i was at the Sterile Instrument Counter to take some dental instruments for treatment. there was a girl already there taking some instruments.
"Cavitron tip (electronic device to scale/clean teeth) " she said.
"We ran out.. someone just took the last one.." the man replied.
"Oh? I need one too.." i said, and the girl and i both sighed.
"Well, I'll just take the scaling kit (manual device to scale/clean teeth) " the girl continued.
"Same here," i chipped in.
"There's only One!" the man said and he looked at both of us to which the girl said "Only one?"
"Well, she's here first, she can have it," i said, and the girl took the last scaling kit and walked off. i just stood there looking at him, not really sure want to ask for next.
"Wait, i think there's more kits at the back!" the man suddenly said and disappeared to the back room and reappeared with a stack full of at least 10 scaling kits and handed one to me.
Phew, better than nothing! I thanked him and was about to leave when he stopped me.
"Wait, there is one last Cavitron tip!" he said, and he went to the back again to magically reappear with a Cavitron tip and handed it over to me. "There is one more left but I didn't want to give it to her," he said, smiling.
I was surprised and thanked him again, grinning from ear to ear. How nice of him! Later on i could see more and more colleagues complaining that there are no Cavitron tips, especially my clinical partner who looked desperate for one and he asked if he could have mine..
*ponder ponder.. the last precious Cavitron tip..* i knew i would need it but i think he needs it more so i let him have mine and i used the manual scaling kit instead. in the end the last Cavitron tip didn't work anyway as it was the wrong type and he had to resort to his manual scaling kit as well.
i might have a long rotten day in clinics, but a simple kind gesture like this was enough to make me smile for the rest of the day. thank you mr sterile-instrument-dispenser, you make my day :) i will make it a point to remember your name tomorrow.
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Monday, 30 March 2009
Cycling from Bristol to Bath.. and Back!!
i thought a weekend trip to Bristol would be a nice relaxing one until my friend suggested "Lets cycle to Bath from Bristol!" she must be kidding but being me, i just "ok" thinking that she will change her mind, or some financial crisis will come in the way, or it would be raining heavily.
After all, it doesn't make sense:-
Train from Bristol to Bath with Young Persons Railcard: £3.90 return taking 11 minutes per way.
Cycle from Bristol to Bath: £12 for a whole day ride with £50 deposit, taking up to 2.5hours per way (with our pace.. but its normally 1.5hours i suppose)
"Hey, its the Journey that counts, right?" well, i had to agree.. and that was one decision that i wish i have given much more thought to.. but now that i am home in one piece, here's how the story goes..
We took the Bristol and Bath Railway Path which is route 4 all along the way, it's clear and easy to follow. It says in the site that its a 13miles journey (not too bad huh, i did 26miles for London Bikeathon 2007 within like 4 hours or so.. very slow i know coz i fell and injured myself badly but that's another story..) its NOT true cause after looking at the signboards along the way showing:
the starting point
a metal bridge behind Temple Meeds Station, Bristol
the blue signboard that we follow all the way, we already took a while to cycle to here and as you can see it already showed 15miles to Bath.. chis! fortunately that time i didn't know the 15 meant the number of miles, only found out much later, thank goodness, if not i would be sooo demotivated.
our 1st rest stop. sandwich time.
the turning point at the tunnel.. as u can see here i was pretty tired and wet as well (it was raining) although it was only 1hour, my 2 concerned friends who were waiting for me asked if i wanted to continue..
rained stopped, comfy hoodie on, leg stretched, music on and my friends were cycling behind me instead allowing me to go first.. all this contributed to a much better cycling journey from then on..
a picture with the train. we had to stop and crossover to the other side of the tracks.
i would say, the rest of the journey to Bath was.. Fantastic!
+the breeze blowing in your face
+changing to high gear and paddling even harder when going downhill to double the momentum and standing up while allowing momentum+gravity to do their wonders.. weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! such an exhilarating feeling!
+superb view of the outskirts, farms, fields, hills..
+cycling along the train tracks, watching them go choo choo.. won't race ya!
+over and under bridges
+along peaceful neighbourhoods and housing areas
+trying to overtake a herd of cows in a farm (my favourite part, only because they were the only living creatures i could overtake..*gasp* )
+even racing with a little boy! (picture above) he was damn energetic!
it took us 2hours40mins to reach Bath, what a relief!! unfortunately we weren't so welcomed in Bath, it was raining ice/hailstones. as you can see there's bits of ice on my sleeve! not the warmest welcome.
views around Bath City and outside the Roman Bath
we had mango ice cream in a gelato place, supposedly the best italian ice cream. i forgot the name of this place.
then we had to go to this Sally Luns.. what is so great about this bakery that has a signboard of its own next to the Bath Spa? i had to investigate..
oh.. the oldest house in bath, home of the world famous Sally Lunn Buns.. there's more than 1 floor and a looooong queue outside. even the kitchen is turned into a museum. impressive.
we had our afternoon tea-break: soup with sally lunn bun and bacon+chicken sandwiches. the bun is soft and has a nice-crumblish crust, but i still don't know why its that special. the waitresses were wearing traditional aprons though. pretty!
then it was goodbye to Bath after just less than 2hours.. we had to get back before it gets dark.
i must say, most of the journey home was horrible coz we were already tired and for me, i didn't have much motivation. another 16miles of cycling with sore legs and a really painful ass? not fun.
however, unlike going there with 2 lunchbreaks +3 5mins-breaks, i only stopped ONCE, after an hour of cycling to rest & enjoy the view while a train choochoos past. i finished the next 1.5hours straight without stopping. oddly enough it was the same time getting there, perhaps i was alot slower this time since my whole body ached, especially my butt.
the best part of going back is the remaining 1hour. my face practically brightened when i saw the same same tunnel that was the Point of No Return, where i decided to continue the journey and not give up.. i knew i was near home and i was cycling with new-found energy and such high motivation! and i realized why the 1st part of the journey was horrible that i nearly gave up, it was UPhill all the way.. so this final part was a breezeeee as i didn't even need to pedal all the way!! and the sun was setting in Bristol so i was sort of cycling downhill towards the sunset in the cold weather.. best feeling ever.
the finishing point..
yes, we are very impressed with ourselves. cycling from 1015am-545pm, 32 miles, from 1 city to another.
that night we had a delicious homecook meal
thanks to peilian who cooked the dinner, and thanks to beetee for sponsoring breakfast+sandwiches+dinner & a roof over our heads.
now that i am talking about food, i just had a heavy delicious homecook meal on Sunday night as well.. how lucky since i am already so tired and aching from Saturday's cycling trip..
thanks to ashie fatiha yinhui and kasya for the delicious meal, and thanks to everyone else for the company as well. funny to be back at home in london where life returns to normal when just yesterday i was struggling on a bicycle for 5 hours between 2 cities under the rain and hailstones..
such a pretty path isn't it? maybe for an evening stroll, but back then it was torturous to see such a long monotonous road that was never-ending..
watching the herd of cows on our way back to Bristol.. i was really really tired and aching then, but peilian reminded me to sit down, rest, and take in the view, and so that's what we did.. it was really the ultimate stressbuster from the worries of clinics, lab works, angry tutors, reports and presentations..
but perhaps next time, Ben & Jerry's cookies & cream instead?
After all, it doesn't make sense:-
Train from Bristol to Bath with Young Persons Railcard: £3.90 return taking 11 minutes per way.
Cycle from Bristol to Bath: £12 for a whole day ride with £50 deposit, taking up to 2.5hours per way (with our pace.. but its normally 1.5hours i suppose)
"Hey, its the Journey that counts, right?" well, i had to agree.. and that was one decision that i wish i have given much more thought to.. but now that i am home in one piece, here's how the story goes..
