Well, it's Saturday morning and I'm in front on my computer attempting to write an update. This is pathetic. I finished my exam on Thursday morning and I'm updating my blog as opposed to sleeping in. Hmm...note to self: turn off alarm on mobile phone.
Yes, so the exam preparation went very well (at least I thought it did). However, when it came to the exam itself, I buckled. I think I failed. It's a serious possibility. There was nothing on the exam that was new or "what the fuck is that? I've never seen or heard of that before!". However, the depth, or I should say lack of, was astonishing. So many of the concepts I knew in great detail but when it asked for 2 mechanisms of something that could easily be a PhD thesis topic, my mind got liquefied (and no, there was no liquefactive necrosis happening). :) What I've taken away from the experience - a) detail is shit; b) take a silent stopwatch; c) it's only worth 25%; d) more study parties.
The exam finished at 11:10am, I was outta there and heading up to the PBL room to meet the other people in my PBL and some other friends. I opened the bottle of Grappa that was given to me by a very good friend of mine from Berlin (Danke Peter!). For those of you that don't know, grappa is a traditional Italian spirit made from the pressed seeds and skins of grapes after the must (grape juice) is used in winemaking. Grappa is very strong, between 80 and 90 proof, and is served as a digestive after heavy meals. But there were no heavy meals to be had in the morning. A big crew of us went down to Pizza Caffe and had a few rounds of pizza and jugs of beer before heading down to the Red Room to partake in more debauchery and to celebrate the fact that we have officially finished half of first year (regardless of what the results of the exam will be).
After spending 6 hours at the red room, Claire, Kim, Leanne, Rob, Rob, Hal, Brownlie, Soozie, Dave, Lou and I headed back to Claire's place to drink some more and have pizza before going to Finnigan's party. Lou and I slept on the sofa and believe-you-me, it was one of the best naps of my life! That was until I was to get up. My head was pounding! Good god! Never have I felt like that...ever. But by inhaling two panadols, I was good as new and we all made our way to Finnigan's. Finnigan's was a blast! Lots of good conversations with people and had the chance to reconnect with those that I've sort of lost touch with. A conversation that I distinctly remember is that a lot of people were astonished at how white my teeth are. HAHAHAHA. They didn't believe that I've never had orthodontic work or use whitening toothpaste. I guess some people will believe what they want. :)
After Finnigan's, Nabila, Katrina, Anthony and I headed down to the Regatta to meet up with some friends. There was much dancing and drinking to be had. It was probably the longest day I've experienced in a quite some time.
Friday morning was weird - I got up around 8am, and then realised that I didn't have to go to uni. I almost got so excited that I nearly couldn't go back to bed. :) I slept a few more hours and then headed over to Claire's to watch some movies. It felt so good to use an afternoon to chill on a comfy sofa and watch movies, with not a care in the world. That evening, I headed over to a friend's house party. Alright, most people know that I hate cold weather. Brrrrr...I'm getting cold just thinking about it. But Brisbane has been getting quite cold lately - perhaps maybe because it's almost winter here. When I mean by cold, I mean 6 or 7 degrees at night. Most people would scoff and think that I am crazy for thinking that. But here's the kicker - there is no central heating here! So, when you people are thinking that I'm crazy just know that you are sitting in a place that is always 22-25 degrees Centigrade! Most of the people were huddling in the kitchen, striving off of other people's body heat. Rob and Dan had left all the windows and doors open in the house. Tis was funny to see people, full on, wearing toques, gloves, scarves and furry jackets.
The next morning, I headed into the Valley to meet up with Lou for brunch. Finally, I am able to do things that I've been putting off because of that exam! Food was good - I'm thinking that any amount of grease after a few days of drinking is a good thing. :) Afterwards we did some window shopping and she showed me the places that are worthy of going shopping. As I've said before, Brisbane is Australia's fashion capital. I, then, went into the city to look around for some warm winter clothes (because I didn't bring as much as I thought I should have). I ended up buy a jacket from ESPIRIT and a jumper from Roger David. And I ended up getting a free beanie/toque from Roger David! I went in there and the salesperson came over and asked about my hair. He asked how I was able to manage it and asking all these questions about where I was from and what I was doing in Brisbane. I realised that this bloke was trying to chat me up. I took the jumper that I liked and tried it on in the dressing room, and this girl was definitely talking me up about the jumper. She told me why it worked for me and left her hands of my shoulders and sides a little longer than what most people would. I bought the jumper and left the store as I was on a mission to find some more winter clothing. After leaving the store, I realised that I forgot my receipt at RD. I went back and the bloke and girl were at the front till. The bloke told me that I had forgotten my receipt and he kept in on the side waiting for me in the event that I'd come back to get it. He gave me a free beanie (it was $25) and it's uber nice! I thought, "if this guy expects me to put out...he's going to be really disappointed!" Hahahahahaha. After the shopping upheaval, I headed home to get ready and meet up with Nabila and Phil.
We haded down to West End to partake in some great food, hookah, and fantastic vodka infused drinks courtesy of the Lychee Lounge. Around 2:30am, Nabila had a craving for Macker's fries and we headed to the Valley, ate fries, and then went to a club called Birdie Num Num. In Brisbane, there is a newly instated 3am lockout. This means that if you are outside of a club and it's 3am, you will not be able to get in. Apparently this measure was taken to reduce the number of people loitering around after 3am in the Valley and City. From what I could see, it wasn't working so well. Yeah....back to Birdie Num Num. Absolutely packed! It felt good to go dancing again - sometimes its the simple things that we miss doing the most. However, the part of the club that we were dancing in was concentrated with people that were on all sorts of shit - speed, ecstacy, and whatever else. Needless to say, I didn't get home till 6:30am.
-------------Monday Morning------------
Yes, so this update it taking much longer than anticipated.
Alright, Sunday...Sunday was a rainy and very cold. A perfect day for the movies! Claire and I wanted to go and see Batman Begins, but alas, it was sold out. So, we went to go and see Mr & Mrs Smith. Tis was okay - Brad and Jolie definitely have an interesting chemistry together. The plot was a bit...er...fucked but the dialogue made up for its shortcomings. It being a rainy day and all, we thought that touch footy would be cancelled. Half way through the movie, I get this text from Dave saying "touch is wild, wet and still on!" Our team was really hoping that the other team would forfeit and then we can go home and be dry and warm. The other team showed up...and clobbered us - 8 to 2. Oh well, you can't win every time. After that, I headed back to Claire's and made mushroom and red capsicum risotto and we watched tv. Ahhh...what life is like when you don't have to do any uni work...fantastic!
Alright, it's Monday afternoon (12:01pm) and I've so much shit to get done today - washing/packing for my trip/packing for my upcoming move (yeah, that'll be another update)/cleaning my room and getting things sorted with student loans and shit. It's still cold and grey out. I might just fuck it and go take a nap. Yes. I've decided, I will do the latter first and then the rest later. :)
Monday, June 20, 2005
Thursday, June 02, 2005
What is a person to do?
Hmm...I'm sorry for not having posted anything for the past couple of weeks. Things here in Brisbane have been a bit crazy.
