Penangties v. Penangites v. Penangnians

What do you call people who are from Penang?

The MCQ went ok - and I say that because pretty much everyone thought it was hard - and so did I? Obviously, you know you could have done that much better with a little more time spent studying - but what can you do after the exam? Learn from your mistakes - but its true what they say about history repeating itself.. Lets talk about something else?

Went over to Gary and Sandra's on Thursday night to practice the music for Sunday morning :)

And what adventures did I have today?

1. Chasing Prof O'Brien
cue: the Batman series theme song
"Dadadadadadadadadadadadada...Batman!"
3 third med students running down the corridor between the hospital and the CSI after Prof.. We were actually wondering if ward rounds were on today.. And wey-heyyy guess what? They were over.. So.. And guess what? Our tutorial with Dr. Dineen was cancelled as well.. So.. Pretty much NOTHING on today - shouldn't have come in.. We did get to practice taking blood pressures, and played around with Adam,Rouilly before getting tea and scones :)

2. Running away from Prof O'Brien
We were actually on our way to the Dept. of Medicine office to ask about whether we could go into the CSL and practice stuff - but we wondered if we would seem too eager (Prof went back to his office) and.. Hrmmm I don't want to continue my story - too stupid a story haha..

3. Erm.. Is that all?

4. Photo taking session in town ;)
Took lots and lots and lots of pictures in town today :) It's for the "shopping" section in the fresher's booklet we're preparing for the new Malaysian students that are coming in in September :D

Oh and I forgot to write my syok sendiri story from Sunday ;) Now feeling a little shy to share that story.. Anyway - went to the gym today for the first time in 2 weeks? Feels great ;D

Anyone want to cycle to Sligo? The class is doing that on the 19th of May :D It's gonna be really cool! Let's go!

The weather's been so beautiful these past few days - and it makes such a difference! Doesn't feel at all like we're still in Galway!

"Now, this is what Galway is really like.."


Anyway, that's it for today.. Going to nap before going out tonight :D Yayyy..

"It'll be a lot of fun..!"

I should be studying..

And I will be.. After this post :)

People around me are studying - and here I am..

And there I go..

I sleepwalk!

"Stacey, did you know you sleepwalk?"

No I didn't know :( Apparently I suddenly got up and said "Wait ah! Wait ah!" in a panick and then bumbled around my room before I went back to bed..

My witness? Esther's ears - she heard me through the thin wall separating our rooms..

I don't want to sleepwalk :( Something bout not being in control and literally, not knowing what you're doing.. I don't want to wake up one day outside my room - outside the house and left wondering what I was doing out there..

My mummy suggested I locked my room door, so that - in theory - I would wake up before I ended up outside my room..

"Maybe you were dreaming?"
"Erm yeah, dreaming (in your sleep) and walking = sleep walking?"

Maybe it happened because I was really tired? Haven't been getting enough sleep lately..

Lets look for a scientific reason..

Sleepwalking (a.k.a. Somnambulism)

It can occur during REM sleep near morning.

The cause of sleep walking in children is usually unknown but may be related to fatigue, prior sleep loss, or anxiety.

Sleep walking in adults can be associated with mental disorders, reactions to drugs and alcohol, or medical conditions such as partial complex seizures.

In the elderly, sleep walking may be a symptom of an organic brain syndrome or REM behavior disorders.

Prevention:
- Avoid fatigue or insomnia, because this can instigate an episode of sleep walking.
- Avoid or minimize stress, anxiety, and conflict, which can worsen the condition.

Cool :)

That's the name of the game baby..

ARSENAL ARE IN THE FINALS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Because of this...
Kolo Toure's goal in the first leg of the semi finals :)

And this...
Gilberto Silva "expertly patrolling his defence"

"Jens Lehmann wrote himself into the Arsenal history books with a last-minute penalty save to the put the Gunners in their first European Cup final."
Article on soccernet.com: Lehmann sends Arsenal to Paris

I'm baaaack ;)

Hehe, well I wasn't really gone so.. Hrmmm.. Anyway! Afza I was kidding yeah :) Never ever think that I'm too busy for you! And Mel, I'm flattered! Hee hee :)

"Who on the sejukkk?"

"Who off my apiii?!"

"Harro? I'm Chinese!"

"So, how come you suddenly decided to cry?"
"Erm, I didn't?"
"Oh, so it came naturally.."
"Err, yeah.. I think so.."

So its our last week of Endocrinology :( Kinda sad - but really glad to have gotten to do this attachment first ;) Really got to learn a lot and my interest in Endocrinology just sky-rocketed :) Next week we start up on Dermatology - wonder what that's going to be like :P 2 weeks of that, and another 2 weeks of something-else-I-can't-recall and then a week of exams? And then its time to go home!! Gonna be a busy,busy month - 3 more MCQs and a project to do as well..