We took the Bristol and Bath Railway Path which is route 4 all along the way, it's clear and easy to follow. It says in the site that its a 13miles journey (not too bad huh, i did 26miles for London Bikeathon 2007 within like 4 hours or so.. very slow i know coz i fell and injured myself badly but that's another story..) its NOT true cause after looking at the signboards along the way showing:
Bath <- 10 , Bristol -> 6
Bath <-9 , Bristol -> 7
its kinda obvious 10+6 = 9+7 = 16 miles one way, not 13!!! so that's 32miles return!!! extra 6 miles added just like that! i felt pretty much cheated.. feels like buying groceries that showed a higher price at the check-out counter which you can insist 'Thats Not the Price displayed at the aisle, i Dont want it'.. but how can u turn back when u are already half way cycling?? jeezz.... 52 kilometres cycling.. ouchhhhhhhhhhhhh...
the starting pointa metal bridge behind Temple Meeds Station, Bristol
the blue signboard that we follow all the way, we already took a while to cycle to here and as you can see it already showed 15miles to Bath.. chis! fortunately that time i didn't know the 15 meant the number of miles, only found out much later, thank goodness, if not i would be sooo demotivated.
our 1st rest stop. sandwich time.well, i must confess, out of us 3 (2 girls and 1 guy) cycling, i was the slowest aka. rate determining step.. the rest were way ahead and had to stop a couple of times for me to catch up.. just goes to show how unfit i was. the first 1+hour/5 miles of the journey was the horribliest!
What i learn about cycling:
=wear really comfy attire unless u plan to cycle for 5 minutes only. i had a long coat and it was too tight on my shoulders.. as u can see in further pictures, i changed to a hoodie.
=legs MUST MUST be able to stretch to full length while cycling, even if it means your feet won't touch the ground when u brake. i didn't know this during the first 1.5hours or so and i was practically dying as my legs were so so soreeeee.. only when i changed the seat height then i realized the difference of being able to cycle with full-leg-stretched! unfortunately, i was unable to brake properly cause my feet cant reach the ground.
=you gotta learn to use the gear, high for fast/downhills, slow for uphills or whichever way that suits u. it really helps!
=distraction. i was focusing on the miserable hilly paths and watching my friends race ahead. no fun. only when i had my music on with my favourite playlist that i can put my mind off cycling!
=be prepared for the UK weather. it was sunny like 3 times, rained another 3 times and hailstones 3 times throughout our journey! and what's worse, its cold, dark and very windy!!! as if the hills isn't bad enough to add to the resistance, the strong wind blowing against us has to contribute..
=legs MUST MUST be able to stretch to full length while cycling, even if it means your feet won't touch the ground when u brake. i didn't know this during the first 1.5hours or so and i was practically dying as my legs were so so soreeeee.. only when i changed the seat height then i realized the difference of being able to cycle with full-leg-stretched! unfortunately, i was unable to brake properly cause my feet cant reach the ground.
=you gotta learn to use the gear, high for fast/downhills, slow for uphills or whichever way that suits u. it really helps!
=distraction. i was focusing on the miserable hilly paths and watching my friends race ahead. no fun. only when i had my music on with my favourite playlist that i can put my mind off cycling!
=be prepared for the UK weather. it was sunny like 3 times, rained another 3 times and hailstones 3 times throughout our journey! and what's worse, its cold, dark and very windy!!! as if the hills isn't bad enough to add to the resistance, the strong wind blowing against us has to contribute..
the turning point at the tunnel.. as u can see here i was pretty tired and wet as well (it was raining) although it was only 1hour, my 2 concerned friends who were waiting for me asked if i wanted to continue..i refuse to be defeated.. if i can conqure Mt Kinabalu and cycle 26miles for London Bikeathon, there's no stopping me! i even refused to stop under the tunnel for shelter as i want to get it over with even if that meant cycling under the rain! (it is quite heavy)
and so, i said that we shall continue this journey. therefore i shall call this tunnel the Point of No Return.
rained stopped, comfy hoodie on, leg stretched, music on and my friends were cycling behind me instead allowing me to go first.. all this contributed to a much better cycling journey from then on..
a picture with the train. we had to stop and crossover to the other side of the tracks.
i would say, the rest of the journey to Bath was.. Fantastic!+changing to high gear and paddling even harder when going downhill to double the momentum and standing up while allowing momentum+gravity to do their wonders.. weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! such an exhilarating feeling!
+superb view of the outskirts, farms, fields, hills..
+cycling along the train tracks, watching them go choo choo.. won't race ya!
+over and under bridges
+along peaceful neighbourhoods and housing areas
+trying to overtake a herd of cows in a farm (my favourite part, only because they were the only living creatures i could overtake..*gasp* )
+even racing with a little boy! (picture above) he was damn energetic!
it took us 2hours40mins to reach Bath, what a relief!! unfortunately we weren't so welcomed in Bath, it was raining ice/hailstones. as you can see there's bits of ice on my sleeve! not the warmest welcome.
views around Bath City and outside the Roman Bath
we had mango ice cream in a gelato place, supposedly the best italian ice cream. i forgot the name of this place.
then we had to go to this Sally Luns.. what is so great about this bakery that has a signboard of its own next to the Bath Spa? i had to investigate..
oh.. the oldest house in bath, home of the world famous Sally Lunn Buns.. there's more than 1 floor and a looooong queue outside. even the kitchen is turned into a museum. impressive.
we had our afternoon tea-break: soup with sally lunn bun and bacon+chicken sandwiches. the bun is soft and has a nice-crumblish crust, but i still don't know why its that special. the waitresses were wearing traditional aprons though. pretty!
then it was goodbye to Bath after just less than 2hours.. we had to get back before it gets dark.
i must say, most of the journey home was horrible coz we were already tired and for me, i didn't have much motivation. another 16miles of cycling with sore legs and a really painful ass? not fun.however, unlike going there with 2 lunchbreaks +3 5mins-breaks, i only stopped ONCE, after an hour of cycling to rest & enjoy the view while a train choochoos past. i finished the next 1.5hours straight without stopping. oddly enough it was the same time getting there, perhaps i was alot slower this time since my whole body ached, especially my butt.
the best part of going back is the remaining 1hour. my face practically brightened when i saw the same same tunnel that was the Point of No Return, where i decided to continue the journey and not give up.. i knew i was near home and i was cycling with new-found energy and such high motivation! and i realized why the 1st part of the journey was horrible that i nearly gave up, it was UPhill all the way.. so this final part was a breezeeee as i didn't even need to pedal all the way!! and the sun was setting in Bristol so i was sort of cycling downhill towards the sunset in the cold weather.. best feeling ever.
the finishing point..
yes, we are very impressed with ourselves. cycling from 1015am-545pm, 32 miles, from 1 city to another.
that night we had a delicious homecook mealthanks to peilian who cooked the dinner, and thanks to beetee for sponsoring breakfast+sandwiches+dinner & a roof over our heads.
now that i am talking about food, i just had a heavy delicious homecook meal on Sunday night as well.. how lucky since i am already so tired and aching from Saturday's cycling trip..thanks to ashie fatiha yinhui and kasya for the delicious meal, and thanks to everyone else for the company as well. funny to be back at home in london where life returns to normal when just yesterday i was struggling on a bicycle for 5 hours between 2 cities under the rain and hailstones..
such a pretty path isn't it? maybe for an evening stroll, but back then it was torturous to see such a long monotonous road that was never-ending..normally during such a journey i would complain like hell (just like climbing Mt Kinabalu, i kept wondering why can't i just watch Astro at home instead?) when the going gets tough, but at the end of the day once the storm is over and the rainbow shines, i am just glad and proud that i pushed through and made it in the end, plus its OVER.. even my friends said it was a good thing i pushed on at the tunnel aka the Point of No Return..
now i can say "Yes, i cycled from Bristol to Bath and back under the sun, rain, wind and hailstones for 5 hours.. that's 32 miles.." but there's one thing for sure (also just like climbing Mt K)...
now i can say "Yes, i cycled from Bristol to Bath and back under the sun, rain, wind and hailstones for 5 hours.. that's 32 miles.." but there's one thing for sure (also just like climbing Mt K)...