The MBBS I mid year exam is looming and quite a number of people are starting to get stressed and pissy due to being in exam mode. I, on the other hand, have been quite calm (well, that's quite egocentric but most people have told me that I seem as solid as a rock). I think that that is scaring me a bit. I know that this is not the end-all/be-all of exams that I will be writing in the next 4 years. I am thinking that this exam will be similar to an immunisation shot. It will prepare me to know what to expect for subsequent exams. Also, I can test whether my study habits have been working. The exam is 3 hours long (8-11am) and will be covering materials from the past 19 weeks. What has the past 19 weeks been about? It's been about: cardiology, respiratory, gastro-intestinal, renal, reproduction, immunology, aboriginal healthcare, intellectual disability, ethics/law, and to public/preventive health with a healthy mix of microbiology, histology, and anatomy. So, 3 hours to cover all that?! What is a first year medical student to do??! I know that not all of those topics will be covered but it's not like you cannot studying something because you have a hunch that it may not be tested on. Hmm...sure. At this point in the game, I'm trying to solidify all the major concepts and know small amounts of detail in different areas. There is no need to give yourself an aneurysm in trying to get all the details about all the different systems and how different things are negatively/positively effect through the myraid of feedback loops - simply not going to happen.
I cannot believe that after this exam is over, I will have completed half of first year medical school. Tis crazy! After I come back from holidays, I have 14 weeks of uni (no holidays except for a Wednesday in mid-August) until finals, which are in October.
I had a bit of an episode a few days ago. I'm having some issues finding the best stethoscope, so that I can do the necessary auscultations. I was told by a professor that there was a 2nd year med student who had similar issues and that I should get in touch with them. I sent an e-mail to someone in the SOM (who will remain nameless) several weeks ago asking them whether they can send my contact information to this 2nd year med student. On Tuesday morning before leaving for uni, I checked my e-mail and I got a response to that e-mail. It stated that there was no 2nd year medical student that fit the description that I gave and that I should look for finding resources myself. I was absolutely shell-shocked! I called up the medical bookstore, which looked into a number of options for me (albeit none of which I am able to use because they aren't loud enough). The very first prac I had Tuesday morning was how to take blood pressure, which would be pointless because I wouldn't be able to use the conventional stethoscopes. I was in no mood to be left out while watching my class mates taking part. What is a deaf Veevek to do?! And note: a deaf Veevek is not a happy Veevek.
So, that's on the exam preparation side of things. Also, Mr. Thankey is having some issues on trying to decide where to do his medical electives for the month of November 2005. In years 1 and 4 we are allowed to an elective anywhere in the world. I know that I won't be able to do as much travelling as I would like to in the next several years, so I thought that these sort of opportunities might be perfect for going to a new place, whilst learning about clinical medicine. So far, I've shortlisted the following: India (Delhi/Ahmedabad), Sri Lanka (Colombo), Kenya (Nairobi/Mombasa), Vanuatu (Port Vila), Guyana (Georgetown), Malta (Msida), and Canada (Calgary - last resort). However, there is a part of me that is looking into doing an elective within Australia, most likely in an indigenous community in South Australia or the Northern Territory. We shall see, time is running out has placements need to be confirmed and approved by the SOM in August. What is a crazy nomad to do?! Any suggestions about where I should go (even if they are new places) are welcome!
Other than that, I'm looking forward to my upcoming trip to Adelaide and Sydney! I'll be seeing Ruth in Adelaide. I'M SO EXCITED! I love Ruth - she is someone that I know that no matter how I'm feeling will always be able to relate to me. When both of us were living in Calgary, we'd used to get fries and milkshakes from Peter's Drive-In and go up to Nose Hill Park and finish them off, while taking long walks. Or we'd go down to Banana Jak's (a place that serves bubble tea - every time we are there, we're the only non East Asian people in the establishment and we get these looks from the other patrons. I love it! The best would be having marathon conversations in my car when I would drop her home. I'm truly lucky to have a friend like her (and I'm even more blessed to have more very close friends like her - you know who you fabulous people are! MWAH!). Needless to say, I'm uber excited to see her again. After Adelaide, I'm heading off to Sydney. I'll be staying with Dave for a few days and then heading into Sydney proper and hanging out with some friends, doing some much needed shopping (because Brisbane is known as Australia's fashion capital) and being a tourist. Indeed something to look forward to after this exam is over. Also, I have a particular goal while I'm here in Australia. What is that goal? I would like to have visited every State/Territory capital. After my midyear break, I'll have 3 under my belt and 5 cities left.
Hmm...also, there is the whole thing about me moving out of my current place of residence. I really like where I'm living, as it is very close to grocery stores (Woolies/Coles), the RE and Regatta, and a major train and bus stop. I'm thinking of moving in with a good friend, who is in first year med as well. It's a bit further west than where I am now, but close to all the amenities (a major shopping centre, train/bus stops). The rent is marginally lower. Why do I want to move? I guess I'm tired of always being alone when I'm at home. I've got Philipe but a cat's company can only do you so much good (especially 1. when I'm allergic to them; and 2. I hate cats). I like living in an environment where people are around, it's jovial, warm and filled with effervescent personalities. I can say that this has definitely been the case in the past few places that I've lived (Ottawa and Nairobi come to mind). What is a person to do?
The MBBS I mid year exam is looming and quite a number of people are starting to get stressed and pissy due to being in exam mode. I, on the other hand, have been quite calm (well, that's quite egocentric but most people have told me that I seem as solid as a rock). I think that that is scaring me a bit. I know that this is not the end-all/be-all of exams that I will be writing in the next 4 years. I am thinking that this exam will be similar to an immunisation shot. It will prepare me to know what to expect for subsequent exams. Also, I can test whether my study habits have been working. The exam is 3 hours long (8-11am) and will be covering materials from the past 19 weeks. What has the past 19 weeks been about? It's been about: cardiology, respiratory, gastro-intestinal, renal, reproduction, immunology, aboriginal healthcare, intellectual disability, ethics/law, and to public/preventive health with a healthy mix of microbiology, histology, and anatomy. So, 3 hours to cover all that?! What is a first year medical student to do??! I know that not all of those topics will be covered but it's not like you cannot studying something because you have a hunch that it may not be tested on. Hmm...sure. At this point in the game, I'm trying to solidify all the major concepts and know small amounts of detail in different areas. There is no need to give yourself an aneurysm in trying to get all the details about all the different systems and how different things are negatively/positively effect through the myraid of feedback loops - simply not going to happen.
I cannot believe that after this exam is over, I will have completed half of first year medical school. Tis crazy! After I come back from holidays, I have 14 weeks of uni (no holidays except for a Wednesday in mid-August) until finals, which are in October.
I had a bit of an episode a few days ago. I'm having some issues finding the best stethoscope, so that I can do the necessary auscultations. I was told by a professor that there was a 2nd year med student who had similar issues and that I should get in touch with them. I sent an e-mail to someone in the SOM (who will remain nameless) several weeks ago asking them whether they can send my contact information to this 2nd year med student. On Tuesday morning before leaving for uni, I checked my e-mail and I got a response to that e-mail. It stated that there was no 2nd year medical student that fit the description that I gave and that I should look for finding resources myself. I was absolutely shell-shocked! I called up the medical bookstore, which looked into a number of options for me (albeit none of which I am able to use because they aren't loud enough). The very first prac I had Tuesday morning was how to take blood pressure, which would be pointless because I wouldn't be able to use the conventional stethoscopes. I was in no mood to be left out while watching my class mates taking part. What is a deaf Veevek to do?! And note: a deaf Veevek is not a happy Veevek.
So, that's on the exam preparation side of things. Also, Mr. Thankey is having some issues on trying to decide where to do his medical electives for the month of November 2005. In years 1 and 4 we are allowed to an elective anywhere in the world. I know that I won't be able to do as much travelling as I would like to in the next several years, so I thought that these sort of opportunities might be perfect for going to a new place, whilst learning about clinical medicine. So far, I've shortlisted the following: India (Delhi/Ahmedabad), Sri Lanka (Colombo), Kenya (Nairobi/Mombasa), Vanuatu (Port Vila), Guyana (Georgetown), Malta (Msida), and Canada (Calgary - last resort). However, there is a part of me that is looking into doing an elective within Australia, most likely in an indigenous community in South Australia or the Northern Territory. We shall see, time is running out has placements need to be confirmed and approved by the SOM in August. What is a crazy nomad to do?! Any suggestions about where I should go (even if they are new places) are welcome!
