maybe.. just maybe wouldn’t want it any other way.

21/5/07
Pardon me.. so zonked out from typing a 1500word report in half a day.. aiyo, ward round lasted more than 4 hours with 32 patients.. followed by non-stop lects and tuts till 5 pm.. and my supervisor gave me a day’s notice to complete it! But did so anyway = ) thanks to the loveliest mocha ever tried at café matto in Heidelberg, accompanied by nicely rocketed prosciutto panini.. tired but happy = ) was initially upset about having to give up another night out but overall, love staying in suburbs, service is much friendlier, food is cheap and good!
22/5/07
So much to say, but just too tired.. it’s 1am here now.. up waiting for clothes to dry. Actually quite enjoy this whole staying on my own thing.. want to live in solitude really.. but not sure what my parents would think.. and hm it’ll be a while before I can afford to ha. Well in short, met up with derrick on sun (krispy kreme+ tutto bene + brunetti) and tonight with darius and aunty becky (a wonderful Italian pasta at warrantyne miles away from the terminal stop hurstbridge ie in the far outback). These 2 are like brothers to me, we grew up together and laughing over the old pictures, how we’d compete to see who could fit the most cheezels on the fingers and it’s just so nice to see them so accomplished and settled as we enter adulthood. Just realized come to Melbourne exactly every 10 yrs.. at 3, 13 and now 23. prob 10 yrs before we meet again? Yup. Till then, more cheezels.

Colder still.. there was snow! In the countryside.

24/5/07
22/c/f k/c hyperlipidaemia
Oral intake 23/5/07
Kelogg’s cornflakes and apricot soy
Praline crunch skinny from Austin (espresso w frothed milk, macadamia syrup and whitechoc)
Mini steak pie
Scone with jam and cream
Goulburn valley 5 fruits juice 2500ml
Smoked salmon roll, salmon and avocado roll
Pasta rustica’s salmon bruschetta & eggplant spaghetti
Champagne
Koko black’s hot chocolate with chilli
Water 1000ml

Dietician to r/v re saturated fat intake and caloric excess
Urgent referral to cardio

Physio to ambulate
Tcu 11/7

Met a lot of interesting people along the way.. there was a deaf guy on the train who asked me where the train was terminating in his version of english.. great! I thought.. can finally use my sign lang! unfortunately.. he said, “erm.. that’s American signing. sorry mate I don’t learn that” right…so we had to communicate verbally. But it was amazing how well he did.. (SG rem we wanted to implement the aussie system for the deaf back home??)he spoke almost like a normal person.. don’t misunderstand.. he didn’t have any ill intentions, we spoke mainly abt his wife. anw footie fans soon trotted in and he spoke to them too.. independent. Free. Happy.

Met a 90 year old german lady the other day in clinic.. telling us abt the holocaust. Ah well.

Met a Viking today too.. the real kind with beard and all.. and he was telling me abt the hard work he used to do in netherlands. Wow!

Quite happy that I went to life expedition in the end. Hm it is different.. but the pastor Tim and speakers were mostly doctors.. so I can finally find people to relate to. Doctors treat, God heals = ) another long sermon on Sunday if I can find the time to type it..

Haha so amazing.. finally understand ECGs thanks to a guy who gave us a lecture in jeans and after every other slide, says, “Cool!”

Sweet.

distension

17/5/07
whirlwind of a day.. consultant says, “please clerk the patient in bed xx and present to me”. Reg says same thing with another bed, and the intern too.. our team’s on take so regular trips to the ED with plenty of expletives, blood and oxygen. haha only had like 5 minutes for lunch before rushing for tut. And still have presentation on scleroderma to prep for tmr’s ward round.. gotta start on report before supervisor goes on leave too. haha. No going out for me tonight. Would love to give details about the food but hm no time.. will compile a list someday so if anyone wants it let me noe..

basically went to dockland's hot chocolate cafe, queen vic market, chinatown and more to come!

argh insomnia.. every night in the medical students’ quarters, 3 dutch, 1 briton and a Singaporean are kept awake by code blue alarms, bats screeching and cars racing. And a heater that won’t stop.

