Secret Black BookSecret Black BookThis is what happens when you study in med school in a foreign land away from anything familiar. Articles
How Men screw up romance
2007-04-06 02:55:00 Courtesy of Lin.This is like WTF?!Makes you just wanna struggle the guy but he is so idiotic he doesn't realize his folly, so you end up just wanting to pull your own hair out!P/S: To those who know me, if you realized, i am logged into MSN most of the time now with status 'Away'. If i don't reply, don't get offended, i am either really am gone from my desk or absolutely busy. But i will DEFINITELY get round to replying. I have decided this is the best course of action to keep in touch, because i am so slow with emails and snail mails and telephone calls! More About: Videos , Friends , Romance , Roma , Oman
You really meet different people in life
2007-04-04 17:06:00 I had my second clinical placement today. My clinical placements have been everything but boring. I learn a lot and realize that there are lots of stuff that i do not know. These placements are the first time that i discover very clearly that whatever i have learnt in med school in the past 2.5 years is not very relevant. Real ity and theory are 2 different things, and i sorely lack patient exposure.First off, i have been sent to a medical centre that caters solely to the Chinese community and this includes people from Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. My jaw nearly dropped when i discovered where i have been sent to. There was bilingual messages everywhere. I have never felt so immersed in a Chinese community ever, not even back in Singapore. Also, 95% of the patients who came in spoke Cantonese, and i do not understand Cantonese let alone speak the language. Occasionally, a patient would stride in speaking in Mandarin, and i would give a sigh of relief because final... More About: Life , People , Med school , Meet
Maybe we are not that different after all
2007-04-02 16:59:00 You wrote, "I smile when i am sad, i smile when i am angry. I laugh when i am happy."I thought about it and i think how true it was back then for me too.You bought 2 cats, a boy and a girl, initially without your mum's knowledge.I got myself 2 dogs, a boy and a girl, initially without my mum's knowledge too.You have got one black cat and one white cat.I have got one black dog and one white dog.You moved in with a housemate that was willing to share the responsibility of taking care of the cats.I found someone who was willing to spilt the duty of caring for my dogs too.You study medicine, for animals.I study medicine, for people.So maybe we are not that different after all.Maybe i should have be more daring and more proactive in searching for your blog and reading it when we used to flat with each other, then i could understand you better, and maybe we could have been great friends.But i guess it was not meant to be.Maybe you feel apologetic too about the year we flat together, wit... More About: Friends , After , That , Rent , Diff
Tell me we are overdoing it
2007-04-01 08:59:00 What's the purpose of this post? See, i was browsing the net for an alternative aside for newspapers for my dogs to poo and pee inside the house when it is not time for their walks yet. Our floorboards are not doing very well with the moist conditions; actually i reckon the landlord did not use very good quality wood in the first place. There are tiny areas where the floorboards have become uneven and sort of spring up a little to expose gaps. And urine can pass into the gaps, and one of the floorboards has started looking a very un-wood like colour - moldy green to the best of my estimates.And i stumbled onto this website called The Natural Company. They provide products for women and babies. I could quite believe what i was looking at.This is called The Keeper Menstrual Cup. I will admit that it took me quite a while to figure out how exactly do ladies use it.It is an alternative to a tampon. Initially i thought you insert the stem into the vagina, but then i realized that can't... More About: Over , Tell , Tell Me , Doing
Massive eaters?