Never Again.
watching the herd of cows on our way back to Bristol.. i was really really tired and aching then, but peilian reminded me to sit down, rest, and take in the view, and so that's what we did.. it was really the ultimate stressbuster from the worries of clinics, lab works, angry tutors, reports and presentations..but perhaps next time, Ben & Jerry's cookies & cream instead?
Sunday, 29 March 2009
escape. again.
the past 2 weeks of lecture with presentation and test were heavy, but not as much as the throbbing headache for the upcoming week (as i mentioned before) that resulted in only 2 hours sleep.
great view.
wonderful company.
and a really, really crazy time.
where am i?
perhaps sometimes it doesnt really matter where i go, what i see or what i eat.. as long as my mind escapes the worries of tomorrow. and i can smile again.
after all, there's no point worrying, right?
i need an escape.
a stressbuster.
a stressbuster.
and i found it.
great view.wonderful company.
and a really, really crazy time.
where am i?perhaps sometimes it doesnt really matter where i go, what i see or what i eat.. as long as my mind escapes the worries of tomorrow. and i can smile again.
after all, there's no point worrying, right?
Saturday, 28 March 2009
*headache*
hmm. another 3-blogpost-in-1day. there's so much stuff nagging me regarding next week i need to let it out before my headache gets more massive.
+i doublebooked patients next week (meaning i booked in patients when i am not suppose to, i am suppose to help nurse) not one, not two, but 3 whole sessions. i feel worried of how the tutors are going to scold me, i feel bad towards my partner who wouldn't get his fair share of help from me since he hardly doublebooked into my sessions (sometimes he's just doesnt come in, but at least he doesnt occupy dental chairs or steal tutor's precious time) and i feel horrible for having to cancel 3 patients who have swapped shift or taken the day off to come in. the email just went about that it is unacceptable to doublebook that patients could even be sent home without being seen. of coz, dental students get into trouble as well.
+monday 9.30am: patient 1 just needs a review. i've been calling her whole day but i can't get through to her. i guess if by sunday i cant get her, i'll just have to take the risk. i can imagine tutor 1 being not-too-happy.
+monday 11.00am: patient 2 is the only patient not double booked. however i am suppose to do a piezograph technique which noone in my group has done and even tutor 1 says she doesn't know it. (more dental jargons to come). apparently i need to clear his lower baseplate of wax, check if it fits, mold with viscogel and get patient to talk & swallow, send to the lab and cast it up (thats 40mins to set); once that's done, check if the upper baseplate fits, get the upper and lower to right in angle, plane and they sit on each other, mark midlines & canine lines, measure face height and freeway space, get occlusal bite registration, get facebow jaw registration, make a replica of present dentures (also 40mins to set) and take the tooth shade. soooo many things to do within 1.5hours. and how can i expect my nurse to be there to help me when i wont be there to help him all week? *headache* making dentures is easy. making dentures that fits a totally toothless patient, not easy.
+any extra free time this week needs to be spent in the lab (that's like 9-5pm ) setting teeth for the edentulous (completely no teeth) patient 2. i'll be lucky if it can be done before easter.
+monday 3.30pm: patient 3, another review, but tutor2 was upset at how i have poor patient attendance and he was satisfied when i explain i would doublebook to make up lost sessions, so i think i can escape.
+tuesday 2.00pm: patient 4, yet another review and tutor3 isn't too strict. but this time my partner needs my help the whole 3hours and he asked me i could reschedule. besides, there is a high risk of no dental chair. i haven't reviewed this patient for a year (suppose to be seen witin 4-6weeks!) because he can't make it alllll the time but for this particular day he managed to swap shifts to come. he can't unswap it now. if i dont see him, he risks getting discharged from the hospital. how could i tell him the session that his session is cancelled?
+thursday 1.30pm: oral surgery presentation. well, if i am doing it with yinhui, i dont mind, but she's not around and i am afraid to face any questions alone from tutors and peers post-presentation.
+friday 9.15am: paediatrics case presentation. another headache since there's some details i need to present which i don't know, so i got the patient 30mins in earlier so i can quickly sneakpeak into his mouth for some info before presenting him in front of not 1 but 2 tutors. please dont fail me.
+paediatrics case report 1 from the above presentation due. 600-1000words.
+paediatrics case report 2 about fissure sealant also due. 600words & a table.
+appointment with occupation health delayed due to extra lectures. need to get that form signed and sent to the elective tutor for form. which reminds me, essay for electives due right after easter break. 600words. i hate paper work.
+easter trip in exactly 1.5 weeks, but airtickets have not arrived. can't risk my phonebill calling them up for it, can it? or risk the whole trip?
+need to change £ to €. is £1000 enough for 11days?
+oh yes, borrow library book so i know where to travel..
haih.. so many things to juggle in 5 working days that its bugging me day and night in addition with my money/diet problems. should i regret leaving some stuff to the last minute that they all stack up so high suddenly, burying me under? i cant wait for next friday evening, that means at least 95% of the above burden should be off my shoulder. it must be.
other university courses might be tough, studying mountain-high-stacks of books or doing 10k-words assignments every few months, but i feel, although our coursework isnt as heavy, juggling with real patients who have their own problems and being responsible for not only their teeth but the whole oral health of patient, and struggling to meet requirements while doing that, isn't another easier. no way.
ok, now that i let it out, time to enjoy the weekend. will get back to this stack of mess on sunday night.. i think.
+i doublebooked patients next week (meaning i booked in patients when i am not suppose to, i am suppose to help nurse) not one, not two, but 3 whole sessions. i feel worried of how the tutors are going to scold me, i feel bad towards my partner who wouldn't get his fair share of help from me since he hardly doublebooked into my sessions (sometimes he's just doesnt come in, but at least he doesnt occupy dental chairs or steal tutor's precious time) and i feel horrible for having to cancel 3 patients who have swapped shift or taken the day off to come in. the email just went about that it is unacceptable to doublebook that patients could even be sent home without being seen. of coz, dental students get into trouble as well.
+monday 9.30am: patient 1 just needs a review. i've been calling her whole day but i can't get through to her. i guess if by sunday i cant get her, i'll just have to take the risk. i can imagine tutor 1 being not-too-happy.
+monday 11.00am: patient 2 is the only patient not double booked. however i am suppose to do a piezograph technique which noone in my group has done and even tutor 1 says she doesn't know it. (more dental jargons to come). apparently i need to clear his lower baseplate of wax, check if it fits, mold with viscogel and get patient to talk & swallow, send to the lab and cast it up (thats 40mins to set); once that's done, check if the upper baseplate fits, get the upper and lower to right in angle, plane and they sit on each other, mark midlines & canine lines, measure face height and freeway space, get occlusal bite registration, get facebow jaw registration, make a replica of present dentures (also 40mins to set) and take the tooth shade. soooo many things to do within 1.5hours. and how can i expect my nurse to be there to help me when i wont be there to help him all week? *headache* making dentures is easy. making dentures that fits a totally toothless patient, not easy.
+any extra free time this week needs to be spent in the lab (that's like 9-5pm ) setting teeth for the edentulous (completely no teeth) patient 2. i'll be lucky if it can be done before easter.
