seven days in sunny june

chp

2012-02-10T14:33:00.000+08:00

just wasted an entire week being the govt's minion! which leaves me behind schedule for so many things. going to pick up the hunger games trilogy (YA fiction book) from the library now, since i've heard so much abt it and the movie's coming out in march. can't remember the last time i've read a fiction bk since the last harry potter.

what, it's 10 feb already?!

What a day!

2012-01-28T22:00:00.001+08:00

I think we rushed to so many places on this gorgeous Saturday with the most cooperative weather, it kind of feels like an Amazing Race. Glad everything turned out well. Feeling slightly accomplished today, at last, when all your effort comes to fruition. Soo many things going on. Will blog about everything when I get a chance!

Happy Chinese New Year everyone :) Happy 23rd, lizzie!!

Saw that 2cellos appeared on GLEE!

Happy 2012

2012-01-07T23:18:00.000+08:00

Hello, it's the new year. Paper is coming up on Mon. It's certainly not very fun to be studying during this festive period. Swimming has been the only thing that keeps me alive. Can't wait to swim after the paper too. Kinda loser-ish to admit this but for some reason I decided to start swimming after every paper since sec1, such that even if we go out into the night I'll swim in between with the excuse of having to change into an outfit for the night. It's a different feeling right after a paper - freaking rewarding, you should try it :D

Let's start this year with the song that's my blog title :) Have a blessed new year.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-27T22:35:00.002+08:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! And Happy 2012 in advance. I've finally packed at the last minute again! I'm getting good at being a last-minute packer, if I say so myself. Well, today was such a long day! 8am to 8pm. Both Mace and I couldn't make it to pick her younger bro up in the end and obviously it wouldn't be very nice to trouble anyone else to do it since they wld be thrown off guard, so we actually hired a nanny to do just that! I directed her to hollandse over the phone during my break (because there's no reception in the theatre) and told her she could bring him anywhere he/she fancied before bringing him home at 8pm :D I'm curious about where she took him - have yet to hear from Mace.

The final exams are drawing so dangerously close. Full steam ahead after the trip? Sooo busy the past few days with all the christmas decorations and dinner prep (I provided moral support in this aspect) and I'm glad everything turned out better than planned! Still craving Guzzy's casserole at this moment :) Received the best gifts from the unrevealed Secret Santa game that we played so thank you, my secret santa!!

Better head off now, keep well everyone!

The Great Kim Jong Il

2011-12-20T08:35:00.001+08:00

Sulic and Hauser

2011-12-19T07:23:00.000+08:00

Time to hit the books. Whoever plans the timetables is really a killjoy.

Look beyondddd what you see - Rafiki

2011-12-12T18:00:00.000+08:00

The past weekend was a gd break from the exams which were...okay. After helping out with playh o u s e makeup, I'm glad I turned up at wk's bbq party on time because we ended up having a novelty ride that turned into dinner+shopping+movie and then the almost-forgotten bbq at 3am. Hilarious when you look at it that way. Thanks for the great times, guys!! Well, I've yet to return the dress I borrowed and at the same time pick up the library book that leapt out of my bag. I'll probably get some Christmas shopping done before I leave too. All packed. Excited!

Today marks the day I finally saw a 3D image in a stereogram. I remember trying in vain when I was a kid, and getting all dizzy and upset after attempting for a good half hour each time. I remember my father (the expert) providing all sorts of techniques to help me out. I remember wondering why I just couldn't see it while my piano teacher had simply glanced at one from across the room saying, "That's a deer, isn't it?"

I feel utterly cheated, though! Those 'answers' for the stereograms at the back of each book are always in grey so I had imagined that shadows would start emerging when the image goes fuzzy after you stare at it too hard. (I also realise now that you aren't supposed to stare till the image gets so fuzzy in the first place.) And my dad had described it as the picture suddenly looking brighter, as if "there's a glass in front", so I had been expecting something that looked closer to achieving nirvana, kind of like a halo around the paper.

Now that I come to think of it, even my c o u rsework was a play with the idea of stereograms. Boy, perhaps I'm subconsciously obsessed with this 3D thing. That makes this an important milestone in my life :D

A Series of Unfortunate Events

2011-12-09T06:06:00.000+08:00

P s ych exam today. Was feeling so out of sync with the Christmassy decorations last night. A consolation is that most US unis are having their finals these few days too. We'll be the only ones in the doldrums for the rest of this year though. Haha. Well such self-pity will take me nowhere so I'm taking it in my stride by sipping tea, trying to get into the mood, while waiting for the prime moment to leave the house to avert the early morning heavy traffic. An hour before the scheduled time should be good?

Yesterday's events are still reverberating through my mind at the moment. In short, I had my drink spiked but fortunately it was witnessed by a vigilant individual and security was alerted. It's terrifying to think what things could have otherwise been.

But enough about that, at least for now. I must focus on the issue at hand, especially since there's three modes of assessment today. It's going to be a long, intensive day ahead. Praying for helpful examiners should I sit there stumped by a question and not knowing what to ask the p a t ient. Yay, there goes my timer for half-boiled eggs . They're actually freedom range eggs which wj and I procured from Farmers' Market last wk. Let's see if they taste any different......

Remember the Milk

2011-12-03T23:08:00.001+08:00

I've always wondered what caused me to develop my plaster allergy and lactose intolerance. I used to think it was some environmental trigger but my brother later developed the exact thing too. Some late-onset genetically related allergy.