Still raining..

15/5/07

Suppose we’re quite protected as medical students. Whatever we don’t want to do, we don’t really have to. But here they gave me clinical responsibilities.. supposed to do a mini mental state exam on a lady, document in the notes etc.. and now I understand what it’s really like to have delirium/ alzheimer’s and it ain’t pretty at all. Sometimes I wonder what’s worse, to be fully aware of all the horrible things happening to your body; or to be absolutely oblivious to it, no sense of what is going on at all, with no idea what the mothers’ day cards on your table are about, essentially, not living at all.

= ( vertigo and diarrhea day. Suppose it’s a consequence of running to town almost everyday while recovering from URTI.. all my fault la. Ok spent the day in bed before going to stokers, apparently serving the best pancakes in Melbourne. It was such a disappointment though.. suppose it was stupid of me to order asparagus in the winter, the Vienna coffee was cold, diluted and left me with gastritis. And it cost 15 dollars in all! To top it all off the train was delayed for 25 min.. bleh.. had to wait in the cold rain. thank goodness for the fur coat and lovely mint twix.

Oh please stop raining.. don’t have an umbrella leh..

It was a picture from 2 years ago. Only then, did I realize what it’s like. After seeing patients no younger than 70 in our chronic diseases unit who have had better days.. do I realize one of the saddest things in life. It’s not knowing that something is gone. It’s when you know it’s still here, but it can never be the same again. I know.. you will never have those eyes happily filled with innocent love again. I know.. you will never have that secure contented smile again. I know.. you will never be recklessly calculative again. I know.. you will never have that carefree anger as you try to prove yourself to the world now. I know.. everything has changed.. although I don’t know why. Yes maybe I have the Lord to help me through it, but sometimes the sadness felt for those who do not, is a little too much for me to take..

13/5/07

woo hoo.. this com can post pics!
anw, just found out i gained 2kg since coming here.. oh dear me. ok 1kg before back to normal again.
ok, admittedly, didn't believe my frens when they said, melbourne has much better food.. i was like, er, singapore's food very bad meh?
but... since coming here... oh my, for today, the grilled fish was so wonderful.. yesterday, the sticky date pudding and iced chocolate in docklands was absolutely crazy, tang chao on sat night was the nicest cha chan ting i've ever been to.. the almond tea tasted like real almond.. not forgetting the portuguese mexican food, and scones and mango passionfruit cheescake etc etc.. it's only been a week!

haven't got started on pancakes, korean, japanese, french, italian food and greek food either.. many more cafes to explore.. cannot finish = )

well.. anw, wanted to talk abt the sermon i heard yesterday.. hm let's just say it was powerful.. but the greater part of the time, wished i was back in NLC. it finally hit home the meaning of sin.. yes laugh at me but i didn't know that sin was not the result of adam eating the apple, that was a transgression. it was the fact that it came from the tree of knowledge, good and evil. the reason why we are fallen is not directly because of sin, but because sin causes death. like i didn't give money to a beggar on the train (yes, ashamed of that) cos the compassion and love for fellow human in me had died. and we think we know more than others, like "wow u're completely able-bodied to be able to work, and anyway you shouldn't be on the train if u have no money, plus i can't give you my money. it comes from my dad." of course there ain't much we can do about it other than try to change our ways the next time. yes we will forever fall short of holy standards. but then.. we also fall short of the world's standards.. eg i'm too fat/ short/ ugly/ stupid.. and somehow we let that take control of our lives instead, and make us insecure and fearful. in so doing, we are subjecting ourselves to a whip, driven by the master that is society, much like pharoah's whip in those days. but we shouldn't. for Jesus is our real master. we were meant to be so much more than what we think we are. we were meant to strive to be Christlike.. even if we can never be. that is our potential.. and the sooner we let go of our low self-esteem and ask for the strength to fulfil His purpose for our lives, not just for now, but also for eternity.. the better = )

pre-recorded

In the student lounge now.. but not talking to anyone. While they’re happily playing away at the ping pong table, playing pool.. don’t really know anyone here.. not attached to any group.. don’t belong with the students.. just follow the doctors every day but obviously don’t belong with them either… when they’re making endless phone calls and changes.