+monday 3.30pm: patient 3, another review, but tutor2 was upset at how i have poor patient attendance and he was satisfied when i explain i would doublebook to make up lost sessions, so i think i can escape.
+tuesday 2.00pm: patient 4, yet another review and tutor3 isn't too strict. but this time my partner needs my help the whole 3hours and he asked me i could reschedule. besides, there is a high risk of no dental chair. i haven't reviewed this patient for a year (suppose to be seen witin 4-6weeks!) because he can't make it alllll the time but for this particular day he managed to swap shifts to come. he can't unswap it now. if i dont see him, he risks getting discharged from the hospital. how could i tell him the session that his session is cancelled?
+thursday 1.30pm: oral surgery presentation. well, if i am doing it with yinhui, i dont mind, but she's not around and i am afraid to face any questions alone from tutors and peers post-presentation.
+friday 9.15am: paediatrics case presentation. another headache since there's some details i need to present which i don't know, so i got the patient 30mins in earlier so i can quickly sneakpeak into his mouth for some info before presenting him in front of not 1 but 2 tutors. please dont fail me.
+paediatrics case report 1 from the above presentation due. 600-1000words.
+paediatrics case report 2 about fissure sealant also due. 600words & a table.
+appointment with occupation health delayed due to extra lectures. need to get that form signed and sent to the elective tutor for form. which reminds me, essay for electives due right after easter break. 600words. i hate paper work.
+easter trip in exactly 1.5 weeks, but airtickets have not arrived. can't risk my phonebill calling them up for it, can it? or risk the whole trip?
+need to change £ to €. is £1000 enough for 11days?
+oh yes, borrow library book so i know where to travel..
haih.. so many things to juggle in 5 working days that its bugging me day and night in addition with my money/diet problems. should i regret leaving some stuff to the last minute that they all stack up so high suddenly, burying me under? i cant wait for next friday evening, that means at least 95% of the above burden should be off my shoulder. it must be.
other university courses might be tough, studying mountain-high-stacks of books or doing 10k-words assignments every few months, but i feel, although our coursework isnt as heavy, juggling with real patients who have their own problems and being responsible for not only their teeth but the whole oral health of patient, and struggling to meet requirements while doing that, isn't another easier. no way.
ok, now that i let it out, time to enjoy the weekend. will get back to this stack of mess on sunday night.. i think.
Friday, 27 March 2009
Fresh from the Oven
it was just another day for me, but i didn't realize it was the turning point for a few hundreds in my uni. today is the day the final medics results were out.
it was only when i was passing through the hospital i overheard screamings of "We Passed!!" "We are doctors now!" "Noone can take that away from us!" "WOw!"
how jealous.. and i noticed that i wasn't the only one, other onlookers like overworked construction workers and hospitalized patients on wheelchairs were also watching them as they screamed "Today is the HAPPIEST day of my life!!" in the hospital.
don't mean to be a wet blanket but perhaps celebrate it somewhere else? sounds like i am a sore loser, huh?
on a lighter note, ConGratuLations, Fresh New Doctors!! time flies, doesn't it? funny how i could still remember childish memories of college/1st/2nd years like it wasnt too long ago.. *giggles*
part of me wishes to stay as a worry-&-responsible-free-university-student-having-the-best-time-of-her-life while the other part wishes to have a scroll in one hand as well after studying for 19 years now (since kindergarten!) ..
wonder how it feels?
15months to go, Gambate to my batch! i hope to see everyone (and myself!!) at the finishing line! *fingers crossed*
it was only when i was passing through the hospital i overheard screamings of "We Passed!!" "We are doctors now!" "Noone can take that away from us!" "WOw!"
how jealous.. and i noticed that i wasn't the only one, other onlookers like overworked construction workers and hospitalized patients on wheelchairs were also watching them as they screamed "Today is the HAPPIEST day of my life!!" in the hospital.
don't mean to be a wet blanket but perhaps celebrate it somewhere else? sounds like i am a sore loser, huh?
on a lighter note, ConGratuLations, Fresh New Doctors!! time flies, doesn't it? funny how i could still remember childish memories of college/1st/2nd years like it wasnt too long ago.. *giggles*
part of me wishes to stay as a worry-&-responsible-free-university-student-having-the-best-time-of-her-life while the other part wishes to have a scroll in one hand as well after studying for 19 years now (since kindergarten!) ..wonder how it feels?
15months to go, Gambate to my batch! i hope to see everyone (and myself!!) at the finishing line! *fingers crossed*
Sweet Late Surprise
i got this in my mail today..
essential information? from lastminute.com?har? what? why?
it says Dear Helen..Congratulations, you are about to be experienced
2 Mini Beauty Treatments at a Beauty Group Salon ...etc..
i thought it's a spam/junkmail, like "Congrats You are a Winner but please submit £10 to claim" etc.. but i've never gotten a junkmail from lastminute.com before..
then there was this voucher..
i thought it's a spam/junkmail, like "Congrats You are a Winner but please submit £10 to claim" etc.. but i've never gotten a junkmail from lastminute.com before..
then there was this voucher..
it's only when i saw the message then i realized.. Ooh! a belated Valentine's Day gift- 2 Mini Beauty Treatments at a Beauty Group Salon, it says choose 2 out of 6 treatments from 50 salons nationwide: pedicure, manicure, waxing, tanning, massage or facial..is this for real??? yippeeeee!! but, from who? there was no name anywhere, so whoever it is, please let me know so i can thank you personally, what a great cheer-up in the midst of
Thursday, 26 March 2009
Underweight Role Models?
i was searching for the BMI of jessica alba and found it at diet.com in one of the posts was about celebrity BMIs.
(BMI healthy weight range is 18.5 to 24.9)
Cameron Diaz
Height: 5ft 9in
Weight: 8st 13lb
BMI: 18.5 - cutting healthy
Victoria Beckham
Height: 5ft 6in
Weight: 6st 8lb
BMI: 15.3 - underweight
Kelly Brook
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 8st 4lb
BMI: 17.9 - underweight
Jordan (Katie Price)
Height: 5ft 5in
Weight: 7st 3lb
BMI: 17 - underweight
Lindsay Lohan
Height: 5ft 6in
Weight: 8st
BMI: 18 - underweight
Nicole Richie
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 6st 4lb
BMI: 17 - underweight
Beyoncé Knowles
Height: 5ft 6in
Weight: 9st 9lb
BMI: 23.1 - healthy
Angelina Jolie
Height: 5ft 7in
Weight: 7st
BMI: 15.3 - underweight
Jessica Alba
Height: 5ft 6in
Weight: 7st 9lb
BMI: 17.8 - underweight
Eva Longoria
Height: 5ft 2in
Weight: 6st 11b
BMI: 17.4 - underweight
Jennifer Lopez
Height: 5ft 6in
Weight: 8st 6lb
BMI: 20 - healthy
Mariah Carey
Height: 5ft 9in
Weight: 11st 4lb
BMI 23.2 - healthy
Tyra Banks
Height: 5ft 10in
Weight: 11st 4lb
BMI 23 - healthy
I doubted these figures because... Angelina Jolie is 15.3 with all those curves, the same BMI as skinny Vic Beck?? i had to re-google Angelina's BMI, and found another list at dietdetective.com on post-pregnancy weightloss.
angelina jolie: bmi 14-15??