2007-03-31 11:57:00 I have done 5 lecture recordings today. Even i am impressed...except that i am still way behind my workload for my test on Monday. And i have to work in 2 hours. I am actually contemplating either working another shift or attempting to get another job (probably as a tutor in a tuition centre?) because the extra income could allow me to have some meagre savings, but i know i can't spare the time. But still, i can't let go of that idea. Will have a proper think about it soon.Tiara and i have decided to sell our 2.5 month old, 202 litres Westinghouse fridge. Why? Because the fridge is absolutely groaning under the weight of the food we purchase. The door creaks barely into the first month of us using it because we were just stuffing it with foodstuff, and you cannot get away from retrieving anything out of the fridge without first removing a whole load of other stuff.I was in denial at first. But gradually i have to face it. My expenses should be lower once i shift out of College but... More About: Mass , Eater
Haiz
2007-03-31 10:06:00 Tiara just took the dogs out for a walk. I can't take them out because of my workload.Times like this, i really feel quite irritated.Sometimes i do wonder whether it is worth it, to dedicate so much of my life to a line of work that i am not even sure will return a similar amount of fulfillment or not. More About: Med school , Workload
Glass life
2007-03-31 09:29:00 A lot has happened in the past few days. I was basically nursing a God damn headache for several nights in a row, and just giving up and curling in bed.My mobile phone and my wireless internet chose to ditch me simultaneously for 2 days. I had urgent texts to send, and i can't do it using my phone and i can't use the internet to send a text either. It was infuriating. So much so, i was on literally on the verge of hurling my Motorola phone to the ground and smashing my Fujitsu laptop down the stairs, with no heed of the consequences whatsoever.Getting so worked up resulted in a throbbing headache because i could find no other outlets to calm my raging temper that was building up internally. Fortunately, i did not lose all rationality, and opted to go to bed at 7pm.But it ain't these 2 trivial matters that had me in a bad mood for the couple of days.I had a tutorial, one on breast examinations, where real women volunteered to let us examine them. Except, i was not very comfortable... More About: Life , Med school , Workload , Glass
Too dangerous to tolerate anymore
2007-03-26 15:19:00 Kelly is a very bright puppy. Extremely intelligent, exceedingly curious. And she's tall, and she has been learning how to take advantage of her height. The past weeks have been spent thinking up of strategies on my part to deal with Kelly's mischievous antics. I have succeeded in blocking access to all the usual stunts she normally pull - turning the rubbish bin upside down, and sharing the loot with Daxter. I cannot emphasize how dangerous it is especially since there are bones, roast chicken we have for dinner and all kinds of other foods definitely not meant for a puppy's gastrointestinal system. And then of course, there are soiled newspaper in the bin, from their previous voiding and defecation. We will always be greeted by a mess in the living room. Every single inch would be covered with the contents of the rubbish bin. Is it any wonder we have so many guest houseflies?However, i have managed to put a stop to that. Wonders ever cease. Kelly starts using her hindlegs to st... More About: Anger , Danger , More , Rate , Dangerous
Streeeetch
2007-03-24 04:18:00 Social commitmentsAcademic demandsDog responsibilitiesHousehold choresSporting activitiesBiggest problem? Lack of adrenaline-pumping fear.Consequence? Impossible want of more time.Result: Sleep more, play more, close one eye.What the fuck. More About: Tree , Etch
An extension of human dominance
2007-03-22 11:40:00 I was appalled when i learnt some startling facts after reading this article about pet food. I have been feeding my dogs Science Diet, a premium brand food that has been readily endorsed by the various vets i have brought my dogs to, both in Singapore and Australia.Imagine my shock when i discover that Science Diet is an extension of the Multi National Company, Colgate-Palmolive.I am a little more caution now after reading this article, but i am not taking my dogs off dry food altogether. I think some dry food is good for them, but for their entire diet to consist of dry food, it can be quite pathetic, unappealing and boring.I practice free-feeding for them, something my dad taught me when i was younger. That is i always ensure that there a bowl of dry food out for them to munch on when they are hungry. In the night, i prepare a balanced human meal for them, consisting of boiled lean chicken breast with mixed vegetables and rice. I think they are growing up pretty well. Also free-fe... More About: Human , Tension , Extension , Sion , Uman
Funny Logic II