Why am I writing about this? Because I've been trying to sleep but my head is pounding from vomiting just now and I still feel so nauseous. Keag's back for the weekend to celebrate his grandma's 90th birthday and she had a poolside party which makes her the coolest grandma in the world. It's even cooler that Rach and I were invited "because I know you two youngsters like to swim!" (I love how only the older generation uses the word 'youngsters'.) So anyway, I took a lactase pill before having a slice of cake but that obviously didn't work well.

Rach and I didn't want to feel awkward when family photos were going to be taken, so we went to her house where she did almost my whole case write-up, which says a lot about my current posting. Don't get me wrong, I do like this sub-specialty. I would elaborate, but gosh my head is still pounding. I think it's the bright screen...maybe next time...? And of course - Happy 22nd birthday, Bao. Stay the way you are - strong, kind and special.

My school fees are...

2011-12-02T20:58:00.001+08:00

$70/day with tuition grant.

$412/day without tuition grant.

The total amount the school receives from my cohort would be $27 772 570 per annum. For lecturers, administrative support and facilities. (I know the d o ctors whom we're attached to at each posting aren't paid.)

In Sg now:

2011-11-29T21:16:00.000+08:00

5 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 !!!
55 Ferrari 458 Italia
42 Ferrari California
44 Ferrari 599 GTB/HGTE
44 LP560
23 LP570 Superleggera

yay new location next week :) :) :)

2011-11-26T18:42:00.001+08:00

Spot the pepper spray cop hidden in Picasso's Guernica? These are viral! This is my favourite though. Most of the others are just cut+paste without emulating the style.

Ever since yl sent us the link to this dance we've been talking about pulling it off together and finally got down to it yesterday! For once, everyone was there probably because as jess puts it, "only a commitment can finally make all *crossers meet up" :D

The A levels will be over in a bit and I can finally relax soon. I don't have that many tutees but when everyone requests for multiple lessons per week, it tends to get overwhelming.

Giving tuition is an eye-opener. Some students are so hardworking and work very hard at memorising such that they recite their notes verbatim, something I've never tried to do in my life. They're quite an inspiration to me! Others somehow never manage to assemble a complete set of notes for any chapter, it's alarming.

Most of the parents are extremely kiasu. I mean, to have tuition on top of school is quite kiasu already. But this guy had A for his prelims, mind you. And his mum requested for three hours straight. Of course I said two was sufficient(, being afraid of having nothing left to teach a braniac). Another parent dishes out a thousand-dollar note each time to chope a week's worth of 2-hour daily slots in advance. I try my best to accomodate if there's no upcoming eopts since he looks perpetually anxious. Oh, one mother sat nearby throughout a lesson, said she heard me saying 'this is a damn common question' and told me she was upset by my swearing. I told her I was very sorry and quit immediately. Interesting parents right :D

Some photos from MS blog as promised! There are too many so Rach used photosnap (I think that's what it's called) to randomly pick a preset number of 2 to 4 per album and collate, all in a minute! Amazing. I realised they would pick continuous pics in each album though. Deleted all the potentially confidential ones.

Anyway, I'm really loving the festive atmosphere at the end of the year. With christmas and CNY coming up, I've been in such a holiday mood. Halloween was a blast too though I shan't say much since certain cynics read this ;D Totally sucks that exams are in Jan.

Cumulus Creations in P s y chiatry

2011-11-18T19:09:00.001+08:00

I've been whirling at the cotton candy machine as best as I could for the past three weeks, spinning strands of sugar hoping they would amount to something substantial, yet knowing too well how these giant puffy things just tickle your tongue at best, and then disappear within seconds.

But these instantaneous moments of sweetness draw us in, again and again. They are, after all, a thriving business at fairs - something I had initially failed to see.

Skepticism is a bitter thing and if my mind had eyes they had remained stubbornly closed. We experience too little and scoff too much. I laugh inwardly at pompous individuals thumping tables proclaiming their anti-gahmen stance and beaming at their evidence-wanting arguments but now, I am no different. In a short span of three weeks, I've turned ugly. If I try hard to look beyond the flowery phrases, I believe I just might understand their purpose.

An Account of the Day

2011-11-08T22:30:00.000+08:00

Well we managed to clerk 2 p a tients today morning. That is quite an achievement, considering that this posting is not-so-delightful and I've yet to psych (haha) myself up adequately for it.

Caught One Day today at last! I'm not much of a reader (of fiction books, in particular,) but this was one of those books which I couldn't put down. Despite having read the book before watching, I find the movie far from the disappointment which many of the movie reviews make it out to be. Love the portrayal by Jim Sturgess and Anne Hathaway. Anne Hathaway still stands as my favourite actress of all time. The only thing I didn't like in this movie was Ian's lukewarm personality, but I guess within such a short time frame you can't expect Ian & Emma's relationship to be too developed lest we start rooting for them. I also definitely didn't feel that the calendar days made the movie draggy at all - wouldn't hesitate to say that's the case for 500 Days of Summer.

Drove over to hl's to complete some research.

Checked out the new mall with Mace.

Will upload the promised photos another day. Even copying and pasting from our shared blog takes time :D I guess I'm that lazy.

A level Bio paper tmr.

Hello Again

2011-10-26T17:03:00.003+08:00

Been neglecting this blog for months! I wish I could upload photos freely on here as we do on our shared blog, but that wouldn't be very wise, even though all those snapped for 'good signs' were taken with permission. I'm getting a little paranoid here ever since I was emailed to clarify a comment I had made regarding a certain j.ournalist for our national newspaper. Honestly, I had thought such things would only happen to political bloggers who make controversial statements. Moreover, you can count with one hand the number of people who actually read my blog (i.e. one - me), so I shall never mention any googleable terms pertaining to the press any more.

