Phewww...

Got my first presentation done today (of my research project).. Lasted about 15-20 minutes :) The conference room was pretty full up with nurses, phlebotomists, radiologists, final med students and Dr. Dunne and Prof. O'Brien.

Kinda mumbled through my 21 slides and yeah :) It went well I thought.. Got some words of encouragement from both Prof. O'Brien and Dr. Dunne.. Was happy enough with that :)

Ooh! And I'm doing a parachute jump! (For charity..) I have to raise €520 before February/March.. And so far I have €111 :) So, a fifth of the way there! Wheeeeee! Anyone want to sponsor me? The money raised will go to the VSA :)

And today, random muscles have been twitching non-stop. RANDOM. There's a tiny muscle twitching behind my right knee at this very moment, and during the day I've had my triceps muscle twitch on more than 2 occasions. What's with all the twitchiness :( I don't like being twitchy :(

Goodbye Mr. A!

I don't think tonight could have been any more fun than it was! I went for my first "young adults meeting" its a new small group - for yes.. young adults!

What a random mish-mash of different personalities! But we all got along!! All 20 of us :) Some Irish folk, some Americans, a few Malaysians and a Singaporean :) Only God could have brought all of us together like He did and let us get along so well :)

The night started off pretty quiet - all of us not really knowing each other (well the An Tobar Nua crew knew themselves) but at the end of the night.. It was just MADNESS I tell ya.. MADNESS. Jumping off stools, longboarding around the cafe, dance offs on the tiny stage.. And to think.. It all started with humble tea and biscuits :)

Esther reminded me of what we prayed for aaaaaaaaaaaages ago :) We prayed exactly for a group like this when we first met 3 years ago - and lookie! 3 years later - answered prayer :) We're all here and together for a reason in this season :) I can't wait to find out what the reason is!

2 songs that I can't get outta my head..

Goodbye Mr. A! by the Hoosiers

Apologize by OneRepublic

Ooh! It's my brother's birthday today :) Happy birthday my brovva..

So..

Dr. Harney is a legend! I SO wanna be an opththalmologist now!

"Argyll-Robertson Pupil; like a prostitute - accomodates but doesn't react.."

She was giving us a tutorial keratitis today.. She told us about when she gave birth to her second child and the baby's eye was stuck (Gonococcal opththalmae neonatorum - a complication of gonorrhoea) and Prof. Loftus, our current Dean, holding the baby and looking at her. How embarrassing would that be if that was what the baby had :P Turns out the baby had a blocked lacrimal gland..

And that brought her to another story :P When she was doing bacteriology as a student, they all had to do throat swabs on each other. One of her classmates (who's now working in the hospital) got a call from Dr. Corbett-Feeney; saying he had Group B Strep in his throat... Group B Strep is normal flora of the female genital tract :P

These are funny stories right? Haha.. Maybe only to med students? I don't know.. I thought they were hilarious - and so did the rest of the class ;)

That's not the reason I wanna do ophthalmology :P Wait.. Do I really want to? It does seem fun :) And I could try my hand at teaching as well - I'm so inspired :) She's such a great teacher.. And you get to use lasers!! Blip! Blip!

Anywho, time to get back to studying - I got my ophthalmology exam tomorrow :P

Vanity

I don't know what it was that was the trigger. Just been a random day. Just feel like I'm tired of it all, like everything was pointless and useless. That feeling's kinda waned at this point, but it was odd that I felt that way. I spent all afternoon looking at different things I could do - I have a 4 day weekend coming up and I just want to run away from it all. From the busyness and the laziness of my life, with old and new things that stress me out, the elation and the depression, the weight of the world on my shoulders. Old friends that come and go, new friends, "used-to-be" friends. Messing up, cleaning up. Studying for exams, sitting exams. Learning new things, forgetting old things. Getting new skills, letting old ones rust. Do you see the vanity? Everything's done in vain.

Come to think of it - I still am feeling quite random. And I do still want to run away.

I don't know..