Other than that, I'm looking forward to my upcoming trip to Adelaide and Sydney! I'll be seeing Ruth in Adelaide. I'M SO EXCITED! I love Ruth - she is someone that I know that no matter how I'm feeling will always be able to relate to me. When both of us were living in Calgary, we'd used to get fries and milkshakes from Peter's Drive-In and go up to Nose Hill Park and finish them off, while taking long walks. Or we'd go down to Banana Jak's (a place that serves bubble tea - every time we are there, we're the only non East Asian people in the establishment and we get these looks from the other patrons. I love it! The best would be having marathon conversations in my car when I would drop her home. I'm truly lucky to have a friend like her (and I'm even more blessed to have more very close friends like her - you know who you fabulous people are! MWAH!). Needless to say, I'm uber excited to see her again. After Adelaide, I'm heading off to Sydney. I'll be staying with Dave for a few days and then heading into Sydney proper and hanging out with some friends, doing some much needed shopping (because Brisbane is known as Australia's fashion capital) and being a tourist. Indeed something to look forward to after this exam is over. Also, I have a particular goal while I'm here in Australia. What is that goal? I would like to have visited every State/Territory capital. After my midyear break, I'll have 3 under my belt and 5 cities left.
Hmm...also, there is the whole thing about me moving out of my current place of residence. I really like where I'm living, as it is very close to grocery stores (Woolies/Coles), the RE and Regatta, and a major train and bus stop. I'm thinking of moving in with a good friend, who is in first year med as well. It's a bit further west than where I am now, but close to all the amenities (a major shopping centre, train/bus stops). The rent is marginally lower. Why do I want to move? I guess I'm tired of always being alone when I'm at home. I've got Philipe but a cat's company can only do you so much good (especially 1. when I'm allergic to them; and 2. I hate cats). I like living in an environment where people are around, it's jovial, warm and filled with effervescent personalities. I can say that this has definitely been the case in the past few places that I've lived (Ottawa and Nairobi come to mind). What is a person to do?
Sunday, May 22, 2005
I have achieved a world record!
Well, let me clarify, I, along with 1500+ people have achieved a world record! This past weekend was the Panyiri Greek Festival in Brisbane. The world record was the longest Zorba dance, which up till this year, was kept by Melbourne (read: largest Greek population outside Athens). It was so much fun! Great food (spanakopitas, haloumi, honey puffs, greek salads, poura, baklava, Greek coffee, and some ouzo), music and dance. My friend Phil, who is Greek-Canadian, was very impressed with my Greek pronounciations of food. :) I guess that trip to Greece in 2000 paid off. There was a midway and games, very much like the Calgary Exhibition & Stampede. And for my zipper riding buddies (you know who you are), I rode in the Zipper called "Bad Ass"...ahh...like old times. :) I left early, as I was uber tired and felt a little guilty because I wasn't studying. I guess all work and no play makes Veevek's quite irritable.
Speaking of irritable, I felt that way after playing touch today. The other team came to the field with some sort of attitude. It just didn't groove well with the team spirit and comraderie that the Flaming Sambucas (we want to change it to the Motely Crew but too late) pride themselves on. The other team was playing rough, which is fine; however, their attitude seemed out of place. We fought back - player harder, touched harder, and carried a look of aggression. Alas, I didn't score a try...next time.
After coming home, I was able to finalise my plans for my 3-week midyear break. I'm going to Adelaide to visit one of my best friends, Ruth. I'll be there for a week, and then I'm off to Sydney for another week before heading back to Brisbane. I'll be meeting up with Dave, Graeme, Ruth and some other Sydneysiders. How I love to travel! And this time, I'm not missing any uni to do so! Cool bananas. :)
Alright, I gotta get back to indigenous health care and the structure/functions of the abdomen.
Speaking of irritable, I felt that way after playing touch today. The other team came to the field with some sort of attitude. It just didn't groove well with the team spirit and comraderie that the Flaming Sambucas (we want to change it to the Motely Crew but too late) pride themselves on. The other team was playing rough, which is fine; however, their attitude seemed out of place. We fought back - player harder, touched harder, and carried a look of aggression. Alas, I didn't score a try...next time.
After coming home, I was able to finalise my plans for my 3-week midyear break. I'm going to Adelaide to visit one of my best friends, Ruth. I'll be there for a week, and then I'm off to Sydney for another week before heading back to Brisbane. I'll be meeting up with Dave, Graeme, Ruth and some other Sydneysiders. How I love to travel! And this time, I'm not missing any uni to do so! Cool bananas. :)
Alright, I gotta get back to indigenous health care and the structure/functions of the abdomen.
Saturday, May 21, 2005
Brrrrrrisbane III
I love this photo! The juxtaposition of the palm-like trees in the back, with the white hail. It was quite deep, in some places, the snow was above my ankle!
Brrrrrrisbane II
This photo was taken a block outside my house! If it were daylight, you'd be able to see it (it's behind the orange light in the background of the photo). Once again...my jaw dropped when I saw the amount of hail that was on the road! Tis was crazy!
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrisbane
No, it's not Calgary. It's Brisbane! Apparently, St Lucia and environs were the worst hit areas of the storm. I just couldn't believe that this much hail had fallen!
Where have I been?!
Alright, there have been a couple of things that have happened in the last little while that I have failed to mentioned:
1) Mr. Thankey has reluctantly decided to open the flood gates in terms of extra-curricular activities.
2) Brisbane had a taste of Old Man Winter on Thursday, May 19th, 2005.
3) Veevek is slowly spiralling into madness...MADNESS I SAY!
Alright, let me explain the aforementioned numbered items.On May 10th, there was an international student night that was hosted by the University of Queensland Medical Society. It was a night whereby international students, from all 4 years, would be introduced to topics such as United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE), foreign doctors practising in Australia, and opening remarks from Ken Donald, Head, School of Medicine. Because of the complexity of those issues, we didn't have any guest lecturers (which we were going to have) to shed light on the bureaucratic issues that affect international students. The reason for having this information session, which was a first at UQ, was because of the marked increase in the number of international students in the course. There are more than 50 international students in my year, half of us are Canadians, the other half are comprised of Bruneians, a few Singaporeans, Americans, and Europeans (British and Norweigan).
An Australian medical degree is fully recognised in Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore. This makes life a whole lot easy for students that want to practise medicine in those countries. As for Canadians, we have to write the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exams (MCCQE), which all Canadian students attending a Canadian medical school have to write as well. This is not the hard part of getting into the Canadian system. The hard part is qualifying for a residency match through the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). Applicants who are students or graduates of international medical schools are eligible for the second iteration provided they have passed the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Exam within 5 years of the beginning of training. According to the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada eligibility criteria for the first iteration match, graduates of international medical schools are not eligible to be ranked in the first iteration of the match by medical programs recruiting to first year residency other than those at accepted to apply in Quebec. What does this mean? It means that Canadians that have gained medical degrees from outside Canada/US are matched in the second round, if there are any spots left. In the 2005 match, there were 629 IMGs (International Medical Graduates) and of that only 80 were matched. Tis pitiful! At the moment, there are a few vehicles of change that are looking to get Canadians IMGs to be considered for 1st round consideration. As it stands, international students that are able to get into a Canadian medical school (and successful graduate) are considered for 1st round, even though they may not necessarily be Canadian citizens or permanent residents. To make a long story short, there are a number of things that need to be considered if Canadian graduates from Australian medical schools want to go back to Canada to practice medicine.Now, there are just as many complications for international students to stay and practice medicine in Australia. I would write about it but then I would be up for a few more hours, which would mean that I would be procrastinating even more from revising the gastro-intestinal tract.