Will upload a few photos on here after our test this Fri! :) Hope you all have been good. I can't wait for our study break in December :)

Herry

2011-05-28T15:28:00.003+08:00

Herry on the bus from Jorf El Melha to Derdara

i know you read. i do too. (muahaha.)

2011-05-22T19:43:00.000+08:00

Last Cabinet Meeting

2011-05-20T19:41:00.005+08:00

Perhaps it is not as obvious in the above image, but the larger photo on ST's cover page today demonstrates that MM Lee is the only one who doesn't require caffeine during his meeting.

Kevin Richardson

2011-05-19T14:04:00.002+08:00

2 more days...

2011-05-07T01:40:00.002+08:00

I think it's ridongculous that we're having our major clinical exams this coming Sunday. Quite obviously, we're not expected to cast a considered vote nor catch the announcement of the results.

Good Day - Ron Pope

2011-03-16T00:59:00.000+08:00

2011-02-04T21:23:00.000+08:00

Thank God I'm Female

purple t-rex

2011-02-01T20:58:00.007+08:00

I never paid attention to the lyrics despite having sung it since I was young. Much to everyone's disbelief, I only learnt today that Barney's imaginary.

I'm getting the same feeling I had when I just discovered that Mr Bean's an alien! Or that Mummy was actually not having an extra-marital affair under the mistletoe that night. It's like the whole world knows what's going on but never bothered to state the obvious, leaving me the only idiot in the well.

The Seasoned Patient

2011-02-01T00:20:00.003+08:00

"Sir, can you point to me where's your pain?"
"Here. Here and here only. Doesn't go through to the back or go from the side to the back or up down left right whatever the doctors keep asking me. JUST HERE."
"Okay, sure."
"And number 8."
"Number 8?"
"Pain 8 upon 10 lah. Aiyoh you don't know??"

crap crap crappy

2011-01-28T20:05:00.004+08:00

I spent 2 hours on the road today because of massive jam. After I parked, updated my dad's bank book for him and came back, the stupid car wouldn't start. Jump-started it with the help of a kind gentleman who had no choice but to block the entire road with his car. Another guy stormed out of his car in a fury after honking several times (because he couldn't see from his angle what the blockade was all about), but lost all anger and swung into action after seeing us attempting to jump-start the car. Eager to display his prowess, perhaps? Because he did get the car started in a jiffy, while I stood at one side feeling all down and out about having to miss something quite important. But I'm so glad for the nicest people out there.

Then I spent 2 more hours getting back home.

Exams tomorrow morn.

"Of all the crap, crap, crappy nights I've ever had in the whole of my crap life. On a scale of one to 10, we're talking...a minus 6. And it's not like I even have very high standards."
— Sophie Kinsella

escapade

2011-01-06T22:48:00.005+08:00

happy bday bry :]

for those i owe Long Emails to, will send very soon!
can't wait for this year to be over. need a longer vacation. 2 wks is like...some sympathy break or something. hmmm but i enjoy the blissful life of M3. "What year are you in now?" "M3." "Okay so let me take you through..." hahaha it's like a ticket to being stupid.

die technology, die!

2011-01-04T22:56:00.001+08:00

2011-01-04T22:50:00.001+08:00

wow they're really. gone.

2011-01-04T22:46:00.002+08:00

ohhhhh my god all my photos are gone!!

Gimmick

2010-12-12T20:15:00.000+08:00

My bag of air has chips in it.

14 Feb 2011

2010-11-29T23:09:00.001+08:00

not valentine's day but something much more.

exciting!

Question Bank

2010-11-07T16:32:00.022+08:00

Do you have any questions?

Yes, plenty. Can you tell me everything I've yet to read up?

Tutors are always puzzled as to why we do not have any questions for them. Surely we have something which we don't know yet? Who do we think we are - medical semi-gods? After a round of quizzing, they'll discover some startling misconceptions that we may have and express their immense disappointment that we didn't pose any questions at the beginning, when clearly our knowledge is sparse. "You're responsible for your own learning," they'll remark in disgust, "and if you're not willing to be forthcoming in asking questions, how are you ever going to learn?"

But what questions? Everything we wish to know can be found in the textbooks or other literature. We've a never-ending list of questions to pose that could save us much trouble from poring through these sources. We can pose questions incessantly till you'll ask in frustration, "Can't all these be found in the books?" - before barking an order for us to go read up.

Unlike other various fields of study, there are no tough problem sums which we require someone to take us through, or different perspectives which we need to be enlightened to in order to approach an essay. These are facts we're talking about. Even epidemiology can be more accurately sought through journals.

And of course, let's not forget Dr S' reprimandation for wrongly measuring pulse/respiratory rate over 30s x2 rather than 60 full seconds - "Who told you this? Oh, a doctor? Tell me, are you going to rely on information from one doctor or from Nick Talley and Simon O'Connor, who have researched painstakingly and come up with a book read by billions worldwide?"

By the way, sir, I was thinking this morning, what are the branches of the ECA and ICA? I seem to have forgot all of them since my anatomy days. While you're at it, could you tell me what each one of them supplies? Oh yes, yes, the circle of willis does sound familiar. What forms it? What's its significance? No sir, I threw away all my notes and I don't seem to have a textbook.