jessica alba: bmi 17.8
eva longoria: bmi 17.4
(BMI healthy weight range is 18.5 to 24.9)
Cameron Diaz
Height: 5ft 9in
Weight: 8st 13lb
BMI: 18.5 - cutting healthy
Victoria Beckham
Height: 5ft 6in
Weight: 6st 8lb
BMI: 15.3 - underweight
Kelly Brook
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 8st 4lb
BMI: 17.9 - underweight
Jordan (Katie Price)
Height: 5ft 5in
Weight: 7st 3lb
BMI: 17 - underweight
Lindsay Lohan
Height: 5ft 6in
Weight: 8st
BMI: 18 - underweight
Nicole Richie
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 6st 4lb
BMI: 17 - underweight
Beyoncé Knowles
Height: 5ft 6in
Weight: 9st 9lb
BMI: 23.1 - healthy
Angelina Jolie
Height: 5ft 7in
Weight: 7st
BMI: 15.3 - underweight
Jessica Alba
Height: 5ft 6in
Weight: 7st 9lb
BMI: 17.8 - underweight
Eva Longoria
Height: 5ft 2in
Weight: 6st 11b
BMI: 17.4 - underweight
Jennifer Lopez
Height: 5ft 6in
Weight: 8st 6lb
BMI: 20 - healthy
Mariah Carey
Height: 5ft 9in
Weight: 11st 4lb
BMI 23.2 - healthy
Tyra Banks
Height: 5ft 10in
Weight: 11st 4lb
BMI 23 - healthy
I doubted these figures because... Angelina Jolie is 15.3 with all those curves, the same BMI as skinny Vic Beck?? i had to re-google Angelina's BMI, and found another list at dietdetective.com on post-pregnancy weightloss.
TORI SPELLING
Lost: 30 pounds in 8 months
BMI: At 5’6” and 109 pounds, her BMI is 17.6 (UNDERWEIGHT)
ANGELINA JOLIE
Lost: 39 pounds in 18 months
BMI: At 5’8” and 96 pounds, her BMI is 14.6 (HOLY-CRAP UNDERWEIGHT)
BRIDGET MOYNAHAN
Lost: 25 pounds in 3 months
BMI: At 5’9” and 125 pounds, her BMI is 18.5 (NORMAL)
SAMANTHA HARRIS
Lost: almost 30 pounds in 3 weeks (YIKES!)
BMI: At around 5’4” and 115 pounds, her BMI is 19.7 (NORMAL)
*Could be off by an inch or so—but she’s around Cheryl Burke’s height.
JULIA ROBERTS
Lost: 45 pounds in 5 months
BMI: At 5’9” and 130 pounds, her BMI is 19.2 (NORMAL)
NAOMI WATTS
Lost: 30 pounds in 4 months
BMI: At 5’5” and 115 pounds, her BMI is 19.1 (NORMAL)
JAMIE PRESSLY
Lost: 29 pounds in 6 months
BMI: At 5’5” and 118 pounds, her BMI is 19.6 (NORMAL)
HEIDI KLUM
Lost: 25 pounds in 13 months
BMI: At 5’9” and 120 pounds, her BMI is 17.7 (UNDERWEIGHT)
GERI HALLIWELL
Lost: 26 pounds in 18 months
BMI: At 5’2” and 104 pounds, her BMI is 19 (NORMAL)
GWEN STEFANI
Lost: 30 pounds in 15 months
BMI: At 5’6” and 115 pounds, her BMI is 18.6 (NORMAL)
i guess, i am hugely disappointed cause all this while i was thinking that curves/proportionate-body is more important than bmi/weight, only to discover that my top3-favourite-body-idols are actually underweight.. people would call me crazy if i dare say i want a bmi18 when they are actually ogling celebs of bmi 14-17 themselves!! they don't looks sickly thin though, so being very thin doesn't mean u loose ur curves after all, or wait, did they go under the blade? perhaps different people have different body shapes, full stop.
haih, i am confused now...
angelina jolie: bmi 14-15??
jessica alba: bmi 17.8
eva longoria: bmi 17.4the silent enemy
yes, that enemy sitting silently in the corner of my room,the digital weighing scale
its odd to hear words 'count & cut calories, diet, loss weight, exercise etc' from everyone's mouth other than my own when all this while i was the only one preaching these. i could see how it got everyone else depressed like how i was depressed in the past. i am quite numb to it now, although i feel guilty for robbing ppl's happiness in a way, now making them think they are fat. "sell if offfff!!!" someone told me. soon i can create a helen's-digital-weighing-scale-hate-club.
even underweight/non-dieters also affected with all the dieting talk, but isn't that better than the other way round? all along i am surrounded by underweight/non-dietings eating everything in front of me! more depressing, k?? but i didn't mean to spread the diet-disease and recruit ppl to my depressing-dieting-world.. *oops* well, thankfully i am not in the deepest end of that world now, although not fully out of it..
only consolation is someone who used 3 machines said mine shown the heaviest cause X was 55 on 1 machine, 56 on another but 57.7 kgs on mine. perhaps my machine was being cruel to be kind? whatever it is, life shouldn't rely on 3 digits, but look who's talking? (looking back on What determines your day?) ..
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
internal or external beauty?
to be the prettiest girl
to be the most talented
not to be the most reserved
or to have the prettiest heart
perhaps everyone can gasp and stand in awe to see a pretty or a talented girl but only a tiny few would catch a glimpse of a pretty heart.. but does it feel the same to have 10 guys telling u that u have a beautiful face, compared to 1 guy who says u have a beautiful Heart?
to be the most talented
not to be the most reserved
or to have the prettiest heart
perhaps everyone can gasp and stand in awe to see a pretty or a talented girl but only a tiny few would catch a glimpse of a pretty heart.. but does it feel the same to have 10 guys telling u that u have a beautiful face, compared to 1 guy who says u have a beautiful Heart?
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
ouchy Ouchy OUCHY!!!
when i blogged my 2nd ouchy-ouchy blogpost this afternoon, the thought 'things happen in 3s' crossed my mind but i pushed it away... and at 11.10pm tonight, i got my 3rd ouchy..
they say friday the 13th is unlucky, well for me it seems to be monday the 23rd.. and tomorrow we would be having practical sessions in the microbiology laboratory about infection, bacteria and the sorts, an open wound is not what i had in mind to bring to the session.. hurry up, wound-healing cascade, get those platelets working!! *grumbles*
they say friday the 13th is unlucky, well for me it seems to be monday the 23rd.. and tomorrow we would be having practical sessions in the microbiology laboratory about infection, bacteria and the sorts, an open wound is not what i had in mind to bring to the session.. hurry up, wound-healing cascade, get those platelets working!! *grumbles*ouchy Ouchy!
i can't believe my misfortune today, 2 ouchy blogposts in 1 day.. two christmases ago i went skiing and broke my snow globe (the pic of my 1st snowglobe at the bottom) and i asked my friend who went to La Plagne last christmas to buy me another.. and i broke THAT snow globe!! *sniff2*
why oh why did i put a snow globe by the window?
why oh why did it smash onto the radiator and break into pieces onto my bed?? not only is it wet and dirty now, there's pieces of broken glass all over..
why oh why didn't i make my bed this morning, then only the top layer aka. duvet would be wet and covered with glass.. now everything on my bed like my duvet, bedsheets and my pillows, each are damp and have bits and pieces of glass..
what's more all i wanted before the mishap was to close the curtains to have a crucial 30minutes nap before the next 3hours-lectures-marathon in the afternoon.. now sleeping on my bed is like walking in a minefield..
why oh why did i prick myself while removing everything?
after cleaning the mess and stripping my bedsheets, 2 duvets and 5 pillows (yes i like lots of cushioning, just not in my tummy) i had only 15mins left to nap and it will be gone if i start putting new sheets on now! sungguh tak puas hati! i know i will doze off in lectures if i don't get my power nap now!!
good old sleeping bag, i just threw it onto my naked bed for my quick 15mins nap. and i am proud to say i was awake for the next 3hours while my friend sitting next to me had her head bobbing up and down and her notepad filled with illegible scribblings that ended with descending long wormy lines..
typical lecture symptoms.
my bed with new sheets after lectures. 1 bedsheet, 1 duvet and 1 pillow. sudah insaf, keep it simple now. i told my friend about my 2nd broken snow globe and what did she say?
"well, that just means you need to go La Plagne skiing againnn this Christmas!" hmph..
why oh why??
why oh why did i put a snow globe by the window?
why oh why did it smash onto the radiator and break into pieces onto my bed?? not only is it wet and dirty now, there's pieces of broken glass all over..why oh why didn't i make my bed this morning, then only the top layer aka. duvet would be wet and covered with glass.. now everything on my bed like my duvet, bedsheets and my pillows, each are damp and have bits and pieces of glass..
what's more all i wanted before the mishap was to close the curtains to have a crucial 30minutes nap before the next 3hours-lectures-marathon in the afternoon.. now sleeping on my bed is like walking in a minefield..
why oh why did i prick myself while removing everything?after cleaning the mess and stripping my bedsheets, 2 duvets and 5 pillows (yes i like lots of cushioning, just not in my tummy) i had only 15mins left to nap and it will be gone if i start putting new sheets on now! sungguh tak puas hati! i know i will doze off in lectures if i don't get my power nap now!!
good old sleeping bag, i just threw it onto my naked bed for my quick 15mins nap. and i am proud to say i was awake for the next 3hours while my friend sitting next to me had her head bobbing up and down and her notepad filled with illegible scribblings that ended with descending long wormy lines..typical lecture symptoms.
my bed with new sheets after lectures. 1 bedsheet, 1 duvet and 1 pillow. sudah insaf, keep it simple now. i told my friend about my 2nd broken snow globe and what did she say?"well, that just means you need to go La Plagne skiing againnn this Christmas!" hmph..
Monday, 23 March 2009
ouchy
my most expensive phone bill.. no more no more!!!need to invest more money into fruits & veges instead.
on a lighter note: countdown 16 more days for my parents to visit for easter, then i can run away from the stresses of money/diet/clinics/bored&lonely for a while and get to travel/eat/be-loved by mummy & daddy! best combo ever. mummy daddy, faster come! :(
not again..
yo-yo diet sucks. i've been there so i keep tell myself 'healthy living is the way to go!' although my brain automatically counts calories anyway.
unfortunately weekends after weekends after weekends of binging ever since my food-marathon in early january (not to forget my trips to norway and turkey in december) ...all the way till now, has resulted in a turn for the worst no matter how i try to ignore it, hiding my weighing scale on the highest cupboard or in the furthest corner under the bed. its like the return of a nightmare.
i would say i was happy for the past few months eating n eating.. but after tonight's chicken rice, i was slapped hard again. i know what i should do, the same same advises of 'more fruits and veges, control portion, don take sugary stuff, exercise 3x a week, more active, wholemeal, low fat, no carbs, skimmed, more protein, count calories, keep a food diary, find a dietbuddy, no food after 8pm, dont omit but switch to healthier alternative, treat urself during weekends, eat many small meals not 3 big meals, dont starve urself, buy colourful variety, dont give in to cravings, dont be an emotional eater, try pilates yoga aerobics dancing jogging bla bla bla bla bla'.. i can memorize them all after reading 1001 websites on losing weight, and they say the same same things. no offence, friends, i appreciate the advices, but i know how i (aka. my body) work, and all these? not really working because they don't tackle the root of my problem.
i know what my problem is. motivation. and then ppl start asking 'WHY do u want to lose weight?' perhaps its easier if u have a boy to impress or a bikini to show off.
so the question now is, should i compromise happiness to be thin? that would mean no more trying new foodie places? happy to eat or happy to be thin.. that is the question..
unfortunately weekends after weekends after weekends of binging ever since my food-marathon in early january (not to forget my trips to norway and turkey in december) ...all the way till now, has resulted in a turn for the worst no matter how i try to ignore it, hiding my weighing scale on the highest cupboard or in the furthest corner under the bed. its like the return of a nightmare.
i would say i was happy for the past few months eating n eating.. but after tonight's chicken rice, i was slapped hard again. i know what i should do, the same same advises of 'more fruits and veges, control portion, don take sugary stuff, exercise 3x a week, more active, wholemeal, low fat, no carbs, skimmed, more protein, count calories, keep a food diary, find a dietbuddy, no food after 8pm, dont omit but switch to healthier alternative, treat urself during weekends, eat many small meals not 3 big meals, dont starve urself, buy colourful variety, dont give in to cravings, dont be an emotional eater, try pilates yoga aerobics dancing jogging bla bla bla bla bla'.. i can memorize them all after reading 1001 websites on losing weight, and they say the same same things. no offence, friends, i appreciate the advices, but i know how i (aka. my body) work, and all these? not really working because they don't tackle the root of my problem.
i know what my problem is. motivation. and then ppl start asking 'WHY do u want to lose weight?' perhaps its easier if u have a boy to impress or a bikini to show off.
so the question now is, should i compromise happiness to be thin? that would mean no more trying new foodie places? happy to eat or happy to be thin.. that is the question..
Sunday, 22 March 2009
Sugary Saturday again
i didn't make any plans at all this weekend thinking i'll just have a break and stay in. maybe i am just lazy, but some days i can make allllll the plans to go everywhere, and other days i am lazy to plan anything and rather grow moss in the room or tag-along people's plans. well, i just hate sunny weathers in the way that it makes it just impossible to stay indoors when the sun is shining so brightly.
my fren, ashie, told me she's going for a picnic with her friends at 1pm at Regent's Park, and she asked me along coz she knows how restless i am especially on sunny days.. so impulsively i decided tocrash join her picnic, only to be invited to another at 3pm at Hyde Park. Yippeee, not 1 but 2 picnics! funny how the good weather sorts of create plans for me without me trying.
me ashie ijah and liza.. thanks so much for welcoming me for the picnic+eateat+chitchat+gossipgossip+camwhoring :)
and the food we had ( what more i just ate a proper lunch before that and still munch nonstop!) waitrose belgian white & brown choc chip cookies, bihun goreng, tuna karipap, kek batik chocolate and seafood/egg sandwiches. i brought the last-minute fruits.. at least its healthy! =p thanks again for the foodies! Great fun!
kinda forgotten the time and only left for the next picnic at 4ishpm... although i was already at 1 corner of Hyde Park while the 2nd picnic was at the other corner, they decided to leave since its cold (brrrr.. temperature just dips suddenly once its evening..) Sorry guys, didnt mean to ffk you all, just goes to show i cant be greedy and attend all picnics!
well, aimless already, so ashie and i went to try the Lola cup cakes at Selfridges.. they had a promo for Mother's Day that if we buy anything in Lola we get a free Spoil-Mum choc cake as well! we decided to keep it till after dinner since we had already so much food. anyways the vanilla cupcake icing was sweeeet but the carrot cupcake was nice, the icing seemed like white chocolate and not too sweet. the free choc cake was good too.
dinner at Malaysia Kopi Tiam, Charing Cross just off chinatown.. tried char koay tiaw and ABC ice kacang.. the ckt was ok but has space for improvement, but the ABC *shakes head* well unfortunately ashie was allergic to nuts and it was covered in nuts.. it tastes artificially-sweet, perhaps coz of the santan, no cendol, and little jellies etc.. i must admit that i am usually not fussy, but for once, i dont like it. on a lighter note, the owner (i think, since he's an old man walking around chatting with customers) was friendly and asked if we wanted chopped chillies or sambal and we had sambal. it wasn't too bad. price was standard £5.50-£7+ depending on what u order. there's thai food too.
my fren, ashie, told me she's going for a picnic with her friends at 1pm at Regent's Park, and she asked me along coz she knows how restless i am especially on sunny days.. so impulsively i decided to
me ashie ijah and liza.. thanks so much for welcoming me for the picnic+eateat+chitchat+gossipgossip+camwhoring :)
and the food we had ( what more i just ate a proper lunch before that and still munch nonstop!) waitrose belgian white & brown choc chip cookies, bihun goreng, tuna karipap, kek batik chocolate and seafood/egg sandwiches. i brought the last-minute fruits.. at least its healthy! =p thanks again for the foodies! Great fun!kinda forgotten the time and only left for the next picnic at 4ishpm... although i was already at 1 corner of Hyde Park while the 2nd picnic was at the other corner, they decided to leave since its cold (brrrr.. temperature just dips suddenly once its evening..) Sorry guys, didnt mean to ffk you all, just goes to show i cant be greedy and attend all picnics!
well, aimless already, so ashie and i went to try the Lola cup cakes at Selfridges.. they had a promo for Mother's Day that if we buy anything in Lola we get a free Spoil-Mum choc cake as well! we decided to keep it till after dinner since we had already so much food. anyways the vanilla cupcake icing was sweeeet but the carrot cupcake was nice, the icing seemed like white chocolate and not too sweet. the free choc cake was good too.
dinner at Malaysia Kopi Tiam, Charing Cross just off chinatown.. tried char koay tiaw and ABC ice kacang.. the ckt was ok but has space for improvement, but the ABC *shakes head* well unfortunately ashie was allergic to nuts and it was covered in nuts.. it tastes artificially-sweet, perhaps coz of the santan, no cendol, and little jellies etc.. i must admit that i am usually not fussy, but for once, i dont like it. on a lighter note, the owner (i think, since he's an old man walking around chatting with customers) was friendly and asked if we wanted chopped chillies or sambal and we had sambal. it wasn't too bad. price was standard £5.50-£7+ depending on what u order. there's thai food too.i look back at all the sweeties i had besides fried bihun, char koay tiaw, karipap and sandwiches (doesnt even include my lunch) :
white+brown chocolate chips cookies . chocolate kek batik . choc sponge cake (that has choc icing!) . vanilla cup cake . carrot cup cake . ABC ice kacang . a bite of donut from the sample stand at Krispy Kreme . (did i mention that i had oreo ice cream milkshake and 3 tubs of frozen yoghurt on friday night?)
white+brown chocolate chips cookies . chocolate kek batik . choc sponge cake (that has choc icing!) . vanilla cup cake . carrot cup cake . ABC ice kacang . a bite of donut from the sample stand at Krispy Kreme . (did i mention that i had oreo ice cream milkshake and 3 tubs of frozen yoghurt on friday night?)
i think it's about time i refrain from internet AND sugary stuff as well till easter, how can i set a good example for patients as a dental student?? and let's not start on the weight gained! all because it was Sunny today!!!! if only it's some lousy weather, i would just stay in my room and study+do report+case presentation+be healthy without sweeties+save money.
maybe.
maybe.
Saturday, 21 March 2009
random but aimless
my neighbour, menaka, who was abit too-hyper today, came to my room several times from 530+ pm and made herself comfy on my bed. apparently she's really bored, and ashie dropped by an hour later after her grocery shopping.
7pm. we were discussing whether we should go out for dinner and where to go.
our choices were narrowed by :
=> nothing-else-but-briyani choices of whitechapel
=> not-willing-to-travel-by-bus-what-more-tube
=> walking-within-30mins
=> hungry-now-so-must-be-quick
=> low-budget
=> halal-only-or-seafood restrictions of ashie
=> my new it's-friday-so-no-meat curfew
we were down to practically => nothing, and back to square 1 of whether we should even go out to begin with.
8pm: we decided to go out. we walked to Rosa, Bricklane. It was full, so were the Shampan and Rootmaster which were nearby. Then we were on the to-go-or-not debates at Subway, Baraka, Spice Bar, Giraffe, Canteen, GBK, Wagamama etc and other places at Spitalfields.
9pm and still aimless
9.30pm finally we settled at Nandos. we were more lazy and frustrated than hungry actually. if we had just "Let's Go Nando's!" at 7pm, we would have eaten by 7.30pm (since it's just 10 mins away!) , not starting the meal at 9.30pm after walking half of whitechapel and bricklane.
the fickle-minded bored menaka and her natural fruit juice Chilly Billy Lolly.. can u see how evil she is?
the underweight ashie who For the First Time CAN eat chicken while I CAN'T! she's having chicken burger with fries.. she's happy to tell me in the face 'oh sorry cant share the chicken set with you..' savour it while u can, ash!
i settled with veggie burger (what else, no seafood =p) with rice and my favourite, bottomless frozen yoghurt. i had 3 big tubs in total. tastes like banana ice cream, and i love ice creams.
-for a note, Semangat Malaysia! only in whitechapel can you see a malay-chinese-indian combo walking aimlessly-
7pm. we were discussing whether we should go out for dinner and where to go.
our choices were narrowed by :
=> nothing-else-but-briyani choices of whitechapel
=> not-willing-to-travel-by-bus-what-more-tube
=> walking-within-30mins
=> hungry-now-so-must-be-quick
=> low-budget
=> halal-only-or-seafood restrictions of ashie
=> my new it's-friday-so-no-meat curfew
we were down to practically => nothing, and back to square 1 of whether we should even go out to begin with.
8pm: we decided to go out. we walked to Rosa, Bricklane. It was full, so were the Shampan and Rootmaster which were nearby. Then we were on the to-go-or-not debates at Subway, Baraka, Spice Bar, Giraffe, Canteen, GBK, Wagamama etc and other places at Spitalfields.
9pm and still aimless
9.30pm finally we settled at Nandos. we were more lazy and frustrated than hungry actually. if we had just "Let's Go Nando's!" at 7pm, we would have eaten by 7.30pm (since it's just 10 mins away!) , not starting the meal at 9.30pm after walking half of whitechapel and bricklane.
the fickle-minded bored menaka and her natural fruit juice Chilly Billy Lolly.. can u see how evil she is?the underweight ashie who For the First Time CAN eat chicken while I CAN'T! she's having chicken burger with fries.. she's happy to tell me in the face 'oh sorry cant share the chicken set with you..' savour it while u can, ash!
i settled with veggie burger (what else, no seafood =p) with rice and my favourite, bottomless frozen yoghurt. i had 3 big tubs in total. tastes like banana ice cream, and i love ice creams.
-for a note, Semangat Malaysia! only in whitechapel can you see a malay-chinese-indian combo walking aimlessly-
What a late dinner, took us 2.5 hours to eat dinner at somewhere 10mins walk away. we could have just walked to Covent Garden or something. I learnt that i dont mind being random as i naturally like to walk around and snap pictures or try out new places, but i dont like being random and totally aimless.
thanks again menaka for the scam to get us out of our warm rooms and make us walk 1.5hours in the cold for Nandinos menu. of coz she insisted that she helped us lose weight b4 we even eat. i guess that could be the only way u get me to exercise.. *grumbles*
thanks again menaka for the scam to get us out of our warm rooms and make us walk 1.5hours in the cold for Nandinos menu. of coz she insisted that she helped us lose weight b4 we even eat. i guess that could be the only way u get me to exercise.. *grumbles*
Friday, 20 March 2009
Dreamland
i had 7.5 hours of sleep last night, yet i woke up feeling like i didn't get any shuteye, leaving me more tired than before i went to bed..
my head were filled with dreams, lots of them, and i quickly scribbled them down knowing how memories of dreams disappear like perfume evaporating into thin air under the rays of the morning sun, leaving behind the scent of bewilderment.
just before i call it a night tonight, i saw the scribbled paper on the bedside table..
+being matchmaked by watching an orchestra with another university student, who apparently was as surprised as i am. i even remember watching down at the orchestra from a high balcony on the side, those few sofa seats that only the rich & famous could afford.
+eating at a kopitiam in malaysian with my friends when a black out occured so the fan stopped working and we were complaining how hot it was (it was day time, so no worries of the lights) then a guy came in to buy those snacks or drinks by the counter and my friends gushed about how leng chai he was. the next thing i did was to get up andflirt talk to him with my friends watching. funny thing is he is an angmo, and i don't fancy angmo that much.
+saw a wall of my house crack and about to crumble, and my family, neighbours and relatives quickly rushed in to grab whatever they could. i still wonder what was the one thing that i grab out of my house.
+waking up in my room to discover that my house was perfectly fine and it was a nightmare. another of those wake-up-from-a-dream-into-another-dream.
+a nurse taught me how to do stitches on some dummy. then it moved to an A&E scenario in a hospital room where i was left to save someone with that nurse. i still cant recall how i managed the situation, but i don't remember being panicky or lost.
the thing about dreams is, they kinda linked what happened during the day and create their own plot that u'll never think of. In real life, a friend invited me to an orchestra; i watched a series with a scene where the bf/gf were watching a play from the balcony seats; and i crossed path with this other university student... and TaDa! the rojak end-resulted in me and this guy watching an orchestra from the balcony together in dreamland.
i have yet to figure out how the rest of my dreams were conjured up, what more why i could dream that way.
sometimes i could just walk pass a certain person whom i did not communicate with and have no recollection of her/him after that but i could dream of this person later that night in funny scenarios! weird.. and i always complain how i cant remember stuff that i read and memorize for hours.. i think all my info is in my brain but just needs to be extracted in my sleep, not in the exam hall.
alas.. what adventures will i have tonite? and don't ask me to wash my feet, i already did and i still dream anyways.
my head were filled with dreams, lots of them, and i quickly scribbled them down knowing how memories of dreams disappear like perfume evaporating into thin air under the rays of the morning sun, leaving behind the scent of bewilderment.
just before i call it a night tonight, i saw the scribbled paper on the bedside table..
+being matchmaked by watching an orchestra with another university student, who apparently was as surprised as i am. i even remember watching down at the orchestra from a high balcony on the side, those few sofa seats that only the rich & famous could afford.
+eating at a kopitiam in malaysian with my friends when a black out occured so the fan stopped working and we were complaining how hot it was (it was day time, so no worries of the lights) then a guy came in to buy those snacks or drinks by the counter and my friends gushed about how leng chai he was. the next thing i did was to get up and
+saw a wall of my house crack and about to crumble, and my family, neighbours and relatives quickly rushed in to grab whatever they could. i still wonder what was the one thing that i grab out of my house.
+waking up in my room to discover that my house was perfectly fine and it was a nightmare. another of those wake-up-from-a-dream-into-another-dream.
+a nurse taught me how to do stitches on some dummy. then it moved to an A&E scenario in a hospital room where i was left to save someone with that nurse. i still cant recall how i managed the situation, but i don't remember being panicky or lost.
the thing about dreams is, they kinda linked what happened during the day and create their own plot that u'll never think of. In real life, a friend invited me to an orchestra; i watched a series with a scene where the bf/gf were watching a play from the balcony seats; and i crossed path with this other university student... and TaDa! the rojak end-resulted in me and this guy watching an orchestra from the balcony together in dreamland.
i have yet to figure out how the rest of my dreams were conjured up, what more why i could dream that way.
sometimes i could just walk pass a certain person whom i did not communicate with and have no recollection of her/him after that but i could dream of this person later that night in funny scenarios! weird.. and i always complain how i cant remember stuff that i read and memorize for hours.. i think all my info is in my brain but just needs to be extracted in my sleep, not in the exam hall.
alas.. what adventures will i have tonite? and don't ask me to wash my feet, i already did and i still dream anyways.
Pseudo-weekend
although yesterday was a Wednesday, with whole day lectures as normal, it is rather similar to a weekend cause i was out eating more than once.
finally i had the opportunity to try Rosa, the Thai restaurant at Bricklane, price-wise similar to the thai-version of Satay House but its rather canteen-styled as well. perhaps this is the new concept now. food-wise, not bad, starters on the expensive side from £5-8 but mains were relatively cheaper at £5.50-£9 or so. We had fishcakes & venison for starters, rice with king jumbo prawns & beef thai noodle soup for mains with coconut juice and pineapple juice for drinks. the coconut juice is rather artificial-tasting with tiny coconut shavings. took us 20mins to walk there, 30mins to order and eat and 20mins to get back so its catered for quick lunches.and thanks for the treat :)
in the evening a group of 9 of us were off to Cookies & Cream, the new dessert place next to Nandos at Whitechapel to celebrate foo's birthday. there's choc milkshakes, smoothies, ice creams, waffles, pancakes, brownies, cakes, fudges and hot drinks.verdict? ok lar.. not as pretty as Halaliano's, i didnt have the milkshakes so i wont know if its can be compared to Tinseltown's, but my friends said it was nice. and sitting in makes everything £0.50 more expensive, so just take-away next time?
One more thing, students get 10% off.
the gang, with the 'tai ko's at the nearer end of the table, a sarawakian and a sabahan.
and of coz, approaching midnight, a whole crew of girlsss (yes, no boys. i wonder why.) hid in terry's room to surprise foo. the picture on the upper left is a stillshot from my video of a 'surprised' foo (he just looks more confused i guess) and on the right, the sinful chocolate batik cake that sarene & melissa made. very chocolatey..yummmperhaps this has to be the last sinful thing i take.. the weighing scale doesn't seem friendly to my not-dieting lifestyle for the past few months.. *grumbles*
Wednesday, 18 March 2009
Self-inflicted?
yes, another boring random rant-a-tant. going to lectures 9-5 everyday has extinguish my creative flame.
last week i had 2 little cuts on my right knuckles, one on the middle and another on the ring finger.
the next day i got the 3rd cut on my index finger. this cut hurts the most since i use my right hand alot, like scrubbing the rice cooker or washing hands and using antibacterial wash between patients.
not long after that when i turned my right hand i found a new cut in the middle of my little finger.
i found the 5th cut on my thumb yesterday.. it was starting to get annoying, not that i am fussed about little cuts (totally ignored my first 4 cuts), but the fact that i have No Idea where i got these cuts and only discovered them when i am doing the dishes or washing my hair with new stings here and there.. half of them were discovered when its still freshly bleeding, yet i couldnt remember what i did last that caused it.with 5 tiny cuts on my right hand that look very similar to each other, i kept brainstorming the cause..
today i found my 6th cut on my left index finger instead, and its half-way healing so it could be older than that. only clue: the mini-cutter doesn't restrict to my right hand.yet to find the real cause of there 6 little cuts, my main suspect is somewhere in my handbag which i always rummage for my mobile or my keys, or among my notes, there's some sore crooked staple that is sticking out ready to give me my 7th cut within a week. i will find you, stupid mini-cutter, its not fun washing my hands & doing the dishes with the cuts, no matter how small or how many.
***3 hours later***
oh great, found my 7th cut on the same finger as my 3rd.tomoro is another longgg day! clinics maybe tiring, but sitting 9-5 everyday trying to digest even 10% of the lectures with only an hour to breathe in between & swallow ur lunch is not really my idea of time-out-from-clinics, which resulted in me just dazing off and wondering where these tiny cuts on my hands come from.. (with a possibility that i inflicted it on myself to stay awake in lectures?! *gosh!* and its only day 2 out of 10!!)
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