To move on with it...it was a night where I was elected by the UQMS to represent MBBS Year 1 international students on the International Student Sub Committee. This sub-committee consists of 5 international students, and (for the time being) convenes monthly to discuss academic and administrative issues relevant to international students. One of the main focuses of the ISSC will be to improve communication between the School of Medicine and its students. So, what will I, along with the other members of the ISSC, be doing? Our first priority is looking at the creation of a database of information about how students can return to their home country/work in another country/stay in Australia. The second is to provide some assistance to UQ by coming up with a list of universities with which to pursue relationships for international rotations/electives.So, in the end, what does all of this mean? It means that Veevek has to make more efficient use of less time that is directed towards studying and revising.
The second item - Brisbane had a freak hail/thunderstorm yesterday! More than 150 lightning strikes were recorded in the Brisbane area. At uni, it was raining like mad. However, a few hundred metres away, there was a huge hailstorm! Right outside my house, there was enough hail to come up above my ankles! The roof of my pool collapsed due to the weight of the hail. Here's what the Sydney Morning Herald said about the event:
Brisbane is bracing itself for a second bout of thunderstorms after a freakish deluge of hail brought the city to an abrupt standstill late yesterday.
The storm, which damaged homes and business and cut power to more than 7000 houses, hit without warning about 5.30pm, surprising weather forecasters and peak hour commuters. The temperature fell suddenly as up to 50 millimetres of rain and hail fell on parts of the city, producing a sludge that prompted some to make the most of the extraordinary conditions with makeshift sleds.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Geoff Doueal said it was a once-in-a-lifetime storm."It had a great volume of pea-sized hail with it, and what caused all the havoc was not so much the size of the hail, but the great volume that was coming with the storm," he said. "It was a fairly slow-moving storm and the hail tended to block up drains, gutters, and then some heavy rain with the thunderstorm inundated people's properties. "For this time of year we haven't seen hail like that in the Brisbane city at all." Mr Doueal said the storm cell grew from a small thunderstorm to an intense barrage of hail within 15 minutes, leaving no time to issue a severe weather warning.ABC TV was forced to take its 7pm news bulletin from Sydney after the ceiling of the Toowong studio partially collapsed and received extensive water damage. Part of the Toowong Library caved in.
The State Emergency Service took calls from 200 people whose homes were overrun by water and hail. "Most of the damage centred on broken skylights and water inundation caused by the hail, blocking drains and gutters and water having nowhere to go," a rescue service spokeswoman said. About 200 power poles were hit by lightning and a felled tree brought down five powerlines in the northern suburb of Kedron.
Mr Doueal said the storms lasted several hours. They were expected to return late this afternoon. "We're likely to see some sort of thundery showers again today but it's very unlikely that we get a freak storm like that over the city again," he said."It just really was a build-up of hail. If you get big hail, it pounds into your car and makes big dents. We don't think that sort of thing happened - it was all very small hail, but it was the volume of hail which was quite amazing."
A friend drove me home from uni and traffic was so slow! I was thinking, "Move over people! Let a Canadian show you how you would drive in snow." Seriously, it took us more than 30 minutes to travel a distance of 1 km or so (for those of you in/know Calgary, that would be almost the same distance from 17th Avenue SW and Sacree Trail SW).
And as for the last item on the agenda - madness! Yes. All this studying (or the attempt to study) has been making Veevek quite sleepy and lethargic. I have quite an elaborate study schedule and tracker, that it seems all pretty on paper/computer that I just like to look at it and not do anything. Hmm...that's counterproductive to why those aids are used, hunh? :) Yes. Indeed, I've three and a half weeks till this exam and I feel as if I'm already cramming the information in my head. I know that I will pass (well, at this rate of studying, I'm not sure about that) but do I really want to just pass? I mean this is information that I should be able to compartmentalise and have to access to when I am dealing with patients, na? Now, I am just obsessing about it.Whew...I tell you, there is nothing like a good rant session, innit? :)
1) Mr. Thankey has reluctantly decided to open the flood gates in terms of extra-curricular activities.
2) Brisbane had a taste of Old Man Winter on Thursday, May 19th, 2005.
3) Veevek is slowly spiralling into madness...MADNESS I SAY!
Alright, let me explain the aforementioned numbered items.On May 10th, there was an international student night that was hosted by the University of Queensland Medical Society. It was a night whereby international students, from all 4 years, would be introduced to topics such as United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE), foreign doctors practising in Australia, and opening remarks from Ken Donald, Head, School of Medicine. Because of the complexity of those issues, we didn't have any guest lecturers (which we were going to have) to shed light on the bureaucratic issues that affect international students. The reason for having this information session, which was a first at UQ, was because of the marked increase in the number of international students in the course. There are more than 50 international students in my year, half of us are Canadians, the other half are comprised of Bruneians, a few Singaporeans, Americans, and Europeans (British and Norweigan).
An Australian medical degree is fully recognised in Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore. This makes life a whole lot easy for students that want to practise medicine in those countries. As for Canadians, we have to write the Medical Council of Canada Qualifying Exams (MCCQE), which all Canadian students attending a Canadian medical school have to write as well. This is not the hard part of getting into the Canadian system. The hard part is qualifying for a residency match through the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMS). Applicants who are students or graduates of international medical schools are eligible for the second iteration provided they have passed the Medical Council of Canada Evaluating Exam within 5 years of the beginning of training. According to the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada eligibility criteria for the first iteration match, graduates of international medical schools are not eligible to be ranked in the first iteration of the match by medical programs recruiting to first year residency other than those at accepted to apply in Quebec. What does this mean? It means that Canadians that have gained medical degrees from outside Canada/US are matched in the second round, if there are any spots left. In the 2005 match, there were 629 IMGs (International Medical Graduates) and of that only 80 were matched. Tis pitiful! At the moment, there are a few vehicles of change that are looking to get Canadians IMGs to be considered for 1st round consideration. As it stands, international students that are able to get into a Canadian medical school (and successful graduate) are considered for 1st round, even though they may not necessarily be Canadian citizens or permanent residents. To make a long story short, there are a number of things that need to be considered if Canadian graduates from Australian medical schools want to go back to Canada to practice medicine.Now, there are just as many complications for international students to stay and practice medicine in Australia. I would write about it but then I would be up for a few more hours, which would mean that I would be procrastinating even more from revising the gastro-intestinal tract.
To move on with it...it was a night where I was elected by the UQMS to represent MBBS Year 1 international students on the International Student Sub Committee. This sub-committee consists of 5 international students, and (for the time being) convenes monthly to discuss academic and administrative issues relevant to international students. One of the main focuses of the ISSC will be to improve communication between the School of Medicine and its students. So, what will I, along with the other members of the ISSC, be doing? Our first priority is looking at the creation of a database of information about how students can return to their home country/work in another country/stay in Australia. The second is to provide some assistance to UQ by coming up with a list of universities with which to pursue relationships for international rotations/electives.So, in the end, what does all of this mean? It means that Veevek has to make more efficient use of less time that is directed towards studying and revising.
The second item - Brisbane had a freak hail/thunderstorm yesterday! More than 150 lightning strikes were recorded in the Brisbane area. At uni, it was raining like mad. However, a few hundred metres away, there was a huge hailstorm! Right outside my house, there was enough hail to come up above my ankles! The roof of my pool collapsed due to the weight of the hail. Here's what the Sydney Morning Herald said about the event:
Brisbane is bracing itself for a second bout of thunderstorms after a freakish deluge of hail brought the city to an abrupt standstill late yesterday.