2010-11-05T19:08:00.001+08:00

dance performance tonight come watch :)

Indoctrination

2010-10-26T01:08:00.003+08:00

Webcast is my best friend when I reach home late and worn out and my notes are a blur. It's one of those occasions when you're grateful of technology ;D

Entire Weekend Burnt

2010-10-24T21:38:00.004+08:00

Had a great time though. Just came back fr a gd swim too! high time to study more paeds

Come for *crossers party we ordered a giant sub from subway 1.8 metres! facebook opportunity+++

Yup...do turn up :)
This post is unintentionally all about food.

us too

2010-10-17T20:13:00.003+08:00

Forget sontimetres, isn't 'facies' equally pretentious?

Traffic Peanut Butter

2010-10-14T18:44:00.000+08:00

Been absolutely stationary for more than half a minute now. Going to nod off at the wheel and cause jam #2. &I'm paying $2.50 at the gantry?!!

Non-stop Lightning!

2010-10-10T06:14:00.001+08:00

The lightning this morning (at around 4am) was awesome!! For around an hour, it came on every 2-5 seconds! The sky was flashing so often and the dogs all around the neighbourhood were getting jittery.

An Actual Abbreviation

2010-10-05T00:29:00.000+08:00

TATT

Tired All The Time

Graves'

2010-09-28T18:20:00.003+08:00

someone pointed out today that elmo has hyperthyroidism and i thought that was quite funny. practically everyone on Sesame Street has proptosis, exopthalmos and lid retraction. and look at bert in this picture. classic staring gaze ;D

Americans

2010-09-28T18:19:00.000+08:00

They measure in inches, weigh in pounds, and get a cold when it's 40°.
Time has the format month-day-year, and the week starts on Sunday.

I used to be quite annoyed at planners which start their weeks on Sundays rather than Mondays, but recently I've taken quite a liking to the concept of starting and ending with a day of rest. Makes the week appear more bearable, doesn't it?

Ever heard of a Freelance Movies Quality Checker?

2010-09-27T23:10:00.000+08:00

Vue Networks Pte Ltd is a subsidiary of Creative Technology Ltd.

Position: Freelance Movies Quality Checker (Vue)
Work Location: (Singapore - IBP)
Date Posted: 27-9-10
Closing Date: 27-10-10

Responsibilities:

You will be screening through 5 movies per day from 8.00am to 7.00pm. You will need to check for any audio or video defects.

Requirements:

Freelance for 10 days starting from 1 Oct 10 to 10 Oct 10.
Able to understand Chinese or Cantonese movies.
Students major in Mass Communication is preferred but not necessary.

(Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.)

wardrobe woes, heath ledger, f1

2010-09-25T10:01:00.001+08:00

yesterday afternoon we helped lorraine pack her wardrobe which was certainly not an easy task. she has 10x more clothes than me, 80% of which she doesn't wear but doesn't want to get rid of. we finally cleared enough so that all clothes fit into her wardrobe so it wasnt the best idea to shop right after that but we did anyway.
also watched the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus on a lagging DVD player. haha. there's too much going on in that show - i don't want to start thinking. f1 will probably be more deafening than the last time since we'll be slightly closer to the track - earmuffs? i'm looking forward to hear how adam lambert sounds like live.

Palliative Medicine

2010-09-21T19:05:00.009+08:00

2 people died before my eyes today.

One of the patients was dribbling so much saliva it looked like she was foaming at the mouth. She was already apnoeic so the others were calling her relatives in quickly while I wiped her mouth to make her look more presentable before they arrive. As I was doing so, she stirred and her eyes flickered open, and we made eye contact. Was her life and its wealth of experiences flashing past her at that moment? Was she dying without regrets? Was she thinking, "Wtf is this med student doing before me - I want to see my husband"?

Were rehabilitative and palliative med postings arranged back to back for contrast? :D

Frank Mail

2010-09-17T23:43:00.003+08:00

Dear MACE, ling, lorraine, keag ;D

Fact of the Day

2010-09-15T22:08:00.006+08:00

To get across the road before the green man turns red, one has to walk at a rate of 0.73m/s.

- Dr DK

Today, I learnt about the Dysphagia Table. it is not a table of the 3 phases of swallowing but an actual table. amazing.

"The prawns the prawns! I remember now - I parked with the prawns!!" - kelvin ng

badly need to stop going out but September seems to be another Birthday Month. i hate the fact that i ALWAYS get up at 5am sharp without fail...and crash later. everybody please show up at lorraine's party because we made this amazing thing i swear you won't regret it. we took ages to finish it! quote lorraine- "i can't wait to show it off in my fb album." :D :D there, i knew you all would come.

The Cello - Brian Cleary

2010-09-04T13:17:00.000+08:00

If the cello
Were a fellow,
He'd be rich and
Deep and mellow -
Shoulders wide as Monticello -
Humming warmly as he strolls.

Brown or tan
But never yellow,
More like casserole
Than Jell-O,
Maybe Mushrooms Portabello,
With a side of buttered rolls.

Warm in tone,
He doesn't bellow
He may kiss
But never tell - oh,
Gently whispering, the cello,
Is a comfort to our souls.

Solution!

2010-08-29T23:37:00.000+08:00

Best stress-relievers.

Bestie is back!!

2010-08-28T20:32:00.000+08:00

Jaded...already?

2010-08-23T23:01:00.011+08:00

This is not much of a post but today, there was a 76-year-old man at the clinic who's just the fittest elderly I've ever seen. I want to be like him when I'm that age. He still commands 100/hour as a coach at this age! I told my dad about him and he went, "Oh! He's XXX. We went to Pulau Tioman together." Then he rummaged his drawer for his photo album and showed me a picture of the man in his late forties. (Not the first time he does this which leads me to wonder - do all coaches somehow know each other, regardless of sport??) And wow, was he fit! In the clinic, he was a strong proponent of how exercise is anti-aging and coming from him, anyone would be inclined to believe him instantly.