Could I be more bored than I am right now? I don't think so... Thought that if I stayed in the CSI I would at least get some work done, but I've been free for the past hour an a half - and no work has been done.

Here is a story I got read yesterday:

There was once a girl, who's confused and damaged. She spends all day in the room watching stars on the ceiling, and flying in a forest of sand, looking and looking.

She doesn't know. Maybe answers, or maybe more questions. Yeah, she'd prefer more questions. But she knows that once she finds what she's looking for, her life is over.

One day, when she's in the forest, she saw a lake. It was shining and glistening so brightly that both the sun and moon slumbers in it. She smiles.

She went to the lake, took off her shoes slowly. She looked at herself in the reflection. She saw a beautiful face, a radiant being. She wiped her cheeks.

Wiping away maybe tears, maybe sorrow. She's thinking, why can't others see this beauty? why do others make me escape to this realm, to hide my presence among the breaths of earth?

To be continued...

The story intrigues me.. Can't wait to hear the rest! :)

Open Mic Nite!

So, I sang last night. And it was awesome! Haha, not self-praising.. I'm talkin bout the experience.. A bar full of people and me, with a guitar and a mic and my hair put up into a multicoloured mohawk. Awesomeness! I sang "Spiderpig" (from the Simpsons movie for the many people who didn't know :P), "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley, the chorus of "Rehab" and "Sugar, we're goin' down" by Fall Out Boy.

I was soooooo nervous goin up. My knees were kinda goin weak, and my mouth was goin dry.. The sound system wasn't great so I couldn't hear myself sing - all I could hear was my guitar :P

So, I get up there and put the guitar on, and start playing a chord :P And people started cheering - but wait! I hadn't adjusted the mic yet - so I had to stop playing. And the cheering stopped.. Anywho.. I adjusted my mic - with Steve's help and got on my way singing..

I think I half mumbled the first song :P Kinda shocked at the sound of my own voice - it looked like the crowd went quiet.. "Is my singing that bad?!" Haha.. Hope not.. Anyway the adrenaline kicked in and I just got into performing :) Sang the rest of my songs, and people sang along :) Most my friends and classmates have never heard me sing/play the guitar before so.. Yeah.. I got my ego stroked - ALOT. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Whenever I think of it - I can still feel the adrenaline buzz! Can't wait for next year! I have to start thinking of what songs to sing now :P Haha, plenty of time to practice ;)

One week to go..

And I'll be back in Galway, with a weekend to go before starting 5th year.

I have to admit, its pretty scary! Its the last year I have before I'm expected to know almost everything, being a Final Med Student. I also have a research paper to complete before the 21st of September (my Mummy's birthday!) So yeah.. Its gonna be busy when I get back, plus my parents and my brother will be coming along to Galway as well.

Each time I come home to KL, I find it easier and easier to leave. Its not something I really like, its just, a thing I've noticed. Galway is becoming the place I live my life, the place I'm starting to call home. I don't want to call it home, because my definition of home has always been where my family is. And my family is here? But things are changing this year. My brother is heading back with me - he's goin to be studying in the UK.. And my parents and my youngest brother might be moving to Vietnam. And I don't think I'd call Vietnam home, so.. I'm going to be confused with where "home" is.

My holiday at home so far has been filled with trips to One Utama, procrastinating writing my paper, eating good good food, shopping, shopping, shopping, playing with my brothers (yes, playing outside, running here and there, jumping around, sliding down slides - wheeeeee!), feeding my dogs treats making them happy and tail-waggly :)

Again..

Its been ages.. I think my last post was bout 4 months ago? Since then, we got done with exams, moved from 3 the Rookery to "Rumah Merah", said bye to Annie, said hello to Flavian, summer research project started and ended but still not completed, went through 2 rented cars, crashed into a tree in a bush for the fun of it (not one that was rented), twisted both my ankles, hyperextended my shoulder, grazed my knee, got 2 huge-ass bruises, all from jumping around outside with Che, hmmm what else happened... Well we stayed a night in Dublin for the BudLight Revue Comedy Festival... Yeah... That's my summer in Galway in a nutshell! Back at home now, kicking back, getting way too lazy... I sit and watch TV even when there's nothing to watch, and there's usually nothing to watch. Today I thought I'd do something different, so here I am posting a blog :)

Long time no blog!