The storm, which damaged homes and business and cut power to more than 7000 houses, hit without warning about 5.30pm, surprising weather forecasters and peak hour commuters. The temperature fell suddenly as up to 50 millimetres of rain and hail fell on parts of the city, producing a sludge that prompted some to make the most of the extraordinary conditions with makeshift sleds.
Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Geoff Doueal said it was a once-in-a-lifetime storm."It had a great volume of pea-sized hail with it, and what caused all the havoc was not so much the size of the hail, but the great volume that was coming with the storm," he said. "It was a fairly slow-moving storm and the hail tended to block up drains, gutters, and then some heavy rain with the thunderstorm inundated people's properties. "For this time of year we haven't seen hail like that in the Brisbane city at all." Mr Doueal said the storm cell grew from a small thunderstorm to an intense barrage of hail within 15 minutes, leaving no time to issue a severe weather warning.ABC TV was forced to take its 7pm news bulletin from Sydney after the ceiling of the Toowong studio partially collapsed and received extensive water damage. Part of the Toowong Library caved in.
The State Emergency Service took calls from 200 people whose homes were overrun by water and hail. "Most of the damage centred on broken skylights and water inundation caused by the hail, blocking drains and gutters and water having nowhere to go," a rescue service spokeswoman said. About 200 power poles were hit by lightning and a felled tree brought down five powerlines in the northern suburb of Kedron.
Mr Doueal said the storms lasted several hours. They were expected to return late this afternoon. "We're likely to see some sort of thundery showers again today but it's very unlikely that we get a freak storm like that over the city again," he said."It just really was a build-up of hail. If you get big hail, it pounds into your car and makes big dents. We don't think that sort of thing happened - it was all very small hail, but it was the volume of hail which was quite amazing."
A friend drove me home from uni and traffic was so slow! I was thinking, "Move over people! Let a Canadian show you how you would drive in snow." Seriously, it took us more than 30 minutes to travel a distance of 1 km or so (for those of you in/know Calgary, that would be almost the same distance from 17th Avenue SW and Sacree Trail SW).
And as for the last item on the agenda - madness! Yes. All this studying (or the attempt to study) has been making Veevek quite sleepy and lethargic. I have quite an elaborate study schedule and tracker, that it seems all pretty on paper/computer that I just like to look at it and not do anything. Hmm...that's counterproductive to why those aids are used, hunh? :) Yes. Indeed, I've three and a half weeks till this exam and I feel as if I'm already cramming the information in my head. I know that I will pass (well, at this rate of studying, I'm not sure about that) but do I really want to just pass? I mean this is information that I should be able to compartmentalise and have to access to when I am dealing with patients, na? Now, I am just obsessing about it.Whew...I tell you, there is nothing like a good rant session, innit? :)
Monday, May 16, 2005
HE SCORES!!
Yes, I scored! I scored my first try at touch! WOO-HOO! It felt so great! Of all the sports that I have ever played (which I could probably count them all on one hand), this is the first sport that I have played where I was a team member; all the other sports have been solitary, for example, skiing and squash. Lately, I’ve been feeling like a loser when it comes to touch footy. I’m definitely not an agile player – I’m good at defence but my offence sucks as. I’m asthmatic, which means I can’t sprint down to the touch line like Graeme/Dave/Rob. But after today, all of those things were wiped out! I really felt as if I am a member of the Flaming Sambucas (we want to change it to the Motely Crew) as opposed to some vestigial appendage. Rob told me afterwards that he is expecting that sort of play from now on. And he’s right – I normally give whatever I’m involved in a 110% - at least that is what I have put into all the things that I have done thus far or I wouldn’t be where I am today. So, the question remains, “why should touch footy be any different?” Simply put, it isn’t. :)
Apart from touch, this is the first weekend where I have realised that there is so much stuff I left to learn/study/revise/know before the June 16th exam. I have two weeks of cardiology and then a week of renal (or two, there is speculation that the SOM might spring a new organ system on us before the exam – if they do, it will most likely be blood). I have finished all my weekly summaries from the faculty learning objectives and trying to fill in the gaps of my knowledge of things like the respiratory drive, embryology of the heart (which still remains forever confusing) and the different congenital defects that can occur at each stage in the development of the heart. I guess this is going to be a feeling that I won’t be able to shake throughout medical school. I mean, there is no way that I will be able to know EVERYTHING. If I believe in that sort of process, then I have already given up. You might be thinking, “hmm…Veevek, wouldn’t you want to know as much as you can, so that you can help the patients that you may be seeing in the future.” And yes, you are very right in thinking that. However, to everything that we need to know, in the detail that is presented to us, would take absolute ages to synergise with previous knowledge. Hence why people specialise and why GPs refer their patients to those specialists.
Alright, tis way past my bed time. It seems that with each passing weekend, I have less and less time to do things that need to be done. I was fortunate to get my room organise, my notes updated and filed, and the washing. I have yet to go grocery shopping (yummy yummy for Mi Goreng noodles and vegemite sandwiches!). I made a kilo of pasta on Saturday night, so I'm hoping that that will keep me at bay for a while until the next major grocery shopping haul.
I just took a test at www.politicalcompass.org, and surprise, surprise, I'm considered a Libertarian Left. Oddly enough (I didn't check the facts on this online test) my score/coordinants were the same as the Dalai Lama. Hmm...food for thought - just as long as it isn't tofu with fruit coulis, I'll be fine.
Apart from touch, this is the first weekend where I have realised that there is so much stuff I left to learn/study/revise/know before the June 16th exam. I have two weeks of cardiology and then a week of renal (or two, there is speculation that the SOM might spring a new organ system on us before the exam – if they do, it will most likely be blood). I have finished all my weekly summaries from the faculty learning objectives and trying to fill in the gaps of my knowledge of things like the respiratory drive, embryology of the heart (which still remains forever confusing) and the different congenital defects that can occur at each stage in the development of the heart. I guess this is going to be a feeling that I won’t be able to shake throughout medical school. I mean, there is no way that I will be able to know EVERYTHING. If I believe in that sort of process, then I have already given up. You might be thinking, “hmm…Veevek, wouldn’t you want to know as much as you can, so that you can help the patients that you may be seeing in the future.” And yes, you are very right in thinking that. However, to everything that we need to know, in the detail that is presented to us, would take absolute ages to synergise with previous knowledge. Hence why people specialise and why GPs refer their patients to those specialists.
Alright, tis way past my bed time. It seems that with each passing weekend, I have less and less time to do things that need to be done. I was fortunate to get my room organise, my notes updated and filed, and the washing. I have yet to go grocery shopping (yummy yummy for Mi Goreng noodles and vegemite sandwiches!). I made a kilo of pasta on Saturday night, so I'm hoping that that will keep me at bay for a while until the next major grocery shopping haul.
I just took a test at www.politicalcompass.org, and surprise, surprise, I'm considered a Libertarian Left. Oddly enough (I didn't check the facts on this online test) my score/coordinants were the same as the Dalai Lama. Hmm...food for thought - just as long as it isn't tofu with fruit coulis, I'll be fine.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Annabelle & Graeme
Annabelle is the hottie of PBL 1 (my PBL). She has degrees in economics and political science - hot. Graeme is a IronMan Triathelete and is more ripped than any other guy I know. The two of them (even though they aren't together) would make some pretty goodlooking children.
Tofu or bust?! Bust...bust...bust...
This was the awful raw tofu with mango coulis that I wrote about in the entry about the May Ball. Trust me, it was as bad as it looked.
Aawu kavanu na kavai! BILKUT NAY!
Aawu kavanu na kavai! BILKUT NAY!
