Life doesn’t always have to be logical.

Oh well...

2008-02-18T21:21:00.002Z

Reading back to my last post, I realise my current post is not one week later. Not at all. The holiday has come and gone - although the memories are very much alive and hence it doesn't seem so far away. I did have a lovely time in Paris...

I don't get the urge to blog quite so often now. So it's worrying when I do. I think it's an indication that my mood's not well moderated - either too high and I wanna exclaim to the world, or too low where, actually, i should be thinking of ways to cheer up instead of moaning about it here.

Abruptly, it is a good time now to announce that I am moving. Since when did life get so complicated? All these flat viewings, negotiating rent, bills, taxes.... feels terribly adult. I haven't secured accomodation yet (and that is causing sleepless nights) but I do have an idea where I'm going to go... and if it doesn't work out, I do have a Plan B i.e. I won't be sleeping on the street. But the hassle! Packing, moving, unpacking... all the time and effort required...

6 weeks to my holidays.

8 weeks to moving house.

That's what I'm obsessing about nowadays.

On a slightly more positive note, I am working in a job that I love (for the next 6months at least) - doing stroke rehab. I just love the challenges and the variety. No 2 strokes and no 2 persons are the same... in fact, tomorrow, I'm taking a bus into town with a patient! We're practicing to get from his house into town so he can get to the supermarket! Simple things that I don't even think about mean so much to them...

And with that, I'm going to end this post filled with disjointed sentences and abrupt thoughts (the product of a stressed mind) and hopefully, the next post will be a lot calmer.

Holiday!

2007-09-17T19:55:00.000+01:00

First proper break in 9months.

A good use of my annual leave, me thinks.

And if we're not at each other's necks by Saturday,

I'm sure I'll have a lovely birthday too.

Excited!

So, I'm off to Paris.

And I'll see you all in about a week's time.

xox

Edinburgh Festival

2007-08-29T20:05:00.000+01:00

Was back in Edinburgh 3 weeks ago for the first time since early last year (when Cui came to visit and we went around the UK). Strange, considering Edinburgh is only 3 hours away. Such a vibrant city, traditional yet bustling. Filled to the brim with foreigners. And it was worse when I was there this time - because of the annual Edinburgh Festival, which features international acts and attracts people from all over the world.

What a crowd! But we had lovely weather (lucky us, because we'd hardly had a summer all year. All we've had were wind and rain. Rubbish.), free accommodation (Chris' sister lives in Edinburgh) and went to a hilarious stand-up comedy performed by an irish guy. Jason Byrnes was sometimes a little too vulgar and crude for my taste (but the guys loved him of course *rolls eyes*) but overall, he was really funny. That said, the effect was somewhat diminished because (and I honestly think so) he was drunk! He couldn't stand still on stage, constantly fidgeting, and quite a few times, he started a joke... found it extremely funny before he even got to the punchline... started laughing until he was rolling on the floor... and never finished the joke! Genius, eh?

What I really loved about the festival though, was the atmosphere... and look at the photos below! Just setting up on the streets, the Royal Mile were filled with them. Walking along the streets, having such a great choice of street performers to watch... even seeing people promote and advertise their shows in such novel ways were a feast for the eyes.

Promotions/Advertisements

Some kindda theatre production...

No clue what they are promoting...

I'm guessing it's some kind of horror production...

As u can tell, most of the time, I don't know what these

people are promoting. Interesting all the same.

Street Performers

Apparently, this dude spent 10years learning,
practising and perfecting his performance.

No clue once again.

I'm guessing, he's showing off his strong stomach.

I actually know what this is about!
Italian opera...
Lovely girls, lovely costume and wonderful voices...

------------------------------

On our way home, we passed by this shop that smelled heavenly.. couldn't resist and had to go in. Turned out to be the "Fudge Kitchen" where they handmade fudge - mainly made of sugar and cream (heart attack, diabetes, obesity, tooth decay etc... disaster for the body, heaven for the soul) right in front of you.

Stirring the pot of fudge.

He was loving the attention!

Pouring the fudge onto a large marble table

The marble absorbs the heat to cool the fudge down.

Adding walnuts into the fudge and mixing it all up.

He was doing this for a good 10-15mins, to introduce air into the fudge

(to make it light and smooth)

Good arm muscles, I say.

Obviously, the woman has to wash the big pot.

Typical.

Finally!

Shaping it into a log.

This would make 70 slices of fudge

(each about the size of a swiss roll and would sell for about £3)

Absolutely delicious!

Home Internet!

2007-07-24T18:56:00.000+01:00

I'm back online almost 24/7 (almost, because I have work) now since I've got internet at home. What a difference it makes! Living without internet is not impossible. But it's a major hassle. Internet greatly improves quality of life. Catching up with friends and family, information at my fingertips, online shopping, blogging and random surfing!

My internet package allows me "unlimited" usage subject to fairuse policy. In the language here, it means "not really unlimited". I get 3GB. Which EVERYBODY I spoke to before getting the package told me: 3GB is a lot! You probably won't even use it all.

Evidently, they have no idea how I use the internet. One week after I got the package, I'm up to 2GB already! 10days on, I'm at 2.5GB... I am now prepared to get a letter from the company asking me to reduce me usage. Apparently, "unlimited" = 3GB but on reaching the 3GB, they do not terminate my account (now, that would be waaaaay too cruel). Instead, I'd get a letter politely (I think) asking me to reduce my usage. If I still do not comply, then the speed of my internet would be reduced. Which, all is all, is not that bad in the worst case scenario.

------------------------------

On an entirely different topic... I think the lack of sunshine in this neglected part of the world is getting to me. The past week was terrible -- work stress (major event), relationship stress (minor event, tiny event but at that time, it felt like a major event). And you know that the stress is getting to you when even dreams are stressful!

Last week, I had a mega-horrible nightmare (10/10 perfect score nightmare) which had me waking up at 5:30am, so scared that I unable to go back to bed. Ended up coming online, chatting with my bro and phoned 2 friends (one in Brunei, the other in Singapore) just for reassurance that my dream was not a premonition. Most unbecoming, illogical behaviour for a 23-year-old.

Today, my body's decided to give in to the stress and I ended up in bed in pajamas, sweater and 2 blankets, busy sneezing. Took an anti-histamine and goodness! It was strong! I think it's because I've been off the anti-histamines for a long time that I felt the effect so strongly (when I took them more regularly because of my sinus in Singapore, I was normally only slightly drowsy). Well, today, I was concussed for a good 16 hours - can't complain, body needed the rest, and had the most vivid dreams ever (dreamt that Nescafe developed a new coffee that was cigarette-flavoured. Ewwwww....)

------------------------------

So that's me, for now. Back online. And hopefully back on track with everything else...

8th of March!

2007-07-08T00:53:00.000+01:00

That's the date of my last post! Absolutely neglected. Absolutely disgraceful.

Right. Quick update on major changes:

1) I've been changed from being on a temporary contract to being a permanent member of staff now. Hush hush...nooooo... that doesn't mean I'm NOT coming home. Ahem, it just means I can decide when I'm coming home instead of it being decided by my employer. More power to me.

2) I've started driving lessons! Hoho... had my second lesson today, went onto the main road... Woohooo...exhilarating! But oh... oh.... what stress! Clutch control (yeah, yeah, MANUAL car this time. Major culture shock. Apparently, only disabled people drive automatic cars here. Bummer.)

Anyway, back to where I was... clutch control, check rear mirror, blindspot, indicator, traffic lights, traffic signs, pedestrains, bicycle, buses! Arrrghh... drives me absolutely mad. Too much stimuli. Kindda like putting an epileptic into a room filled with multi-coloured flashing lights. Result? An epileptic fit, obviously.

OR, (wait for this) indicating left but tried to turn the car right!
Instructor: What are you doing? *attempting to steer the car left*
Me: Turning left. *steering the car right*

Alternatively, me turning a corner, letting the clutch go to quickly, hence almost heading into another car.
Instructor: Turn! Turn! You have to turn the wheel. The car won't turn itself.
Me: *slowly turning the wheel* Aye.. we'll be fine.

That said, I'm not a disaster, I hasten to add. I have not stalled the car. I have not run anything over. I have not mounted the curb. I have not stopped inappropriately i.e. at a green light. In other words, there is hope.

------------------------------

Ah, that's it for now.

Ok.

Maybe just one more.

Inverness

2007-03-08T17:04:00.000Z

Finally getting down to posting photos of my weekend in Inverness. There's been a huuuuuge delay. My excuse is terrible but I'll say it anyway: I've been busy.

Before the photos though, I have to say I'm so happy these days I'm literally bouncing around. Jude (friend and colleague) has been going around asking people: Why is she so happy? What's she on?

Haha...nothing really. Sunshine I guess. It's crazy. Everybody's left second-guessing the weather. Last year, Aberdeen had a late winter - heavy snowfall in March. This year, we had, like, errm, 2 days of light snow in February. The sun's been glorious the past week. But everybody's still cautious and nobody's saying that winter's over. Yes, I'm absolutely delighted with the sunshine we're getting! That's the reason I'm happy. High. Manic. Delirious. Whatever.

Ok, back to the photos...

The Drive... to Inverness.

------------------------------

Stopped over at Jenna's house on the way.

She's got a lovely house, by the way.

AND! And it's in the COUNTRY!

Minz & Gaurisha in Jenna's garden

See? Country house - big garden! Excellent!

Minz & George... Awww...

Debated with myself for a long time if I should include this photo.

But yes, here it is.

Me. On the piano. After a whole year and a half.

Of not having a piano to play on.

It's true.

You don't miss it until you lose it.

------------------------------

Minz, Gaurisha & Jenna
in a book/coffee shop with a real furnace in the middle.

Then some shopping...

Haha.

The first ZARA I see in SCOTLAND!

That happiness is unimaginable.

Incidentally, Jude has something to say about my shopping habits.

She says: You need help, girl.

Gaurisha, Jenna, Jude & Minz

Clarification

2007-03-03T12:35:00.000Z

I was not talking about marriage in my last post.

Oh no...

No.

The "M" Word

2007-02-26T17:59:00.003Z

I have a new obsession.

M*******.

8 alphabets.

It's practically ALL I think about.

Spoken to a few people about it, just to get some comments.

Comments

1) Good idea if you're financially stable.

2) Heavy responsibility, large committment, not just signing on the dotted line.

3) Look around before deciding. So many choices!

4) No hurry since you're still young.

5) Good idea especially since you're still young.

------------------------------

It's doing my head in.

I'm.really.obsessed.about.it.

M*******

Photos See The Light Of Day

2007-01-24T18:24:00.000Z

Finally uploading selected photos from November & December (yes, I know it's already LAST YEAR). Didn't take a lot of photos in Australia and there's one event in particular that I regret not having a photo of - the 3.5 feet eel-tailed catfish that bit into the hook at the end of the line I was holding onto. It eventually got away because we didn't have a net to scoop it up.

My fish was bigger...

Could have been me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Back home, there weren't many photos either, although it was an insanely wild time packed with activities that were definitely legal (lunch, dinner, family-oriented events) and activities that were possibly illegal - no way else to explain an unpleasant run-in with an "officer of the law" (very unprofessional officer, may I add) who threatened to shoot us. Ok, it's actually much less exciting that it sounds, and nobody had to be admitted to the hospital (or the morgue) with a gunshot wound but still, I will hardly be able to forget that policeman's name. When I'm old, demented and unable to remember my own name, my children's names, my address and date of birth, I'll still be muttering his name under my fiery breath. Oh yes, I will...

So here are a selection of photos of some activities featuring some people (I'm hardly going to display my entire family online, am I? They deserve some privacy. And the weirdos out there don't need to know about them either). Other activities, like dinner at fish&co with the cousins, I have no photos of - because everybody thought everybody else was bringing a camera!

Chris, Minz, Freda, Cui, Sheena & Boon
@ The Balcony

------------------------------

Minz & Bro @ Crystal Jade Vivocity
(First event of the evening)

And then on to the second meeting

Christmas Gift Exchange @ The Canary, Clarke Quay

Back (L-R): Shu Min, Cui, Jon, Freda
Front (L-R): Minz, Yuhan, Boon, Sheena

And finally, the 3rd part of the evening...

Tau Huay @ Geylang

with Jon & Terence

------------------------------

Christmas Eve itself was spent at Raffles The Plaza attending Ern & Kris' wedding dinner. Photos were taken by professional photographers but I haven't seen them yet! I've only got photos of the post-dinner clubbing @ New Asia Bar. Terrible music, lots of Caucasian party-bodies, very strange mix of people and - get this - $40 cover charge (it's Christmas Eve after all).

Absolutely insane.

I almost shook my head in disapproval at all the people there.

$40 to get in to mix around with an odd assortment of people.

And listen to rubbish music.

If I had paid, I would have felt terribly cheated.

But because I didn't pay, I left 20mins later

without feeling absolutely stupid.

A fool and his money etc etc...

Jeremy (who flew back from Oz to attend the dinner)
& Jeff, Ern's best man.

Mins, Sey Ing, Danlin & Reo

The ice-man at the door!

Insanity & Beyond...

2007-01-16T18:02:00.001Z

For my 3-month employment, I'm entitled to have 49.9hours (yes, we are that exact here) of time-off and I think I'm sorely in need of a day off to do nothing but lie in bed from dawn till dusk - not that there is a lot of difference between the two because it's winter and dark almost the whole day. But at least, if I lie in bed, I don't put myself in potentially stressful and/or frustrating situations.

Before this past week, I've never experienced a nosebleed. Oh, but the joys of returning to a country with practically non-existent humidity include TWO nosebleeds (quick first aid quiz: when a person gets a nosebleed, should he/her tilt his/her head forward or backward?). To add to the stress of having a nosebleed, what better time to have it then in front of a patient! But bless the gene that allows me to be "calm" in a situation like that and "control" the nosebleed. "Control" meaning, take repeated deep breaths rapidly through the nose to try to "dry" the bleeding - it worked! (See what I mean when I said "humidity was non-existent". That's how dry the air was.) Thus, I managed to save dripping nasal haemoglobin, platelets and what-nots onto my crisp white uniform (it was Monday, too!) And so, my 84 year old patient and her 78 year old brother never had a clue that I was having a personal crisis while I was saying "Uh-huh", "hmmm" and "yeah" through the whole conversation while they were feeding me lies...

Oh yes... trying to pull the wool over my eyes, taking extreme liberties with the truth (euphemisms are ever less harsh) while I was trying my best to help them:

Me: (deep breath - I was having a nosebleed, remember?) Are the both of you coping at home?
Brother: Yes, no problems.
Me: Is there anything I can help you with? Organise services to lighten your load or provide equipment to make your life easier?
Patient and Brother: Oh no, we're fine.
Me: (looking at Brother) Are you keeping well? Were you recently hospitalised too?
Brother: Oh, no no... I was not.
Me: The nurses said you were recently hospitalised (*mumbles* for an overdose of aspirin in a suicide attempt, no less).
Brother: Hmm...
Me: Were you recently discharged home?
Brother: Y...eah.
Me: So why were you hospitalised?
Brother: For no reason, I was in one day and out the next. Just for one night.
Me: Yes, but why were you admitted into hospital?
Brother: I was feeling tired... I just came into the hospital to rest.
Me: Okayyyyyyyy...

The joys of my job!

And speaking of my job... my job description is changing! It's expanding actually... Literally expanding geographically - to include being posted to a hospital in the countryside for up to 6 months at a time. All new staff that join will have to be able to drive because the hospitals in the community are about 1hour away (by car) from the city area. Strangely though, there's no talk of providing us with cars, nor compensation for travelling time, nor allowances for petrol, insurance or road-tax. Current staff (me included) will have the option of opting into this new scheme. We are, of course, trying to get funding for "job re-training" to equip us with the ability to drive. Cheeky, yes... But no harm asking, yeah? Squeezing blood from stone comes to mind though...

That concludes this installment of insanity and beyond. Future installments are in the works, of course and perhaps I will tell you about an extremely interesting Russian patient I have (once I figure out what he's trying to say).

And finally, if you didn't understand a tenth of what happened above, that's perfectly alright.

I was just rambling...

Ahh... Yes.

2007-01-03T18:02:00.000Z

So I'm back.

Indeed, my blog's been neglected. For quite a while. Didn't even indicate that I had, in fact, returned from Sydney.

But I have. Returned from Sydney to Singapore (where I had quite a wild 4 weeks). And then returned from Singapore to Aberdeen - with mixed feelings.

Yay-ness

Checked in 33kg of luggage without being charged (allowance was 23kg)
Sat next to un-annoying people on board the plane, although the situation was a bit uncertain during the first 20mins. Man on left of me couldn't find his passport and wanted to get off the plane to look for it but he couldn't find his boarding pass either and was therefore not allowed to disembark. Man got increasingly agitated and kept mumbling profanities under his breath. Oh well, turned out he's got a doctorate in political science and is a lecturer in a well known English University. One can never tell...

Accommodation officers remembered to leave my keys at the security desk for me, thereby saving me from freezing out in the streets

Came back to find my bedsheets have been changed and new towels laid out for me. Room service! =)

Customs don't work on new year's day? Luggage wasn't screened and inspected. And therefore contraband not confiscated.

Sian-ness

Boring movies on the plane

No champagne to celebrate new year on the plane (Pilot: Thank you for choosing to fly with us over the new year. --> Only hint that the people in BA/Qantas are aware that it was the new year. No extra smiles for the special occassion.)

Plane landed late at Heathrow Terminal 4 @ 0600. Plane to Aberdeen leaving Heathrow Terminal 1 @ 0655. Gate closes at 0635. My first run of the year.

Leaving Singapore. Leaving friends and family and dog behind.

Delayed luggage - and then damaged luggage.

Arriving on New Year's Day - Taxi fare was 1.5 times metered rate.

Short days. In fact, sun didn't come out today. Walked to work in the dark, walked home in the dark. Beware Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Recieved letter from HM Revenue and Customs informing me of the amount of taxes I have to pay.

No internet at home

Dry lips, dry skin, dry hands, cracked feet

------------------------------

Question of the day (from a colleague):

Why, if you can work in Australia, would you even bother coming back here?

Which made me think: YAH, WHY AH?

But everything has it's time and place. And for now, my place is here.

------------------------------

I have to breathe and clear my mind.

It's very cluttered.

2 Years Later...

2006-11-13T12:35:00.000Z

... I'm back in Sydney.

The journey here was rather eventful firstly because of this particular travel companion I have and also because there were lovely stewards (ok, cute is what I really mean) onboard the flight.

My travel companion actually shouldn't really be my travel companion. You know how they say "three strikes and you're out?" Haha... I counted 3... 4... 5... and then I just gave up counting. It was a crash course on "disregard the airport system" and the method of teaching was via "live demonstration".

Strike 1: Queuing to clear immigration in Singapore

Travel Companion (TC): Eh look, there's a shorter queue there. Only 1 person, let's go there...
Me: Really?
*TC attempts to join the shorter queue but was waved back into the original queue.

WHY AH?!

Because the queue was meant for "air crew"

Strike 2: Entering the holding room prior to boarding

TC happily pushes the trolley into the holding room to take her luggage to the security station for screening.
Security officer: Ma'am, no trolleys allowed here please. *points to large sign at door*

Strike 3: Attempting to bypass security

See, this is the most puzzling. I don't understand how this possibly happened. You see a large metal "door frame". A security officer stands on the other side of the frame and waves you through.

Most people walk through the frame, thinking: I hope I don't set the sensor off.

TC squeezes between the side of the frame and the luggage scanner, a mere gap of a few inches, completely bypassing the security screen, thinking: *actually I don't really know what TC was thinking at the moment, if at all she was =P *

------------------------------

Rightz...