Part of the reason being that my laptop died :( and also, its kinda hard trying to write a blog in a public place? As in the computer suites, where the screens are big enough that people who pass by or look over can read what you've written... So no blogs for that reason, oh yeah, we were having exams too! One last one on Monday, medicine MCQ. Oh wait, and the forensics oral on the 31st - if I get picked...

Anyway, we've been a busy busy house over here. Everyone trying to get stuff packed so we can be out of this house by the 30th... Zool's the first one to get everything done, Esther and I are pretty close behind... Sheila and Zaidan finally got their car back :) So they can zoom onwards as well...

So far, I have got:
- 15 medium sized boxes
- 2 large boxes
- 2 duffel bags
- 1 guitar case
- 1 suitcase
- 1 hand luggage bag
- numerous little boxes

And I still have 2 tables, 2 book racks, one shoe rack, and a whole kitchen cupboard full of things to pack... Hopefully all will be sorted and moved by the 30th :D Cos on the 31st - Ang and I are going to Kilkenny! Yayyyy :) We're going for the Cat Laughs Festival :)

But yeah, I'm so sad we don't get to stay with Zool (and our perpetual house guest - Afza) next year... It's been loads of good times - great times actually! Them cooking, me eating! Haha, I don't know how I'd have survived had they not offered me food whenever they cooked. I would probably miss food from home a lot more if they didn't! Also, I think I would have failed certain subjects had they not been here to study with me. I get so relaxed when I study alone sometimes, and I get too lenient with myself so that I end up studying really really slowly, with loads of breaks in between. But seeing them studying, I feel the need to study. And I have that teeny bit of pressure that I need to really concentrate :) I love them so much!

Things do get crazy when we hang out. Random, loud shouts ensue - each person trying to give Afza or Sumi a fright. It works on Afza maybe 50% of the time, but on Sumi? You get a much higher success rate ;) Its fun scaring people. I remember for Sumi's birthday we all hid in her room while she was in the shower, and she came out went into her room and got a little surprise trifle :)

We have some crazy videos too - some taken without them noticing I was taking a video! 2 makcik's talking on my bed, someone trying to turn around in my wheelie chair and falling off it, someone waffle-waffling at someone else's bum bum, someone wearing my bag as a hat and talking like Phua Chu Kang, someone dancing around thinking I was going to take a picture, ALL of us taking turns to "stand" on our heads on Sumi's bed, in Sumi's small room, and Sumi trying to do it - ALL WRONG by the way... HILARIOUS.

Bop-it games. Pretending to sleep whenever anyone entered a room - regardless of what they were doing at the time, for example Afza walking to the toilet and Zool watching a move on his laptop (I enter the room) and Zool looks at me shouts "Sleep! Sleep!" and Afza "falls asleep" standing up leaning against the wall and he does the same wherever he is. It may not sound funny - but it is SO FUNNY. Makes me feel kinda unwanted at times, haha, but it's just funny!

We also cram study for exams together. Those were the times! Playfully telling each other off for making noise (turning a page or moving around).

Random trips to Tesco and the Mediterranean store... I'm gonna miss grocery shopping with them! They taught me how to "not-buy-expensive-things" :) And I now cook more often because I learnt that bringing a lunch to school saves me SO MUCH MONEY - that I learnt from ZooZa :)

What else do we get up to? Oh yeah, we watched Friends! We got to the final episode of the final season, and we all got so emotional - cos we were moving out too! "Appletiser with Friends" is now "Peartiser with Friends"! Peartiser sounds so weird! At least Appletiser sounds like appetiser, Peartiser doesn't! As well, after almost 3 years of Appletiser being the sponsor. Weird!