Claire & Suzanne
These two ladies are awesome! Both are in my course - Claire has a background in speech pathology and Soozie is a pharmacist. They are indeed in the top 10 of the hottest girls in our year. :)
Rob & Marlene
Rob & Lene - a recent match made in 'med-heaven'. Rob is the star squash player on the UQ Squash Team and Lene is a genius (not to mention that she's a very attractive genius).
Lene & Veevek
I was quite surprised that I was able to get Lene's leg that high up! I think that she most likely gave a show to everyone that was behind us.
Veevek & Leanne
Leanne and I are always hooting and hollering in lectures! And honestly, we always look like this when we are together, even at 8am on a Monday. :)
She's probably the only girl in the course that can keep up (and most likely surpass) my zaniness!
She's probably the only girl in the course that can keep up (and most likely surpass) my zaniness!
Friday, May 13, 2005
Holly & Veevek
Holly was "Masquerade Barbie" that night. I know, I know...her mask doesn't compare to mine. :)
Dave & Veevek
This the Dave that started the V-MAN craze. He is my partner-in-crime! Seriously, I think that I'd be more sane without this guy...but who would want that? :)
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Cinderfella
Well, it is the day after the ball, and I am looking for signs of a pumpkin, scattering mice, and some ragged clothing strewn about. Instead, I see my suit hung in closet, the tie rolled up nice, shoes put into place, my contacts in their cases. Did I really go to the Ball last night? [Veevek looks up hoping that this large booming voice from the skies will give a loud resounding "YES"]
The May Ball was fantastic! There is something about seeing people dressed up and how people flirt about like peacocks during the rainy season that puts a smile on my face. (note: my mask was made out of peacock feathers, which probably used an entire peacock in its creation, and oddly enough it matched the suit/tie combination that I wore). At one point in the evening, I was approached by this woman (immaculately dressed) and she slipped me a business card. The card was regarding MedCouture. Apparently, I met the standards of the fashionistas that were out and about looking for people that would be able to carry on the tradition of scarificing pain for the goal of looking beautiful. I know of another girl that got one (Pam R.) for she was wearing a green/silver sari with all the jewellery to match. Tu jeez badi hain mast mast! :)
I didn't take my camera to the ball because it is quite a large camera. However, Lou was gracious enough to let me borrow the camera that she brought. I was camera happy! Once I get the photos uploaded from her, I'll be sure to send them out to those of you that are interested.
The food was awful, well at least the vegetarian meal was awful. It was raw tofu with mango coulis (a thick sauce made out of puréed fruit). Ick. But apparently, the chicken and steak weren't that good either (this is from what a few people had said). I was so hungry at one point, Lou jokingly offered me a piece of chicken and I ate it. It was NASTY! Seriously, I had to wash it down with two glasses of wine (which didn't make it any better). Pffft...no one goes to the ball for its food. They go for the drinks! Beer, wine and champagne wearing being consumed in vast quantities (not because it was high quality because it was all that they were serving) that at one point they ran out of glasses. So, they only served people that had glasses (fair enough). Some people were scavenging for glasses (new/used) just so that they can get all liquored up before the after party.
The after party was held at the Port Office - a favourite for the med students. They play good music, drinks are pretty good but the bouncers are extreme hard asses when it comes to letting people in. Dave didn't get in because he left his wallet, and ID, at home. However, at the ball, we were all given entrance tickets to the PO. I didn't have any problems, as I just showed them the silver ticket. He was pretty slick - he quickly jumped the from the line into the outside foyer of the club. He walked in and, since he is a social butterfly, he started talking to someone near the front. The bouncer caught him and he was kindly escorted out. Meanwhile, those of us that were allowed in, it was a blast! There was great fun to be had - great music, good conversations (well, whatever I could remember), good drinks and the general feeling of being merry. At some point in the night, I wasn't feeling very good. In the words of an acquaintance, "I didn't drink too much, I just drank too fast". :)
I got home this morning around 3:30am and I don't really remember anything from the time I got out of the taxi to when I went to bed (which must have been a 30 minute window). When I got up this morning, I realised (to my surprise) that my suit/shirt/tie/shoes/mask were put away properly, my contact lens were taken out and placed in its correct container, I drank a litre of water and ate a couple of vanilla wafers.
The only thing that I had to do today was go to the footy game. I thought that I probably should have skipped it but it's the best way of spending 40 minutes on a late Sunday afternoon. The footy game was great - we won! Well, we won because the other team had to forfeit because not enough of their players should up. Regardless, we had a friendly match of footy (which was great). However, after finishing last week's case on asthma, I've realised that my managment plan is really shitty. I reckon that I need to go and do some research on what needs to be done about it. It's a good thing that asthma is taken very seriously here, as Australia has the highest rate of incidence of asthma in the world (approximately 10% of the adult population).
I talked to my mum today (as it is Mother's Day). My parents had come home from a late night of playing cards at one of their friend's house. I saw my mum online and then called her. My dad answered the phone and he was so tired that he wasn't making any sense on the phone. It was one of the sort of conversations where you want it to be over so fast so that you can go back to bed. My mum had waited up because she knew that I'd be home around that time. Wow...mums really do know their kids even if they are 10000 km away. Normally, my parents aren't really interested in my friends (they are interested only if my friends are doing something to 'oooh' and 'ahhh' about). But lately, my mum has been asking me about my friends and what they do and if I have photos of them for her to see. I guess this is her way of being in touch with my life here in Brisbane.
Alright, speaking of life here in Brisbane, I need to bustamove. I should get going and do some work on cystic fibrosis and asthma. Or, I could just go to bed now (it's 7:30pm) and get up early in the morning. Hmm...knowing me, I reckon that I should do most of the work now and try to be in bed before midnight.
The May Ball was fantastic! There is something about seeing people dressed up and how people flirt about like peacocks during the rainy season that puts a smile on my face. (note: my mask was made out of peacock feathers, which probably used an entire peacock in its creation, and oddly enough it matched the suit/tie combination that I wore). At one point in the evening, I was approached by this woman (immaculately dressed) and she slipped me a business card. The card was regarding MedCouture. Apparently, I met the standards of the fashionistas that were out and about looking for people that would be able to carry on the tradition of scarificing pain for the goal of looking beautiful. I know of another girl that got one (Pam R.) for she was wearing a green/silver sari with all the jewellery to match. Tu jeez badi hain mast mast! :)
I didn't take my camera to the ball because it is quite a large camera. However, Lou was gracious enough to let me borrow the camera that she brought. I was camera happy! Once I get the photos uploaded from her, I'll be sure to send them out to those of you that are interested.
The food was awful, well at least the vegetarian meal was awful. It was raw tofu with mango coulis (a thick sauce made out of puréed fruit). Ick. But apparently, the chicken and steak weren't that good either (this is from what a few people had said). I was so hungry at one point, Lou jokingly offered me a piece of chicken and I ate it. It was NASTY! Seriously, I had to wash it down with two glasses of wine (which didn't make it any better). Pffft...no one goes to the ball for its food. They go for the drinks! Beer, wine and champagne wearing being consumed in vast quantities (not because it was high quality because it was all that they were serving) that at one point they ran out of glasses. So, they only served people that had glasses (fair enough). Some people were scavenging for glasses (new/used) just so that they can get all liquored up before the after party.
The after party was held at the Port Office - a favourite for the med students. They play good music, drinks are pretty good but the bouncers are extreme hard asses when it comes to letting people in. Dave didn't get in because he left his wallet, and ID, at home. However, at the ball, we were all given entrance tickets to the PO. I didn't have any problems, as I just showed them the silver ticket. He was pretty slick - he quickly jumped the from the line into the outside foyer of the club. He walked in and, since he is a social butterfly, he started talking to someone near the front. The bouncer caught him and he was kindly escorted out. Meanwhile, those of us that were allowed in, it was a blast! There was great fun to be had - great music, good conversations (well, whatever I could remember), good drinks and the general feeling of being merry. At some point in the night, I wasn't feeling very good. In the words of an acquaintance, "I didn't drink too much, I just drank too fast". :)
I got home this morning around 3:30am and I don't really remember anything from the time I got out of the taxi to when I went to bed (which must have been a 30 minute window). When I got up this morning, I realised (to my surprise) that my suit/shirt/tie/shoes/mask were put away properly, my contact lens were taken out and placed in its correct container, I drank a litre of water and ate a couple of vanilla wafers.