2007-03-20 14:45:00 Tell me, how can a puppy too young to lift his leg to piss just yet, be old enough to know how to hump a bitch younger than him??Do i blame the female dog who tries to bite him in retaliation because she's confused and annoyed?*****A date has been booked for Kelly and Daxter's desexing surgery. However, that does not mean i have committed and made the decision. I only agreed to fix the date because i did not want to fend off unnecessary questions from the vet (if any) and also because it is convenient. I can always cancel it.I have yet to do some research into the matter yet. Wish i don't ever have to.Ethical decisions are the worst of the lot. More About: Funny , Fun , Logic , Logi
Teaching
2007-03-20 12:25:00 Got this from part of a longer email from Alustriel. Extremely hilarious. This is what a student did for his Math homework...I have been thinking lately and i realized i miss teaching, particularly Mathematics. I don't miss the kids i used to teach per se, but i do miss the expression on their faces when they finally grasp the Mathematics concept they thought was impossibly difficult.I hated Maths when i was a kid because i never get it. Problem sums were my Achilles heel, Algebra was agony. But then i got into high school and i had good math tutors, so i started liking Math. So when it comes to teaching the primary school students, i can relate to how their frustration and their confusion. Maybe that's why i can teach Maths.I have been looking around and i saw a tuition centre here. They may be hiring. But i have yet to send my resume to them. 2 things hold me back. One, i am not too sure about the mathematics curriculum here. I am not worried about not being able to solve the ma... More About: Teaching , Teac
It never rains, it always fucking pours
2007-03-19 23:22:00 With regards to my previous entry, i brought Kelly to the hospital in the end even though her eyes seemed to be all right when i got home from classes. However, i could not forget the state of her eyes this morning, so i decided it was better to be safe rather than sorry. And it was just as well. Turned out she had conjunctivitis (a Staphylococci infection, we should know this Med Clique!), and was actually running a fever. Even the vet was astonished to discover Kelly's temperature after pulling out the thermometer from her rectum.So Kelly got an antibiotic shot to help bring her temperature down (when the vet said she needed an antibiotic shot, all that was going through in my head was Fuck! Antibiotics are not cheap! More expenses!) and a cream to put into her eyes. I never knew you could put cream into eyes, i have always thought only drops were possible. Anyhow i clarified with the vet about the dog's eye membranes. I tried to look at Kelly's sclera (the white of the eye) my... More About: Rain , Fucking , King , Ever , Never
Expenses rocketing beyond my control
2007-03-19 03:16:00 I am skipping lunch again, to scrimp and save some money. I may have to take Kelly to the vet tonight. There has been a greenish discharge oozing out from Kelly's eyes. It started 2 days ago. It started with only her left eye, but now her other eye has got it as well. At first, i left it alone thinking it would go away. It didn't and there seem to be copious amounts of the discharge which is really gross. The morning before, i added some sterile eye solution into her eyes, to aid in cleaning and hoped her immune system would kick it and do its job. It seemed to work because there was no more discharge during the day.But the discharge came back last night. And there was a lot of it this morning. And i noticed the discharge was staying in her eyes and not flowing out, which i reckon is not a good thing. I promptly cleaned her eyes using the sterile eye solution. I was going to wait a few more days but it seems Kelly's mood is not very good either. Just this morning, she growled men... More About: Rock , Rocket , Pens , Beyond , Control
Funny logic
2007-03-18 05:18:00 Drinking a lot of water is good for flushing the bad stuff out of your kidneys.But going to the toilet too many times makes your bladder prone to infections.However, we have two kidneys but only one bladder.So why is it people choose to gulp down more water and visit the toilet more often?I mean, we have a spare kidney but no extra bladder right??(The above commentary was running in my head - the result of severe boredom and too much work.)*****I went to work last night. Liz was a little confused and was really talking a lot of nonsensical stuff. It isn't the first time it has happened. The first time it happened, it was downright spooky because she said stuff like the doctor whom i met was not her daughter but the woman her daughter was going out with. She said her daughter was not the woman living in the house but living next door, and she comes over in the morning. It is creepy, if you consider the implications of having someone introduce themselves but at the back of your head ... More About: Funny , Fun , Logic , Logi
Topsy-turvy yet again