We watch Heroes together :) And, people get bad dreams together after watching it :P

We also imitate Sumi - especially when she's not around - we do it cos we miss her when she's not! Plus it's fun to do ;) Hehe.. We love you Sumi!

I'm gonna miss staying with you guys so much!

Afza :) There's something proper about her and she's got an old soul - like Sumi said. I think that's pretty true :) She's got a kind of datin-aura around her, you know? Like she is someone big, someone up there, but without being a proud person. She's guarded but when she lets down her guard - you'd be hard pressed to get her to keep something from you :) And she's a brilliant cook! And makes the BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER!

Zool, you are full of surprises! Also a brilliant cook! Zool is the cause of zoolosis - which is difficulty in correctly recalling times and dates :) He has spread this disorder to me :( I'm now a carrier! He's a romantic guy, and I just love seeing him and Afza together. With some couples you feel all icky seeing them together, but not with these guys :)

Like Ang said, "They're Zool and Afza!" You just don't see them being apart :) I love you guys!

Sumi, not so much - cos we're staying together again next year! But I'll write a little tribute to my aunty-like friend as well :) Sumi's great :) She's the kind of med student that's painfully enthusiastic! And so painfully is she enthusiastic! Hehe, no she's not that bad :) She's a hard worker and a very determined person - and I look up to that. Sometimes I wish I could be like that, but I dunno... Maybe one day :) Esther is brilliant at the piano! And a really good harmonizer ;) When I can't find the harmonies to songs - Esther finds them for me :)

I'm so amazed at the way our friendships have grown over the past year and a half - and I really truly am looking forward to a lifetime of it :)

Popularly known as SPM

Social and preventive medicine. Why, oh why?

When I say, "I am a Christian"

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not shouting, "I've been saved!"
I'm whispering, "I get lost! That's why I chose this way"

When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't speak with human pride
I'm confessing that I stumble-needing God to be my guide

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not trying to be strong
I'm professing that I'm weak and pray for strength to carry on

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not bragging of success
I'm admitting that I've failed and cannot ever pay the debt

When I say, "I am a Christian," I don't think I know it all
I submit to my confusion asking humbly to be taught

When I say, "I am a Christian," I'm not claiming to be perfect
My flaws are far too visible but God believes I'm worth it

When I say, "I am a Christian," I still feel the sting of pain
I have my share of heartache which is why I seek His name

When I say, "I am a Christian," I do not wish to judge
I have no authority--I only know I'm loved


...

Copyright 1988 Carol Wimmer

It's getting so hot here!

Apparently, it was 27°C yesterday..!

Today we had a tutorial out on the grass with Dr. O'Donovan - it lasted an hour and a little bit... It was awesome, we sat outside in a circle, everyone with their notes and some with sunnies, others with hats, and me in my shorts! I love being able to wear shorts to classes! I am now, 2 shades darker (yay!) and a tiny headache richer (boo).

My Orange MicroCrush is on its way! I can't wait for it to arrive :D

Off to the gym I go... Kinda lost my motivation these days, I think it was so much more fun to do when I was only going once a week, upping it to 2-3 times a week - I just get bored! But maybe it won't be so boring today ;) We'll see...

Why aren't they letting me buy this? :(

My mind is transformed!

Again I found myself up - and the whole house asleep :) My internal alarm clock rang at 7am this morning... I rolled around in bed for a while, then got up to shower at half 7... So from 8am, I tried to get online. I restarted the router twice, reset the modem twice, and sat there patiently for an HOUR. Until I wanted to cry. Hahaha, I think I cry pretty easily - when I'm frustrated. Anywho, I decide to pack my lunch for our little after church picnic - and my rolls have gone rock hard :( Wasn't my day this morning - but after that it was all great again :)

Our picnic got shifted indoors to Cathie's house :) The weather didn't like us today :( But it was still loads of fun! I only just got home bout half an hour ago? And yeah, I figure if we were actually outside at a picnic - we'd be back home wayyy earlier than that :) It was really nice, everyone inside having food together, chatting and laughing and just hanging out :)