Plans for the summer? None yet :) Not missing the food as much as I was my first year here.. Haha, learned my lesson bout eating haphazardly last summer - 6kgs worth of a lesson ;) Hehe.. Anyway.. Yeah, just going to relax (and study) get into a daily routine - wake up early, exercise, breakfast, study, lunch, go out, dinner, study, sleep ;) Prepare myself for 42-hour weeks when we get back for 4th year.. It's gonna be a productive summer :) Going to spend time with my family and friends - of course! And yeah - learn how to cook :P I'm going to ace biochemistry (this time!).. And pathology.. And bacteriology.. Let's see what I can do when I really set my mind to it..

Friends!

"Friendship is like a prism through which the many variations of beauty are revealed in our lives."

All of you make my life beautiful :) Whether you realise it or not..

I've been blessed with the best friends that anyone could ever ask for! I'm just surrounded by loving and caring people.. So thankful for all you guys :) I could not ask for more :)

I've got the sweetest friends ever :D 2 weeks after my birthday I get called downstairs to help with a washing machine "problem" only to find people standing in the dark with a surprise birthday cake :D Told my mum bout it - and she asked me to take you guys out for dinner ;) Hehe.. Where to eat, where to eat?

If there were anything for me to boast about - it'd be to boast about my friends :) I have shoulders to cry on - whose owners know exactly what to say and do. I have friends who have strong arms that support me when I can't stand on my own. I have friends who always remember me in prayer. I have friends who have such giant hearts, that I just don't see how its possible. I have friends that keep forgiving me for the wrongs I've done, and keep loving me for who I am. This is straight from my heart - I would do anything for my friends, I may not always know what they need or want - but all they have to do is pick up the phone, drop me a line, tag-me even and just ask :) I'll always be right here..

"Who knew, that to the love between friends - age is not an issue?"

Had a great time Easter Sunday :) Went over to Carole and Brian's for a turkey dinner and a great time just being together; preparing dinner, sitting down to dinner, video collection discussions, and all that laughter filling the air..

Plus I got to drive a little bit - backing out the driveway, waiting to let another car out, 3 point turn before going back up the driveway :) I didn't know I could still drive a stick shift!

After that wonderful afternoon, went to watch "Inside Man" with Esther and Angela :) Had a good few laughs with the girls while waiting for the movie to start.. It was really good show - do try catch it!

Overall a good weekend :) Sad bits here and there - but we'll just keep this post a happy one ey?

Near or far. In touch or out. Old or new. Close or distant. Naughty or nice.

I love my friends :)

Feels like..

© Olivier Mériel

Easter: Celebrating what we don't deserve..

Went to crosswalk.com and read this article by Lori Borgman, this is just an excerpt. Click HERE for the full article.

"Recently, 12 American tourists on a B'nai B'rith trip to South America were killed when their bus fell down a mountainside. A reporter asked a rabbi if he questioned why God allowed such a bad thing to happen. The rabbi answered, I do not question God for the bad things that happen, just as I do not question God for the joyful things that happen. What a rare breed. A man who did not believe he deserved an answer.

It is no small irony that though we often live life pursuing what we may falsely or rightly believe we deserve, the holiest holiday on the Christian calendar celebrates not getting what we deserved.

We deserved something all right. Wrath. We richly deserved the penalty for sin, self-centeredness, arrogance, pride, greed, gluttony, hard hearts, mean spiritedness and all the rest. But, the thing is, we didn’t get it.

Christ did.

He took what I deserved, every lash, every hit, every piercing. He took what I had coming. He paid the price I deserved to pay, was crucified, dead and buried, and on the third day rose again.

They say a good way to distinguish between grace and mercy is to remember that grace is getting what you didn't have coming, and mercy is not getting what you did have coming.

Easter is the celebration of mercy.

The next time I open my mouth about something I deserve, may God freeze my speech mid-air and bring to mind the joy and thanksgiving of not getting that which I deserved the most of all."

How could I forget the meaning of Easter, how could I have taken that for granted?

Thank you Lord for Your forgiveness, and for giving me what I don't deserve, and for holding back what I do deserve.

Let that truth sink in.

Inspired and particularly poetic today..

Inspired to be a great doctor by Prof. O'Brien.. He is incredible! I believe he genuinely does care bout his patients - he may not be able to remember all their names but the empathy and compassion is just so evident.

"Its our privilege to be able to treat these patients, not our right.."

"..And we always put our patient's safety first."
Sounds obvious - but its just something we really got to take and internalize. I can't think of any scenarios off the top of my head (because of the lack of knowledge thus far) but hopefully will be able to soon enough :)

"Don't come back over the weekend, we can handle it ourselves.."
Hehe, Prof. O'Brien was pulling the mick cos we came in today even though we're officially off for our Easter break ;) All Dee's fault! But really glad we went in today..

