Oh well...

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!

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

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!

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!

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

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

I was not talking about marriage in my last post.

Oh no...

No.

The "M" Word

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

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...

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.

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...

... 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

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

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

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

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...

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...

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

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

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.