2007-03-15 07:34:00 My plans have been thrown into huge disarray again. Maybe it is because i plan too damn much that's why my arrangements are always derailed. They are not even worth mentioning till i sort them out which will probably take a few more weeks, by which the semester would soon be drawing to an end, and my plans would probably go to hell again. Sigh.I just completed a 3 hours microbiology and immunology practical on top of a 2 hour clinical tutorial. I am fucking tired and i am craving for an ice-cream, but it's raining outside so we (Liverf and Princess and i) are staying put in the computer lab. We have got a one hour seminar later. An Indian doctor is going to give a talk about establishing medical networks or something. He started helping homeless children by operating on 20 of them per day in a horse stable. He expanded from that to setting up a few hospitals to aid several hundred children a day. Pretty impressive. And apparently, he is Mother Teresa's doctor as well (not sure ho... More About: Tops , Again
Walks, sports and more
2007-03-13 23:22:00 It has been really hectic around here. The only reason why i could update my blog yesterday was because of a 2 hour lunch break between my lectures and my tutorial, and i skipped lunch in order to save some moolah for my dogs' obedience training. Yeah, the training doesn't come cheap. And i have an hour break now as i wait with the Med Clique to attend an open house held by Hospital M later. It is time to choose our clinical schools, and apparently this is a milestone in our med school life. I did not know that and was frankly quite ignorant and flippant about the whole affair till Sugar Hyperness, Liverf and Neem screeched about the importance of selecting a good suitable clinical school. Clinical schools are going to be the base we head to for lectures and clinical training in the last 2.5 years of medical training, so it is essential we select a correct hospital. But i am never one to believe in open houses anyway, since everything always look so nice and dainty during the open... More About: Sports , Sport , Port , More , Walk
Throw a cat into the mix...
2007-03-13 03:44:00 On Sunday morning, after i came back from work, Tiara and i were having breakfast when i had an impulsive thought. Now, most friends know i can be highly-impulsive, and most of them would very capably steer me back to reality. However, with Tiara, all impulses are normally acted upon, which i really like. It adds some flavour to life you know?"Tiara," i said between munches of the spinach and feta danish bread i was eating, "shall we get a cat? I haven't stopped thinking about it when someone asked me when i first got the dogs, why i did not consider getting a cat and a dog instead of 2 dogs."Tiara looked up from the newspapers she was reading. I stared back at her, a very serious expression on my face."A cat...i wouldn't mind a cat actually. I have a cat back home in Taiwan." she replied.Excited now, the cogs of my mind thrown into action, i started imaging having a cat in the house."Really? That would be so cool! We can have a house cat. Oh wait. If we are going to have a cat, i... More About: Cat , Throw
School for the puppies
2007-03-13 02:53:00 I have enrolled my dogs for a Basic Obedience Training course. There were a lot of triggers for this sudden decision. I have never believed in puppy school and i have always assumed obedience training is mainly for showdogs or dogs who are participating in competitions or basically for owners who want to show off exactly how smart or obedient their dogs can be as compared to others. Furthermore, obedience training comes along with a hefty price tag, and i felt it was just a huge money-spinning gimmick. Besides, i have never come across any fellow dog owners back in Singapore who had sent their dogs to school, so the concept was pretty foreign to me. Anyhow, Jackie and Randy who did not go to any such courses turned out pretty well.Unfortunately, what i did not expect was how uncivilized the dogs were. I kept them in till they were 14 weeks because of their vaccination status. Apparently, they should socialize from the age of 8 weeks in order to know how to behave when they are with ... More About: School , Pies , Puppies
Self-discipline and memories
2007-03-11 23:42:00 I woke up early this morning to study. Daxter put his two front paws on my leg as i sat at my desk blurry-eyed, figuring about microbes. I looked at Daxter. He is still to small to jump up onto couches, chairs, beds etc.I lifted him up onto my chair. He snuggled into a comfortable position, sharing the seat space with me. I looked at him sleeping. He reminds me so much of Randy. Randy always sat with me whenever i was studying. It could be on the same seat, or on the drawers, or sometimes even on the table, though it was quite distracting.Today is not the first time i thought of Randy. Last night, whilst attending mass, Randy suddenly came to mind too. I realized i have not hugged Randy sufficiently in the months i am back home. I realized that because i discovered i no longer can recall how he felt in my arms, how he smelled with his doggie shampoo, or how he would lie in a warm heap in my arms, waiting for me patiently to get over my lovey-dovey emotions. And i think this out-of-t... More About: Self , Discipline , Mori , Memories , Self-Discipline