The only thing that I had to do today was go to the footy game. I thought that I probably should have skipped it but it's the best way of spending 40 minutes on a late Sunday afternoon. The footy game was great - we won! Well, we won because the other team had to forfeit because not enough of their players should up. Regardless, we had a friendly match of footy (which was great). However, after finishing last week's case on asthma, I've realised that my managment plan is really shitty. I reckon that I need to go and do some research on what needs to be done about it. It's a good thing that asthma is taken very seriously here, as Australia has the highest rate of incidence of asthma in the world (approximately 10% of the adult population).
I talked to my mum today (as it is Mother's Day). My parents had come home from a late night of playing cards at one of their friend's house. I saw my mum online and then called her. My dad answered the phone and he was so tired that he wasn't making any sense on the phone. It was one of the sort of conversations where you want it to be over so fast so that you can go back to bed. My mum had waited up because she knew that I'd be home around that time. Wow...mums really do know their kids even if they are 10000 km away. Normally, my parents aren't really interested in my friends (they are interested only if my friends are doing something to 'oooh' and 'ahhh' about). But lately, my mum has been asking me about my friends and what they do and if I have photos of them for her to see. I guess this is her way of being in touch with my life here in Brisbane.
Alright, speaking of life here in Brisbane, I need to bustamove. I should get going and do some work on cystic fibrosis and asthma. Or, I could just go to bed now (it's 7:30pm) and get up early in the morning. Hmm...knowing me, I reckon that I should do most of the work now and try to be in bed before midnight.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
Broken blood vessels
It's Wednesday (12:09am) and I just finished my learning objective on the examination of the respiratory system. This was the first time that I was given a clinical LO. SO MUCH FUN! Yes, the basic/clinical science theory is very important but actually knowing the clinical signs and symptoms about particular diseases/illnesses just gives me goosebumps!
This upcoming weekend is the UQMS May Ball. This is, supposedly, the premiere event in our social calendar and the explanation is all in its name. A gala ball, held in May and attended by over five hundred people, beaten only by the Graduation Dinner for shear numbers. There is an informal welcome from the Head of School, before patrons sit down to dinner, wine, and later on, a little dancing. The twist to this gala (as in previous years) is that it's a masquerade ball! My parents sent my mask from Canada (I had bought a mask when I went to New Orleans in 2001 to visit a friend and take a two-week intensive Spanish short-course). There was quite a bit of noise about this year's May Ball because of the price of the tickets. In previous years, the tickets were around $40. This year, they are $85. Apparently in previous years, there was no food or drinks served. Also, the Roma Street Parklands is the world's largest urban subtropical garden. The entire event will be held under a marquise (read: glorified tarpaulin). Everyone is getting all excited about it. People are getting last minute things finalised: tuxedo rental and dresses (I'm decided against the tux and am wearing a tailored three peice navy blue pin striped suit), hair (hmm...I'm not going to even go there because this head of hair needs a weedwacker to cut it down and I'm not going through the hassle of testing a new haircut on the 'premeire social event of the year'), and things like that. Needless to say, all of this excitment has taken its toll on studying. The weekend was quite productive in terms of studying because I knew that I wouldn't be doing much this upcoming weekend.
Ahhh...back to the title of this blog. On Sunday night (Monday was Labour Day in QLD), I decided to take a small break from studying. I went to the Royal Exchange to meet up with Matt B and his girlfriend. After a couple of drinks, I met up with a whole bunch of other students and headed down to Caxton Street. During the day, there was the infamous Caxton St Seafood Festival. I didn't attend because I was studying and I don't see myself eating and enjoying mussels and octopus (yuck). Regardless, the street was blocked off for pedestrian traffic and beer cans were everywhere! It almost looked like the aftermath of Canada Day outside the Maple Leaf Pub in London. I didn't have much dinner before heading out and after a few drinks, I was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. I realised that this wasn't what I wanted to do this evening, as I knew that I would have to get up early the next day to get some more studying done. I left the group around 1am and waited in a taxi queue. In Brisbane, there are taxi queues around certain hotspots and at certain times (around bars/pubs in the late night). I stood in the queue and started talking to this friendly couple. And I had enough to drink that my senses weren't totally sharp but I definitely knew what I was doing. After some time of the conversation, what did I do? Mr. Thankey thought it would be a good idea to pash this girl whilst standing the cue with her boyfriend right there! At first, I didn't think that he was her boyfriend but then again, nowadays, you really don't know how people are associated with one another. I ended up getting a small hickey above my left clavicle and proximal to the sternomastoid muscle (read: on my lower neck above the collarbone). After this short pashing session, the couple asked if I wanted to 'share' a taxi with them. They lived in Bardon, and I in Toowong. Bardon is close to Toowong but definitely out of the way. The couple soon kissed each other after making this proposal. So many thoughts going through my head. I ended up taking a taxi home (by myself) and thinking that one miss opportunity isn't such a bad thing. :) I tell you, sometimes I just get the shits and giggles thinking of what things I have and can get into. Oh well, I guess it makes for a good anecdote on a late Tuesday night (hmm...I wonder what sort of anecdotes will come from this weekend...stay tuned...)
This upcoming weekend is the UQMS May Ball. This is, supposedly, the premiere event in our social calendar and the explanation is all in its name. A gala ball, held in May and attended by over five hundred people, beaten only by the Graduation Dinner for shear numbers. There is an informal welcome from the Head of School, before patrons sit down to dinner, wine, and later on, a little dancing. The twist to this gala (as in previous years) is that it's a masquerade ball! My parents sent my mask from Canada (I had bought a mask when I went to New Orleans in 2001 to visit a friend and take a two-week intensive Spanish short-course). There was quite a bit of noise about this year's May Ball because of the price of the tickets. In previous years, the tickets were around $40. This year, they are $85. Apparently in previous years, there was no food or drinks served. Also, the Roma Street Parklands is the world's largest urban subtropical garden. The entire event will be held under a marquise (read: glorified tarpaulin). Everyone is getting all excited about it. People are getting last minute things finalised: tuxedo rental and dresses (I'm decided against the tux and am wearing a tailored three peice navy blue pin striped suit), hair (hmm...I'm not going to even go there because this head of hair needs a weedwacker to cut it down and I'm not going through the hassle of testing a new haircut on the 'premeire social event of the year'), and things like that. Needless to say, all of this excitment has taken its toll on studying. The weekend was quite productive in terms of studying because I knew that I wouldn't be doing much this upcoming weekend.