So I am away (again) at the moment

& I don't really know when I'll be back.

So watch this space! =)

Time Check

2006-11-11T16:54:00.000Z

I'm happy happy happy! Tiredness and a completely haywire circadian rhythm aside (I've had many sleepless nights, the most recent of which I spent it chatting online with a friend who was working the night shift), it feels wonderful to be home. You know? The simple things in life... My room, my bed, my wardrobe (oh oh.. how I have been deprived this past year in my choice of clothes), my family and my friends... I'm easily contented (or so I think).

Started by pretending to be a homebody by plonking myself on the sofa for one complete day - 8hours, a couple of toilet breaks + 1 lunch break - to catch up with a drama series that my cousin lovingly taped for me (Thanx Adabelle!).

And then the outings began... and haven't stopped =P

The Bear and I @ Secret Garden

SM, SB (who thoroughly enjoyed percussion), HM, CY & YL
(The Bear was taking the photo...)

SM, SB, CY, YL, HM
(The Bear took photo again)

Yeah, yeah, there is a difference between the 2 photos...

The first was about 12am? And this was 3+am...

T-I-R-E-D

I'm getting to know Singapore all over again because roads have changed, there are new places to check out (Yes, I have heard about Vivocity. No, I haven't been there yet.) and there are new restaurants/cafes to try out... So many things to do, so little time (thought I'd never say this about Singapore)! It's been 12 days since I've been back but it only feels like 5 days or something! Physical time has lost it's meaning (especially since I am officially at war with my circadian rhythm) and evidently my psychological time is slightly messed up, but really, time doesn't matter! I don't need to be reminded that each day that passes brings me closer to going back to work *banishes the thought*...

Incidentally, I'm planning to go to Underwater World end Nov/beginning Dec, anybody else wants to come?

Mae @ Home

2006-10-31T16:42:00.000Z

2 flights,

16 hours,

4 meals,

2.5movies,

(The Break Up, The Devil Wears Prada, 1/2 of The Sentinel - fell asleep halfway)

1 new friend,

3 gin and tonics,

2 lagging luggages later,

(It is NOT lost. They know exactly where it is. It's just not on the same flight as me.)

I'm finally home.

For a while at least.

------------------------------

And I'm (finally) contactable

at my old number.

So I'll be hearing from you guys...

Cheerio! =)

Steamboat Dinner

2006-09-15T19:37:00.000+01:00

A short post before I go off to bed

so that I can get up early tomorrow to pack for my flight.

(Has it been one week already?!)

Had a great steamboat dinner with

my cousins and an aunt.

Tasty...

Us!
Spot the aunt... err.. half an aunt, more like.
The waiter's photography "skills" obviously leaves a lot to be desired.

Steamy Steamboat!

Couldn't really tell if it was a

"Welcome Home"

or a

"Farewell"

dinner...

Not that it matters,

because we all had fun.

To the point where we all missed the last train home.

Beloved cousins on a "class excursion"
Boy in yellow: "So artificial!"
*Ahem*

The "teacher"

All of us...

And finally, an impromptu birthday celebration

for Reuben & myself!

We were soooo enjoying ourselves.

Check out how relaxed we all look.

Any wonder why we missed the train home?

Thanks to all of you who were there!

Thanks to all my aunts/uncles who allowed

them to be there!

(Apologies for the late return home!)

And to those who couldn't be there because of exams,

there will be future outings

(perhaps with better transport plans),

so no worries!

One Week in Singapore

2006-09-14T12:02:00.000+01:00

I can possibly understand why some people choose to work overseas and come home a few times a year. These few days have been heavenly. Not just because I get to come home to my own home but also because I've been treated like a Queen *grinz*. My family and friends have been so welcoming that it's hard to accept I'm leaving again in 2 days... A week passes by really quickly.

And what's a trip back to Singapore without stuffing myself with food?

What I've eaten:

Peking Duck
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Mee Siam
Laksa
Prawn Mee
Nasi Lemak
Abalone soup
Kang Kong
Soy Sauce Chicken (literal translation, at least)
Dragonfruit, honeydew, watermelon, durian

Seriously...

2006-09-02T10:48:00.000+01:00

If you know anybody who participated in this event,

would you let me know?

I am interested to know who participates in such events...

A Bit More About Work...

2006-09-01T21:07:00.000+01:00

My employer

The place I work

A patient I worked with...

(Seriously... sometimes I wonder where all the more

"normal" patients I saw as a student disappeared to...)

The good...

1) Half a day off every couple of months of so for "Professional Development". It can be spent reading journals, doing reflective learning, going on courses etc etc...

2) Patient contact/interaction. Ooohhh...job satisfaction.

3) Staff liaison: team working with the physios, drs, dietician, nurses, care coordinator, social workers...

4) The pay. And annual leave... Which reminds me (and u, if you are still reading), that I'm going to be home in a week for a week :P

5) When work goes smoothly and everything goes as planned.

The Bad...

1) When patients die. Oh... that's a horrible horrible feeling... The first time I was told one of my patients died, I had to excuse myself to the toilet to have a cry. Didn't help that his passing was completely unexpected and in fact, he was meant to go home on that day. The rest of the day was just crappy...

2) The stress that everything you do/say has to be documented and documented well because your notes are legal documents.

3) The sheer amount of paperwork.

4) Meetings. Errm... precious time that can be better spent providing therapy.

5) Getting up at 6am every morning.

And the do-you-laugh-or-cry?

1) When a patient poos and puts his poo in another patient's cupboard as a present.

2) When after struggling with a patient (who also happens to be a retired doctor) for 5 mins to remove her night gown to put on day clothes and her always trying to put her night gown back on, she asks: "Isn't this the gown in which you are going to execute me in?"

3) When a patient self-discharges against medical advice and after completing the paperwork, is dragged back to the hospital while on his way home, by a off-duty nurse who thought he was a patient escaping from hospital.

------------------------------

Announcement:

I'm moving.

Yes, again.

So I'll be offline the next week.

Should be back the week after.

By which time, I'll be home.

Yeah, HOME.

So till then!

See you when I see you!

28 July 2006

2006-08-22T21:42:00.000+01:00

Years on, as I progress from job to job and organization to organization (in the way normal people do, not the way job-hoppers do), I would have a “first day on the job” at each place. But there is only one first day of my career – today. Perhaps one day, I would be so exhausted from my job and that I would no longer remember my sense of achievement and excitement at graduating after 4 years of study… and for that day, I will document my first day at work to remind me…

Greatest change was status; I’ve out-grown my student status and am now a full-fledged therapist. Even the welcome I received was so different, I’m taken by surprise. I step into the OT department of the hospital 10mins early and I catch my colleagues-to-be in the midst of their morning routines: tidying files, changing into their uniform, making coffee. They walk pass, they look at me, they stop, and they smile and say “You must be Mae. Pleased to meet you and welcome.” 4years as a student, 8 placements altogether, the only therapists that know my name BEFORE I arrive are the ones that had been assigned to supervise me.

First 2 hours, I sit through a ward meeting. First day of the job in a ward meeting is good because you get to meet the whole team. First day of the job in a ward meeting is bad because they discuss each and every patient in detail – and every single bit of these information such as medical condition, social situation and goal, fly over the top of my head. A physiotherapy student sits next to his supervisor and offers his opinion of the patients he has seen. I sit silent throughout. I catch him glancing my way a few times. I think he’s wondering why on earth I am so unlucky to start my placement on a Friday.

I still wore my student uniform today – the trousers are the same for students and therapists alike, only that the top has the name of the university – because my uniform wasn’t ready yet. When the phone on the ward rang and I answered it with “Hello, ward xx, OT speaking”, the student physiotherapist raised his eyebrow and shot a glance my way. I can almost see the thought bubble forming above his head “What nerve!”.

Next, I’m brought on a “tour” and introduced to the staff on the ward. The expression on the face of the physio student when he hears that I’m a bonafide therapist in a student’s disguise is priceless. *evil laugh* (ok, he's a nice person, I was just having a bit of fun on my first day at work.) Anyway, the welcome is warm and I feel like I belong in the friendly gang that call themselves the “multidisciplinary team”.

I no longer have to sign off as “OT student” – a cumbersome thing to write when one is signing 15 sets of documentation a day. Instead, I simply sign off as “OT”. Several times during the day, I catch myself almost going up to the senior therapist I work with to ask her to “countersign” my documentation - almost. I am given my own desk (woohoo~!), my own appointment diary, I have keys to my own locker and I even have my own “annual leave” card (I am entitled to 8 days annual leave for the 3 months that I work).

I feel very grown up.

A nurse is cornered by a patient’s unhappy son. He has just been informed that his mother will have a home visit done by the occupational therapist on Wednesday and if she is assessed to be safe at home, she may be discharged on Friday. He opines loudly that such an arrangement is not satisfactory. He wants the home visit to be done on Monday, for a reason that I cannot disclose here. The nurse fails to placate him and eventually says “You’ll have to speak to the OT because she will be the one doing the home visit. It depends if she can do it on Monday”.

I bet you can guess what she says next. But it catches me completely by surprise. People say you have to be thrown into the deep end of the pool to learn. But nobody ever talks about the ones who sink underwater… and never surface. Others talk about hitting the ground running. Again, nobody mentions falling flat on your face. I guess either way, the person is dead or has a serious facial injury and is unable to say much about their unsuccessful learning experience.

“Mae? Perhaps you would like to talk to this gentleman about the home visit planned for his mother?” the nurse says. With this statement, my safety blanket in the form of my “student uniform” has been ripped apart and I suddenly wonder why I was so eager to shed my student status. I am instantly reminded of previous patients I’ve seen who act up a day or two before their discharge date so that they have to be “kept for observation” for a longer time. These patients are suddenly “depressed and suicidal” again, elderly patients suddenly insist that they fell on the way to the toilet and are therefore not safe to go home. I can understand the panic they feel now, of being “let loose” into a world where nothing is certain or within their control; It’s safer being in hospital. It’s safer being a student.

“This gentleman” gives me a steely stare. “This gentleman” is 60 odd years old and “this gentleman” would like to discuss his 90-year old mother with me.

Suddenly, I don’t feel grown up at all.

I smile while I try to think of the most pleasant way to say “What do you expect me to say about a lady whom I’ve never clapped eyes upon and whose existence I only know about because I heard her name for the first time in my life in a meeting an hour ago?”

2seconds is about the longest you can smile for at an angry man. After that, you better have a way to make him less angry, or to escape.

“I’m sorry but I’m not familiar with your mother’s case. If you would wait 5mins, I’d get you mother’s therapist to speak with you?”

Perhaps what I said was not 100% ethical. The first sentence is true. The second is not technically correct because as of today, I *ahem* was his mother’s therapist. But somehow, I didn’t think “I’d get your mother’s ex-therapist to speak with you” sounded quite the same. Regardless, it is still more ethical than giving my “professional opinion” on a patient I know nothing about (ok, fine, I know the patient’s name and age, but that’s not very helpful is it?)

The first day was indeed exciting, strange – as I tried to adjust to the change in autonomy - but also humbling… as I am constantly reminded that the end of the student phase in no way means the end of education…

Winter Gardens: Part II

2006-08-20T17:27:00.000+01:00

Victorian Corridor

Ooooh, look at those colours!

Lovely hanging baskets...

Temperate House

Elli at the nicest bit of the Temperate House.

Temperate House features plants from Aussie & NZ,

not that colourful but still very well maintained and impressive.

Floral Courtyard

The only part of the gardens that was slightly disappointing...

Yeah, there were flowers...

but they were just not as attractive and well-maintained?

Fern House

Who knew that ferns could be so pretty?

(The ppl at the Winter Gardens obviously...)

And spotted in the pond...

... a not-so-small and not-so-real frog,

that rises to greet its visitors every so often.

Winter Gardens: Part I

2006-08-06T18:40:00.000+01:00

So named the "Winter Gardens"

but it's open all year round.

Aberdeen City Emblem

Displaying plants from all over the world,

different parts of the building simulate the environment

of various climates,

mainly tropical, arid and temperate,

thus allowing these plants to co-exist in a single building.

Talking about climates bring back memories of "O" levels Geography.

"Using the 2 graphs provided, answer the following questions:

How is the rainfall distribution different between the two places?

Compare the climates in the two places." Etc...

It's a plant lover's heaven,

filled to the ceiling with plants.

I don't know the names of most of the plants,

so I'm not even going to try to name them.

The only ones I can provide names for are

mostly tropical plants

- no prizes for guessing why -

Tropical House

This plant made me miss home!

Not that I have Bougainvilleas at home...

but they are so plentiful everywhere else.

Private estates, window boxes, overhead bridges...

Pink Hibiscus

Orange Hibiscus

Lilies

Ferns; Birds of Paradise in lower left corner

? Name but so pretty!

Arid House

Tea Time!

Japanese Gardens

Duthie Park

2006-07-24T21:32:00.000+01:00

We're right in the middle of summer

and I never thought I'd actually say this but...

Aberdeen is HOT!

The lazy-sun-that's-been-on-welfare-the-past-9-months is actually at work!

It's actually possible to get sunburnt.

And definitely possible to get a heatstroke...

as I found out the other day when I went out for half an hour

to the shop (to buy a stamp) and back.

BBC's weather centre said it was 26 degrees that day,

but I am adament it was definitely NOT 26 degrees -

Not lest it would be unambiguously embarrassing for an indigenous tropical individual to get a heatstroke at 26 degrees.

------------------------------

That said,

summer is really lovely for picnics,

long strolls (provided it's really 26 degrees),

and hanging out in parks.

Elli and I spent quite a bit of time in Duthie Park the week before

and again last week...

Flip open travel guides on Scotland and most will

highlight Aberdeen's Duthie Park as a tourist attraction.

At first sight it is very ordinary...

But tucked away in the park,

beside a seemingly out-of-place modern building,

is a rose hill...

...that is gloriously beautiful.

An ascending spiral of roses of assorted colours...

The beauty of roses that poets write about

can be found in these roses.

Not quite the same as the roses from the florist.

------------------------------

The amazing "seemingly out-of-place modern building"

in Duthie Park.
(The horticultural version of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" sans Johnny Depp)

That is definitely a must-see in Aberdeen.

Quotes & Life

2006-07-18T23:55:00.000+01:00

I was reading through a list of 100+ quotes

(one of those random things I do after midnight)

and my brain has 3 typical responses.

How meaningful/true/beautiful

Rubbish

I have no idea what this is about.

----------------------------

Decided to share some quotes that I find meaningful.

------------------------------

It is prosperity that gives us friends, adversity that proves them.

- Proverb -

The ideal friendship is to feel as one while remaining two.

- Anne Sophie Swetchine -

(The ideal marriage too, perhaps?)

It is neither wealth nor splendor; but tranquillity and occupation which give happiness.

- Thomas Jefferson -

The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep's throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty.

- Abraham Lincoln -

(What do you think this quote is about? I'm very interested to hear your opinion!)

When we recall the past, we usually find that it is the simplest things -- not the great occasions -- that in retrospect give off the greatest glow of happiness.

- Bob Hope -

------------------------------

And my favourite 3 quotes from the list...

All work and no play makes one the wealthiest man in the cemetery.

- Unknown -

Character is another thing that is formed in youth and reformed in marriage.

- Unknown -

If you don't do it with excellence, don't do it at all! Because if it's not excellent, it won't be profitable or fun, and if you're not in business for fun or profit, what the hell are you doing there?

- Robert Townsend -

Loch Lomond

2006-07-17T23:36:00.000+01:00

This post-student pre-employment period has finally been put to good use.

Went on a day trip with Elli recently to see Loch Lomond,

the largest expense of fresh water in Britain,

(wait wait, before you ask me why I travelled so far just to see a reservoir!)

incredibly rich in history,

and where the magnificent landscape has fired the imagination

of writers and artists for centuries.

Apparently, it is claimed that Loch Lomond is the world's most famous Loch.

(I'm a bit skeptical because I thought Loch Ness, the Loch with THE Monster, is more famous)

Regardless, here are some photos

- which incidentally does not do justice to the beauty of the Loch -

Shame about the weather.

It was a very very very cloudy day

hence we couldn't see the top of the mountain, Ben Lomond.

Still, the serenity of the loch is overwhelming.

Time loses meaning here.

I felt I could possibly sit there forever

and watch the ~~world~~ swans and ducks go by...

A little less serene part of the Loch with the kids

having some summer fun...

Such a beautiful place, don't you think?

I'm terribly dissatisfied with how gloomy my photos turned out.

And yes, I do blame the weather.

But that doesn't mean you shouldn't see Loch Lomond at its best.

For super beautiful (postcard-worthy) pictures

that are professionally taken,

here's the link again - Loch Lomond.net

3 Reasons Why I Have Not Been Blogging...

2006-07-12T01:59:00.000+01:00

My internet connection has been wonky (and still is, actually) at night, which causes me an incredible amount of frustration since I only start getting creative enough to blog after 10pm.
I was bedridden with Salmonella after eating a Cadbury chocolate. Cadbury recalled 7 of their products (Dairy Milk Turkish, Dairy Milk Caramel, Dairy Milk Mint, Dairy Milk 8 chunk, Dairy Milk 1 kilogram, Dairy Milk Button Easter Egg and Freddo bars) AFTER I ate a Freddo Bar.

That's us with our Freddo bars!
I have been extremely busy - it's unbelieveable how busy an unemployed, childless person can be. There are dishes to be washed, picnics to attend, laundry to be done, books to read, beddings to be washed (king sized bed nice to sleep in, king sized beddings not so nice to remove, wash and replace), belongings to be packed and shipped, toilet and bath to be cleaned, people to chat to, art galleries to visit (some of Leonardo Da Vinci's drawings are up in the Aberdeen Art Gallery to commemorate the Queen's 80th birthday), floor to be vacuumed, tea and coffee to be consumed, e-mails to reply, films to watch...

------------------------------

Some/all of the above reasons are true/false.

The hard part is to decide which is which.

The easy route is to simply ignore all of the above

and believe that I will start blogging again regularly.

Even If You Are Not Interested...

2006-07-06T20:27:00.000+01:00

...in missiles, nuclear weapons, communists or North Korea,

I'd still recommend this article

"Rogue's missile menace"

that appeared in The Australian.

Because it's witty, entertaining, educational and insulting

all at the same time.

------------------------------

Excerpts:

"It [North Korea] is a rogue nation, pursuing nuclear weapons, enslaving and starving its people, constantly lying about its intentions and actions, forging US dollars in large amounts, smuggling drugs on state-owned ships and constantly destabilising northeast Asia."

"It is wrong to characterise its reclusive, eccentric and downright weird-looking leader, Kim Jong-il, with his Mao suits, elevator shoes and Elvis-style bouffant hair, as crazy."

"Kim and his fellow leaders rarely leave home. They do not have a sure grasp of how the world works. Their acquaintance with reality is not altogether intimate. They view the world entirely through the prism of their own paranoia. "

"Like many diseased political cultures, North Korea thrives on a climate of crisis. It likes to negotiate in crisis with a gun simultaneously to its own head and to that of its interlocutors. "

------------------------------

Brilliantly written.

I Will Be Home...

2006-07-01T22:59:00.000+01:00

In October.

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY!

2006-06-24T00:54:00.000+01:00

I know most people celebrated Fathers' Day last Saturday, 18 June.

But I don't operate on a commercialised calendar.

I use a slightly different version.

I operate on the "those-that-matter" calendar,

which means that Fathers' Day (and Mothers' Day etc etc)

is whenever they (those-that-matter) decide it is.

