Before obs and gynae exams.

At least I have a few pictures I managed to scavange from somewhere.

Had to put this through Paint.

I miss the backyard with those sawi-looking plants, stunted tulips, dandelions and daisies. The small tree with the purple flowers and the tall tree with the buds that open up late. Even the cats climbing the stone wall and nicking my defrosting chicken. And taking our newly finished paintings outside to spray with that protective layers and the exasperation at seeing tiny bugs getting trapped on the paintings. Skipping on the paved part. Having breakfast of yoghurts and icecream while sitting on newspapers which threaten to fly away with the wind.

See, I’m taking a break after only flipping through the pages a few minutes :(

Break time over.

evil leprechaun hides behind a smile.

It’s 1am and it’s raining outside. Cannot sleep yet.

One leprechaun, two leprechauns, three leprechauns…

Ferngully. I’ve never seen the movie before. I only remember seeing the pictures in a newspaper when I was a kid and thinking how wonderful it would be if I can go there. Because I couldn’t, I just cut out the black and white picture and stuck it in my red diary with the hopes that I’d see it some day. Or else, discover a place where it feels just the right amount of magic. Which was on that day, when I took this picture. So, dreams come true :)

~~~

Turkey….

I want to go there too. Pretty please, send me a postcard from there. My weekend of studying will be much better with the thought that I might get snail mail. Which reminds me, I haven’t received any for over a year now. Internet stuff is not the same…

~~~

I made a new friend today. Edel’s her name and we ‘bonded’ over the silly questions we have to do for the exams. Did I promise her I’d go down to do them tomorrow? Maybe.

Whenever I look at this, I think of Bag End. Wouldn’t it be nice if I can get a home like that. My SHO asked me what I do during weekends. I couldn’t get myself to say that I like wandering around, just looking at things, marvelling nature and taking pictures and dreaming of having a beautiful place where I can decorate and put up paintings. Bag End-ish place. Just too much to explain. “I just walk about Galway”

Cinemas? She asked.

No, I don’t go there. I don’t even know how it looks like inside, except from what I see on TV. I just would not like the atmosphere, what urgh and eeuw things lurk in the dark. I don’t want to be a part of that. Anyway, I can do all the movie watching in my room, with close friends and a mug of hot drink and wear pyjamas at the same time :) Sleepover :)

Back to Bag End. If I’m to have my own, I have to settle in one place. Not like now, when I have to move every 6 months or so. I guess it will be a long, long, long time to that dream. So, in the meantime, I’ll still wander about and create stuff in my head, on paper and canvases. See the world whenever I can. Get books for my own library and wonder when I’ll read them. I’d buy 5 and read one if I  have time.

I can’t wait to get the books. Any day now…

Dear Icedteamonster,

The following items have been shipped:

1 x French Milk

1 x Illustrated Life

1 x Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy

1 x Gashlycrumb Tinies

:D XD :D :)

(Oh, I added the smilies there. Easons are too professional for smilies)

This was where I did my General Practice attachment.

I stayed at a B&B by the beach – BEAUTIFUL I love watching the sea, be it during a calm day and the sea would be azure, blue, turquoise, aqua… it changes. Or during a storm, when the waves crash the shore and white sprays of foam makes the sea seem more alive than usual. The fact that I can see surfers riding the waves is an added bonus. They’re great (I wonder how they can stand the cold sea…)

It’s also very, very expensive and I am broke. But who cares! I’m not starving anyway.

I love the practice too. Absolutely different from the hospital setting, obviously. Met all manner of people, quirky individuals: tiny old ladies with sticks, travel junkie teacher, an aspiring restaurateur with a Nigella-like flair, gypsies, normal people… you just never get bored. And I get to see a wide range of problems: atrial fib, COPD, palliative care, bipolar (Pie-ola, according to a lady). I just don’t know where to start or end. It’s so different from what I expected. What struck me most is how close the relationship between them and the doctor. Calgary-Cambridge anyone?

The doctors are nice too as expected.

I take half an hour to walk to the practice every morning and I don’t even mind this as the view is – yep – awesome.

I had to go to Ennis to catch the bus back to Galway and since there was no bus going to Ennis, I had someone drive me there. In an undertaker’s vehicle (dunno what it’s called). I had no idea at first, till I asked whether he’s a doctor, and he said no, he’s an undertaker. No wonder everything was black. But it could be said that that was one of the best rides I’ve been on. So smooth, even on the winding, bumpy country roads. I guess that’s appropriate for a job like that, since you don’t want to be bumping a deceased person. He’s really a nice, albeit quiet old man. And he’s Dr B’s father-in-law.

So much that I should write but I cannot find the words to describe everything (besides, I am sleepy).

Will be going back there on Monday. Tonight, just rest and do unnecessary things which are actually necessary in making me crack a smile and relax but unnecessary in the sense that they are non academic related. Whatever. I’m rambling now.

Yeah, it’s not that bad.

Spanish Point

Waves

Small house at the edge… couldn’t take a decent picture though

And then the weather changed. Look, a seagull :) I like the clouds

Angry sea

Equals surfing, see the tiny guy there?

I never can catch him when he’s doing real surfing, as in standing on his board.

Closer

Wind

Flying

Should move to the left a bit.

I’ve never worn this dress to work alang. Afraid it’ll become in contact with blood etc.

edible things #3

my dinner. This was a few days ago, when I went home late and someone else had cooked dinner. Someone always cooks dinner. Last night, during oncall, I had the most yummy dinner with my last reg and the psychiatry reg. They urged me to eat these chillies which he was eating like someone eating crisps… I declined. But the rest.. nyam nyam :D

Tonight, I am eating honey nut loops. Will rummage for food later.

~~~

I went on an ambulance with the paramedics! My first time with a patient who collapsed. Paramedics are always fun I think. They take their work seriously, of course, but they’re always joking around, to lighten the mood? Well, from what I see anyway. “Ah, you fainted, of course.. what with being surrounded by all those female nurses and this here A-MAY-ZING doc, who wouldn’t?” (I didn’t even do anything, just sat there, watching the patient and the various things in the van). They didn’t put the siren thingy on though :(

Yesterday was crazy though. I somehow managed to do all those things and one of the SHOs even took one patient off me in the clinics to give me time to rest :)

~~~

I really have nothing else to write la klong. I mean, this is my life :D Yo-yo dinners, oncalls, funny people, crazy people, nice people (I nearly spelt poop) exasperating people, chocolates, disturbed clock, messy bed and winter.

~~~

Tiger is sooooo cute. I don’t know if he will take to me when I go back. maybe I won’t take to him (with all the toe-biting), but so far, he is still making me smile, every time I read about him. Especially about the part where he slept on your tummy with tiny legs up in the air.

taking a break. Sorry for all the entries. This is how I am when I have other pressing matters. Anyway, Lemon, if you are ever free, give me your address :) and if I am free, I’ll think of something to do :)

Psst. also, I really, really miss the pictures we took. You do know about all the accidentally deleted pictures? All 6 years worth of pictures. well, if ever you’re free, please, pretty please, can you somehow burn them on dvds and somehow, one day, I can visit you or you can visit me or something…

Dunno what I’m babbling now.

have a good day. senyum :)

Left or right?

OK, OK, I know which one I have to pick.

*close eyes*

ip dip doo, chicken has a flu, girls hate boys and I want… you.

just somewhere along the river again. blurry, but lovely time for a walk. I’m waiting for the time when I’m off again, which I am not sure when.

In and out the dusty bluebells, in and out the dusty bluebells, in and out the dusty bluebells, I am the monster. Tippity pi tap tap on my shoulder, tippity pi tap tap on my shoulder…

From long ago. Do you remember that song?

Make way for Noddy. He needs a new hat.

~~~

I don’t know what to do for tomorrow. if only I can split myself in 3. I’m oncall which means I have to be in casualty. I still have to go to The Other Hospital. I’m also supposed to be at the outpatients seeing new or review patients. And I still have to cover the wards aka look after my own patients.

None of the docs in my team will be around tomorrow either, apart from the consultant.

*runs into a cubicle and turns into SuperDoc with the help of Doraemon*

yay.

~~~

Are they really turning you guys into zombies with all the work over there? Compared to you, mine is a breeze then, so, I will try not to complain much now. Ganbatte Lemon!! Bob did say that it will get easier, right? *hugs*

Up high

my dinner.

OK, it wasn’t just a mug of teh tarik (pulled tea? tea with milk?). I had tomyam instant noodles again and was too hungry to remember to take a picture. I will cook tomorrow, promise.

~~~

There’s this room in Sacred Hart called a Relaxation Room. It’s dark and cool, with some sort of happy looking light floating about. Something that looks like a glow worm light, the kind babies have over their cots. On the door, there is a notice ‘For the use of patients, visitors and staff’. I’m a member of the staff too right? I always feel like going in there, but as it is, I have no time for relaxation during work :( Maybe I can sneak in a few minutes…

Someone’s bag caught my eye.

(I’m still not in the mood to read!!! This is looking like my final year all over again. sigh…)

Anyway, I have a feeling that I’ll be posting more random rubbish because that’s what I do when I should be doing something else.

I’m in the process of building a bouncing ball empire. So far, I have 5 bouncing balls: one with a leprechaun in it, another with a ship, another with purple bubbles, an eyeball one and a yellow ball with number 5 from aran islands. Always loved those colourful ones, the smaller the higher they bounce. I had a dream once, where I own a room simply titled ‘The Bouncing Ball Room’ and in the room, there were clear boxes filled with tiny, small, medium, big or gigantic multicoloured bouncing balls. It was a like a rainbow room that you’d get dizzy in if you stayed too long, but it was a dream and in that dream, I wasn’t dizzy. You know the way dreams are, all hazy and glowy, when they’re dreams and not nightmares. I’m rambling again, but just so you know… if you’re short of cash for my birthday, just get me a bouncing ball :D

PS. a belated gift is OK too

Something from somewhere.

I like… swings!

to dance to jazz, blues… Buble (in this secret room of mine).

Which reminds me… I want a swing hanging from a huge tree in my backyard. And swing as high as I can. The best feeling ever, when you’re at the highest peak and the wind rushing in your face… it’s like flying. Sounds all corny, but it really is one of my top favourite things to do.

I like slides too, but the ones in normal playgrounds are too short. I dreamed of having a slide in my house as a way to get down from the top floor. Or else, a fireman’s pole. Dream away me.

I don’t like… that just as I’m about to lay my sleepy face on the pillow in the oncall room at 3.00am, the bleep would go off and I have to go to the casualty again.

I would like you to know… that I sometimes listen to ‘traditional’ Malay songs because they remind me of home. All those Ulik Mayangs, Kurik Kundi, dikir barats  etc. Other times, I listen to dancefloor stuff because they’re loud and I needed something to wake me up a bit. Mostly it’d be: Raihan, Fridaus, Far East and instrumentals.

… that I say that I don’t drink coffee to people but in fact, I kind of like coffee. Mocha, latte, caramel machiatto. sometimes, black coffee. Just that I cannot drink them on a working day because of the diuretic effect.. (I just had that coconut flavoured one…)

I’ve planned… to work away from home for another year. I think I can handle being away for a while longer. I hope I get the place I want and I hope I chose the right path. Still in the west of Ireland? New Zealand? UK? Australia? I still don’t know.

… to stay in CK’s apartment when I move back to Galway.

I want to say to someone special… that I hope you’re doing well with your paediatrics rotation and that I miss looking up at the sky with you. Cam bunyi cakap ngan boyfriend plak… :D

and my family that you guys are the best :)