We were walking with Prof. O'Brien in the CSI looking for a room to have our tutorial in, and some final meds saw us with him and said, "Look! Look! Third meds! Let's follow them!" For wanting to join our tutorial, I'd say they must be stressed, either that or they were just having fun ;) All the best to all you who are sitting the exams this week :) Mel, Annie and Murni :D God bless!

Walked home alone today - a rarity these days.. Just watched the birds fly.. Ever seen one fly in place? The just look like they're hovering 20 feet off the ground :P Happens when they're trying to fly into the wind.. And I just felt poetic, without having any words.

Bad mood..

I don't think I've been in a bad mood for a while? I think. But last night was just bad. Just so many things running through my head. And I just want it all to end - and I don't mean that in a /SUICIDAL/ way. Why can't life just be simple? Just want to live a somewhat scheduled and planned out life with some room for deviation - but yeah I want my life to be structured. I say that now - but when it happens, I wonder if I'll be happy.

"Who knew you had such audacity?"
But its okay, I'm okay, we're all okay..
Everyone's entitled to be who they want to be..
You can't please everyone, no matter how hard you try.

Anyway, on a lighter note :) The weekend is coming a day early this week :D We get Friday off - its Good Friday! Of course we're getting it off! And we're off til Tuesday - yayyyy! Plans for the long weekend? Going to stay over at my little snail bro's house - we're going to watch episodes of One Tree Hill, Desperate Housewives.. We're going to eat bak kut teh and fajitas! And Doritos with dips :D And we're going to be online all day and night. And we're going to.. Talk talk talk :D Hee hee.. Can't wait! Will remember to include some plans to study and go to the gym as well :D

I think shorter posts are better than longer ones - what do you think? Bite sized pieces rather than beefy chunks?

I'm in such a weird mood; moody, sleepy, tired, bored and HYPER..

A&E

Hung out at A&E with Ailbhe today :P Didn't really get to see or do much there - other than get in the way of the doctors and nurses there.. Got to take a history - had a bit more confidence which was cool :) Got a lift home from Ailbhe's mum.. So sweet of them to drop me off :)

So results came out today - congrats to you guys who are happy with your results :P To the rest (like me) we're gonna come back with a bang! Don't get discouraged - we all know ourselves if we did our best (or not even close to our best) and we've got so much time - we'll definitely do better :) Don't get discouraged. We learn from our mistakes, yeah? There's always that regret and the beating ourselves up about it after but - things do work out for good :)

And..

"If only you wanted me to, and if you'd let me, I could be there for you.. "

Oh yeah, *with my head hung low* Arsenal lost to Man United :( 2-0..

Get yourself together..

You got stuck in a moment, and you can't get out of it..

This is just too too TOO cool - www.myheritage.com

Check out which celeb you look like :) Haha, it's just a feel-good thing.. Feels good doesn't it, when people tell you that you look like a famous beautiful person?

P/S.. It's not that accurate :)

The best sleep :)

Got me a good 8 hours of sleep last night - so fresh! But had to take a cab into the hospital today - kinda overslept ;P Forgot to bring my jacket :( Have to act macho today - walk home without a jacket.. We'll see how that goes..

Anyway - the weekend is ALMOST here!!

Oh yes.. As I'm all for embarrasing myself.. Check this out :)

I like Sha's caption: "What do you get when 4 best friends try to harmonize to a t.A.t.U song?"

PS. We were not drunk. I repeat we were NOT, I repeat NOT drunk. Those glasses on the table contain ICE LEMON TEA. Hee hee hee..

Enjoy!

Nasi goreng, yakitori and fine beans :)

Yo wazzaP!

Was supposed to write this post last night - hence the time and date of this post being wrong.. I ended up going to sleep instead :) Got myself a good 7 hours of sleep :D Was so so tired yesterday - just couldn't concentrate.. We were shown a video on chronic inflammation and.. I.. For the first time.. Slept in class.. For the FIRST TIME.. Had a good 20 minute nap before KJ stuck his hand in front of my face and started waving it ;P I think that's what he did anyway.. I'm not sure.. Woke up only to find Dr. G already starting his lecture.. Ohhh well :P

Had a tutorial with Prof O Brien yesterday, gonna have one today with Dr. Dunne.. He is really nice - why I'm still scared of him, I do not know.. There's just an aura of greatness about him.. He took us to see a patient yesterday with a gangrenous little toe.. Not as gruesome as I had thought it would be but.. Yeah, the guy was really nice and very accomodating :) Went to another patient with a Charcot joint as a complication of diabetes. I do not enjoy taking histories.. It just seems so easy when you're thinking about what to ask and all that, but when it comes to DOING it.. I think I need a lot more practice and more confidence. And I need to know what I'm doing - haha.