And they have decided that it is today.

To be celebrated with a dinner.

So, HAPPY FATHER'S DAY.

With Love,

Mae

------------------------------

THE CONTRACT

1.The Golden Rule: Dad is always right (even when wrong, dad is still right)

2.Dad must be obeyed at once or sooner

3.Daughters are there to serve and obey their father, without question or hesitation

4.If a household task is outstanding or required to be done, daughters should do these without further delay or comment.

5.Household tasks – washing-up, cleaning, cooking, using the washing machine or tumble dryer are not sole domain of the father but the prime tasks of the daughter (see rule 4 above)

6.Daughters while at home are deemed to be ‘In training’ and as such must use every opportunity to further their skill base with such skills as cleaning (especially their own room), washing-up, cooking, shopping and the use of household tools such as vacuum cleaner, washing machine, tumble dryer or even using a duster.

7.The above rules may be amended or added to at any time without notice and they remain in force for the life of both Father and Daughters.

------------------------------

Thanks to Elli

who kindly let me reproduce the above contract given to her by her Dad.

Elli and her Dad live apart.

Job Vacancy

2006-06-21T22:53:00.000+01:00

Legal team urgently seeks motivated defense lawyer who enjoys challenges and media-attention.

Position: Defense Attorney – short-term contract (unspecified term)

Responsibilities:

Provide general counsel and defense to individuals involved in a current high-profile case
Coordinate and execute external communications such as responding to media queries

Requirements:

Law degree
Previous relevant work experience preferably in international law (especially in the area of human rights)
Excellent interpersonal skills to deal with media
Excellent oral communication skills when appropriate, maintenance of client confidentiality at all other times
Ability to work both independently and as a team member
Arabic language ability desirable

Remuneration:

Salary range is commensurate with experience
Potential for bonuses
Insurance coverage
Possibility of personal security
Opportunities for international media coverage (see below)

Application deadline:

No deadline set. Applicants may submit a resume at any time as recruitment is on-going. This position has a very high turn-over rate and resumes of unsuccessful applicants will be stored in our database for future vacancies.

------------------------------

International media coverage of previous team members

Oct 20, 2005: Saadoun Sughaiyer al-Janabi
(The Washington Times, The Scotsman, Las Vegas SUN)

Nov 8, 2005: Adel al-Zubeidi
(TIME, CBS News, International Herald Tribune)

Nov 8, 2005: Thamer Hamoud al-Khuzaie
(AlJazeerah, Adnkronos International, BBC News)

Jun 21, 2006: Khamis al-Obeidi
(ABC News, Reuters, The Australian)

Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire

2006-06-19T23:44:00.000+01:00

I promised to do back entries to let you all know what I had been up to... so here it is!

------------------------------

After an extended period of grumbling that I've yet to visit Stonehaven (Julia gushed that it was beautifuuuul, absolutely have to visit!), Stephanie and I decided to make the trip before she left for the States for summer.

Took a day off from my attachment specially for this trip but the weather was not on our side. Ended up trudging through the countryside, cold and wet. But the trip was not all bad! Photos below detailing the picturesque journey of 2 crazies...

Arrived in Stonehaven around lunch time

(hard time getting out of bed)

Stephanie had flowers for lunch.

=
=
=
=
=

Ha! And you thought I was lying!

Town centre of Stonehaven - check out the side of the bench!

------------------------------

Our intended destination was

DUNNOTTAR CASTLE

According to the guide book,

the walk from town centre to the castle and back:

Distance - 3.5miles (5.7km)

Allow - 1hr 30mins

Determination personified...

If you're wondering what determination has to do with anything,
I'd say it's necessary to help psych oneself up
to walk almost 6km
in ~~miserable~~ Scottish weather for 90minutes
to see ruins of a castle.

See the link now?

2 coats/jackets each.

We're well-prepared.

------------------------------

10 minutes into our walk

I recognised an establishment...

YEAH!

I was complaining day and night that I HAVE NOT been to Stonehaven

and now I realised I've actually BEEN to Stonehaven before!

*hides faces in hands*

You know you have a problem when you only recognise

places because of the pub.

*Reminds self to check into alcohol rehab programme*

But for now, the journey must continue.

Starting at sea level...

(what I think is sea level, anyway)

Ascending up a steep muddy path...

Top of steep path (no way near the mid-point of ascent though)

Possibly mid-point of ascent...

friends spotted!

Destination in sight!

Dunnottar Castle: top left of photo...

The "hill" doesn't look very steep here

but I assure you it IS very steep

and the path is narrow.

Tread carefully, lots of rabbit holes.

Walking 2-abreast is not recommended

unless you like living life on the edge.

Literally.

The power of the "ZOOM" function.

We're getting closer!! *excited*

See how ~~drenched~~ pleased we are?

Came across this "cave" before the entrance of the castle.

It opens out into the great open sea...

It was so quiet... so isolated...

Not a single soul in sight.

Steph and I decided to give back to nature...

*and then when we got to the top of the castle

and looked down, we realised we could see

the cave clearly... Oh gaaawddd!*

------------------------------

Entrance fee: £4

But thanks to Stephanie (Queen of under-the-table dealings)

we got in for a discounted "poor-students" price.

At this point, I'm tempted to end this blog entry.

Not going to post pictures of the interior
(if the insides of a collapsed and ruined castle can be called an "interior" in the first place).

Because I PAID money to go in, ok?

(Please e-mail me personally for pictures.
A token donation guarantees a reply)

BUT I decided I will put up 2 pictures of the "interior" for promotional purposes.

Even blockbuster movies need a trailer, yeah?

A room in commemoration of the defence of the honours of Scotland

Looks like a historically significant table

where important individuals gathered to

discuss war strategies,

sign treaties,

and...

enjoy tea and biscuits.

*Slight self-conciousness is compulsory when others enter and take photos around you or wonder if you are indeed something leftover of a past era, until they notice your modern clothes... and then they wonder WTH you are doing eating at the table*

------------------------------

With that, we return to the EXTERIOR of the castle...

(this part is free)

... and the long walk back.

Hogging the Headlines...

2006-06-15T23:33:00.000+01:00

Michael Gerson, one of President George W. Bush's top policy advisers and former chief speechwriter is stepping down to pursue other opportunities. Gerson had been crafting major speeches for Bush since joining the former Texas governor's presidential campaign in 1999.

With the depature of Gerson, perhaps we can look forward to more Bushisms such as "more and more of our imports are coming from overseas".

------------------------------

United Nations human rights experts are calling for the closure of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba after the suicide of three detainees (conspiracy theories surround the suicides but we're not going there). President George W. Bush acknowledged this request by stating that Guantanamo Bay should indeed be shut down because it has damaged the U.S. image abroad but first they need a plan to deal with the "darn dangerous" people in there.

I see now why I'm not the President of the United States. My simple brain thought the topic for the day was "human rights" but I was obviously wrong. The crux of the matter was public relations!

------------------------------

Bill Gates, on the other hand, shows his more humanitarian side by stepping down from the day-to-day operations of Microsoft to take a more active role in his charitable foundation. He insists he's not retiring but merely reshuffling his priorities.

I'm thinking that with a net worth of US$50 billion (all the more impressive as it is "self-made" rather than "inherited") at the age of 50, what the world's richest man means by "reshuffling his priorities" is "quiting while I'm ahead".

Observation of a Total Hip Replacement

2006-06-13T22:55:00.000+01:00

Observed a Total Hip Replacement operation, on a 60+ year old lady who fell and broke her hip (Neck of Femur) during this placement. Changed into scrubs, put on clogs, a cap and a mask (very ER-ish) and stood on a stool - height related issue - beside one of the two surgeons and watched intently for 2 hours as they worked away at the patient's hip.

Normal hip

Types of Neck of Femur fracture

1) Cross-check x-rays with markings made with a marker on patient's thigh. Ensure that the correct thigh has been identified for the operation.

2) Incision made at the hip, making cuts through the skin, the fat, then the muscles, to finally reach the femur (thigh bone) that was broken.

3) Twist and manipulate thigh and out pops the fractured femur!

4) Saw off the head of the femur and put it aside. Drill a hole down the center of the length of the femur and insert an artificial new “head” (ball-bearing looking thing) to replace the fractured one.

5) Now “polish” the other end of the joint – the hip end, using an equipment (a reamer) to “polish” off bits of the remaining cartilage so that all cartilage is removed and the joint is “smooth” and “clean”.

6) Insert artificial “plastic cartilage” to the hip end of the joint and secure in place with cement.

7) Wait... for... cement... to... dry...

8) Pop new "head of femur" back into hip joint.

9) Manipulate leg - flex, extend etc etc at hip joint to ensure that hip joint articulates well and range of motion is not compromised.

10) Once satisfied, sew up incision and apply wound dressing.

------------------------------

10-steps to a Total Hip Replacement - Not!

That obviously excludes all the

a) pre-op work: x-rays, preparing the patient for surgery, anesthesia, ensuring heart rate and blood pressure are stable and satisfactory for surgery, preparing all the equipment required...

b) other work during the op: draining blood, burning shut major blood vessals to stop bleeding (crudely put; otherwise known as electrocauterization), checking blood loss...

------------------------------

Standing on the stool next to the surgeons

meant I had a bird's eye view.

And some hands on experience!

One of the surgeons handed me the excess cement to "play" with.

I held it and felt it give off heat as it hardened.

Yes, the excess cement was bloody.

Yes, I was brave.

And YES, I wore gloves!

Overall, the operation wasn't overly bloody - 1.2l blood loss?

but it was BRUTAL!

Twisting, sawing, pounding, pushing, shoving, pulling, drilling, hammering...

And these were 2 adult men doing the work!

Hard work I say...

I observed a Spinal Operation (slightly less brutal, much more bloody, not any less fascinating although everything was so small so I couldn't see a lot of things - despite being next to the surgeon. And on the stool again) on a seperate occasion and the surgeon doing that was quite a large man - I think I glimpsed an "XXL" on his gown, but I can't be sure.

He had inserted 6 metal rods into the patient's back (young man, motorbike accident, fractured spine) and he was now trying to cut off the excess length of the metal rods. Just that part of the operation took a good 15mins and by the end of it, he was perspiring. Lovely man he was, though. Despite being busy (with the operation, obviously) and perspiring from the effort, he turned and said to me: "This is why orthopedic surgeons are more my size and less your size." I was so completely charmed by his sense of humour that I almost fell off the stool face-down onto the patient's bloody back.

The point of me emphasizing the brutality of these operations is not to emphasize the dangers, the grossness or the scariness of these operations. Rather, it's to highlight the amazing strength of our bones, muscle, and ligaments. Our bodies are truly remarkable!

This site provides an excellent video (compared to my extremely crude description) of a Total Hip Replacement. It explains the anatomy of the hip in clear, simple terms (no previous knowledge required), explains the Total Hip Replacement procedure step by step with beautiful graphics and even has an interactive component where you can move up/down or rotate the diagram to see it from all angles. My favourite bit is the post-op precautions: how not to dislocate your new hip (incidentally, that's part of my job -educating/emphasising/nagging patients on hip precautions and providing equipment to prevent dislocations). The video is a blood-less version, suitable for all ages!

Last 6 Weeks...

2006-06-09T10:55:00.000+01:00

Time to talk about my final placement…

I was told that I was meant to be doing stroke rehabilitation (good because I luurvee stroke rehabilitation, bad because I've already done two such placements) but at the last minute, my placement was changed to TRAUMA ORTHOPEDICS (my original supervisor came down with Meningitis and it is unsure whether she would even be able to return to work as an OT).

ORTHOPEDICS – an area that I have never done, and have successfully avoided. Until now. Fixing broken bones following a strict protocol doesn’t rank very high up on my “exciting areas to work in” list. And obviously, since I’ve avoided it so far, it meant I had limited knowledge in this area.

Limited knowledge + very limited interest = poor performance.

My main problem was that I kept very much to myself and spoke only when absolutely necessary (meaning when someone else spoke to me and after I’d confirmed there so nobody else around and so he/she could have only been speaking to me *groan*) partly because (ok, I admit) some members of the team were really scary and intimidating and partly also because of my limited knowledge. How can I answer questions that I don’t know the answer to? I’ll leave you to imagine the comments I got in the “interpersonal skills” and “interprofessional communication” sections of my mid-way evaluation report.

The most frustrating thing is that my “lack of knowledge” has very little to do with my “OT skills and knowledge” (I was ok in that aspect), rather it was to do with my poor Geography of Scotland (This was the exact same difficulty I faced when I did my placement in Sydney). Very long story, very hard to explain but the crux of the issue is that we had to know where exactly the patient came from and what resources that area has so that we can liaise with the agencies there to prepare for the patient’s discharge home e.g. home modification or home therapy.

The easy ones were patients from America or from “far away” parts of Scotland like Edinburgh or Glasgow because then all that was required was to complete the transfer from hospital to hospital. Preparations for home were not a priority. It all becomes very complex when a patient is from the area of Aberdeen – is he/she from Aberdeen City or from Aberdeenshire? City and Shire have different services and referrals must be made to different agencies!

But after I got over the “communication” aspect of it (I learnt to refer to a map) and started to speak up and voice my opinions (aha! And once I started, there was no stopping me), I coped and enjoyed the rest of the placement. I would still say orthopedics is not THE most interesting area to work in (a lot of cases are similar and quite repetitive) but because it was TRAUMA (and therefore had quite a bit of DRAMA), the placement turned out to be really educational, perhaps more so than the other areas because my knowledge was practically zero and I had to learn from scratch…

Of course, there are HIGHLIGHTS as well… but till next time!

I'm Officially A Graduate...

2006-06-06T17:36:00.000+01:00

with

FIRST CLASS HONOURS

today!!!

*laughing*

*dancing*

*crying*

*relieved*

*delighted*

*hysterical*

No Longer A Student, Not Yet Employed

2006-06-05T16:09:00.000+01:00

On my final week of placement (I will talk about my 6-week placement in a separate entry), I was asked by various people I worked with: Aren’t you excited? You’d graduate in a week! Are you looking forward to it?

My answer, without fail, would be something like: Yes! Can’t wait!

The true answer, of course, is not as simple.

Yes, I can’t wait…

1) To start work – to finally enter the world of “adults” as a qualified Occupational Therapist after standing on the fringe of that world as I had for the past 4 years as an “Occupational Therapy Student”. I enjoyed my 4 years as a student and now I’ve the whole of my career to look forward to. This extra year has definitely done me good. The first 3 years equipped me with the necessary knowledge and skills. My final year did not increase my knowledge significantly but it sure gave me more time to practice my skills, improve my confidence as a therapist and prepare me mentally and emotionally that I can handle the responsibility of providing quality rehabilitation to patients of various age and circumstances.

2) To start earning money – self-explanatory.

3) To explore the boundaries of opportunities – related to deciding where I’ll work.

------------------------------

Today’s the first day of doing nothing, incidentally. I’ve finished the academic and practical part of Uni and it does feel a bit strange to sit at home without the pressures of having to churn out an essay, or study for an exam or to be away from work after the past 6 weeks. I’m not sure, but I think I’m officially unemployed.

Restless…

Waiting for my results to be announced.

Tomorrow.

Most people would be wondering what their results will be.

I am wondering instead which genius decided that it's a good idea to announce results on 06/06/06.

Because that day provides an excellent justification for bad results...

Quickie Update...

2006-05-26T22:03:00.000+01:00

Hiya everyone,

I'm dropping by quickly just to say that I'm fine! I've just moved to a new flat and it's lovely (pictures up soon). I'm now living with Stephanie and Eliot!

I've actually got loads to update about BUT there's no internet connection in the new flat (yet). It's in the process of being set up. Once the wireless connection is set up, I'll be more regular in my updates and I'll even do back entries to tell you all what I've been up to - promise.

This quickie update has been kindly brought to you by my neighbour (whoever he/she is) who has an unsecured wireless network - the world is indeed a happier place when people are willing to share.

Lots of love,
Mae

Moving In Progress...

2006-05-20T09:33:00.000+01:00

It's been 35 weeks (slightly more actually) and my lease is ending today... 35 weeks, almost 9 months... I keep thinking that this is about the same time between a baby's conception and birth. How is it that such time has passed?

More than the stress of packing and moving (side note: I'm packing and moving stuff from my room. ONE ROOM. And it's driving me absolutely crazy. How my parents can move house 5 times is waaaaayyyy beyond my comprehension), the ending of the lease also indicates all of us leaving.

The first weekend:

Julia had arrived the day before, with her boyfriend Michael. All I was told was: there's a German girl already in the flat. But I only met her the day after, after her boyfriend drove back to Germany and she returned to the flat. I remember her knocking on my door and introducing herself with a bright smile to my mum and myself: Hi, my name is Julia. I'm from Germany...

Stephanie arrived some days after I did, with her parents. My impression of her was of a girl that spent the first couple of days doing up measurements of her room while her parents were busy unpacking. Her parents brought most of her boxes into the room, Stephanie would have an idea of where she wanted the large pieces of furniture (bed, desk, drawers, closet) placed, everybody would move her belongings out of the room, drag out the large pieces of furniture (mattress included), reaarange the room, move everything back. Repeat process each time Stephanie had a new idea of how her room was to be arranged - 2 or 3 times... Obviously there was some tension with this kindda major operation. As a result, I remember thinking that Stephanie was full of teenager angst.

Karina moved in next, with the help of her boyfriend Colin. A very private couple, helped by the fact that Karina's room was closest to the main door. They came and went and I only saw them in the short distance (5m?) between the main door and her door... Was Karina shy?

Elli moved in last, helped by her Dad and her sister, Rachel (so she says). I remember seeing her Dad. I have no recollection of seeing Rachel. Another silent flatmate, very focused on moving everything (and there were lots of things!) into her room... Kept to herself pretty much... It was until 2 days after she moved in that I even knew her name was Elli.

------------------------------

After the initial curiousity with each others' lives, and discussion of practicalities (let's pool together some money to buy toilet paper! and dishwashing liquid! and salt! and sugar! and aluminium foil!), we all settled into a comfortable routine.

Life most times is just a wakeful version of sleep... Wakeful and conscious, yet dazed and unaware. You remember going to sleep, you remember closing your eyes, you may realise you're drifting off to sleep... but you never actually realise the exact moment that you fall asleep. You don't recall the point of transition where you cross the boundary between consciousness and unconsciousness.

Similarly, it's hard to pinpoint the moment that we started to live as 5 members of 1 flat, instead of 5 individuals in 5 different rooms, sharing a kitchen, 2 toilets and a living area. It's hard to establish the moment that we were no longer surprised to see "unfamiliar" faces when we came home and instead started to ask, "Where's (insert name)?" or "Has anybody seen (insert name) today?"

So there we were... awake and conscious, yet dazed and unaware. Drifting from day to day, existing in our comfortable world we created away from home.

During this time, we also developed some bad habits (bad habits are enjoyable, incidentally). We started to sit around in the living area for long periods of time having tea. Each of us had pressing deadlines hanging over our head, obviously, with us being "full-time" university students but there was a strong magnetic force that made these sessions irresistable. How can anybody concentrate on essays/exams when there are 3 or 4 others sitting just outside your door talking about their childhood, discussing politics, exchanging stories about their brushes with authority/the law, organising the next outing/flat dinner/BBQ, looking at photos, ripping off each other's CDs and mp3 (major music piracy syndicate), watching DVDs, or simply enjoying each other's company?

And when we eventually tore ourselves away from the group and went back into the privacy of our own rooms, the other bad habit kicked in. SKYPE. So after spending hours chatting outside, we excused ourselves on the pretext of "I'd better be getting back to writing my essay" only to go back into the room and continue chatting online. It's impossible to get any work done in this place!

------------------------------

Extracts of our online conversations (online names have been changed to protect our privacy):

Elli: do u want some music

Mae: dance music???
Elli: no dreams and memories
Mae: oh yes... dreams and memories... :)
Elli: now?
Mae: if you want....
Mae: yeah, i am free to receive files now
Mae: that was real quick!
Elli: yes, made a temporary mess of my desktop though!

Mae: hahahah
Mae: temporary is the key word....
Elli: fancy going shopping?

Mae: ok!

------------------------------

Mae: BOO!!! :P
Karina: Hey! What you up to? Im just having a spot of dinner!
Mae: Hahaha... just checking whether you're being productive and doing your work.

Karina: Yes I am being productive! Thats why I am having dinner so late - I lost track of time!! Reading lots of journal articles for my essy. What a good girly I am!

------------------------------

Steph: what are you up too?
Mae: blogging in between watching TV
Mae: y?
Steph: just asking
Steph: i guess i could wright [sic] a mass e-mail... i'm way over due
Mae: hahah...i tot u had something to do
Mae: u can msg the guys and ask if they are planning to come up at all
Steph: ...

Mae: OR you could do dishes!! :D
Steph: lol... ya after i get this letter started
Mae: yes... dishes..not terribly exciting
Steph: totaly [sic]
Mae: blog's up!
Steph: cool, i just saw!

------------------------------

19 May: Julia and Karina moved out.

20 May: Elli, Steph and I moved out.

We can no longer just take a few steps out of our room to "have a cuppa tea" or "go for a walk" together...

This takes getting used to...

Holiday Part IV: Brighton, Back to London, And The End…

2006-05-17T23:23:00.000+01:00

Day 11:

2 days 1 night in Brighton. A relief after the hustle and bustle of being in London for 3 days. London’s great, but it really is too hectic (on a side note: I’ve been giving some thought to whether I am a city girl or a country girl).

When I planned for this entire trip, I booked all bus tickets and all accommodation in advance, except for Brighton. I decided to take a gamble on a hostel that didn’t take reservations thinking that it not being the peak tourist season i.e. not summer, there shouldn’t be a problem with accommodation. We didn’t end up sleeping on the streets (I knew that wouldn’t happen!). We got 2 beds in a room with 3 other girls, decent toilet and shower facilities.

Arrived in Brighton around noon and enjoyed lunch in a quaint little Italian restaurant that was celebrating their dunno-how-many-th anniversary and was having a promotion. All pizzas and pastas at £1.50 – as advertised here.

Elli joined us in Brighton for a day trip so we spent a couple of hours roaming the beach and the pier…

Brighton beach has no sand! It has pebbles instead!

After that, we went back to the hostel and chatted while Elli waited for time to pass before catching the train home. Turned out well because Cui then had a chance to get to know Elli a bit better… We ended up reading our horoscopes from some British tabloid and now on hindsight, it was not entirely on the dot but there were elements of accuracy in it. Cui’s horoscope said something about a person in green bringing her a jackpot – me, me, I was wearing green! And she did chance upon a “jackpot” *blush*. Elli’s horoscope said something about meeting somebody on the train and when she took the train home, she happened to sit next to this girl who turned out to be reading the same book as she was and they had a chat! We had all forgotten about the horoscopes until I re-read it at the end of the week and realized!

That night, we contemplated going to the pub. And decided against it. For the most ridiculous reason ever: we wanted to preserve the memory of the night before. Hahaha… (yes, looking back at it now, I can laugh). Instead, we stayed at the hostel, took up the big comfy couch and… gossiped. I know… Terribly exciting! Not. But it was really nice to catch up with each other after not talking for half a year. There were things going on in her life that I vaguely knew about and there were things going on in my life that she vaguely knew about so this was a great time to change “vaguely” to “definitely”. And the most shocking event of the evening? At 9:45pm, the owner of the hostel said: “15mins before lights-out!” Un-*mumble*-believable!

Day 12

The weather was wet and miserable so we stayed indoors with a hot cuppa tea and talked about Thailand (Cui and I are going to Thailand in September!) and loads of other random things… After a long draggy afternoon, we finally caught our bus back to London.

We were staying in a different hostel this time because the previous one was fully booked. This hostel looked much nicer (big TV room with a huge flat-screen TV, nice clean room and we didn’t have to put on the bed sheets ourselves!) but was kindda way out from the “happening” part of London. Anyway, we ended up sharing the room with 2 other people and when we tried to unlock the door after checking in, we realized that it was latched from inside. So we yelled at the people to open the door and we heard a deep guy-ish voice telling us to wait. Then there was giggling. Then Cui said she heard noises that sounded like people putting on their clothes and zipping their trousers up. *gasp* Not for the first time, I wondered who were the people we were sharing the room with.

Well, it turned out to be 2 “ladies” from Holland. “Ladies” because I suspect they were hyenas really… How can humans possibly be capable of laughing at almost anything and everything ALL THE TIME? And laughing until they can’t talk and are practically wheezing? Seriously, we had a hard time figuring them out.

Day 13

The hyenas were really bizarre. They got up real early in the morning, went to the shower, got themselves all dressed… and went back to bed. Someone please support me in my belief that this is NOT normal?!

The day was spent roaming around London, we had seen the sights we wanted to see so the rest of the time was for shopping or wandering. Cui ended up buying a qipao *resisting the urge to comment on her purchase from London* and I left halfway to go to meet a new friend.

Met up with Matthew at night! Matt’s a friend from college and he moved to London a couple of years ago. The last time we met was when we were both on duty for National Day (arrghh…I can’t remember which year!).

Day 14

Final day of the trip. Cui goes back to Singapore today and I return to Aberdeen. But before that, we met up with Elli, Rachel (Elli’s sister), and Steph (who brought a friend along).

Rachel, Steph, Elli, Cui, Minz

Zafar and Steph

Elli (who came from her home near London) and Steph (who came back from France) have come to London so that the three of us can take the bus back to Aberdeen together. It’s a 12-hour bus ride from London back to Aberdeen and the only 2 reasons we’re taking the bus is because 1) it costs only £1 and 2) we have each other’s company. Strangely enough, it turned out that I wasn’t much company because I slept all the way (yes, ALL THE WAY) from London to Aberdeen. I don’t normally sleep for 12 hours and yet on a squashy bus journey, I can sleep for 12 hours. I amaze myself sometimes. Elli’s dad said that the reason I can sleep so much and so soundly is because “Mae has a clear conscience”. I’m inclined to agree.

------------------------------

End of trip, Cui and I are still friends!!! Sure, there was tension at some points along the trip (it was an intense 14 days) but I think there were 3 main reasons why we didn’t fall out with each other:

1) There were only 2 of us on the trip. Falling out with each other meant…ermm...being on our own? (Note: Not that we’re incapable of surviving independently.)

2) We arranged to meet others (Julia, Elli, CJ, Matt, Steph and Rachel) along the way so that gave us opportunities to take a break from each other.

3) Compromising and knowing when to keep our mouths shut.

So yes, it is possible to go on a trip and not fall out with each other... *bright smile* Looking forward to the Thailand trip now... Cui's turn to plan and organise! I just have to turn up on that day! :)

Holiday Part IV: Good Girls Go To Heaven, Bad Girls Go To London

2006-05-07T22:21:00.000+01:00

Day 9:

Arrived at our hostel where we were greeted by a sullen bouncer-type “security” guy that barked instructions at us to fill up a form with our particulars. Surprise 1: At the end of it, he asked us how to say “thank you” in Mandarin.

After putting our stuff in our room, we went out exploring… Our hostel is right in the middle of London at Picadilly Circus! The center of Central London was bustling even at 10pm! Off we went to check out Chinatown…

We found a shop selling all sorts of Oriental goodies… Snacks (they were selling Wang Wang snacks!), noodles, sauces, loads of stuff! Unfortunately, we went in as they were closing (there were still people browsing and paying at the cashier though) and when we tried to go down to the basement of the shop:

One of the storekeepers: 关了。(Closed)

Me: 你们有卖杯面吗？可以看一下吗？(Do you sell cup noodles? Can I just take a look?)

Him: 我们什么都有卖！可是我们关了！现在不可看！(We sell everything! But we’re closed! Can’t look now!)

Is that attitude or what? After we walked around the rest of the Chinatown area, Cui concluded that they could afford to act so zuai because they were the only such shop around the area…

Went back to the hostel and planned our day for tomorrow. Asked the sullen-faced “security” guy for maps and recommendations of tourist attractions. Surprise 2: He was really helpful with the tourist attractions. He works at night and visits the attractions in the day so he’s rather familiar with them. He turned out not to be so sullen after all! Ended up chatting and found out that he sold his gym and groceries shop at home just to come to London to learn English and his excuse for being so sullen was: “I’m Argentinian, I don’t smile” which is as bizarre as me saying: “I’m Singaporean, I don’t vote” – which is rubbish, because we do. Of course we all do.

Day 10:

One complete day of sight-seeing. We started out together…

Trafalgar Square

Cleopatra's Needle
(Cui will have you all know that I was a bit obsessed with finding this landmark)

London Eye

... and lots more attractions e.g St Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey (read: I'm tired of waiting for this slow coach internet connection to upload my photos).

Just before lunch, we went separate ways… Not because we couldn’t stand each other any longer but because we were interested in different stuff... Cui went off to some Chinese Emperor's special exhibition (ahem, using MY student pass to prove that all Asians look alike to the Westerners. Or to get a student discount. One of those reasons, I forgot which.) while I went off to the art gallery.

I ended up back at the hostel first and after leaving my bag in the room, I went to the TV room (strangely enough, I went there to write a letter). There was a soccer match on TV and hence, the room was predominantly male (predominantly because there was a female. Me.) I had the grace to give up my front-row seat on the comfy sofa to sit at the back so that some alpha male could get a better view of the match. With that, I ended up sitting next to a guy who soon started talking to me... Using my impressive interrogation skills, I soon found out that he, Daniale, is a 31-year old Italian thoracic surgeon. (I am hoping "thoracic surgeon" in English does not translate back to "butcher" in Italian.)

15 minutes later, I was joined by another Italian guy, Pasquale, whom I had gotten to know earlier that afternoon. Pasquale is a 21-year old "student of music and student of languages" (that was really how he introduced himself! Yes, Gordon, I know you think it's pretentious.) who plays the cello, speaks Italian and Spanish and is currently learning English and Arabic. I introduce Pasquale and Daniale and soon they were chatting away in Italian, leaving me in peace to write my letter...

Then enter Cui, who had been waiting impatiently for my return - she figured that since my bag was in the room, I couldn't be far and would return soon. Anyway, she soon joined us in the TV room and the whole getting-to-know-each-other process started again. Somewhere during the process, a strange strange thing happened. Cui speaks English (obviously) and French (she had lessons for 2 years) while Daniale speaks Italian, French and a wee bit of English. Their choice of language for their communication was French (of which I know nothing except things like Baguette and Croissant). Yet, when they don't understand each other after trying in French and English, they looked at me! As if I could magically translate what was just said! Which, as much as it would boost my ego to say I could, I couldn't.

L-R: Pasquale, me, Cui, Daniale
*Needed no translation to understand: Let's go to the pub.*

In the pub, we were joined by 2 guys whom we didn't know. They just happily walked over to our table at some point and started talking to us. A guy who works in IT and a engineer(?). After asking if we were from Britain and being told that we were from Asia, they guessed that we were from Malaysia =_=

Right...and that's all I'm going to say about this day. The rest of the evening shall be summarised as "pleasant". *Guess what, Cui? I'm going to keep my side of the promise =P *

Oh... one final note: I'm inspired.

You know how everybody has something they would love to do e.g take salsa classes or volunteer or learn something new? If only they had the time... If only they had a partner... If only life was not so stressful... If only they didn't have to do the housework... And then sometimes, life drops us a nice surprise and sends a person or event along our way and suddenly, we're inspired... To drop our excuses. To make an effort. To finally do that thing we've been putting off forever.

Well, I'm at that point now. I'm inspired...

Holiday Part III: Newcastle - Durham

2006-04-30T00:23:00.000+01:00

Day 8:

We escape Edinburgh and make our way to our Major Destination – London, but before that, we decided to stop over at Newcastle to make a little detour to Durham.

It is Cui’s belief that every backpacker on their maiden journey should take a photo like that – to prove that they were indeed backpacking, to look back and remember that they were once young and ~~silly~~ adventurous, so that others can look at the photo and imagine them with a beer-belly (predominantly for the males) or pregnant (females, obviously). Whatever…

Interesting sculpture along the street…

Further evidence that we were REALLY in Newcastle...

Why, oh, why do we have people running in the background?!

Nice architecture in Newcastle!

And ahem, because it’s Newcastle that we were at, right… Newcastle. Let me repeat so that the implications for all the football mad people out there sink in. Newcastle. I was bestowed some classic one-liners:

1) We’re breathing in the same air as him, you know?

2) I’m going to look into every car as they drive pass, it might be him inside!

3) I’m actually at the train station where he takes the train!

One nice request later (favour = must be nice), I loaned my camera to her… The result?

*exasperated shrug*

After a construction crane came and finally lifted us out of Newcastle, we arrived in Durham to meet up with CJ (to refresh your memory of who he is, click here) who had agreed (after threats of violence) to put us up for a night. We had a pleasant Italian (on hindsight, Italian…haha) dinner. Matthew (who I will introduce later on) was supposed to join us but was not informed of the “gathering”. Because the arrangements were left to CJ. Naturally.

But I won’t go on about the multitude of ways that CJ failed us because he gave up his bed and spent a sleepless night in the lounge downstairs, keeping busy by studying and shivering.

Day 9:

Had breakfast and went for a long walk at the Cathedral. I saw loads more compared to the first time I was there…

A group photo later, we depart for London!

Thanx CJ! :)

On the train to London…

News Flash!

2006-04-21T21:31:00.000+01:00

Apologies for interrupting the stream of steadily decreasing flow of posts but this is really quite unusual news. I promise, promise, promise that in my next post, I would resume the story-telling of my trip. But for now...

In today's Evening Express:

Tributes paid to 'quiet' family man Frank, 61

Body was found on river bank

-Moreen Simpson-

Tributes have been paid to 61-year-old Frank Innes who was found dead after going missing from his Bieldside home.

A massive air and ground search was called off after his body was discovered on the banks of the River Dee.

The grandfather left his home around 3:30am dressed only in pyjamas and barefoot.

His wife Valerie raised the alarm and police, RAF and Coastguards scoured the area from Bieldside to Bridge of Dee for more than three hours. A member of the public found the body on the edge of the Robert Gordon University campus yesterday.

Shocked neighbours in Earlspark - Crescent spoke of their sadness and sympathy for the family.

One said: "Frank was a very quiet, family-orientated man. I would never have expected anything like this to happen. I saw him on Sunday morning washing his car and he seemed his usual self. He loved spending time with his grandchildren. When I heard the helicopters I'd no idea what was happening. When I was told they were searching for Frank I was stunned. My heart goes out to Valerie and the family."

The search involved coastguard teams from Aberdeen, Portlethen and Stonehaven who searched the eight miles of river bank between Maryculter and Bridge of Dee.

The Royal National Lifeboat Institution's all-weather boat and inshore lifeboat and the RAF Kinloss Mountain Rescue Team were also involved.

------------------------------

Shocking! Steph, Julia and Elli all heard the helicopters because "it was very loud" and "they were practically on top of us". So it's very shocking that I managed to sleep through it... But then again, I've been up to all hours - read: 6am - working on my essays.

The news did creep me out a bit though... I'm not totally morbid, ya know? Yes, even though it was my childhood ambition to be a forensic pathologist, "Simpson's Forensic Medicine" is on my shelf for my leisure reading and I've spent a lot of Friday nights watching "The FBI files" and "The New Detectives" to catch scenes of gruesome crimes.

But still... my point is, I was creeped out. Do you know how freaking close that river is to my accommodation?! 2 mins walk away? I walk past it every time I go to Uni! My flatmates love taking walks along that river (I don't go on walks often but even then, I've walked along that path a couple of times).

I keep thinking it could have been any one of us that found the body...

Taking A Break From Blogging About My Break

2006-04-15T19:15:00.000+01:00

Loading up all those photos of my 2-week break was starting to grate on my nerves, especially after my internet connection failed at the critical moment when I was trying to publish the post yesterday.

I was pretty sure the computer sniggered while it gleefully told me that there was no connection detected and when I clicked on "back", I was greeted with a b-l-a-n-k post. With that one operation, it managed to effectively convey the message that it didn't give two hoots that I spent 2 hours lovingly conceptualizing, writing and then formatting the entry.

I am convinced my computer hates me but I would like to officially state for the record (if someone is indeed recording) that the feeling is mutual. The fact that it is still working today attests my non-violent nature.

So I'm taking a break from blogging about my holiday.

This entry is targetted at fellow OTs...

I often think it would be nice to read unedited/uncensored/un-peer-reviewed OT's opinions and experiences so it was nice to discover a blog just like that! It's one that's written by an OT in the States and as far as I can tell, his entries are mainly related to 2 areas: paediatrics and occupational science.

I'm not particularly big on either paediatrics or occupational science but I like it that he shares vignettes and his opinion on certain topics (references included for some entries). He also includes clinical case studies which is great for me because I'm fascinated with the idea of gaining insight into someone else's clinical reasoning.

It's exactly the kind of entries I want to be writing (although not all the time for the entire blog) when I get some time on my hands i.e when I finally leave all these essays and deadlines behind... But until then, I'm perfectly happy reading someone else's take on the current issues in OT.

** One last utterly pointless observation: His blog template is exactly the same as mine except that mine is pink and his is blue. Like... Wow!

Holiday Part II: Edinburgh

2006-04-14T00:34:00.000+01:00

Day 7:

Started the day early by getting up at 5am in order to catch the 6:30am bus to Edinburgh.

We had to leave so early in order to arrive in Edinburgh before 11am
to watch their annual "Kilt Walk"!

In case it's still not obvious, we were intriuged more by the "kilts" (ahem, and the people wearing it) and less by the "walk". In fact, we didn't even bother to catch up with the walk. We simply leisurely made our way to the end-point and waited for the "walkers" to arrive.

In the meantime, there was a band playing the bagpipes and traditional scottish music so there we sat listening to their music while waiting...

Personal comment: Seeing large numbers of Scots in their kilts is truly a sight to behold. If your impression of Scots in kilts = men in skirts = some girly connotation, you are so so wrong. They wear it with pride and...

They look as manly as any other guy wearing trousers, maybe even more so.

- - - * - - -

After the kilt walk, we made our way to the Edinburgh Castle. The owner of our hostel told us that this was one of two days in each year that visitors were given free admission to the castle. Admission is usually £9.80. Yipee! Lucky us!

Spent practically half the afternoon there walking the castle grounds and visiting the various exhibitions that were impossible to complete viewing in a day...

At the end, we even spent half an hour queuing
to get a glimpse of the Crown Jewels...

Queuing...

A familiar pastime...

- - - * - - -

Next stop was a kindda factory - kindda tourist-y shop cum exhibition.

First the tartan must be woven...

Next, select a tartan based on the clan you belong to...

Or, if you're not Scottish, just chose a design you like...

... and you're ready to have your own tartan

socks,

scarf,

kilt,

and tie!

- - - * - - -

Julia happened to have friends visiting her from Germany and they were in Edinburgh the same day too! So we arranged to meet up. In a pub. For a couple of drinks.

Actually, we each had only 1 drink...

