HAPPY FATHERS' DAY!

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

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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.

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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

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.

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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

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

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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.

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Ha! And you thought I was lying!

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

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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.

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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!*

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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*

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

(this part is free)

... and the long walk back.

Hogging the Headlines...

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".

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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!

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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

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.

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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...

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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...

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...

with

FIRST CLASS HONOURS

today!!!

*laughing*

*dancing*

*crying*

*relieved*

*delighted*

*hysterical*

No Longer A Student, Not Yet Employed

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.

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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...