Ahhh...back to the title of this blog. On Sunday night (Monday was Labour Day in QLD), I decided to take a small break from studying. I went to the Royal Exchange to meet up with Matt B and his girlfriend. After a couple of drinks, I met up with a whole bunch of other students and headed down to Caxton Street. During the day, there was the infamous Caxton St Seafood Festival. I didn't attend because I was studying and I don't see myself eating and enjoying mussels and octopus (yuck). Regardless, the street was blocked off for pedestrian traffic and beer cans were everywhere! It almost looked like the aftermath of Canada Day outside the Maple Leaf Pub in London. I didn't have much dinner before heading out and after a few drinks, I was starting to feel the effects of the alcohol. I realised that this wasn't what I wanted to do this evening, as I knew that I would have to get up early the next day to get some more studying done. I left the group around 1am and waited in a taxi queue. In Brisbane, there are taxi queues around certain hotspots and at certain times (around bars/pubs in the late night). I stood in the queue and started talking to this friendly couple. And I had enough to drink that my senses weren't totally sharp but I definitely knew what I was doing. After some time of the conversation, what did I do? Mr. Thankey thought it would be a good idea to pash this girl whilst standing the cue with her boyfriend right there! At first, I didn't think that he was her boyfriend but then again, nowadays, you really don't know how people are associated with one another. I ended up getting a small hickey above my left clavicle and proximal to the sternomastoid muscle (read: on my lower neck above the collarbone). After this short pashing session, the couple asked if I wanted to 'share' a taxi with them. They lived in Bardon, and I in Toowong. Bardon is close to Toowong but definitely out of the way. The couple soon kissed each other after making this proposal. So many thoughts going through my head. I ended up taking a taxi home (by myself) and thinking that one miss opportunity isn't such a bad thing. :) I tell you, sometimes I just get the shits and giggles thinking of what things I have and can get into. Oh well, I guess it makes for a good anecdote on a late Tuesday night (hmm...I wonder what sort of anecdotes will come from this weekend...stay tuned...)
Sunday, April 24, 2005
WTF???
How can this bloke have NFI (no f*cking idea) of what the Nazi Swastika means?! Apparently, he flew the Nazi flag, not realising what it meant! Darren Mackay's Nazi flag has caused mass offence but he does not understand why, because he didn't learn about Adolf Hitler in school history lessons. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,15048244-1242,00.html
Good god. That is tragic...just tragic.
Good god. That is tragic...just tragic.
Friday, April 22, 2005
The revision starts now
There are 7 weeks left till my mid-year exam. What does this mean? I have 6 weeks to revise for the past 12 weeks and keep up with the next 7. Definitely doable. In fact, at the moment, Dave, Rob and I are going through the faculty learning objectives (random selection between the four different domains - basic/clinical sciences, ethics/law, interpersonal communication, and public/preventive helth). It's a pretty snazzy and flashy system that requires the use of Microsoft Excel (courtesy of Dave), which is uber sexy. :)
Apart from uni, things are going okay. I have been feeling a bit homesick lately, in the sense, that I really miss speaking Gujarati. I have started to talk to the cat (oh yeah...that should be its own paragraph) in Gujju-che (that's what my friend Anita likes to call it). Maybe I am just a bit crazy (I can see how the old grannies with lots of cats are deemed crazy) but I think that it understands my muttering.
Okay, so, my flatmates decided to buy a cat while I was in New York. I hate cats. I despise them. I really do. Yes. Affirmative. Uh hunh. Regardless, they bought this albino Siamese kitten and named it Filipe. They didn't know that I was allergic to cats. In fact, I thought it was really stupid of them to buy something like a cat without consulting me on the issue. Whatever it has been done. The good thing is that my allergies haven't been very bad (actually quite mild) and I spend more time outside my place, which means that I have been studying more. :)
This upcoming weekend in ANZAC long weekend. Australia and New Zealand commemorate the ANZAC Day public holiday on the 25th of April every year to honour the bravery and sacrifice of the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), and of all those who served their country in time of war. More specifically, it marks the anniversary of the first major military action taken by the ANZAC in the World War I. In 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the Allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula (Turkey) to open the way to the Black Sea for the Allied navies. The plan was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), capital of the Ottoman Empire and an ally of Germany. They landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the Allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in war.
Whew...that was a mouthful! But yes, this weekend is ANZAC long weekend. It is going to be filled with insane amounts of studying (I say this now. Hopefully this will be the case by the time Monday evening rolls around). I have two birthday dinners/parties to go to. Saturday is Nabila's party; her birthday is on ANZAC Day but no point in celebrating it on that day. Nabila is originally from Vancouver and she did her undergrad at McGill. She asked me to plan it, so I did. :) I chose a restaurant that overlooks the Brisbane River called the Jade Buddha. Afterwards, we are going to make our way down to the Port Office Hotel, which is a bi-level bar in the City that is just KICK ASS!
Sunday, like every other, will be me trying to get all my grocery shopping done for the week, washing, organising my notes, and touch footy. However, there will be some upscale debauchery after touch. :) It's my good friend Suzanne's (a Brisvegan) birthday and we are (tentatively) heading out to a Turkish restaurant and then to a funky place called the Lychee Lounge, which apparently have the best infused vodka in all of Brisbane. :) I have yet to go to the West End in Brisbane. It is a suburb on the south side of the Brisbane River. Look left - it's the fashionistas sipping lychee martinis; look right - an earthboy hippie is jamming on bongos with a jazz sax player; and straight ahead is a Middle Eastern tobacco cafe, where all sorts discuss whether apple flavour is better than vanilla. And this is at 2am. Apparently, there is never a dull moment in the eclectic melting pot that is West End. I am uber excited. :)
Apart from uni, things are going okay. I have been feeling a bit homesick lately, in the sense, that I really miss speaking Gujarati. I have started to talk to the cat (oh yeah...that should be its own paragraph) in Gujju-che (that's what my friend Anita likes to call it). Maybe I am just a bit crazy (I can see how the old grannies with lots of cats are deemed crazy) but I think that it understands my muttering.
Okay, so, my flatmates decided to buy a cat while I was in New York. I hate cats. I despise them. I really do. Yes. Affirmative. Uh hunh. Regardless, they bought this albino Siamese kitten and named it Filipe. They didn't know that I was allergic to cats. In fact, I thought it was really stupid of them to buy something like a cat without consulting me on the issue. Whatever it has been done. The good thing is that my allergies haven't been very bad (actually quite mild) and I spend more time outside my place, which means that I have been studying more. :)
This upcoming weekend in ANZAC long weekend. Australia and New Zealand commemorate the ANZAC Day public holiday on the 25th of April every year to honour the bravery and sacrifice of the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), and of all those who served their country in time of war. More specifically, it marks the anniversary of the first major military action taken by the ANZAC in the World War I. In 1915, Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the Allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula (Turkey) to open the way to the Black Sea for the Allied navies. The plan was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), capital of the Ottoman Empire and an ally of Germany. They landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the Allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in war.
Whew...that was a mouthful! But yes, this weekend is ANZAC long weekend. It is going to be filled with insane amounts of studying (I say this now. Hopefully this will be the case by the time Monday evening rolls around). I have two birthday dinners/parties to go to. Saturday is Nabila's party; her birthday is on ANZAC Day but no point in celebrating it on that day. Nabila is originally from Vancouver and she did her undergrad at McGill. She asked me to plan it, so I did. :) I chose a restaurant that overlooks the Brisbane River called the Jade Buddha. Afterwards, we are going to make our way down to the Port Office Hotel, which is a bi-level bar in the City that is just KICK ASS!
Sunday, like every other, will be me trying to get all my grocery shopping done for the week, washing, organising my notes, and touch footy. However, there will be some upscale debauchery after touch. :) It's my good friend Suzanne's (a Brisvegan) birthday and we are (tentatively) heading out to a Turkish restaurant and then to a funky place called the Lychee Lounge, which apparently have the best infused vodka in all of Brisbane. :) I have yet to go to the West End in Brisbane. It is a suburb on the south side of the Brisbane River. Look left - it's the fashionistas sipping lychee martinis; look right - an earthboy hippie is jamming on bongos with a jazz sax player; and straight ahead is a Middle Eastern tobacco cafe, where all sorts discuss whether apple flavour is better than vanilla. And this is at 2am. Apparently, there is never a dull moment in the eclectic melting pot that is West End. I am uber excited. :)
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