- - - * - - -

End of day and time to go back to the hostel... Speaking of hostels, Cui and I rated our hostels at the end of the whole trip and we both agreed that the hostel in Glasgow was the best (I imagine it's almost impossible to beat that kindda value for money) while our hostel in Edinburgh was the worst...

6 beds haphazardly placed in a small room.

We shared the room with 2 Polish guys,

and a South African couple.

Cui was very disturbed by the underwear

that one of the guys hung in the middle of the room to dry...

The toilets were very cramped...
(even for petite little me!)

and was covered from floor to ceiling (door included)

with horrendous monkey wallpaper!

I would be sitting on the toilet and be

face-to-face with this huge gorilla.

A real pleasure...

The bathroom was not attractive enough to

entice us to take showers so we decided

to hold out till the next day...

Our male South African room-mate deserves a mention... While his girlfriend walked around looking permanently grumpy, he walked around in a perpetual state of cheeriness and was rather sociable throughout (we actually think he is the cause of his gf's grumpiness).

When we entered the room to sleep, we found him concentrating hard blowing into this long metal tube that was mostly straight except for a curve at the bottom. While it was obvious that he was trying to make "music", his "instrument" was a total mystery to us. So we asked. And we were told that the metal tube was a part of a vacuum cleaner. (u know the metal tube you hold while vacuuming?) *speechless*

And he was serious! He would huff and he would puff into the metal tube (I don't even know what the proper name is, if it does have a proper name in the first place), then take a couple of sips from the bottle of wine next to him, then continue huffing and puffing into the metal tube... Apparently he practised every night! It was a real toss up between feeling annoyed - because it was so damn noisy and we couldn't sleep, and wanting to laugh - because the noise he produced was so perculiar. His girlfriend slept with ear plugs, she was evidently used to his eccentricities...

It made me think... WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE I'M SHARING THE ROOM WITH?!!

- - - * - - -

Part II of the where-I-come-from game:

After a short conversation about what I'm studying...

Hostel owner: So which part of Glasgow are you from?

Me: I'm not from Glasgow. I'm not even Scottish.

Hostel owner: Really? If I spoke to you on the phone, I would be completely sure you were from Glasgow.

Me: No... I'm Singaporean. Really.

Hostel owner: So why do you sound Glaswegian?

Me: Maybe because I worked in Glasgow for a while... and I've been spending too much time with Glaswegian friends.

Hostel owner: Ah ok... yes, the Glaswegian accent is quite sing-song and easy to pick up...

Current score:
China: 1
Scotland: 1
Singapore: 0

I'm Asian, But...

2006-04-12T12:36:00.000+01:00

Following my previous post, I remembered a conversation I had with someone while waiting for the lift at the hostel in Glasgow.

Man (from can't-remember-where): Hi, are you from China?

Me: *trying very hard to stop myself from rolling my eyes* No.

Man: Oh, where are you from then?

Me: Singapore *wan smile*

Man: Oh ok, I thought you were from China. Are you here alone?

Me: Nono... I'm here with friends.

Man: I see... I really like the Asian eyes. You know, slitty eyes? *tugs at the corner of his eyes*

Thankfully, the lift chose to come at that moment and fortunately he was going downstairs while I needed to go upstairs. God only knows where the conversation was proceeding...

I'm Asian, but I really don't think I've got slitty eyes.

Nor do I think it's a compliment to say I've got slitty eyes.

Holiday Part I

2006-04-11T22:28:00.000+01:00

After an incredibly hectic 2 weeks, I'm back. Back in Aberdeen, back to Uni, back to assignments and back to blogging. I was away on holiday! I thought that much was clear from my last post but people kept asking me why I've stopped blogging. I've not stopped. I merely took a break.

Cui, my absolute best-est friend, came over for 2 weeks (she says it's to tour UK, I say she misses me!). Our friendship is one of those that does not require much time and contact (how lucky!). We're perfectly happy to meet up once a month and we rarely chat on the phone. Online chatting is kindda out as well because she's slightly techno-phobic (and now, I will get whacked for revealing that). But after 6 months, I was really glad to see her!

It's a little bit scary after a while though... We're pretty similar and after about 3 days (time taken to re-adjust to each other), we started saying the same things at the same time... started to complete each other's sentences... instinctively understand a glance or a look... anticipate each other's response... so much so that Steph said we were like "twins". And when we started "bickering" (I prefer the word "debating", actually) over small little things, Steph said we were behaving like "an old couple". Hahaha...

Anyway, she brought MORE FOOD for me!!! I've now got Khong Guan Lemon Puffs. How Singaporean is that?! Khong Guan leh... The last time I had Khong Guan biscuits (affectionately known as KGB) must have been 2 years ago during National Day rehearsals? More "oh-my-goodness" than the KGB is this small container of greenish paste... KAYA! Unbelievable!!! But yes, very much appreciated. =)

The next few blog posts will be on various stages of our "backpacking adventure" (I really never thought I would be a backpacker. Ever. Oh well, the mysteries of life). It will start sounding a bit like a travelogue but more than just describing the places, I will tell you about the ups and the downs (it's not all glamourous) of the trip, the people we met - some strange, some really nice *wink* and all (ok, maybe not all - some are not suitable to be told here) the fun we had!

Day 1:
Cui arrives in Aberdeen. I meet her practically as soon as she gets off the plane. It's such a small airport and there's really no "arrival" or "departure" hall etc and as soon as she gets her luggage, we sneak off. Sneaking is compulsory because the customs officers like to pick on Asians and at that point of time, I had no idea what contraband she brought in. I vaguely remember her talking about a pandan cake...

Spent the day unpacking and orientating her to my hostel. Ended the day with dinner with all my flatmates (she's very lucky because we're hardly all here at the same time!). It felt very strange to have an extra person in my room - I kindly told her that she takes up space, she very unkindly glared at me. Heh...

Day 2:
Gave Cui a map of Aberdeen and told her where the main shopping area was. Left her to her own devices for the rest of the day while I attended class (classes that were re-scheduled due to snow 2 weeks ago). Pretty much left her alone the whole day and whole night as I was rushing my assignment that was still not completed!

Day 3:
Travelling begins! Went to Glasgow on megabus...

Adventure began almost immediately as we realised on the way to the bus station that we forgot the bus ticket! Classic mistake! Equivalent to forgetting passport/air ticket! Panicked for a while, took 5 mins to get our act together, alighted from the bus we were on, waited for a bus to get back to the hostel, panicked some more when the bus took ages to come, arrived at hostel, grabbed tickets, took bus back to bus station again, arrived with 5 mins to spare.

The bus was late in setting off... but for once, we didn't complain and we were glad that the bus was running behind schedule.

Travelling on a budget.

3 hr 15min journey on megabus = £1

2hr 45min journey on train = about £20

Arrived at the hostel that Steph has kindly booked for both of us. Steph and her friend, Keith, arrived later in the evening (they were there on a school trip). Steph's another careless one! She booked train tickets for the WRONG DAY!! Haha... Amazingly, she worked her charm and was allowed onto the train...

Our hostel...

Pretty impressive.

4 to a room.

Inclusive of linen, soap, lockers, en-suite shower and toilet.

And inclusive of breakfast.

£1 per person per night.

*Thanks Steph for sussing out this promo.*

Keith decided he needed some exercise...

And so he began performing...

As per animal-training protocol in the circus,

performers must be rewarded after a good session.

Banana for you, Keith!

Day 4:

Breakfast!

Continental spread.

2 types of cereal, 3 types of fruit juices, 2 types of yoghurts,

toast with butter and jam, coffee and tea.

Spent the morning visiting museums and galleries. I loved it. Cui was bored to tears. *I said we were pretty similar, I didn't say we were photocopies of each other*

My favourite art piece in the gallery!

KNITTED CACTUS!

I have no idea how the artist meant for it to be interpreted

but I enjoyed the irony of such a hard, prickly plant

being made with such soft cuddly material.

I went on to visit another museum (in the countryside! Had to take a bus and then walk half an hour from the bus stop!) in the afternoon while Cui stayed in the city to do some shopping. Took loads of pictures in the museum but my favourite photo is one that was taken outside the museum, when I was trekking back out to the bus stop again... I stopped for about 10mins just to enjoy the countryside *I think I really love the countryside! I'm remembering how much I enjoyed living next to the cows while I was on placement*.

It's spring (albeit a gloomy spring day)

and the daffodils were in bloom!

There was silence all around...

The road and the cars were far away...

Can you feel the serenity?

Had dinner in a Chinese restaurant. £10 for a set dinner. I had lemon chicken and yes, S$30 for lemon chicken is quite duh but hey, I haven't had a chinese dinner here for a long time... Cui obviously didn't enjoy the dinner as much as the 3 of us did... She remembers that as "the stupid Chinese dinner". Oh yah! Another good thing about eating in Chinese restaurants here is I get to practise speaking Cantonese! Spoke to my Grandma that day via Skype and she says my Cantonese going down the drain, need more practise. I'm perfectly happy to keep doing that at Chinese restaurants.

Keith learning to use chopsticks.

First time and doing it so well already!

He wasn't really sure what to do with the chopsticks,
the plate, the tea etc etc so he just watched
very carefully what Cui and I did and just followed.

Very clever!

Day 5:

Went on a guided tour around the City Chambers in Glasgow. Posh government office...

We were half-listening to the guided tour

and half-busy trying to discuss how our

future homes were going to be decorated.

100% marble stairs and pillars...

Gold-leaf surfaces...

I think there is a fine line between classy and vulgar.

The chambers balanced that really well and was

Posh, posh, posh!

Left Glasgow in the afternoon and arrived back in Aberdeen in the evening. Scrambled to the supermarket to buy some fresh food to cook dinner... Satisfied our grumbling stomachs with a simple home-cooked meal and promptly fell into bed. *Thanks Elli for lending us the extra bed!*

Day 6:

Slacked around Aberdeen - went to tour the beach but it wasn't Aberdeen at its best. Wet, gloomy day... At least it wasn't snowing. Rested and packed for the next leg of our adventure!

Told you she misses me!

She practically jumped on me and squashed me!

Months of Planning...

2006-03-26T22:40:00.000+01:00

... and the day is finally here!

The last 2 weeks were especially intense.

Trying to complete a 5500 word essay in 2 weeks,

when it took me 2 months to write just the introduction.

"Trying to complete..." because

it's still not completed.

1000 words more.

This whole word count thing is driving me mad...

From word 1 to word 3500,

I kindda check the word count every 10minutes or so

and then wince as I see that the essay's only

longer by 5 words or so.

And then from word 3501 to the end,

I kindda check the word count every 10minutes or so

and then go "oh sh*t! I'm going to exceed my word limit!"

Word counts are really time consuming and pointless...

I used to give a random word count at the end of my essays.

If it's a 3000 word essay, I'll write something like 2948.

If it's a 2000 word essay, it will be something like 1968.

Never exceeding the word limit, but never more than 100words short.

And always ending with an "8".

Because I'm superstitious.

Anyway...

2 weeks of intense planning all for the next 2 weeks.

Aberdeen

Glasgow

Aberdeen

Edinburgh

Newcastle & Durham

London

Brighton

London

and finally back to Aberdeen.

Bus tickets have been booked!

Accomodation have been arranged,

except in London and Brighton,

and in 12 hours time, I'll be at the airport.

To pick up my travel companion.

Although it would be more technically right to say that

I am her travel companion.

*excited*

I Live With LOONS!!!

2006-03-25T09:47:00.000Z

I was really excited that day!

I managed to lay my hands on some CHILLI PADI.

So I decided to have a (really healthy) stir-fry for lunch.

Look at the pretty colours!

Shame the chilli padi was green and not red.

Would have added yet another bright colour.

But like most days in this flat

the people I live with will not rest

until they've created some excitement for themselves.

*notice how deftly I've dissociated myself from them. The reason will be obvious in a bit.*

3 of us were in the kitchen.

I was the only one cooking lunch.

The other 2 were thinking about cooking (versus can-opening).

When all of a sudden, a notice popped up outside our kitchen window.

Communication à la primatives

Primatives = guys from downstairs

The notice from downstairs read

SOS

Food cans and toilet roll donations

urgently required!

You have to be really heartless not to respond to an appeal like that!

I mean...

There I was cooking...

and 2 of my flatmates were thinking of what to cook

and there were people starving downstairs...

and toilet-roll-less.

On hindsight, I'm now thinking.

no food = no waste.

Need toilet roll for WHAT?!

Ok, but at that moment, no time for such thoughts.

The 3 of us responded immediately with an equally primitive notice.

Elli went to get a broom.

Steph went to get paper, tape and ruler.

I was cooking, remember?

So I could only contribute the reply

ASDA IS OPEN 24/7!

*Asda = local supermarket*

Pictures of Stephanie "delivering" the message.

Hanging out of the window...

Notice the chopping board next to her?

Yes, that's evidence that I was indeed in the process of cooking.

My participation in this cranky incident was purely verbal.

Hence, I do not qualify as a loon.

Unlike the rest.

Afternote:

Spoke to Gordon on Skype later on in the day.

Turned out they didn't starve to death after all.

We were all not impressed by Gordon's nick though-

"NoCompassionfortheSufferersDownstairs"

The Life Of A Student

2006-03-19T23:59:00.000Z

Contrary to popular belief,

I'm actually a student!

Which involves studying, assignments, deadlines

and other boring things that students hate and working people miss.

It's always obvious when I'm having exams or deadlines coming up.

During these times,

I go into exile (self-imposed, of course)

because I feel I can concentrate better.

This year, self-imposed exile is easier to keep to.

No sms-es on "what is the answer for this?" or

"which chapter do you think will come out in the exam?"

(partly becuase there are no exams at all this year)

For maximum effectiveness, exile should be absolute.

I appreciate that my flatmates understand my eccentricities

(lest you think I'm weird, let me clarify that they also have their own eccentricities.)

They understand my need for peace but at the same time,

they show their concern in heartwarming ways

such as instant messaging me to say:

"Hope your work is going well. I'm going to bed. See you tmr"

or slipping a little note under my door:

"Hope you are alright and doing quite well. Good night and C U tmr"

Awwww....

How sweet.

Mid-Week Laughs

2006-03-15T00:09:00.000Z

Wednesdays are a good time for jokes.

Because by Wednesday, you would have sobered up
from the previous weekend.

Even the mother-of-all-hangovers would have passed.

Then with 20/20 vision, you see that the next weekend is...

... not anywhere near.

**Thanks to CAROL for sharing this joke with me so that I can share it with all of you.**

------------------------------

NEW EVENING CLASSES FOR MEN

Note: Due to the complexity and level of difficulty,
each course will accept a maximum of eight participants.

~~~~~

DAY ONE

HOW TO FILL ICE CUBE TRAYS
Step by step guide with slide presentation

TOILET ROLLS - DO THEY GROW ON THE HOLDERS?
Round table discussion

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAUNDRY BASKET & FLOOR
Practicing with hamper (pictures and graphics)

DISHES & SILVERWARE:
DO THEY LEVITATE/FLY TO KITCHEN SINK OR DISHWASHER
BY THEMSELVES?
Debate among a panel of experts

LOSS OF VIRILITY
Losing the remote control to your significant other
Help line and support groups

LEARNING HOW TO FIND THINGS
Starting with looking in the right place instead of turning the house upside down while shouting "It's not there!", "You've moved it!" or "We've run out!" - open forum

~~~~~

DAY TWO

EMPTY MILK CARTONS: DO THEY BELONG
IN THE FRIDGE OR THE BIN?
Group discussion and role-play

HEALTH WATCH: BRINGING HER FLOWERS IS
NOT HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH
Powerpoint presentation

REAL MEN ASK FOR DIRECTIONS WHEN LOST
Real life testimonial from the one man who did

IS IT GENETICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SIT QUIETLY
AS SHE PARALLEL PARKS?
Driving simulation

LIVING WITH ADULTS: BASIC DIFFERENCES
BETWEEN YOUR MOTHER AND YOUR PARTNER
Online class and role playing

HOW TO BE THE IDEAL SHOPPING COMPANION
Relaxation exercises, meditation and breathing techniques

REMEMBERING IMPORTANT DATES & CALLING
WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE
Bring your calendar or PDA to class

GETTING OVER IT: LEARNING HOW TO LIVE WITH
BEING WRONG ALL THE TIME
Individual counsellors available

Happy Family.

2006-03-11T19:35:00.000Z

All of us in the flat decided to cook dinner

TOGETHER

last weekend.

5 girls.

1 dinner.

Lots of peeling, chopping, grating, and stirring to produce...

A huge pot of yummy goodness...

Carrots

Tomatoes

Red Pepper

Onion

Sweet Potato

Courgette

Basil

How healthy is that?!?!

Impressive.

Uni students should be eating fish and chips or hotdogs!

Now for the main course...

Boil the potatoes

Mash the potatoes and cook the vegetables

Add minced beef...

...and put it into the oven with the potatoes on top.

Dinner's ready!

Soup for starters...

Main course of cottage pie!

We had dessert too.

But errm... we were too stuffed.

So dessert had to be shifted to the following night.

Ok, here's Part II of our "feast".

Strawberries

Raspberries

Bananas

Kiwis

So healthy and unbelievable right?

Yeah, wouldn't blame you if you didn't believe!

2 Hours.

2006-03-04T17:03:00.000Z

That's the total amount of time I spent in class this week.

All other classes were cancelled due to inclement weather.

Heavy snow = people cannot get into and out of Aberdeen

Students and lecturers can't get into Uni = no classes.

Looking untypically awake before 9am...

...braving THIS kindda weather to trot to class.

Where's the path?!!

------------------------------

It's been 4 days of on-off snow now.

Pristine white snow by the river

Check out the practically HORIZONTAL snow?

THAT'S windy...

We're all pleased though.

The snow we got in December was most unsatisfactory.

This is real snow...

It's like Christmas again!

Stephanie decided to conduct an outdoor class.

"How to make a snow angel"

First, find a spot of fresh snow...

Untouched, un-stepped, un-sledged, un-whatever.

Then lie down carefully without making a mess...

Next, wave your arms and legs like a maniac

to give your angel its "wings" and "dress"

At this stage, it's normal to look like a stranded starfish.

*Oh yah, if you're wondering why there's a death-like shadow over Steph, that's ME taking the photo.
Haha... Steph's great idea of: Let's do it in the sun!*

Finally, get up really carefully...

Snow angel!

We also attempted to make a snowman...

Elli and I rolling snowballs.

It would have been quite a successful snowman too!

But...

Ok, I admit my fault.

I added un-snowman-like ears to our "snowman"

Muahahahahahaha....

End product?

Some snowcat/snowbear looking thing.

The eyes were the chocolate ingots I got for Chinese New Year.

The nose and accessories were dried roses left over from Valentine's Day.

See the rose petals all over the ground?

All nice and romantic...

Close-up of our snowcat/bear.

Scotland's version of "Hello Kitty"

Eh, look like the fa-cai cat also right?

To reward ourselves for being so creatively brilliant,

we decided to roll down the hill...

Truth was: we couldn't be bothered with a sledge.

Steph and I: pre-roll

Elli: The shadow that's taking the photo

Couldn't resist throwing snowballs at each other.

Ah, yes, we're 7 years old.

Me: Rolling-in-Progress

Steph and Elli: Rolling-in-Progress

Elli: Post-roll

Steph: Post-roll

Ok, enough fun for the day.

Time to get back inside.

Stephanie claims she didn't dust off properly and brought bits of snow in with her.

Naaahh....

I think she's got a major dandruff problem.

A nice cuppa tea with biscuits after a hot shower!

This Is For You, James

2006-03-01T20:15:00.000Z

Dear James,

I apologize that you have had to wait so long before I finally got my act together to write this entry. I originally meant to title this “In loving memory of James” and follow it with a beautiful eulogy. But then I recalled a psychology class last year where we had to write our own eulogies. I think I wrote something like “Mae was a good friend with a loving heart and a brilliant mind. She gave her best in all that she did. Unfortunately, she left us too early, just as she was finishing her education and was about to move on to fulfill her dream of being a good occupational therapist. We will always remember the ways she touched and brightened our lives.” I remembered how hard it was to write a eulogy that sounded sincere yet did justice to the character of the person – especially when the person is still alive. So I decided to do away with the eulogy for you and write you a proper entry instead. =)

I finally got a picture of you (guess from where?). It must please you immensely to see it plastered up and to have an entry dedicated specially to you. When I first told my flatmates that you were no longer here (after the New Year), they thought you had moved out without Mac. When I clarified that you were no longer in Aberdeen but back in London, they immediately thought you had quit school and moved home to practice as a lawyer again. I am almost sure they sighed with relief when they found out you did not return to your previous profession.

You might like to know what been happening since you left. The cleaners cleaned your room (please tell me you were kidding when you asked Mac to clean your room! A guy came to fix our windows last week and he had to come back the next day just so Mac could tidy up a path for him from the door to the window of his room). Anyway, your room is currently unoccupied although somebody came to view the room last week.

More about your flatmates…

#1
We had Mac and Gordon up for cake 2 weekends ago and Mac brought up the TV you left him. We watched “Talented Mr Ripley” on it and at the end of the movie, Mac asked us: Did you get this TV from Asda? We all looked at him with incredulous looks on our faces and he continued "Because I have one that’s exactly the same." It’s unbelievable! Mac’s just like the 10-minute man in Memento!

#2
We’ve also not let Mac forget that he spoilt the toaster after trying to toast pork chops in them. He has a brilliant new plan now, by the way. Part 1 of his plan involves buying up toasters to repackage and re-sell them as “pork-chop cookers”. Part 2 of his plan came about because pork chops are usually too thick to be stuffed into the toaster and thus, the plan involves selling special ~~toaster~~pork-chop-cooker-sized pork chops. I have to admit that I am unable to keep up with his infinite creativity.

#3
The same weekend, Steph, Mac, Gordon and I went to The Belmont. Steph watched “Donnie Darco” while the rest of us watched “The Constant Gardener”. Before the movies started, we had some time and went for a drink. They provided games too and we ended up playing Jenga for a while. Surprisingly, none of the other three have played the game before… but it’s relatively simple so we managed to get started after a short explanation from me. BUT, halfway through the game, Gordon suddenly said that he has a set of Jenga at home! Haha… Anyway, here are the photos…

#4
Here’s the full story of what happened the night Mac came home drunk. Yes, there are many such nights. This is just the story of the most recent night. Sometime between 4 and 5am, he rang the buzzer of ALL FOUR FLATS to try to get someone to let him into the building because he forgot his keys. After an eternally long time, Mark let him into the building and flat. Shortly after that, I was awoken by loud head-banging music that went on for close to 5minutes before it was abruptly shut off. Gordon said that was because Mark told Mac that “it is 5 o’clock now. Go to bed. You can listen to your music later on” and shut the music off. Unfortunately for all of us, Mac decided to go outside for a cigarette. Without his keys. Again. And so there was a 2nd round of buzzing ALL FOUR FLATS for someone to let him in (Mark did it again). You’re absolutely right in describing him as a “bloody hell of a nightmare”. If we all weren’t so laid back and if he wasn’t so nice when he’s sober, there would have been murder...

That’s it for now! I’ll catch you in London in April! =)

Absolutely Pointless.

2006-02-28T23:12:00.000Z

Him: What's your favourite colour?
Me: Don't have one.
Him: Surely you have a colour you like more than others?
Me: Ok, black.
Him: Black is not a colour. It's a shade.
Me: Of course black is a colour.
Him: Nope, it's not. And I'm an artist. So I definitely know black is not a colour.

------------------------------

Him: Then what's your favourite shape?
Me: This is absolutely pointless.
Him: Pointless? So it's a circle then?
Me: No. That's not what I meant. And a circle is not the only pointless shape. Ovals are pointless too.
Him: Are ovals circles as well?
Me: I don't know. You're the artist. You tell me.

------------------------------

Some things are absolutely pointless.

The destination is utterly undesirable.

The journey is simply irresistable.

A Limited Existence.

2006-02-26T19:31:00.000Z

The alarm went off at 9am. She hit the snooze button – she did not really need the extra 10mins of sleep but she just enjoys lying on the bed for a while before getting up. 10mins later, she gets out of bed and steps into the shower. The steady stream of warm water washes over her and slowly melts away the sleep. Feeling fresh and energetic from the shower, she proceeds to pick out a black top and her favourite pair of jeans. After getting dressed, she stands at the mirror to comb her hair. She smiles at her reflection, pleased with what she sees – the new hairstyle really suits her...

A loud alarm sounds and jolts him awake. He opens one sleepy eye and sees that the sky is still dark outside. His brothers are already getting up so he forces himself up as well and shuffles across the corridor to get into the shower, grabbing a set of clothes along the way. Screwing up his face in anticipation, he turns on the shower and is greeted with a blast of cold water – shocking, but never fails to wake him up instantly. Fully awake now, he quickly dries off and puts on his clothes. As he leaves the bathroom, he catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror - the hairstyle really does not suit him...

Cereal with milk? Maybe a sandwich? She finally settles on a breakfast of toast with jam and coffee. At 11am, she leaves her house to meet up with her friends for a relaxing Saturday afternoon at the beach. This outing was planned last week and she had been looking forward to it since then. Having been caught up with school and a flurry of different activities, the week had flown by and now it’s finally time to unwind...

He sits at the table eating his breakfast – bread with jam and coffee. It’s not his ideal breakfast but that’s all there was and after exercising for half an hour, he’s really hungry so he eats quickly and silently. An hour later, he steps into the office and starts work. They have been given a contract assignment and today, the photocopying, sorting and binding must be finished so that the documents can be delivered back to the client after the weekend. It’s Saturday but it is work as usual for him and his co-workers. His routine, comprising of a limited repertoire of activities, rarely varies. The days simply blend into each other, one hardly differing from another...

How quickly time has passed! Before they realized, it was dusk and time to pack up and go for dinner – one of them had a craving for pasta so they were going to this new Italian restaurant in town. During the afternoon, they had gone for a swim in the sea and then spent the rest of the time catching up with the things that were happening in each others’ lives. They had also spent some time discussing their plans for the future as they were all about to graduate and start working… It was an exciting time for all of them. Who knows what the future holds!

At this point, time holds no meaning for him. Minute by minute, hour by hour, time seems to drag on forever. Today, the passing of it is punctuated mainly by the whine of the photocopying machines and the sounds of paper being flipped and sorted. Occasionally, one of his colleagues would start a conversation but it was hard to keep these conversations going. Or someone would start singing a song and others would join in but again, the end of the song meant the beginning of silence once more. In those moments of silence, he wondered if he had a future at all... and if indeed he was lucky enough to have a future, he wondered what it held for him. Finally, the job was finished and the documents packed into boxes. Good timing too! Time for dinner!

She lay on her bed, smiling at the ceiling. It had been a really enjoyable day and she wished it hadn’t gone by so quickly. She spent the next few minutes thinking about the next day. Sundays were days of rest and completely flexible – getting up late and doing whatever she felt like doing; she could go shopping, to the movies, for a walk in the park or simply potter around the house the entire day. With those thoughts, she closed her eyes and started drifting off to sleep...

He lay on his thin mattress, staring at the ceiling. The days were so long and he wished time passed more quickly. He spent some moments thinking about the next day. Sundays were still structured – nothing here is unstructured – but at least Sundays were slightly different. It was a day of rest – no work, an extra hour of sleep in the morning, basketball games in the afternoon, and they were allowed to watch television in the evening before returning to their cells. With those thoughts, he closed his eyes and started drifting off to sleep...

Unfocused...

2006-02-24T18:47:00.000Z

This post has naaah-thing to do with RENU contact lens solution

Although yes, you may be "unfocused" if you're a user of above-mentioned product.

------------------------------

I'm unfocused because...

so many things to say...

don't know where to start.

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I have a book to recommend.

Yes, AGAIN.

I go through so many books that I don't really remember all that I read.

A lot of them are forgettable.

But "Tales from a Borrowed Childhood"

by Miles Kington is an absolute gem.

It's supposedly a biography.

But it's not.

The book is made up of anecdotes from his childhood

and I love it because it's so rolling-on-the-floor funny!

Excerpts:

"Spilt milk is spilt yoghurt in the morning"

"You can take a horse to water, but it's easier to take a bucket to the stable"

"Beware of old ladies in queues, for they start out behind you and end up in front of you"

"There is no point offending an enemy. He is offended already. You would be better off offending a friend"

If you enjoy British humour (witty, caustic)

you absolutely have to read this!!!

*Not very good idea to read this on public transport. You'll just end up looking a bit cranky when you start laughing loudly suddenly.*

------------------------------

The last 4 movies I watched (in 3 days!) are:

L'Âge d'or (1930) - "Age of Gold" (French)

Swimming Pool (2003)

Der Himmel über Berlin (1987) - "Wings of Desire" (German)

*Don't look at the title and think it's pornography! It's not! It's about an angel that falls in love with a mortal.*

1900 (1976)

From watching these movies, I realised a trend.

Language does not affect my understanding of the films.

Colour, however, apparently does.

I have difficulty understanding films that are black and white.

It's even worse if a film is black and white with only music in the background.

NO DIALOGUE.

THAT is completely beyond me.

I can only understand films that have COLOUR

and where the characters actually TALK TO EACH OTHER.

------------------------------

Got the grades back for my assignments last semester!

2 assignments that make up a grade for 1 module.

Bonus: It's a "double" module which means the same grade counts TWICE into the classification of the degree (first class, 2nd upper etc etc).

So if you get a good grade, that's great! Because it means you actually get TWO good grades.

And if you get a bad grade, you're scr*wed. Twice.

=) =) =)

12 Hours of My Life.

2006-02-22T23:34:00.000Z

10pm (21 Feb): Made my way upstairs to the common room to watch a DVD with Mac. He wanted to watch this movie called "1900" and I have nothing planned for tonight anyway. I'm thinking that a movie is normally 1.5-2hrs and at the end of it (midnight), it would be a great time for me to go to bed so I can get up for 9am class tomorrow.

12midnight (22 Feb): Movie has not ended. Witty conversation in the movie keeps me interested. Plus it features lots of children and the amazing things they get up to in their innocence and naivity is quite funny. Plot is errm.... huh? Ok, it's a movie about war-time Italy in 1900 (how did you guess?) between the fascists and communists. If you're into that kindda thing, yeah, good show. Value for money.

3:30am (22 Feb): The show finally ends. FIVE AND A HALF HOURS! What did I say about value for money?

4:00am (22 Feb): Zzz...

8:00am (22 Feb): Crawled out of bed. Washed up. Had breakfast.

8:45am (22 Feb): Put on shoes! And still have got 15mins before class starts (it takes 8mins from my room to my lecture hall in case you're wondering). Decided to check my university e-mail.

8:50am (22 Feb): %^&$#! Lecture has been postphoned to another day! That means there's NO class today. One thing I really hate is getting up for absolutely no reason. I can get up at 7am if I have an early class. I can sleep till 2pm if there's nothing on for that day. The point is: there's gotta be SOMETHING to do right? There has to be a point in getting up, a purpose for crawling out of the warm cocoon under the blankets to step into this permanently air-conditioned-ish external environment. Feel cheated of sleep. Feel cheated into getting up early.

9:00am (22 Feb): Went online to complain to anybody else that was online about how I have not had classes since Monday. That's 3 days of complete self-study. I mean, how much can you possibly study about yourself right? Everybody thinks their character and personality has depth. Ah. Ok. Fine. But go over a certain point and it becomes narcissistic. And 3 days of self-study is kindda pushing that boundary.

9:50am (22 Feb): Talking to my mum. Very lively and animated discussion we were having. Suddenly, there is a black-out. Room becomes dark. Lap-top that's running on power gleefully dies while I'm staring in shock. Eh, why like that?! Turns out that the electricians are here to install motion-detecting spotlights for our safety. Much appreciated but hurry up can? I'm in the middle of the conversation with my mother. And my chicken in the freezer is defrosting.

The "NYP" Scandal...

2006-02-21T00:38:00.000Z

*I don't think she's been identified so I can't say for sure she's from NYP*

I don't normally comment on scandals..

but this "video" got me thinking.

See, it actually begs lots of questions.

Questions like...

Why on earth did she agree to the video?

*and it's not even artistically made. "S" describes it as "animal-like".

I think it's simply pornographic.*

Why is the video not tucked away somewhere but on her handphone?

A handphone is so easy to lose.

Someone with fiddly fingers might play with it.

Your handphone might breakdown and need servicing

in which the technician will have access to all information on the phone...

Point is:

Information on handphones are so NOT secure!

Of course, then you have the harder to answer questions, like

How is she going to face the world?

How is she going to explain it to her parents?

*Hopefully her parents would not have seen the video.*

And finally, there are the larger questions, like

Have we gone from being conservative to super liberal

in the short span of 1 generation?

Or are we misled by a few high-profile examples?

If not, why is the West gradually moving towards being more conservative

while the East is speeding towards being more liberal?

1 Week Later...

2006-02-19T00:03:00.000Z

It's been a week since I updated my blog.

And I didn't even realise it till now...

That's how busy I was.

So this is just gonna be a summary of the week.

------------------------------

Monday

No class today.

Stayed home and did "work"

Can't really define work.

It's a mish-mash of writing essay, cooking meals,

lying on the bed, walking around the house aimlessly,

sitting in the common room and talking.

Something like that.

------------------------------

Tuesday

No classes today.

Stayed home and did "work"

This time serious WORK.

Trying to string together 700+ words for the introduction to my essay.

I've been doing it all weekend so much so that I forgot to go online

to chat with my friends and family.

It absolutely has to be completed by today.

Because I say so.

It's a goal I set for myself.

------------------------------

Wednesday

Classes from 9-11am then 12-1pm.

Woke up really early for class.

Discovered a sms had come in the night while I was sleeping.

Bad news: Her dad passed away.

Sent her a reply to convey my condolences.

She seems to be coping.

Submitted my draft introduction - turned out to be 1200 words.

Had dinner in a Thai restaurant with friends - late Valentine's Day meal.

Not a great restaurant.

Got our orders wrong - twice.

Had to ask 6 times before we got water.

Made a complaint and got the service charge waived.

Proceeded onto the pubs.

Stayed on at a pub till it closed.

Went back home and continue chatting with friends.

Slept at... in the morning.

When the sun was shining brightly.

------------------------------

Thursday

Stayed at home to recuperate.

All of us had some kindda "illness".

Either a cold or some stomach discomfort.

Not a very romantic V-day afterall.

Had a "confession" session with 2 good friends - both in Australia.

They understand the feeling of being away from home.

The freedom as well as the guilt that comes with it.

------------------------------

Friday

Went back for classes.

Supposed to be 10am-12pm then 2-4pm.

But the morning lecturer didn't appear (?!!)

so the afternoon lecture was brought forward.

Lecturer was not prepared for class yet.

Her slides were incomplete.

So we finished real early - 11am.

Done for the day.

10-11am.

------------------------------

Saturday

All 5 of us in the flat woke up and made a decision in 5 minutes.

Went to pack and left the house 10 minutes later.

Towel, shampoo, conditioner, shower gel,

comb, slippers, hairdryers.

It felt like we were going swimming.

But no.

We were going to the gym to use the shower.

Because the boiler in the building had broken down the night before!

No heating system = cold rooms.

No heating system = cold water.

------------------------------

So that's the summary of my week.

Apologies that I have been "missing"

I've actually been doing work.

And that's kindda the reason that I'm here yah?

So be happy for me that I'm productive.

But I promise to be back.

Within the next few days...

Till then, take care.

And be good! =)

Rabbits

2006-02-12T15:09:00.000Z

During one of our increasingly frequent indulgence of our favourite pastime – just sitting around and talking, Elli read us a short article from a magazine about the “World’s Largest Bunny”, Herman.

Herman is a humongous rabbit that weighs 7.7kg and is almost 1 metre tall.

Cuddly Herman

Herman doesn't look very happy here.

Maybe he's not used to being lifted into the air...

...especially by another male.

Rudi, another rabbit like Herman, is a German Giant (I'm not being politically incorrect. They belong to a breed of rabbits that's really called German Giant). Rudi weighs 8.7kg and was destined for the cook pot. However, after Rudi was crowned "Berlin Champion" in a competition and became somewhat famous, his owner suddenly decided that he couldn't bear to cook Rudi because he was "too fond" of him. So it's true that fame cultivates "fondness", eh?

Anyway, I'm not interested in which rabbit is the largest, the heaviest, the most delicious or whatever...

I'm interested in how many rabbits you know.

Rabbits are really quite cute things, aren’t they? Furry, good-tempered, sociable creatures… No wonder they appear so often in popular media. Think for a moment about all the bunnies you’ve seen in the media. How many did you come up with?

MissyMinz Rabbit Hall of Fame

Peter Rabbit

White Rabbit (Alice in Wonderland)

Roger Rabbit

Miffy

(She must be the world's saddest rabbit. She's got a "X" for a mouth lor...)

Rabbit (Winnie the Pooh)

The bunny that keeps going and going... and going...

Thumper (Bambi)

Were-rabbit (Wallace and Gromit)

No chance of forgetting this guy. Ever.

And lastly...

PLAYBOY

Why Night Owls Shine Brightest

2006-02-08T21:31:00.000Z

Daily Mail Article:

It appears the 18th century scientist Benjamin Franklin got it wrong – early to bed and early to rise does not make you healthy, wealthy or wise.

In fact, the teenager who burns the midnight oil and lounges in bed until lunchtime may have found the best way forward, according to psychologists.

A new studying linking human intelligence and the 24-hour rhythm of light and dark shows that night owls are definitely cleverer than early larks.

Researchers have found that people who get up later in the day and start work later have quicker minds and a better memory. Vindicating geniuses such as Mozart, who was vilified for lying in bed all day, the study has shown that early birds are mentally slower and prone to forgetfulness.

The joint project by the University of Sydney and the U.S. Air Force involved more than 400 recruits who completed questionnaires to establish their sleeping and waking patterns.

Each was then put through mental agility and memory tests.

The scientists discovered that those who favoured a late start to the day typically had a significantly better mental speed and memory.

Richard Roberts, of the University of Sydney, said: “The results indicate that, contrary to conventional folk wisdom, evening types are more likely to have higher intelligent scores.”

‘Early to bed, early to rise, will make you anything but wise.’

The researchers are not sure why that is the case, but it may be a hangover from prehistoric times.

They suggest there may be a link to our ancestors who had a better chance of survival if they remained bright and alert after dark to ward off nocturnal predators. Dr Roberts said: ‘It would not seem too fanciful to argue that those able to adapt to evening schedules were among the fittest of the emerging Homo sapiens.’

A similar study of sleep patterns carried out by the University and General Hospital in Southampton last year also showed that the Franklin theory was flawed.

Scientists examined the lifestyles of 1,300 people and assessed their health, wealth, and – with the help of mental tests – their wisdom.

Although they did not conclude that night owls were more intelligent than early risers, their research showed there was little or no difference between the two groups.

------------------------------

I have no idea how old this newspaper article is but I found the above-mentioned research article by the University and General Hospital in Southampton published in a very reputable journal - the British Medical Journal (Click here for the full article, or here for just the key results of the study).

No doubt the research is flawed (there is no perfect research, so by default, every research is flawed) and some interesting discussions (including one that considers the lack of electricity during Franklin's time and another that mentions India's rapid rate of reproduction) have been generated. So I guess we can decide to:

a) acknowledge that the research is flawed to some extent, but generally sound and either continue to be/become an owl (being "evidence-based" is fashionable nowadays).

b) vehemently deny the results. How can ~~all the~~ most parents in the world be wrong?

c) take it with a pinch of salt and recognize it as a "teaser" as the authors intended it to be.

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Disclaimer:

MissyMinz will not entertain any e-mails from teenagers asking her to convince their parents that people who stay up late and get up at lunch time are more mentally agile and have better memories.

MissyMinz has personally been through this battle and going through it once is enough. She has no intention of fighting this battle for anyone else.

Request

2006-02-06T22:05:00.000Z

A friend has requested for me to put up

these lyrics from a song called "Tears"

by a group called X-Japan.

Unusual request.

But I shall oblige.

I think he got tired of waiting for me to put this up.

I've been delaying this post for 2 days.

And in that time, he has set up his own blog!

=_=

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LONELINESS YOUR SILENT WHISPER
FILLS A RIVER OF TEARS
THROUGH THE NIGHT
MEMORY YOU NEVER LET ME CRY
AND YOU, YOU NEVER SAID GOOD-BYE
SOMETIMES OUR TEARS BLINDED THE LOVE
WE LOST OUR DREAMS ALONG THE WAY
BUT I NEVER THOUGHT YOU'D TRADE YOUR SOUL TO THE FATES
NEVER THOUGHT YOU'D LEAVE ME ALONE

TIME THROUGH THE RAIN HAS SET ME FREE
SANDS OF TIME WILL KEEP YOUR MEMORY
LOVE EVERLASTING FADES AWAY
ALIVE WITHIN YOUR BEATLESS HEART
DRY YOUR TEARS WITH LOVE
DRY YOUR TEARS WITH LOVE

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That's actually only part of the song.

The other half of the song is in Japanese

and you can see the full song lyrics,

the English translation of the lyrics,

and listen to the song

HERE.

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I've never heard of the song / the group before

but from listening to the first 15secs of the sound clip

from the above website,

(obviously recorded "live")

I would think they are quite popular

(in Japan, I would logically assume).

The first 15secs features their fans

screaming their lungs out

and throughout the song,

you can hear the fans singing along,

taking breaks for intermittent screaming

and then

more screaming at the end.

------------------------------

When I first listened to it,

I was not impressed.

The melody didn't have enough variety.

It was quite linear: high, higher and higher still.

The chorus does not make a strong enough impact.

In fact, WHEN exactly is the chorus?!!

And I'm not convinced the singers really knew the meanings

of the words they were singing in English.

(Personally, I liked the parts of the songthat are in Japanese better than the parts
that are in English. There was more "feeling" in the singing.)

But I listened to it 17 times back to back and

there is a redeeming factor.

It's the instrument that plays the main melody.

Can you hear it?

------------------------------

Note to self: Since when did you become a music critic?

EXPLOSION!

2006-02-03T14:04:00.000Z

The fire alarm went off last Monday.

Yes, again.

But this time it was for real.

There was an EXPLOSION!

In my flat, no less...

Turns out that Steph was charging her camera batteries

while she took a nap

when the batteries just exploded.

Scary not???

Julia, who was cooking her dinner at that time: "I thought it was my cooking that set off the alarm."

Nicola, who lives in the room directly above Steph: "I heard a very loud bang and I thought somebody dropped something. The next thing I heard was 'SH*T!' "

Steph: "I heard a loud bang and woke up to see a fireball shoot across the room. It was like special effects from the movies."

The damage?

Soot on the walls and ceiling where the "fireball" hit.

Carpet burns where bits of the battery landed.

This one is where the main part landed and made a real clear imprint on the carpet.

Burnt chair

Steph's bed.. where she was taking her nap at that time.

Good thing Steph was unhurt

except for a tiny blister on her finger.

------------------------------

I think I need less exciting friends.

Dark Room.

2006-02-01T14:03:00.000Z

Spent some time with Steph in the

DARK ROOM

Takes some taking used to obviously...

This is how it looks like with the lights on.

And here's the machine that

shines a controlled amount and type of light

onto the film negative and photo paper.

After exposing the photo paper to light,

it needs to be dipped into chemicals

to be developed and fixed.

No flash allowed at this stage...

End product?

That's the test strip showing the whole spectrum.

From right: exposed for 3s, 6s, 9s blah blah...

Trainspotting & THE Johnny Cash Movie...

2006-01-31T14:03:00.000Z

Night out last friday was to

His Majesty's Theatre

to watch

Trainspotting

I can't remember the time I watched a play?

The last play I actually wanted very much to watch was

The Physicist

(I think that's the name...)

but I never got to watch it!

Trainspotting

had wonderfully real actors

(and the Scottish accent! OMG!)

and used their very few and simple props so cleverly!

Being about drugs, junkies, and psychos,

it was a dark play which grew gradually darker

and eventually ended pitch-black.

Shocking.

Savage.

Honest.

Funny.

Brilliant.

Now I have to watch the movie and read the book.

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Have you heard about the Johnny Cash movie yet?

Neither had I...

Until last Saturday.

I didn't even know who Johnny Cash was!

Not my generation!

WALK THE LINE

U.S. Release Date:

18th November 2005

U.K. Release Date:

Not Yet Known

Singapore Release Date:

???

The movie chronicles the life of Johnny Cash

from his pre-fame days

to his rise to be a Country music Legend.

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Stop reading here

if you don't want to know any more

before you watch the movie!

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In the process, his marriage broke down

and when he dabbled with drugs,

his life practically went to hell.

Had a happy ending but

Country's not my kindda music,

and Walk the Line is not my kindda movie...

------------------------------

I almost walked away from the movie twice.

Once, early on in the show

because the beginning was real slow...

The second time was because

of a particularly disturbing scene...

It was a scene where Johnny Cash was having an argument

with his wife (soon to be ex-wife)

The argument progressed to a point where

he had her pinned to the ground.

The camera panned off to the side

to focus on their children

who were standing in the hallway

watching in fear...

and crying.

Nothing overtly violent.

But, still...

physically aggressive.

Not acceptable.

At all.

You hear that, guys?

Disturbing...

Lunar New Year Dinner

2006-01-30T13:58:00.000Z

Had the first dinner of the Lunar New Year with

Elli, Julia, Steph & Laura.

Being the bum that I am,

I decided not to cook!

Starters: Spring Rolls

Had to have something vaguely chinese right?

Main Course: Chicken Pasta Bake

With white wine...

Dessert 1: Chilled Mandarin Oranges

Nono... I served a FULL plate...

Just that before a picture could be taken,

half of it had been eaten... =)

Dessert 2: Apple Strudel

with Vanilla ice-cream...

Sometime during dinner, we suddenly realised

the food we were having were a

perfect match for the people present.

The spring rolls and mandarin oranges were "Chinese"

Pasta was "Italian" (Laura)

Wine was "French" (Steph)

Apple Strudel was "German" (Julia)

and the Ice Cream was from UK (Elli).

We were strangely pleased with this...

------------------------------

Even though everything was "ready made"

it wasn't easy ok?

Had to time the spring rolls and pasta to be baked

so that the spring rolls would be ready for 7:30pm

and pasta ready for shortly after...

Then had to estimate how long it would take us to finish the pasta

so that the apple strudel can be baked in time...

*stress*

------------------------------

We had a "no left-overs" policy...

...until dessert.

Apple strudel with ice cream, anyone?

Her Piano

2006-01-28T01:29:00.000Z

The piano stands in the living area, in the exact same spot it has been standing for the past 6 years since it was brought along from the previous house. Once, a long time ago, the piano produced delightful melodies under the tentative fingertips of its young owners. Week after week, they practiced on it for their weekly piano lessons, annual concert and annual exams. Classical songs, pop songs, chords, scales, arpeggios, random senseless noise, the piano has produced them all. But that was a long time ago…

Over the years, the piano was replaced by other “more important” activities. Lessons were stopped and the piano was played less and less. Gradually, the piano lapsed into a period of silence. It was a black piano, but it could easily have been a white elephant, for all the difference it made.

Then 4 years ago, during a particularly sad day, she was drawn towards the piano for some inexplicable reason. Unexpectedly, she found comfort in playing the piano… As she played, the tears fell. The tears clouded her vision… She couldn’t see the keys but it didn’t matter. She didn’t need to see the keys. She was simply letting her fingers dance along the keys they were so familiar with. Before, practicing the piano caused her endless amounts of frustration. Now though, the piano was her outlet for ventilation… a private world where she could escape to block out all unhappiness and frustration, even if it was for those few minutes.

From then on, she returned to the piano whenever she was upset. In fact, she thought of the piano only when she was unhappy. It was during these moments that she put all her feelings into her playing. It was these times that she played best and the music didn’t sound hollow. Sometimes she played in the day, sometimes she played at night. But she always played when she was alone, never with anybody else around. Over time, it was no longer the piano… She had come to view it as her piano…

Throughout this time, there were numerous discussions to sell the piano. The reasons were always the same: nobody plays the piano anymore; it only takes up space. She would always object to the sale of the piano and insist on keeping it. Sometimes, immediately following such discussions, she would play the piano for a few days just to prove that someone was playing the piano but at those times, the melodies always sounded strangely hollow to her ears. Nobody asked why she was so insistent on keeping the piano… and she never did explain.

Her piano stands in the living area, in the exact same spot it has been standing for the past 6 years since it was brought along from the previous house. Once, a long time ago, the piano produced delightful melodies under the tentative fingertips of its young owners. Week after week, they practiced on it for their weekly piano lessons, annual concert and annual exams. Classical songs, pop songs, chords, scales, arpeggios, random senseless noise, the piano has produced them all. But that was a long time ago…

Her piano now produces soulful melodies under her fingertips. Usually dark and haunting but always infused with emotions. And always alone…

Box 1 Has Arrived!

2006-01-26T21:38:00.000Z

I was supposed to blog about this 2 nights ago but I got distracted the first night when Francois appeared (literally out of nowhere) and whisked Steph and myself out of the flat for a meeting.

A “climbing club” meeting…

Haha…

Me going for a “climbing club” meeting.

------------------------------

The second night I was preoccupied trying to figure out a show Steph and I watched.

Memento.

Billiant movie.

One big puzzle.

------------------------------

So tonight’s the night I finally sit down and blog about the arrival of Box 1!

3Kg!

I have NEVER seen a $10 stamp...

But this box came with MANY $10 stamps...

And inside the box?

~~Contraband~~

Chinese New Year Goodies!

Preserved Plums...

Prawn Rolls...

The ultimate item...

BAK KWA

(I half-expected the dogs that sniff the mail to eat it)

Got Merlion somemore...

Very patriotic.

Yummy spices...

Chocolate ingots...

Pork floss...

and lastly,

Pineapple Tarts!!!

A grand total of 8 items...

Very auspicious indeed.

------------------------------

Thanks DT!

------------------------------

Cannot pass customs?

=_=

Mail it, please!

Scott's Birthday!

2006-01-22T20:36:00.000Z

A very tame night out...

But it was nice to go out all the same...

Myself, Stephanie & Francois (France)

Ok, stop thinking I'm very "extra".

They are not a couple.

So I'm not "extra", alright?

Laura looking very pretty and pleased with her Oriental jacket

Me with Soren (Germany)

Soren thinks we'll look taller if the picture is taken from wayyyy down below...

I think not.

We don't look too short either way...

------------------------------

As the title says

It's Scott's birthday.

But I have NO photos of Scott...

Haha...

He's very good at disappearing!

Hardly saw him the whole evening...

Oh well,

Happy Birthday anyway!

Business Administration Night Out!

2006-01-19T05:59:00.000Z

Ok, so Steph and I are not BA students... but that's alright!

You don't have to be a BA student to party!!

From left: Laura (Italy), me, Elliot (It’s a long story… ok, I’m from Holland), Stephanie (France/States) and Julia (Germany)

That was us holding our books together in the library with the

“we survived the exams”

looks on our happy faces!

Then someone fooled around with the photo...

... and made us look like we were in a sports pub

holding sparkling something-juice.

Photoshop REALLY is something!

*winkz*

THAT is a crap photo.

But it was on my camera (?mysteriously) and there are a few things I want to say about it:

It was not taken by me.

I think I know who took it – and I think he’ll make a lousy spy.

Since the photo is so dark, I might as well tell you that it’s a photo of 6 of us standing over the pool table discussing velocity and angles – serious mathematical stuff.

Second place of the night!

Some bar called Paramount that was super super super crowded.

That it was after exams AND "Student Night" didn't help at all...

Actually there were 12 of us!

But for some reason, only the 4 of us kept taking photos…

Haha…

Then there was a THIRD place...

A club called "Espionage".

But there are no photos even though cameras were allowed.

Why?

Because.

Go figure. =)

Bed-time!

Not the most glam of photos...

But I LIKE!!!!!

So there!

Live.

2006-01-17T23:41:00.000Z

After almost a week of trying to fool everyone that I was a zombie,

it's finally time to live...

Last week was dedicated to

reading numerous journal articles and text books,

trying to synthesize the contents,

forming opinions,

squeezing 3000 words out of my miserable brain,

trying to string them together to create a half-decent essay,

AND

designing a poster.

NOT BAD FOR A WEEK'S WORK HUH?

16-hour days.

Starting at 12pm.

Ending at 4am the next day.

Not because I poor time management,

or that I'm a "last-minute person"...

But because I believe that:

"Efficiency is inversely proportionate to the time left before a deadline"

And one should always live according to their beliefs.

It's part of being true to oneself...

Conversation of the Week...

2006-01-14T01:27:00.000Z

I was having a conversation with a friend yesterday and she suddenly asked me:

How often do you wash your bathroom?

Strange topic, and the fact that I don’t technically have a “bathroom” as such (I have a small shower “dish” that’s like 2 by 2 feet) aside, I told her:

Once a month

For some even more bizarre reason (bizarre was when she asked me that question in the first place), she started to tell me that I should wash it more often…

Friend: Just like my mother! She washes our bathroom once a week!

Me: Ok. But that’s your mother… not me.

Friend: But it would be cleaner!

Me: Ah, wait. Wash more often doesn’t mean it’s cleaner, ya noe? Hospital toilets are washed everyday (maybe even more than once a day) but I don’t consider them cleaner than my own toilet at home.

------------------------------

It’s kindda more dependent on the number of ppl using and how they use it. Like for that friend, there are 4 people in her household.

That’s 4 ppl using 1 bathroom for 7 days = 28 times that the bathroom’s been used. This is assuming that each person uses it once a day. Bathing more than once a day is alright. Bathing less than once a day is also normal. In some tribe. Somewhere in the world… but that’s not the issue here.

I’m 1 person using 1 “bathroom” for 7 days x 4 weeks = 28 times.

SAME WHAT!!!

------------------------------

Anyway, THAT was the conversation of this week.

BECAUSE…

Everybody else is talking about

RAIN.

So much so that 8 hours and 10834km (6733 miles) away, I know that:

It’s been raining practically non-stop for the longest time ever,

The last time Singapore saw the sun was on Friday, and before that, on Monday,

Turf Club races were cancelled,

There is soil erosion on Bukit Timah Hill, and that

Vegetable prices have gone up.

------------------------------

I don't know what is scarier

Me knowing what's actually going on in Singapore

everybody talking about rain.

Take A Break...

2006-01-11T00:06:00.000Z

Mid-week entertainment

Try the online version of this popular international game!

SUDOKU

The rules are so simple that I'm not even going to bother explaining it here.

Rules are available at the site itself.

Beware though...

It's addictive!

Oh ya, there is a catch.

This game requires l-o-g-i-c.

Enjoy!

I Almost Got Myself Killed

2006-01-06T21:02:00.000Z

Actually, a more accurate title for this post would be:

I almost killed myself.

The intent was boringly ordinary.

The consequences were potentially fatal.

It all started when I went to the cutlery rack next to the sink to get a fork for dinner...

As I pulled out a fork, a knife that was also drying in the rack got hooked up along the way.

As the knife flew through the air...

I instinctively reached out to grab it.

My fingers touched the tip of the blade but I was too slow.

Still functioning on auto-pilot, and watching the knife continue its way down to the ground...

I made another mistake.

I leaned forward to try to catch the knife between the cupboard and my stomach.

Surprisingly, I succeeded.

Without stabbing myself.

At this point, having stopped the knife and therefore ending the instinctive reaction,

intelligence comes to the forefront and organizes my thoughts.

First thought:
That was very dangerous.

Second thought:
I shouldn't have done that.

Immediate reaction:
Lean away from the cupboard to let the knife fall to the floor.

Did it ever occur to you that a knife free falling through the air is a very mesmerizing sight? All movie producers must have been on to this for the longest time... Just think of the numerous fighting/kung fu/mafia/samurai movies that has a scene of a glinting knife flying through the air, artfully reflecting the light from the flame of an oil lamp into a dazzling flash of white. But I digress...

Watching the knife fall to the floor,

my next immediate thought was:

Bloody hell! I'm wearing slippers!

(I'll ask you to be understanding and pardon my non-ladylike language. Because, you know, when one is in danger of having one's toes involuntarily amputated, it's kindda hard to simultaneously consider if one's language is socially acceptable. Moreover, here at missyminz.blogspot.com, accurate reporting and editorial integrity is of utmost importance.)

Miraculously
(yes, just now was surprising, but by this point, i think it's miraculous already)

and thankfully,

I am still unhurt.

Not my fingers.

Not my stomach.

Not my toes.

Some things I can attribute to luck.

But sometimes, I cannot deny the existence of God.

If You Wear Make-Up Or Knows Someone Who Does...

2006-01-05T23:16:00.000Z

As I was passing through the customs in London, on my return to Aberdeen, I saw and heard an exchange between a customs officer and a lady, who was having her bags checked by the officer.

If you wear make-up, or knows someone who does, I strongly recommend you pay attention starting now.

------------------------------

Customs Officer: Are you carrying any explosives? *I know, very tactful...*

Lady: No.

Customs Officer: Do you wear make-up?

Lady: Yes.

Customs Officer: Well, some make-up contain explosives.

------------------------------

So please...

Next time you buy make-up

Or accompany your girlfriend, wife, mother, aunt or your friendly neighbourhood ba-pok to buy make-up,

remember to ask for

NON-EXPLOSIVE MAKE-UP.

Seriously.

1 Mark Lee is enough.

You are Invited...

2006-01-04T22:10:00.000Z

Now that I'm settled back in Aberdeen, at least for the next 4 months, it is now possible for me to host visitors! So if you are interested to come to see Aberdeen (or Edinburgh... or Glasgow... or me...), please let me know and I'll be happy to consider hosting you.

As I am expecting to be flooded with requests (free food and lodging is always an attractive offer), please do not be disappointed if I am unable, for whatever reasons, to host you.

However, I can tell you this much - you have a higher chance of me agreeing to host you if:

I actually know you and
I like you.

Goodbye London... Hello Aberdeen, Again.

2006-01-03T22:02:00.000Z

As the festivities die down, I bid farewell to London and return to Aberdeen, hopefully for longer than 6 weeks this time.

4 of us are back at the flat, all having returned from a break that went by too quickly. Only Steph is not back yet, still enjoying herself in France.

Before the Christmas break, there was a mass "giving" season. Students from all over Aberdeen who were going away for the holiday gave their perishables away... Bread, cakes, pies, eggs, vegetables, cheese, milk, and fruits made their way around Aberdeen. Students who left immediately after school closed gave their food to others who were leaving a week later. When those students left, they passed the food to the rest who were not going away for Christmas. Afterall, it would be inhumane to let them starve while we were all enjoying our holidays. Bless our kind and loving hearts...

Hence, one of the first things all of us did when we got back was to buy food. Obviously many other people did the same because when I got to the supermarket, many of the shelves were empty and I couldn't get half the things on my shopping list. No bread! No mushrooms! No tomatoes!

Anyway, Julia went shopping first thing in the morning, Karina went shopping with her mum and sister, while Elli and I did online shopping and had our stuff delivered (otherwise she wouldn't be able to get 16 bottles of lemonade up the hill) then decided we didn't have enough and went to the supermarket again in the evening and bought more food! So now, all the freezers, fridges and cupboards are stuffed full of food and all of us need not worry about starving for the next week or so.

I have decided, after a period of over-eating (Elli's dad is a fantastic cook), to have a "detox" week and hence filled the cupboard and the fridge with healthy food - lean meat, cabbage, carrot (yes, one large carrot), potatoes, beans, grapes, green tea, ribena (Zac says drinking Ribena will make one clever), Hoegaarden (it's barley AND wheat. How much more healthy can it get?) and eggs.

I'm very pleased with my attempt to have a healthy diet this week...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2006-01-01T14:11:00.000Z

New Year’s Eve this time was an odd assortment of activities. Unlike any other New Year’s Eve I’ve had.

Started the day as per usual, getting up and having breakfast, and got ready in good time to go to the theatre for a pantomime of “Peter Pan”. Pantomimes are not only for kids, alright? Adults can enjoy them too! It was a very enjoyable hour and a half and I heard some of the lamest jokes in a long time.

One of them was:
Pirate 1 to Pirate 2 (who had a headache) – Why don’t you go take an Aspirin?
Pirate 2 (who was also holding onto a huge stuffed parrot) – I can’t. The parrots ate them all.

Really WTH right? Hahaha...

-------------------------------

Went with Elli and Hugh to visit Elli’s Grandmother and Aunt.

I told Elli the other day (on the way to have coffee with Elli’s friend’s grandmother) that this is indeed a different experience for me.

I have never specially gone to meet any of my friend’s grandparents (or parents, for that matter). It’s one thing to meet them if my friend jumps out of the car with his/her family in it, or if they are at home when I go over, or if they are shopping in the same shopping centre… you get the idea. But it’s another story altogether to specially meet up with their (grand)parents without my friend.

I have also never brought any of my friends to meet my grandparents.

Hey, are my grandparents missing out on something here?

Ok, I’m now looking for volunteers to have coffee with my grandparents while I’m away (that will be me visiting my grandparents by proxy).

And who wants to go with me to visit my grandparents when I’m back?

In return, you will be treated to an afternoon of lovely conversation, tea and cakes. You know how to reach me if you’re interested =)

------------------------------

Later that evening, my dad bought Elli, Hugh and Rae (her sister) dinner at a restaurant to thank them for their kind hospitality, hosting me for 2 weeks during this festive season.

My dad, at the point of the dinner, however, was in Singapore and didn’t know that he was buying dinner, of course.

Oh well.

Minor detail.

He would know when the bill arrives.

I, as his daughter, did what he would have done had he been here. It was just done differently - dinner by proxy. *grin*

------------------------------

The rest of the evening was rather sedate (the wine might have had something to do with that) and we watched “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” on DVD, pausing mid-show and switching to BBC just to watch the countdown.

The countdown in London was done opposite the London Eye and the fireworks were just beauuuutiful… It was burst after burst of colour, carefully choreographed and timed. You get the feeling, as you watch it, that it was a no-expense-spared festival of fireworks. It was so intense and went on for much longer than expected. I would not have been surprised if they said it would continue until 2007.

We celebrated with a bottle of champagne (yay!!) and after 15 minutes of fireworks, returned, more sedated than ever, to watching Charlie and the weird Willy Wonka.

------------------------------

Cheers, everyone!

Happy 2006!

Last Day of 2005

2005-12-31T12:11:00.000Z

It's the time of the year where one becomes more introspective and starts thinking about what he or she has done or not done the past year. It is the only acceptable time of the year where one is able to stare into the distance and daydream... and say that they are in fact "reflecting" when they are tapped on the shoulder by the boss.

It's time to close a chapter.

A time for resolutions (if you are in the habit of making them).

A time for a new chapter.

Timely enough, I just finished reading "Still Me" by Christopher Reeve, a touching memoir in which he shares bits of his personal and professional history, how he overcame obstacles and lived a full life despite his spinal cord injury. It's not the best book in the world but it's worth reading if only because at the end of it, I did feel like I went on a personal journey with him, experiencing his happiness at seeminingly small successes and imagining his feelings of sorrow and despair during his hardest moments. Through his simple writing, there was always the implied sense of hope (after he got over his initial sense of hopelessness) and he makes repeated mention of, and giving special attention to, the importance of his supportive family and friends.

And that's what the New Year means to me.

It's a period of renewed hope and a time for family and friends, even if they are only in your thoughts...

Just a Reminder...

2005-12-30T17:21:00.000Z

Have you watched

WALLACE AND GROMIT

The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

yet?

Christmas Stocking!

2005-12-26T22:31:00.000Z

My very own Christmas stocking!

From ~~Elli's Dad~~ Santa

=) BIG right?

Filled to the brim with goodies…

We'll talk about the orange

(and the nut and the one-pound coin, if you noticed them in the first place)

in a little bit...

Presents unwrapped!

Inventory of stocking:

Orange
One-pound coin
Nut
Rose-scented candle
Pen
Gloves
Magnet
Ball
Puzzle
Bubble magic

Now to explain the orange, coin and nut.

I'm told that it's...

TRADITION!

Interesting, ain't it?

Decided to find out a bit more from the Internet...

(ah, the wealth of information - sometimes useful and most times rubbish - at our fingertips)

According to Wikipedia, one tradition is to fill the stocking with 5 gifts that stimulate the 5 senses. They give examples such as:

Something to eat like fruit or candy
A toy or other item that makes a noise (this can even include nuts to crack)
An item that is visually pleasing in any way like jewelry, cuff-links or a coloring book
Something that has tactile appeal such as modeling clay, a soft toy, lingerie or even a pair of novelty christmas socks!
Any item with a distinctive scent such as bubble-bath, cologne, perfume etc

So although I was told that only the orange (1), nut(2) and coin(3) were tradition, upon a re-analysis of the items I received in the stocking, I realised that I had an item that was (4)tactile - gloves, and (5)scented - candle as well!

Whether it was deliberate or coincidental, I don't know... I'll have to ask again...

Along with information on the tradition of stocking fillers, I also found a story that tells the tradition of the Christmas stocking...

Once there was a father with three beautiful daughters.
Although the daughters were kind and strong,
the father despaired of them making good marriages,
because he didn't have enough money to pay their dowries.

One day, St. Nicholas of Myra was passing through their village
and heard the locals discussing the plight of these poor girls.
St. Nicholas knew the father would be too proud to accept an outright gift.
So, he waited til dark, snuck to the man's house,
and dropped three bags of gold coins down the chimney.

The daughters had spent their evening washing clothes,
and had hung their stockings by the fireplace to dry.
The gold coins dropped into the stockings, one bag for each daughter.
In the morning, they awoke to find enough money to make them each
a generous dowry, and all married well and happily.

As word of St. Nicholas' generosity spread,
others began to hang their stockings by the fireplace,
hoping for a similar gift.

So that's about the Christmas stockings...

I've got very nice Christmas presents too!

Thank you to everyone who gave me presents and cards =) =)

And thanks in advance to those whose presents I have not received...

...because they are still waiting to be posted.

It's a competition to see which of the 2 boxes arrive first.

Yeah, there are 2 boxes.

So if you're one of those sending the boxes, you know you are not alone.

There are other people who are equally bad procrastinators *grinz*

*This entry is super educational...

25th December 2005

2005-12-25T10:57:00.000Z

MERRY CHRISTMAS

EVERYONE!

Today, We Go To London!

2005-12-22T14:32:00.000Z

The best tours are not those that have you whizz by in a bus, stopping at the major shopping centres for 2 hours so you can grab the bargains and then continuing on back to the hotel.

The best tours are done on foot.

And that was what I got today: a personal tour of London (oh well, a part of it anyway) on foot.

Highlights

King's Cross Underground Station

St Paul's Cathedral... and erm..yeah, it's taken through the window of the bus

Bum of a London Cab...

Bum of a London Bus - the old-fashioned ones you see on the postcards

Standing on (new) London Bridge with the Tower Bridge in the background...

The "old" London Bridge was sold to an American for $2,460,000 =)

The bridge...erm, how do I say this.. reminds me of Benjamin Sheares Bridge.

Tower Bridge close up...

Gates to Downing Street...

Other places we saw:

St Katherine's Dock (ooohhhh...)

Clarence House

St James' Palace

Buckingham Palace

Grounds of Kensington Palace

Hyde Park

Park Lane

Oxford Street

Oxford Street is shopaholics heaven.

A long long loooong street (5-6 bus-stops on the whole street?)

On the street alone:

GAP x 2, Marks & Spencers x 2, Topshop x 2, H&M x 2, HMV x 2

Vodaphone, Selfridges, Virgin Megastore, PC World

and these are all HUGE shops...

Large doors, high ceilings, 2-3times the size of the usual shop.

Summary: I saw loads... not inch by inch obviously but I had a very knowledgeable guide that was able to tell me the history of the places so it was a very good tour...

Following that full day tour, we had a yum-yum-yummy Chinese dinner and to end off the evening, we went for a concert in the Royal Albert Hall...

...to hear Christmas Carols by the King's College Choir.

Elli liked the King's College Choir

Elli's dad, Hugh and I liked the orchestra better.

Something funny happened during the concert...

The handphone of the lady in the row in front of us went off during the concert and amazingly, the people who were sitting in the same row as her (some as near as 3 seats away from her) turned to look behind to find the source of the offending noise.

At this point, I almost burst out laughing.

Eh, hello?

Tell me how you enjoy the orchestra and the choir if you cannot even identify the "general direction" of where a loud sound comes from? *shakes head*

Anyway, that concludes my full and exciting day! =)

3 days to Christmas!!!!

Christmas Holiday...

2005-12-21T19:37:00.000Z

I'm away this Christmas!

Haha...

Like you didn't know.

Ok, but still, I'm away-away (2nd degree away-ness)

I'm staying with Elli's family during this holiday season.

In Welwyn Garden City.

20miles north of London.

E-mail or sms if you need me.

Because if you holler, I won't be able to hear you...

Obviously.

Will be back in Aberdeen on 2nd Jan 2006.

Beautiful Photos Galore!

2005-12-18T23:39:00.000Z

All photos in this entry are the works of Stephanie.

Within Campus

In Town

And lastly, a classic photo showing the "Stephanie-sense-of-humour"

Great pics, Steph! =)

Thanks for sharing them...

Snow... Loads of It!!!

2005-12-17T00:38:00.000Z

Julia (my flatmate from Germany, if you remember) had her birthday party when I was away on attachment.

But she was nice enough to make sure I didn't miss out on her signature cocktail so she made it specially again last night.

Yes, we are well aware that cocktails are not meant to be served in mugs.

Oh nevermind.

Mug = More volume than those tiny martini/margarita glasses

Stephanie and I very happy with our cocktail-in-a-mug. =)

------------------------------

It was snowing heavily yesterday...

I walked through the door after a trip to town and Julia said: Wait! Stop there! I want to take a photo of a snowman!

Later that evening, Julia's friend had to alight from the bus he was on and walk the rest of the way home because the bus services just stopped running due to safety reasons.

So it is a wonder that I woke up this morning and didn't even bother looking out of the window. It cannot be that I am not fascinated with snow. Impossible! This is my first experience with snow! Haha... It's only because all the blinds in the flat were down that I FORGOT about the snow the previous evening. Ya noe... out of sight, out of mind.

I was kindly reminded though and promptly looked out of the window in my room...

Absolutely beautiful.

Can you feel the serenity of such a view?

Alas, it scene is not to be preserved!

Soon after...

Like I mentioned above, I am fascinated by snow...

I'm eager to explore this unfamiliar (to me, at least) aspect of Nature.

Stephanie's got evidence of that.

She captured me on camera...

*Photo courtesy of Stephanie

And she says: see the Singaporean? She goes out in the snow in flip-flops!

Back in Aberdeen!

2005-12-16T00:09:00.000Z

I honestly don't know how I managed to accumulate so much stuff during my 6 weeks away. I got some gifts, some food, some new clothes, a pair of boots and some journal articles so why is it that my luggage is so much heavier than when I went there? It was between 25-30kg! Plus I couldn't fit everything in this time! I had an extra box (that came with the boots) that I stuffed things into AND 2 other smaller shopping bags IN ADDITION to my huge luggage!

Shockin'!

Thankfully, Jennifer offered to take my shopping bags so I just had to struggle with my luggage and the box.

The travel from Crosshouse Hospital to Aberdeen is an experience itself! It involved getting to the bus stop in Irvine (some 10km away), to catch a bus to Glasgow (1 hour bus journey), to catch another bus to Aberdeen (3.5 hours bus journey) and then to get to my hostel.

I called for a taxi from Crosshouse Hospital to get to the bus stop to catch the bus to Glasgow. I specifically said: Can I please have a taxi driver that can help with my luggage? I've got a very heavy luggage.

And who did they send?

A man.

Head full of white hair.

Who looked at least 60.

So what happened?

He huffed and puffed and coughed all the way down (not joking here), carrying my heavy luggage from the 3rd floor to the first. At one point, he started sputtering and all I was thinking was: Oh God, he can roll my luggage down the stairs but please don't let him have a heart attack right now.

My next hurdle after getting to the bus stop without the taxi driver having a heart attack (errm, yeah, I left a tip for him), was to actually board the bus that would bring me to Glasgow. The bus arrived and my heart sank.

3 huge steps UP to the bus.

Luckily, I met a kind soul who helped me. While the young bus driver sat comfortably in his seat looking impatient, an old lady who looked about 70 bent all the way down to lift my luggage from the bottom while I pulled it up from the top. Very embarrasing for me. But I think the driver should really be ashamed of himself.

Getting off the bus was next.

Fortunately, I met another kind soul (I must say I'm very lucky in this aspect). The kind soul this time was a middle-aged man. Who walked with a limp. And used a walking stick.

Is this not ridiculous?

Surely, I can't be the only one who sees the irony here.

But it also illustrates beautifully the concept of karma. What you give, you eventually get back. In this case, it was kindness.

Going the extra mile, this man said: You better go to the loo before you get on the bus to Aberdeen. It's a long journey.

With that, he (limping, walking stick and all) approached the staff of the bus station to get the key to the disabled toilet so that:
1) I didn't have to pay 20p to get into the regular toilet
2) I could lug all my luggage in with me to keep it safe because it was such a large toilet

As a goodbye, he said to me: Oh you wee slight thing. You must be only 17 or 18? What an independent monkey!

But how could I possibly be offended by such a kind man?

I'm really a very very lucky girl to have met so many kind people.

Anyway, to cut a long story short, I eventually ended safely back at my hostel last night where my sweet sweet flatmates welcome me "home" with a big rhubarb cake!

Awww...

*warm fuzzy feeling*

Sad, Tearful Goodbye…

2005-12-15T15:39:00.000Z

It was the last day of my attachment yesterday.

It’s unexpected how quickly one can develop a friendship.

It’s surprising how fast one can feel a bond with another.

It’s shocking how time flies.

And it’s overwhelming the sadness one feels when it’s time to say goodbye.

We shared countless conversations in the office, in the car and in the house, over numerous cups of teas and coffees, sandwiches and chocolate biscuits.

We worked together, laughed together, shopped together, had lunch (plus the occasional dinner) together and at the very end, cried together.

Thank you again, Carol (and Alex and Ross too!) for the last 5 wonderful weeks.

Weekend in Durham, England - Part III

2005-12-14T23:20:00.000Z

Final day in Durham!

Original plan: shopping in Newcastle, lunch in newcastle, catch the train back to Irvine.

Eventually, we skipped the shopping and went to visit the Angel of the North instead.

It's HUGE!

Can't really tell the size right?

Ok, here's to help you develop an idea of its relative size.

And it's time for lunch!

Went back to Durham for lunch at a Thai restaurant.

According to CJ, it's the best Asian restaurant in Durham.

I'm the guest so I wouldn't know if it's true or not.

Plus, CJ is a lawyer - ~~wannabe~~ gonnabe so who really knows if it's true!

Ok, but the food was good.

Thick rich coconut milk in the curry.

Spicy food with some semblence of authencity.

I liked it! =)

The restaurant sits on the side of a "river".

(CJ says it's a part of the sewage system)

But the view is great!

Right at the peak is the Durham Cathedral

Where prayer has been offered at the site for more than 1000 years

and the present building dates back to 1093.

I am told (no prizes for guessing who told me) that parts of Harry Potter was filmed inside this Cathedral.

Funny that.

When I went in, a priest promptly greeted me with:

No cameras in here, please.

------------------------------

After lunch, it was a mad dash back to the hostel where I picked up my bags and flew (we tried to, anyway) to the train station.

Arriving barely 5 minutes before the train came.

Close, very close.

Almost didn't make it because of the heavy traffic.

------------------------------

Fantastic weekend!

Thanx CJ!

Now it's my turn to prepare so that I can be a good host when CJ comes to Aberdeen in January (or so he says anyway). With lawyers, you never know...

Weekend in Durham, England – Part II

2005-12-13T21:51:00.000Z

We woke up bright and early and hit the roads at 8:30am…

YEAH RIGHT

Haha...

We CJ got up at 9:30am (I woke up at 7am! *smirk*) and we finally hit the road at 10:30am, starting our 2-hour drive to Lake District – the highlight of my trip.

CJ’s role was to drive.

My role was to read maps, read the pre-printed road directions, read the road signs (speed reading at its most advanced level when the car is whizzing by at 60-80mph), pass him food when he’s hungry, make conversation so he doesn’t fall asleep (which wasn’t hard because I can talk all day long), answer his phone when it rings, make phone calls on his behalf and of course, read and reply sms-es that come through. Can I remind you at this point that I’m the guest?!! One heck of a busy guest, I tell ya…

BUT it was all worth it!

The drive was scenic…

And after 2 hours, we arrived at Keswick, the town that is in the heart of Lake District.

Where I saw a restaurant that serves R-E-I-N-D-E-E-R!

Haha..ok, actually I don’t know if they serve reindeer. It just looked like they do!

Chanced upon a beautiful little shop that sold the most unusual teapots!

Cute eh?

And my favourite?

CJ planned for us to climb the mountain (a 3-4hour climb on a good day) but it was too cold and misty that day so we didn’t climb the mountain in the end…

See how the top of the mountain is hidden by the mist? The heavens have descended!

We decided to go for a drive around one of the beautiful lakes instead.

This is, after all, Lake District.

Saw some little feathered friends up close...

Nature is indeed magnificent!

After spending half a day there (it got dark before 4pm), we made our 2-hour drive back to Durham to have dinner with CJ’s friends (the Monopoly bunch from yesterday).

The day ended at 3am. It could have ended at 1am but I was "abducted" and made to do something errm...not quite legal, ya see... Tsk tsk... So now I HAVE driven a manual car. 30 minutes and the engine must have died on me about 8 times? I can now safely say that the decision to learn to drive (yes, I'm at the learning stage still!) an auto-car was the right decision.

Final day tomorrow...