2011

As usual the time has come for me to summarize the previous year and make new resolutions.

Well, for a start, 2011 wasn't really a good year. There were few big losses in our family. We lost our dear Uncle Michael in March. I still remember that I was at cardiac rotation during that time. The same day when we had a lecture on acute coronary syndrome is the day I found out my beloved uncle died of it. It was really a big tragedy in our family; considering we were all very close to each other and the fact that he passed on at such a young age, leaving behind my aunty and my two young cousins is really too much to bear. It was too unbelievable. What breaks my heart the most have to be seeing and thinking that my two cousins will be growing up without a father. As the months passed by, each of us were slowly coping with his death but still we can't help but to feel the emptiness. He was the "funny guy" in the family, the one who tells all the jokes and make us laugh.

Another big "loss" to our family was Aunty Bunnie getting married and moving to Canada. Don't get me wrong, I'm really super happy that she found someone to spend the rest of her life with, but still, without her in the house feels empty. She was practically a parent/sister to us our whole life. Christmas was definitely quiet and less meriah without her. The usual overflowing of presents from the Christmas tree was no more :(

So that's 2011 for me. Happy/ interesting events were probably passing each posting without problems, vacation to Krabi with the girls, did something I've always wanted to do (shhh, can't tell here), made new, unexpected friends and as the year was approaching an end, I joined a gym!

Still can't believe that during the transition between 2011 and 2012, I was at the hospital with sick babies. Oh well, at least the company was good.

Resolutions for 2012? Guess I will make it up as I go. :)

The Importance of Vacation

I never knew or felt the true value of a vacation until I went to Krabi. After all the craziness in O&G due to lack of HO which led to continuous EOD calls, having to come to work at 5am every day, and the extreme stress of finishing procedures, which made us almost cancel our trip- we finally had it. Left the ward, packed out bags, switched off our phones and flew to Krabi. And that was the best decision we made.

This was my first ever vacation which was unplanned (because I had no time to plan. at all. ). I just had to get away from the hospital, even if it meant just flying to a foreign land to stay cooped up in the hotel room for 3 days.

And now when I close my eyes and think of Krabi, I actually feel relax and happy...

Just thinking about our amazing hotel room...

Our amazing private pool... The daily swimming in the pool, just floating around or laughing away.....

The beautiful island...clear water...blue skies...

The amazing food.... Every meal with green curry...... daily dose of ice cream...sneaking durian into the room....

Sitting in the tuktuk, or just by the beach, closing my eyes and feeling the wind in my face and thinking "I'm so glad that I'm here; far far away the stress"...

Now that's what I call a vacation............. *smiles*

26

Well, now I'm 26... wow, 26 does sounds old. Anyway, currently I'm in O&G posting and left Medical with a really heavy heart. Seriously, I have nothing but praises for the medical department of SGH. It's such a conducive working environment- everyone- from the HOD, to all specialists and all MOs- treat us HOs, well, like humans. They treat us as colleagues, instead of looking down on us as "some stupid houseman" or just simply ordering us around since we're "just some stupid houseman" and hence, at the bottom of the food chain. Everyone in medical are generally nice and more importantly, they're willing to teach. I have to admit though, that going through the general wards for the first 2 months was extremely tiring, with the workload and all, but it was still bearable. Because when you're happy, you don't mind being tired. Going through the sub specialties was even more fun! I got the chance to go through every specialty, including cardiology at the new SGH Heart Center. I really had so much fun in medical and I don't think I'll be treated like this in any other postings. Sigh...

And currently I'm going through one that have to live in constant fear and precaution with certain MOs or the fear of making a mistake and being re-tag or fear of being ridiculously scolded and humiliated... *depressed*