One lifetime is not enough for me
2007-03-08 17:58:00 My sleep-wake-study cycle has been completely reversed. I am entering the ever familiar realm of the nocturnes. I take a power nap of one hour (or so i like to think, but i usually take an extra hour to physically get out of bed) at midnight, and then wake to study (or at least attempt to since i am also incredibly distracted by the internet) until 4am. I sleep for 4-5 hours and then haul myself out of bed for school. Such a pattern has been incredibly taxing on my body. But this entry wasn't started to whinge about my workload.It's just that i have been thinking about a couple of things lately. Remember my strong desire to learn badminton and squash? I contacted the coaches and they are really good coaches, the badminton one is a Commonwealth game player and the squash one is the University's team coach, and they have relatively affordable prices. However, i have been extremely hesitant in giving them the green light, for us to commit to a more regular training session. Why? I s... More About: Life , Time , Lifetime , Enough
They were best friends...
2007-03-07 15:10:00 They were best of friends, the two of them.Hanging out together, pulling pranks on each other.Lectures, practicals, tutorials.You name it, you probably see them together.Till the girl came along.And now they hang out less and less.He's preoccupied with the girl, fawning over her the whole damn day.I caught his look one day.That wistful look, the look that said it all.We used to hang out all the time, but i guess the girl's more important now.And i felt his sadness and his helplessness.But what can we do, this is Life ain't it?But is Life really like this i wonder?Do we miss out on the buddies from high school, the pals from a lifetime ago, just because the right person of the opposite gender struts along?Does it ever make sense at all?P/S: A deeply touching poem from The Annals of Emergency Medicine on my Private Black Book. Click here to be re-directed. Read the subtitle of the blog for clues to my password. You can skip this if you received my email about "Crying in the heart". More About: Friends , Friend , Best , They , Best friends
Salt cravings and company
2007-03-05 16:29:00 It is half past two in the morning, and i am slogging away over my microbiology notes. My 2 dogs are sprawled with me in my room - Kelly is underneath my study desk, and Daxter is underneath my bed. It really feels different with 2 canines keeping me company as i burn the midnight oil. Last year this time, i would have given up and retired to bed simply because i could not bear the oppressing loneliness as i studied all by myself in the night.I brought the 2 puppies out today for the first time. They are almost 14 weeks old, and i am actually regretting that i heeded the vet's advice to keep them in until their vaccination is done. They are not very well-socialized and Kelly is absolutely frightened of any moving vehicles. She love human company and would yank on the leash struggling to go up to strangers. But she would bark at children and exert her dominance on other dogs. It is all very shocking. Daxter on the other hand seems to be lost in his own world, ignoring every other do... More About: Company , Comp , Salt , Ving , Compa
Sympathy for Lady Vengeance
2007-03-02 17:02:00 Just watched this Korean show with Sapphire and Tiara just now.Incredibly warped show. What people would do for revenge.Will inflicting pain on the perpetrator reduce the pain of having lost a loved one?Throw a bunch of angry, bewildered and hurting people together and have them decide the fate of the criminal who is in their hands. What else could one expect right?Humans can be a nasty unforgiving bunch when the pain is too much to bear. More About: Lady , Vengeance , Path
Thrush
2007-02-28 08:59:00 We have been having lectures about fungal and bacterial infections. The result why i have been able to stay up for most part of the lecture is because the professor takes great glee in showing us LARGE COLOURED grotesque images of several conditions. And we certainly stroke his amusement by giving out collective gasps as each photo revealed itself on the huge-ass projector screen.I. Am. Not. Amused. At. All.Aside from shrinking away from the images, yet unable to tear my eyes away from the images in some sort of warped fascination, i have lost all appetite for the edibles that i consumed to keep me awake during lectures, namely chewing gum, coffee and yes, bubble tea.There was an image of a fungal infested foot that seriously did not look like a foot anymore but rather a foliage covered tree root or something. Apparently, the patient had let his condition go on for years before he decided that he should seek some help for his infested foot. And this is one thing i can never EVER und... More About: Rush
Are all...