This week has gone by pretty fast - it's already Thursday, the weekend's just around the corner :) So how did the first week of clinical attachments go? Pretty cool :) Opening my eyes a little more, testing how well my body can work with less sleep.. Bacteriology and pathology.. Hrmmm, interesting but at the same time - boring - mostly because by the time we have those lectures we're too tired to be paying full attention.. Medicine and surgery lectures are really cool though..

Oh yeah!! Arsenal are in the semi-finals OF THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE :D

Oh yes, the title of the blog is what I had for dinner last night, and what I'm having for lunch today :) Wheeeeeeee :D Oh and I forgot to put in Japanese fish cakes as well :) Yum-yum :P

Speaking of food..

My current obsession: ICEBERGERs
I have to have one at least once a day.. Was looking for a picture of it earlier, no luck :( Will take a picture myself and show youuuu :D YUMMY YUMMY..

Another new-found friend said "'Stacey' and 'food' are synonyms."

Morning at the Diabetic Day Clinic

Spent a couple of hours this morning at the Diabetic Day Clinic.. Started off hanging out Dr. Mongan and Ailbhe in an empty consultation room discussing diabetes.. Then moved on to observing what nurses at the clinic did and do ;P They're responsible mainly for patient education, and other things like measuring patients' weights and such.. But yeah, the relationship they have with patients is really cool, patients are way more comfortable around nurses than they are with doctors..

Then sat in with Dr. Dinneen.. He's great :) Real nice guy - took time to explain the reports to me, and asked what I thought and listened to what I had to say :) Saw a couple of patients that got me thinking? Something I don't really do often ;P

First patient was someone with Down's syndrome.. I've never actually met a person with Down's, and that just raised my awareness a bit more.. But what struck me most, was the love that just shone through her father's eyes.. "Sometimes after her bath, while I'm drying her feet, I tickle them.." To make sure she's still got sensation in them.. She was doing really well in managing her diabetes, and I believe its because she's got two parents who love her so much.

Saw a few other patients with different levels of management - some had their condition well under control, others - especially the ones who were recently diagnosed - didn't understand their condition well which lead to poor management..

Another patient that opened my eyes a bit, was one who had to be admitted to hospital.. Wonder what it'd be like - coming in for a routine check, only to be told you would have to stay in the hospital for a couple of days - especially when you felt completely fine.. I've got this mindset that only people with more serious cases would be admitted into hospital - maybe I've got the bar for 'serious' set too high.. But it's all about management of a disease as well, if the best way to treat a patient is by having them close by, then so be it.. Especially when you don't know when the patient will be back, and when know the patient isn't caring for themselves right.

Think the topic of this blog is soon going to be 'A day in the life of.. another medical student' hahaha ;) Now I have something to say :) Tee hEE hEE :D


L-R: Sumi, Steph, me, Ish, Shu and Cha Len :) Chinese New Year dinner 4th of February.. 2 months ago seems like such a long time ago.... Good times :)

This is..

The start of the 2nd quarter..

"First of all, I'd like to thank You, Jesus.."

The big 2-0..

TWENTY..

No longer in my 'teens'

"Well actually, I just turned TWENTEEN.."

Been a long weekend..

Thanks you guys for making such an effort to celebrate with me - I promise I won't be so depressed next year ;) Just jumped the 2nd hurdle.. First one was easy - just couldn't wait to turn 10, and then 11, and then 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, then uh-oh I see the next one coming up.. Have to start preparing to jump, 19.. And ker-PLOP.. Hehe, 20 - I have arrived..

"Mayyybe, I should have got the return ticket instead of one-way.."

Steph, Hema, Thava, Julian, Shu, James, JiZhang n Ish - thanks for taking me to Eastern Tandoori for lunch :) Won't ever be going there ever again - but that's a story for another day..

136 GD - The house that feeeeeds me :) Thanks so much for being so thoughtful :D Wish we'd had more time though - if only it wasn't Monday today.. But hey! Weather forecasts look good ;D The cakes you guys baked were SOOOOOO good!! Not only are they a household full of FUN, laughter, brains and last but not least LOVE.. But they're all BAKERS too!! Hehe, love you guys! Have a great week ahead :D

Afza - So sweet of you to dedicate a whole post on your blog to wishing me happy birthday :D Great job on the photo slideshow :D So sweet :D And sorry didn't get to spend time with you yesterday.. Tonight ok??

Steph - Thanks so much for having me over and just for being such a gracious host and yeah, for just being there to listen, and not to judge, and also for distracting me for a while.. Love you loads :)

To my beloved housies - house outing tonight!! Yayyyy ;) Love you guys, and missed you the past couple of days.. But I'm baaaack! Mwahahahaha..