If you're free, perhaps I could interest you in reading an ST forum letter published on Sat regarding medical records. I had written it on behalf of the parent of a daughter who was at a hospital which couldn't be disclosed for privacy reasons. He told me that the beginning had to be edited because he wanted it to be less personal. Do check it out :)

My mum bought Bee-bee. I remember buying those 30-cent packs in primary school. That was a luxury to me because my mum encouraged me to be frugal and get the seaweed (10cents) instead.

Today, we were treated to lunch and while eating, I thought about the issue which I had once got carried away with a long entry of garbled nonsense on this blog before. Without this activity (- eating), Dr L would probably be at a loss of what rapport-building genuine gesture to do to conclude our 2-wk session with him. It's such a tricky activity that's abused a billion times over daily, to forge ties between groups of otherwise very different people. A lion eats every 4-7 days and I really wonder what we would all do if we had a "lion's appetite". Two businessmen meet and one of them, eager to close a deal, suggests, "Want to discuss this over lunch? Lunch is on me." The other replies, "Oh sorry but I just ate yesterday. My next meal's 4 days later."
They begin forming animosity towards each other stemming from the difference in meal schedules and inability to share a common activity.

Our case write-ups are hilarious. Concocted tales of added co-morbidities, vivid physical signs, textbook-style classical findings that never were, or even patients that never existed if we're that desperate. Social problems are a must simply to fulfil that part in the rubric: All patients somehow turn up with a multitude of issues like having a sole caregiver and living in a flat without lift-landing. But hey, through these conveniently-added problems simply to bring up a discussion, we do learn better :D

91 more days woohoo

2010-08-08T23:06:00.000+08:00

Picture perfect memories,
Scattered all around the floor.
Reaching for the phone cause,
I can't fight it any more.
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind.
For me it happens all the time.

talking t-shirts

2010-07-30T21:52:00.000+08:00

:D

i asked keagan yesterday, "so how do you differentiate a new yorker from someone who's not?" (keag is studying at nyu.)
"well firstly, new yorkers don't wear I<3NY tees..."

2010-07-21T21:25:00.000+08:00

No lifeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

2010-07-14T00:45:00.001+08:00

I need bigger brains.

And sleep.

Amusing on multiple fronts

2010-07-05T23:42:00.001+08:00

Sugar

2010-07-01T12:28:00.000+08:00

Diabetes is a wonderful affection, being a meltdown of the flesh and limbs into urine. Those labouring with this piss a great deal more than they drink. They stand out not very long for they pass with urine pain.

- Arataeus of Cappadocia 150 A.D.

This is why you shouldn't have facebook

2010-06-09T14:28:00.002+08:00

ST 6 JUN 2010

Photo credits: FACEBOOK.COM

R.I.P. Dr Goh Keng Swee

2010-05-15T18:22:00.003+08:00

It's high time we stop celebrating a person's (in)existence only after his death. The tributes are so well put-together and make great nostalgia triggers - if only he's around to read, watch and hear them, and appreciate how much he's being loved.

Why are we praising him to the skies only now? He could have died an extremely happy man.

Quite obviously, I do not believe in life after death.

on adductor hiatus...

2010-04-22T00:20:00.009+08:00

coming back mid-may...

not that I update much anyway.

:D

Rat

2010-04-05T23:08:00.000+08:00

I screamed my lungs out and ran all the way up to the 3rd floor. Never knew I have such a phobia of rats because it's the first time I've seen one. Girly's going to help buy a rat trap...which means you'll have to dispose of a dead rat?! Frankly, the thought of it makes me feel faint.

2010-04-04T21:21:00.003+08:00

Google on April 1st

2010-04-01T22:09:00.003+08:00

Best lecturer ever

2010-03-29T22:38:00.007+08:00

"Don't bother asking other professors or tutors. Because I'M EXPERT. That's right, I'm the expert. Whatever I say is correct, is definitely correct."

- Prof B.J.S.

Convoluted speech aside, you've gotta love this guy.

Hilarious

2010-03-20T12:56:00.004+08:00

zang saw this off a site online:

Early Bird
$15

Normal Bird
$20

2010-03-15T19:29:00.000+08:00

i could bury myself in the ground right now.

Purposefully Radical

2010-03-09T21:25:00.018+08:00

Honestly, I cannot fathom how The Straits Times' Lifestyle fashion editors see things. When I was 14, I remember disagreeing with every single hit and miss in the newspaper. My mum told me then that 'experts in the field' who spent each day writing fashion-related articles and reviewed fashion choices periodically knew best. I took it that my judgement was poor.

This has been happening almost every single time such a feature is published. Take today's on Oscars Awards 2010.

This is Lifestyle's take:

MISS: The following dress is accused of being too prom-like and not for the red carpet. What fancy pancy school was this journalist from?? How on earth could this be a prom dress?

Miley topped the Best Dressed list everywhere but failed to appeal to our very boring Lifestyle paper. Not that she cares, of course.

And this unanimous 'miss' by all fashion critics is deemed to be a hit by Lifestyle:
*throws up hands in despair*

The Uncanny Valley

2010-03-09T13:41:00.003+08:00

Melting Clocks

2010-03-04T16:57:00.006+08:00

next examination is coming up so, so soon. the results for the previous exam won't be out before it. this is...surreal :D

The Persistence of Memory
Salvador Dali

Lecture 02.03.2010

2010-03-02T18:57:00.004+08:00

"Any Hermione Grangers amongst you guys?"