2007-02-28 08:40:00 Are the students who have the discipline and self-control to sit at their desks and pore over their textbooks for endless hours at end, considered intelligent? Or are they merely smart?Is it even humanly possible to seat oneself at the desk and compel oneself to study for the ENTIRE day?I had a self-proclaimed holiday today. I skipped my only lecture for the day because i decided self-study is more efficient for me. Except that, the whole day has almost passed, and i have only gone through one lecture, and i am not even through with it yet.4 cups of coffee, adequate sleep, and a well-fed gut later, i am still nowhere close to my target of completing all my lectures (5 more to go!).I intended to study last night. But i was so exhausted i fell asleep at 10.15pm. I intended to wake at 11pm to study till maybe 1am? Except my dogs were mucking around in my room so i did not get to fall into an uninterrupted sleep till 10.45pm. I decided to wake at 11.30pm. Hahahaha. I woke up at 2.30am, ...
Just a little advertising appeal
2007-02-26 02:31:00 My tutorial ended half an hour earlier than usual, am in my University's computer lab typing long-awaited emails. It's going to be a long week i reckon; there are a lot of learning issues for this week (that's homework!) and i cannot believe i have forgotten what the hell is "diastole" or where the aortic valve is located! Someone stab me. That's hell of a lot of revision!Ok, shall anticipate lunch to look on the bright side of life. Waiting for the Med clique to be done with their respective tutorials before we head off on our weekly "ritual" of Monday Subway lunches! More About: Advertising , Just , Sing , Little , Advert
3 useless men
2007-02-25 23:16:00 Puneet is scared.Cavin is tired.Tommy is not bothered.3 twits who created an inconvenience for me because one made a mistake, the other just wanted it over and done with, and the third, slightly better, had the brains to settle it appropriately.But still, none of them offered an apology.Tsk tsk.But it felt good standing up for my case.However it has been demonstrated clearly to me that it is of no use if you try to be nice and not get someone into trouble if they made the mistake. Because they become too scared and will turn around to bite the hand that fed them.If you are in the wrong, just admit your mistake and move on. Don't grovel over it and try to lie because nothing can be more staunch than the truth.But like Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, once said, "Not all men are blessed with greatness, and not all men are blessed with courage." More About: Men , Useless , Less , Sele
It has been a long night
2007-02-25 05:03:00 It has been a long night, and a very solemn morning.Too many observations, one too many reflections, and no answers.Is it me or is it you?Click here for my private thoughts. More About: Night , Long , Been , Has Been
A passing thought
More articles from this author:2007-02-24 05:31:00 I was 45 minutes early for my tutorial yesterday, so i holed up in the library to complete my tutorial work. I turned up for class at the usual timing of 2.15pm, and ho ho, guess what? The tutorial had been pushed earlier to 2pm, hence technically, i was still very much fucking late. So much for attempting to be early. What the heck.That's not the crux of this entry.I was at the library when i met one of my former tutorial mates Jong. She saw me with my new (or not so new) specs for the first time."That's so you Maxs! Funky glasses!" she exclaimed.I beamed in reply.I was surprised that someone not very close to me was able to tell this was so me, whereas in Sing apore, people whom i have been hanging out with for eons all remarked the opposite.That got me thinking.They say when you pursue an overseas education, it is like brand new slate that you can start on. You can re-invent yourself the way you want, because no one in the new country knows you.I thought about it, and i think th... More About: Thought , Pass , Passi , Passing 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |



