listless

In conjunction with this year's theme of happiness in small doses, I highlighted the antidotes for the frequent on-calls and crappy hospital life.

1. Good homemade food - more pasta and noodles recipes
2. Live band tracks in iPod. Like pakcik rock King's of Leon, abang James Morrison atau abang James Blunt.
3. Make someone happy everyday, especially the family.
4. Relationship with God.
5. Baby check - I used to hate this until recently it became the highlight of my day. Cuteness tak tertahan. Especially twin babies sleeping in one cot. Boleh tak nak bawak balik rumah please?
6. Some awesomeness like these chaps. 4 jejaka kacak berjiwa sensistif dan berjalan di Italy. Aku high on hormon gembira. Tak payah makan coklat sudah.



7. Cita-cita nak kawin dengan Jamie Oliver. Tiap-tiap kali post-call pasti perasaan ni datang. Mungkin sebab dia comot, pelat, selamba, lawak dan awesome. Aku pun tengok rancangan Jamie At Home dan perasan Jamie was at my home, masakkan hidangan sedap dan halal (just in case) untukku yang kepenatan post-call.

Ini adalah wishful thinking setelah bangun dari tidur yang lama. Will be back on-call in hospital in, let'see, 8 hours time. Boo...

the world of little people

Greetings people of the earth (and in betweens).

As expected, updates are slow once work resumed. As negatively anticipated, I've started my back to back killer on-calls of no sleep, attending coughing and vomiting kids, running to sectioned and meconium deliveries, squeezing babies hands and feet for bloods. Pure evil. I've calculated this - so almost 3-4 days in a week that I will be sleeping with my shoes and scarf on, bleep tucked to the scrubs collar for maximum chance of hearing the bleep when it went off - just in case aku tidur mati tetiba. Baby doctor, not a good lifestyle.

BTW, I just found out that they call the IV cannula 'Freddie' here.


Freddie? WTH?! Macam comel la kan..

Anywhoo, I realized that the key to liking your job is to understand what's going on with it (that includes forcing yourself into liking it and after that doesn't work, forcing yourself into understanding it). I used to be scared sh*t of little babies, and still is when some came out blue or didn't cry from the mommies wombs. Their crucial first 30-60 seconds of lives are in my untrained hands. Like my mum said when I told her the stories - "Jaga jaga nak, dekat sini ada doktor tu sambut anak orang sampai patah tangan bayi tu." Takpe Mak, that's the obstretician's fault not the paediatrician's. He he.

I have a congenital dislikeness to anything obstetrics & gynaecology FYI. However I still found the journey of conceiving, carrying a baby in your womb and delivering one is magical and would love to undergo it myself for once or twice in future. Kot ada yang salah faham pulak.

OK enough about bloodbath labour rooms.

What happened recently - history saw the inauguration of America's 44th president, also bulan mengambang dekat by-election K. Terengganu, and my roommate's sister's best friend's sister-in-law (jauh connection tapi nak cerita jugak tu) passed away in a road traffic accident after the small car she drove got hit from behind and set ablazed in fire. Innalillah. Reminded me to avoid speeding in this very icy condition these days.

Speaking of the new president-elect, do you know that Obama has Irish root? Apparently his ancestors were from Moneygal in Co. Offaly. I think everyone EVENTUALLY has some Irish roots in their bloods when tracing back the family tree, seriously.

Few days ago as a comeback from long holidays I dressed up nicely to work to gain people's first impressions (lepas ni boleh comot balik). While doing the routine baby checks the nurse called me to review this Irish baby who she thought was grunting. I went into the room slowly (high heels sound echoed through the corridor) and greeted the mother. She saw me and then said,

Are you Dr McCormack, the paediatrician who's looking after my baby?

Err, nooo.. (awkward silence). I'm one of the doctors in the team though.
(Seriously, do I look like someone whose surname is McCormack to you?)

You see, not only Obama and Sarimah has Irish bloods beb. I apparently look like someone who does too!

going green

What traffic jam has caused you/the world;

1. Time
2. Leg muscles
3. Fuel
4. Carbon monoxides & hydrocarbons emitted from the burning of extra unnecessary fuels
5. Noise pollution (horns and engines)
6. Cathecolamines release (stress hormones FYI)
7. Wishful thinking - the "If I were the Town Mayor plans.."

It took me 1 1/2 hours to pass across the city to my exam venue and another 1 1/2 to return. Septic.

This is when my initial equation of commuting by car is skewed. It was supposed to be;

cheap car + insurance + NCT + road tax = happy days

Clearly I was wrong.

Mungkin aku perlu belajar menuggang kuda sebagai alternatif.

Of garlic toast and three quarter boiled egg..

Selamat hari Jumaat.

I pray that you and I are in the best state of health and Imaan. Let's pray for the doomsday of our enemies and victory of the Muslims soon.

I am back to the usual norm of a student. That is; waking up late, checking facebook, making breakfast and incorporating it to lunch, studying, checking facebook again. If only there's a job called facebook checker. That'll be me. Facebook is the biggest crime of the year 2008 - my record.

BTW, breakfast/lunch was yummy garlic butter toasted brown bread with 3 1/4 boiled egg + kicap manis cap kipas udang. Oh yes also nescafe hi-calcium rendah lemak. Marbeles!

Yes I have moved to a new place, again. This time into 2 good friends place near the hospital I used to work in when I was an intern. The glorious BH. The 2 were laughing at me realizing the fact that I have moved house every 6 months since I graduated. Yes I know, I thought I would settled down nicely at my last place, my glassed house. But Allah has a better plan.

Am I happier here? Defo.

I am back to the family routine like in student days. Probably more. Where there's less individuality and more collectivity. More impulsivity and less typicality. Welcome to the new deal of 2009.

Thank you Izakusha for the little talks before bedtime. My inner self has sulked so much I failed to dream of anything in my sleep last night and woke up today with a big headache.

Thanks to the nice breakfast/lunch that opened the day in perfection.

Have a nice weekend.

writer's block

Not a good start for the year 2009 eh?

Tagged by DizzyDalie - soon Puan to-be (congrats mate!)

Tag ini bertajuk 16 Perkara Rawak:

Syarat dan peraturan:

1. Apabila telah terpilih dengan malangnya, silalah menulis 16 perkara paling rawak sama ada tentang fakta, perangai tak senonoh ataupun hala tuju hidup anda.
2. Silalah hasut 16 orang lain untuk melakukan perkara ini.
3. Sila tanda manusia yang telah menanda anda di peringkat awal.
4. Ketahuilah, jika anda terpilih ia adalah kerana anda juga manusia biasa yang perlukan perhatian dan kasih sayang yang secukupnya ketika bayi.
   

1. Oh yes. Presenting Budiman. My companion on the roads these days. Got him for Eur1000 stat. Namun harga insurance dan road tax lagi mahal dari harga kereta.



2. A real gentleman, '98 Proton Persona (Wira equivalent to M'sia). Who said I always go for the tall, white and blue-eyed lads only? Asia rulez!

(I'm still longing for my Mini adventure though. Probably mission truncated for the moment. Shh orang kata tak baik cakap depan2. Nanti dia merajuk..)

3. Budi's mates have been sick or away these days. Orla is in Kilkenny, Nora/Kamal (ambiguous gender-ed car) needed change of battery. Yesterday Liyana's Yaris started making funny noise. She rang me and said - dia keluar lampu aladdin dekat meter ni. Lampu aladdin? I diagnosed minyak hitam problem. This morning Budi has, being a gentleman as he is, saved the day again by bringing Liyana to work.

4. I am on my study leave. Hence bermurah hati kasi pinjam Budiman to others. Kesian keretaku dipass pass seperti bola. I love you and always will!

5. My exam is in 6 days time. And here I am considering a career change.

6. 2009 has given me a new shift. A paradigm shift perhaps. I don't see things in black and white anymore, rather in perspective now. I am less tight and more nonchalant, or at least I thought I am.

7. The best thing a female surgeon has said to me coming to the end of 2008 was,

"You don't want a doctor, you want a MAN."

*One of those mother-daughter conversations you had being on-call with some inspirational people.

8. I then realized, yes she's probably right. (Hence the paradigm shift). So I signed up for few online dating websites to start searching for the real man.

Acah je...

9. The next job in my career line is photo-journalism. I can write and I can take good pictures. Next is finding loan sharks to feed my unemployment period till my book is published. Ada sapa2 sedara dia Along ke..?

10. I love coffee so much. I have failed numerous trials of detoxification. I am officially undetoxicable. If there's such word..

11. I am making a history of my own. That is not to go home this year until raya aidilfitri. There, my online statement. (Lari masuk bilik pastu keluar mata merah bengkak).

12. After so long living in a single room, I now have a roommate! Like I said, 2009 will be different. Mak aku tanya, OK ke tido berdua atas katil tu? Jangan apa-apa sudahla.. Hehe my mom worries about everything. I mean EVERYTHING..

13. I have my 2 years time planned ahead of me. After 2 years? *Blank*. Searching for words..*Blank again*

14. My shuffles are superb, or my iTunes collections are simply awesome. Either way.

15. Live band tracks tuned in my vibes perfectly post-call. It's haunting.

16. Finally, to open this year, something to remember from the dearly boss of 2008 and something for the future record. In her Christmas card she wrote to me;

Dear Shoo, (this is even worst than my friends)

It was wonderful working with you and lovely to get to know you (though I never got to meet your great Mum!(1)). You are an excellent Paediatrician and will go to the top wherever you decide that will be. It is a lovely attribute of yours to "remain calm at all times"(2). Wishing you continued success and happiness in 2009. Let me know if I can ever be of any help to you in your career and keep in touch.

Best wishes,

DF

post-scriptum;

(1) I brought my mum to the conference when I presented a research audit. The boss waited at the hotel lobby for ages to see my mum. Dia selamba tido dalam bilik. Jet-legged la konon..

(2) I was shocked and amused at the same time reading this. Calm? Who? Me?! Dalam hati dia tak tau hari2 aku pegi keje camne..

16 orang yang dihasut

1. Aliza
2. Aneesa
3. Anem
4. CTRahmah
5. Farah Dina
6. Anep
7. Hana Nana
8. K.AisyahMak
9. K.Syu
10. K.Anis
11. (K)AishahHafiz
12. Miezah
13. Thirah
14. MamaTisyia
15. Bruneian Blogger (I yet to know your name)
16. AizadAzahar

Dalam suka2 ni, sila derma (atau buat sesuatu) untuk saudara kita di Gaza ye. Contoh derma/buat sesuatu

1. Derma
2. Doa (qunut nazilah)
3. Join protes
4. Hantar surat bantahan
5. Sebarkan maklumat
6. Buat sesuatu, apa2 aja lah.

Thanks and good day.

aur revoir dua kosong kosong lapan

It has been a good year 2008. There were moments; ups, downs, plateaus.

Thank you everyone for the good memories.

A nostalgia really..