It just crossed my mind that...

2010-02-25T22:51:00.005+08:00

just as how the people of China are Chinese and speak Chinese,
the people of Malta are Maltese and speak Maltese. How cute!!

Today's my dog's 6th year death anniversary <3 He's a cross between a maltese and a West Highland terrier.

love the smell of irony in the morning

2010-02-24T15:40:00.000+08:00

"...this award is recognition of my years of hard work with SPH."

- Jessica Cheam, Young Journalist of the Year

The $8.90 Earphones

2010-02-17T20:26:00.006+08:00

i'm insanely happy with my new wind-up earphones. it's so amazing how such a trivial matter as untangling my earphones on the train every morning had managed to sneakily manifest into such a potent stress inducer in my life.

Happy CNY

2010-02-14T22:59:00.005+08:00

11 more weeks to the end of year 2 yay!

Back when I was a student, All Souls had two prominent statues on the campus. Franklin D. Roosevelt stood outside the Student Center, which was a little strange since the real President Roosevelt couldn’t stand.

- London Calling by Edward Bloor

exams medley

2010-02-12T23:10:00.005+08:00

the exam's just over yesterday, and i happily picked up my timetable in preparation for next week...only to realise that there's THIRTEEN school days left before the next exam. i knew it was close, but somehow it didn't strike me as being so soon.

and then two more measly weeks of school after that, before our major exams for the year. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Shared during a lecture:

2010-02-07T15:31:00.002+08:00

Zorbing

2010-02-01T19:46:00.002+08:00

Zorbing = Rolling in a large plastic ball

It's actually available in Singapore:D

Perfect App for Terrorists

2010-01-30T23:26:00.005+08:00

WOW the current image of our house on google street view is so amazing. You can even see the thin strings of our swing and the flowers and the curtains through the windows and the cracks on the wall. If only I had been sitting on that garden wall while that image was captured. Or our entire family of six had sat there together, waving at the camera for a perfect family photo.

Here's Another One From Yesterday:

2010-01-23T14:43:00.007+08:00

What is a leather bottle?? My knowledge bank of obscure items increases each day.
leather bottle appearance = linitis plastica/diffuse gastric adenocarcinoma

"At the same period that the black jack was in the heyday of its usefulness, a vessel called a "Leather Bottle" was in vogue...The use for leather bottles to all intents and purposes came to an end in King Charles II's reign, nevertheless they are occasionally heard of later; for instance, one is mentioned in Sussex Archaeological Collections, by the Rev. F. H. Arnold..."

Learning in the Reverse

2010-01-21T22:49:00.004+08:00

Histologists are trying to make these pathological conditons easier for us to learn, but we end up having to learn what nutmegs, millet seeds and hobnails look like in the first place.

Millet seeds = Miliary tuberculosis of the lung

Nutmeg liver = Hepatic congestion

Hobnail appearance = Hepatic cirrhosis

231,150,888.87%

2010-01-20T18:30:00.003+08:00

That's Zimbabwe's inflation rate as of July'08.

A loaf of bread in Zimbabwe now costs about 300 billion Zimbabwean dollars, and the price increases every day. The first $100 trillion dollar note (USD $300) is to be printed soon.

Harry Potter Theme Park and Ordinary Wizarding Levels

2010-01-20T14:17:00.004+08:00

Ollivander's

Hogsmeade

Honeydukes

The Three Broomsticks

Dervish and Banges

my 2 tutees scored straight a1s and straight a2s for their o's respectively. isn't that a remarkable trend?

Pectus Carinatum

2010-01-18T19:47:00.001+08:00

"If talking in front of patients, it is more polite to use the latin term as some patients may object to being called pigeon-chested."

Narcissism and Resilience?

2010-01-18T14:48:00.005+08:00

This article completely befuddles me. Lee Wei Ling first touches on how teachers place heavy emphasis of academic excellence, then moves on to a long-winded, bitter narration of how her own housemanship years compare to that of now. "Yet house officers complain that they are stressed out and they cannot cope with the work." She blames this on "The Narcissism Epidemic". How being unable to keep up with work has got anything to do with overconfidence and arrogance, or "[undergoing] plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures" baffles me greatly.

Lee points out that, "We cannot artificially create hardship so that our children become resilient." It is her belief that a nurturing school that emphasises character-building aside from academic excellence is a practical solution for us narcissistic Gen-Y kids. To prove her point, she proceeds to raise the instance of a disabled student who managed to attain 5 O level distinctions with the help of a nurturing school environment. Why is an instance of hardship raised? Not a prime example (unless, of course, she doesn't consider the girl's struggles with dystonia challenging enough to be termed 'hardship').

In short, the article makes no sense but serves its purpose of being an outlet of Lee's residual bitter emotions with regards to her HO and MO days.

Sontimetres

2010-01-17T19:21:00.005+08:00

we sniggered when a lecturer said "sontimetre" instead of centimetre. but when another lecturer went "sontimetre by sontimetre" (and we sniggered again), i began thinking that perhaps it's a different unit of measurement, used in radiology or something.

googled it and it's merely a pretentious doctor-y way of speaking and the pet peeve of many nurses.

IR

2010-01-05T14:02:00.000+08:00

crockford towers?
hard rock hotel?
festive hotel??
hotel michael??? (after Michael Graves, and because they can't possibly call it hotel graves :D)

seriously. we're King of hideously-named hotels now.

pork, princess, frog.

2009-12-14T01:24:00.008+08:00

this is an interesting picture i got off the web. go ahead and click on it. it's half of a pig cut sagittally. leg on top while head (or lack of it) is inferior.
can't remember the last time i had pork btw. perhaps when i was five?

a huge bunch of us caught the princess and the frog together. there's this scene that bears uncanny resemblance to a scene in Beauty and the Beast. a man with ravishing good looks [Prince Naveen/Gaston] sings and dances with a short, plump servant [Lawrence/Lefou], winning the hearts of 3 blonde beauties dressed in a different-coloured dress each - blue, pink and green. The blondies also happen to be cooing and sighing and squealing while their dresses swish in unison in the same manner in both films. it's undoubtedly a purposeful remake of that scene and such a delight to watch.

happy early birthday laine(:

best elder brother ever

2009-12-12T01:26:00.000+08:00

"sometimes, i think i'm utterly stupid."

"you think?"

Marshmallow World - Frank Sinatra

2009-12-10T21:24:00.010+08:00

It's a marshmallow world in the winter
When the snow comes to cover the ground
It's the time for play, it's a whipped cream day
I wait for it the whole year round.

Those are marshmallow clouds being friendly
In the arms of the evergreen trees
And the sun is red like a pumpkin head
It's shining so your nose wont freeze.

The world is your snowball, see how it grows
Thats how it goes whenever it snows
The world is your snowball just for a song
Get out and roll it along

It's a yum-yummy world made for sweethearts
Take a walk with your favorite girl
It's a sugar date, what if spring is late
In winter it's a marshmallow world.

studying

2009-11-28T22:40:00.015+08:00

i discovered a modern take on Norman Rockwell's thanksgiving painting online!! check it out

now back to studies

TEAM JACOB

2009-11-27T20:28:00.017+08:00

look at taylor lautner's gymming efforts:

hot stuff!

no more white sheets

2009-11-22T20:23:00.011+08:00

whee. i'm discharged and it felt so funny this morning, to be waking up in my own bed. i discovered that i kind of like living in a partially regimented routine - morning showers, fixed meal times and visiting hours, strict times for i.v. antibiotics, fasting after midnight for surgery, and constant reminders to sleep early for surgery the next day (which never happened. false alarm - thrice.)

one thing that really perturbs me was the wardrobe that was begging to be filled. the outfit which i wore on day one hung solitarily in there for the past week when i was hospitalised. there's absolutely zero sartorial choice one can make at the hospital, so the presence of a built-in wardrobe complete with hangers puzzles me greatly.

it was great fun conversing with everyone at the hospital - staff and patients alike. admittedly, the first few days were hell when my temperatures were still sky-high. oh i'm still bradycardic as usual - 45/min on one night. got it from my dad i suppose :D i think it's a protocol to have to alert the doctor if it falls under 50 or something, because the nurse had it measured with the heart rate monitor thrice (all below 50), before manually counting by feeling my radial pulse, and declaring that it was 52.

i'll be returning for my op after the exams. right now, there's so much to catch up on i can hardly breathe. in the ward, that silly computer refused to load the ivle page and the touch-screen function simply made my arms sore. maybe my deltoids have atrophied. meanwhile, i've discovered that my bro is on an ocip in vietnam now. his latest sms reads - "i'm just waiting for the last day - free n easy!!"

oh we may be getting a dog!!!!!!!!!!! i really miss our dog. and i'm going to get a new guitar. i'm also on a Challenge with rach and i'm going to WIN :D :D :D ok bye i'm still on malaria II.

2009-11-16T14:37:00.001+08:00

Obama snags three consecutive headlines in today's ST.

& this is the year i fall sick the most

2009-11-12T15:53:00.004+08:00

so i've gastroenteritis due to a bacterial rather than viral infection. i wasn't given antibiotics at first because most of GE cases are viral. i wasn't cured in 3 days and so my dad brought me to A&E due to my high fever, which is very suspect since i've never had fever for more than a day before.

i found it particularly hilarious when the 2 doctors i saw (- one before, and the other after my blood test) said the same thing in the exact same manner. perhaps i would be taught the same way too? it's just like that lecture we had in m1 during which the guy repeated lubdub throughout the lecture it was infectious. this time, when the doctors wanted to know if my abdominal pain is constant or comes in waves, they repeated the same 'comes...and goes...and comes...and goes...' in a trance-like light, airy voice, waving their hands in the air to depict a wavy line. i really bit my lip to keep myself from laughing.

anyway, i think our lt is stifling and stuffy and full of germs. last night, i was even entertaining the thought of getting everyone to bring a rag to scrub the dusty floor and furniture.

2009-11-07T22:08:00.000+08:00

i'm back from watching playhse and attending dor's bday party. i finally get to see all the amazing talents i've been hearing about and they certainly don't fall short of amazing. a pity the keyboard drowned out the cello because it seemed like an amazing repertoire. or stage presence? the other impressive performance was the choir. such powerful voices! haha as for me, my singing's confined to the shower because the running water and echoes drown out the imperfections.

dor turns twenty-two and no one could believe it - we were saying that she was getting too old for birthday parties already but she's not having any of that. young at heart :D it's past my bedtime now and i'm such a stickler for fixed routines (- as dad says i'm Hem in 'who moved my cheese?' -) so i'll sign off here.

bye! (:

2009-11-06T16:37:00.006+08:00

dance performance at bugis last night felt gd though i was a little behind in one of the costume changes and did one less pirouette to make up for it. well thankfully it's not something the audience would pick up. saw the video and my leap wasn't as nice as i had hoped it to be but we're performing the exact dance one more time so i've another chance at it:D was so tired in school today. i didn't fall asleep! what a feat. hahaha. but my eyes felt like they were being glued together when i blink, because of remnants of the actual glue from the ridiculous-looking false eyelashes. i can't imagine how those girls i see on the mrt can stand wearing such eyelashes. they're the most annoying things ever.

yay!

2009-11-05T19:12:00.000+08:00

just you watch (:

2009-10-26T20:20:00.002+08:00

lol @ one of the houses in my neighbourhood. this is the funniest one i've seen so far. there's one with really good HUGE tombstones in the garden - i wonder what they're made of such that they can withstand the rain.

was at the soft launch of our new initiative today. it was fun but hard work. that was rather unexpected because i never knew promoting could be so tiring. we've quite a substantial list of volunteers! (we emphasised that cip points will NOT be awarded hahaha.) because of this, i had to miss school. going to catch up with 5 lectures now. webcastzzzzzz

went to the library with zang and got loads of books. maybe i should just bring ONE library card next time. i can't afford to spend hours reading nonsense each night :D plain unproductive. OH i got this amazing animal records book and needless to say that classic picture of the axolotl was in there. no mention of blobfish though. just search the web, and look through a couple of books, and you'll realise it's always that same picture that editors thrive on too:

i like the way this book i read at nus' co-op described its nose, sth along the lines of, "The blobfish's unusually large nose appears to serve no special function, apart from comic relief."

Humans Aren't Engineered to Be Productive

2009-10-24T18:13:00.007+08:00

Why can't we be like lions? They eat once every 2-3 days, up to a week. Or how about crocodiles, which can survive without food for 2 whole years?? Wow. Just look at the amount of time we spend on eating. Minus all that snacking, most of us have 3 meals a day. Some of us have tea, some have supper. Some have soups and appetizers and follow up their courses with desserts. Our daily chores have to be interrupted with this constant need to fuel ourselves. If only we could have some reservoir to extract from. Or be like those animals that subsist on eating so infrequently.

A bulk of social gatherings include eating. People from all walks of life realise that they can organise a simple meet-up very easily so long as it involves a meal. Whatever generation gap, communication gap, relationship challenges, interest mismatch and workplace disparities can be overlooked in such an activity. Polar opposites are deluded into thinking that they actually have some common grounding when they bond over eating - an activity that every other person shares in common in the first place. It's hard to fathom what two unfortunate people with zero common interests on a blind date can do, when eating is forbidden as an option. Eating is indeed that - a tricky activity that hoodwinks everyone into thinking that they do share a special something. A stripped-down assessment of eating would unveil that it's merely a necessity, like breathing. (But no one bonds over breathing because there aren't many varied forms of oxygen we could inspire. And thank goodness we can leave the manufacturing to the plants. Imagine what sort of additives we could think up of if left to our own devices. Research will soon reveal that our amazing inventions clog up our respiratory tract and cloud our lungs, leading to the birth of Organic Air of some sort.)

ANYWAY, i initially came on here to talk about how harsh it is for the teenage loan-shark runner to be sentenced to four years imprisonment but i was obviously distracted by the nat geo article about lions which i just read a couple of minutes ago. Seriously though, wouldn't it be great to have such infrequent times of eating? We'd be 100 times more productive without lunch and dinner breaks interrupting our packed schedules! But guess what, I've to cut my post off here, because I've just got to have dinner. Bye (: HAPPY BDAY XH

Precious Love - James Morrison

2009-10-13T00:31:00.002+08:00

I was so lost, didn't know what to do with myself
I was my own worst enemy
I was lost and know I needed help

Then you came along and saw the state I was in
You picked me up, when I was down
Showed me how to live again

I say thank you for pulling me through
I'm a lucky man
I didn't know what life was but now I understand

This is precious love, precious love
No, I can't let it go
This is precious love and it's teaching me
Everything I need to know

This is precious love, oh it's precious love
No, I can't get enough
Oh, I'm down on my knees, begging you please
Give me some more of that stuff

Oh, it's love, love, love, love, love, precious love
Oh, it's love, love, love, love, love, precious love

Oh, I got so distracted by people all around
Whispering sweet nothings
Filling my head with doubt

So I gave up, it didn't take long
For me to see the one thing that I was missing
Was standing in front of me

I took you for granted, thought the grass
Was greener on the other side
I was wrong and it's taken so long for me to finally realize

This is precious love, precious love
No, I can't let it go
This is precious love and it's teaching me
Everything I need to know

Oh this precious love, oh it's precious love
No, I can't get enough
Oh, I'm down on my knees, begging you please
To give me some more of that stuff

I say a prayer and send it to you
That my heart will always be true
Life won't be the same without you

So I say thank you
I'm a lucky man
I didn't know what life was but now I, now I understand
Understand, understand

Oh, this is love, love, love, love, precious love
This is precious love and it's teaching me to be a better man

This is precious love, precious love
No, I can't get enough
Oh, I'm down of my knees
It's there that I see, it must be from heaven above

Yeah, it's is love, love, love, love, precious love
It's is love, love, love, love, precious love
Love, love, love, give me love, give me love
Love, love, love, love, precious love

i've slightly more energy these days though i don't feel up to mark yet. my next apptmt is 2 weeks later. i CAN'T WAIT to get better! i'll treasure every single ounce of energy i have i tell ya. i'll do every single thing i've been missing out on these months.

seriously. you never appreciate what you have until you lose it.

2009-10-04T11:17:00.001+08:00

i love re-reading picoult's harvesting the heart even though it's one of the less popular and admittedly more boring books by her.

i can't wait for 5 wks later!