Spoke to my parents last night, and I think the whole family's coming over for when my brother, Yong starts university :) I can't wait! But it also means I'm not going to be going home for the summer... I'm missing out on catching up with friends and also the lovely food and sun and camp5 and DRIVING, but sure I can do that in December (if I go home then!)... I'm so excited for them to come over! Just can't contain myself! Told Angela and Sumi earlier and I couldn't stop jumping around ;) Yayyyyyyyy!!! Its like I live my life here separate from my family, and its just great knowing that I'd get to share that with them when they come over :) And its the perfect timing too - cos now I'm well settled in, and its not too close to them having to come over again for my graduation so... Just PERFECT!

I still can't get Mr. Shy Smile out of my head... Its not like I've been obsessing, but just... His smile... What is wrong with me! By the way, I didn't make it to the gym yesterday :P Met Phillip for coffee (well, he had coffee, I had apple juice) and after that met up with Cathie for tea in town :) We walked through the market and smelled some yummy food, some fishy fish and bumped shoulders with people :) Then I went shopping...

I got me a new pickup for my guitar :) Now all I need is an amp to try it out on! And also a guitar strap so I can start playing my own guitar in church :)
I also got me some new running shoes for the mini-marathon :) Adidas a3 Vortec!
I also bought some new duvet covers and sheets - they were on sale at Harry Corry :)

Walking home from town yesterday was nice - I got to stop at an open area and lie down by the river and enjoy the sun before heading back :) Lovely... And I think I'm tanner! Just a little bit :)

I also spent yesterday emptying 60% of my wardrobe into a luggage bag and a duffel bag... So now my room is really looking empty - when I open up my wardrobe its almost all gone! Ah well, good to get that sorted now while we're not haunted by exams :)

That's all for now - I wonder have people copped on to the fact that I'm blogging again? B'feider!

Photos!

I have a new photoblog!

Only pictures from the Easter Treasure Hunt are up, but I'll put up pictures from France and Krakow soon :) Also, ones from my 21st birthday party :)

Looks like...

I'm back into the posting groove - don't know if that's a good thing or not...

I may be the only person out of 7 in this house that has an internal clock. Its a Saturday, and I woke up at 8, to an extremely quiet house... Its not fair how they can sleep in til "late" - later than me anyway...

I got two emails today from the consultant I'm doing research with over this summer, its so cute, she thinks I spell my name "stezsie" instead of "Stacey" because that's what I use in my email address... Maybe I should get me a proper email address :P

Last day of attachments..

What a miserable day. And what a miserable way, to end our 4th med attachments... Got kicked out of the ward round to take histories - we were supposed to present them when they got to our patient in the round... So we go down at about 20 past 9, and the history and exam is done by 10, and so the waiting begins... Half 10 rolls around, and we're still waiting... I text Ailbhe to see if the team is with them yet - they're not. So we wait some more, and 11 o'clock arrives "I'm leaving if they don't get here in 5 minutes", Daniel goes and bleeps the SHO, "We're in Mary's, we're going to Anthony's next"... So we're like, OK, might as well wait for them at Anthony's... So we wait... And wait some more... And continue waiting... At this point, its close to 12pm... And everyone's getting agitated and irritated... Aimi's voice starts getting all high pitched, I start stamping my feet on the ground - throwing a little hissy fit... And Ailbhe, cool, calm and collected says "Sure, its our last day, let's not make a big thing out of this..." We finally catch sight of the team, and guess what? The consultant is gone... And its just the team then... And there's still too many people to be on a ward round, and we wait outside while they talk to patients... Hanging around only long enough to arrange for a tutorial... One is arranged for 3pm. I couldn't make it for the tutorial, but guess what, our group got stood up again - and the tutorial never materialised. Oh well, we're done. What a way to end it. Ah well... That's that.

I'm still here thinking of Mr. Man's shy smile :) I think the thing I liked about him, was that he's good looking, but wasn't full of himself? You can tell that about guys... Guys who act like they know they're good looking aren't as attractive as they would be if they didn't.

Anywho, enough about guys and their smiles :P

I'm pretty proud of myself, did I mention a couple of us from church are doing the Women's Mini Marathon? So I started training last week... Anyway, why am I proud of myself? Well yeah, I've been going to the gym for over a year now, and I hardly ever do work on the treadmill... Probably when I just started, but never really... So... This is what I've accomplished in a week:

Tuesday last week, I ran 2 km in 16 minutes (7.5 km/h) at 0 incline :)

Tuesday this week, I ran 3 km in 22 minutes (8.18 km/h) at an incline of 4 :)

And yesterday, I ran 4 km in 35 minutes (6.86 km/h) at an incline of 5 :)

Well not actually that proud bout my latest "result", got kinda lazy - and I don't think it was such a great idea to do all them weights before running, so new strategy for tomorrow... Start with stretches then go for the running :)

I have to say that I have ZERO stamina! I can run short distances and do them in bursts, but I find it hard to maintain things at a constant pace... So yeah, I'm proud of myself... Tomorrow, my goal is to get 5 km done in 35 minutes :) while keeping the incline steady at 5 :) Will be reporting back again tomorrow :)

Brown sugar in the hole!

Guess what I did? Today I was making tea in the cafe, and.. Instead of pouring sugar into my cup of tea, I tore open the sugar packet over my cup, and poured it into the bin hole :P It wasn't like I was half asleep or super tired, just did that unconsciously - and had a little laugh to myself :) Good thing there wasn't anyone around when I did that :) Tee hee hee...

My eventful day full of tutorials, free journal club keychains, and heart sounds, ends with a lovely session at the gym :) Cute European guy and myself kept exchanging glances and smiles :) I was on the lower abs stand thing, and he was on one of the trapezius machines, and he starts saying something to me, I don't know what he said, so I get off the thing I'm on and go over to him, and he asks if he can have a go on my machine thing :) And so I said ok - I think he was trying to show off, cos he attached like a 25kg weight to his belt and did like 10 of those things guys do - I don't know what they're called, where you have like parallel bars and you lift yourself up and lower yourself down with feet off the ground ;) Anyway, it was nice to have some attention... And he had such a great smile :D I love smiles :D Haha, and I can't believe I pulled a "damsel-in-distress" on him :P I was on a hamstring machine, and I had to adjust the bit that you hook your foot onto? Yeah, and I tried to adjust it, I only tried for a second to unscrew the thing, in my heart hoping he'd come to my rescue, and he did!

Aah, my lovely, smiley gym man, when will I see you again? Can't believe you were there for so long! I was there for two hours, and you were there before me, and when I left you were still there... No wonder you're so fit :)

Another new layout

Yeah, I've been itchy with html lately. Just can't leave it alone! I dunno, maybe because I have nothing much to write about, I go and play with my template? B'feider...

I liked the template before this - those of you who got to see it saw it, its gone now - but, it wasn't really what I wanted? But yeah, I love this template!

Anywho, enough of this template talk :)

How is anyone who is reading this? How's your week gone? How's the first quarter of your year gone for you?

I can't believe its already April! And the end of it!

I will be back after lectures to post another post - internet at home's gone funky monkey..

How do you like my new layout?

I like it! Still have to edit and add links, but that's about all I think? Oh, and my tagboard too..

Loads have happened since I last posted a post :P As loads usually do.. In a nutshell, here goes!

We went snowboarding! So much fun! Can't wait to go again! Will post some pictures soon enough :) Flights back to Galway got delayed and missed - leaving us with only 2 hours in Galway before having to leave for Krakow on our class trip!

Krakow was really good fun, just so nice to do things together as a class :) Dinners, drinking, and a trip to Auschwitz...

Had a birthday party to celebrate my 21st :) Another great night out, with the class and people I love :) Only wish that my family and Angela could have been there...