It’s times like these when we know who our true Friend and Redeemer is yes? = )

At least doing useful things like writing notes during rounds. Haha quite funny.. caused some confusion when I wrote H(circle around) cm. they were trying to figure out what cm was.. coming? Maybe? Come morning? Confirmed? Apparently u’re supposed to write tomorrow.. ah well. This is what happens when u have 8 patients on your list.

There are 8 patients on the clinic list too. To be shared among 3 doctors (HOs run clinics!), just once a week. Little wonder that they can watch tv, sit in the café… but they’re not dumb.. maybe smarter than some of us cos they can figure out on first principles.. hurhur.. we should really try this system of leisurely learning..instead of killing all the HOs. Haha my GP said that day, “oh! One more year to MBBS. After that.. death..muahaha”

Thankfully they’re so nice.. even offered to listen to me present.. the way they present here’s very different… casual but it depicts the picture of the patient better, eg “mr k complained of feeling tired and weak recently” vs “the patient reports lethargy and myalgia in the past month” and they do it slowly but absolutely thoroughly. For example, on Wednesday, one intern (equivalent of HO) left at noon, the other stayed till 3.30pm, and the reg was a little busier, he had to cut his hair and go to the post office in the afternoon. Imagine their shock when I told them abt our 36 hour shifts.And there are no MOs in our team.. but yet everything gets done nicely and properly.. no hurry. Erm, can I work here? = )

Anw, just did some walking around melb central, collins st, kings st.. when the shops are closed.. if not I’ll be tempted to buy everything! All the clothes and shoes are gorgeously eclectic! went to café Greco the other day at crown, by the yarra river. Char was right.. the passionfruit cheesecake is out of this world.. and today’s latte from the hospital cafeteria is the nicest ever tried.. there is so much to eat, see and do.. one month’s not enough! Yesterday finally went to my favourite fast food in the whole world.. red rooster! = )

Super cold these 2 days.. wrapping up in 4 layers of clothes but still wake up at night shivering.

Really tired for some reason.. fell (literally) asleep while standing reading oxford (little wonder) at the nursing counter.. luckily they didn’t call for code blue medical student ward 7 east. But the code grey (for patient/visitor aggression) is called several times a day.. scary right..

Ok could go on forever.. but ah well. Happy International Nurses’ Day! They are having a sausage sizzler (Barbie.. ie bbq) to celebrate.

Trying to sign up for wireless.. but it costs A$28 so hah forget it.

Alrighty.. going to little italy tonight!

D2

in the library now.. cos can't get my wireless to work = (but anw, life here has been good.. save for persistent pharyngitis unresponsive to clarithromycin.
started at melbourne uni's austin hospital.. when i asked a friend who studied medicine at unimelb for 4 years where it was.. he said he'd never heard of it before! right.. heidelberg is rather far from the city.. but lovely (deserted) place.. haha and the quarters i'm living in has been ard since 1960. explains the huge spider found in the room on the first day... its legs were like, 10cm long...
but learning loads here. general medicine people really have to noe all specialties.. here in the ward rounds they involve you.. the prof asked for my opinion..right.. and different spectrum also.. scleroderma, zollinger-ellison.. and the usual geri conditions (read chronic)
the team is nice.. sticking to them cos not allowed to attend tutorials (?!) and perform procedures.
ok, off to the city.. still prefer cleaner sydney though.. but i suppose God wants me to be here for a reason even though all reasoning points to me being home.. will figure it out and enjoy in the meantime = )