Reflections on Easter

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

C.S. Lewis

As with every year, this Easter was special. Even more so as it marks the last day of our short break before we begin CSFC, traditionally known as the elementary clinics. The past one and a half weeks were spent shooting, meeting up with friends, lunches with my mom/grandma and running errands. It was nice to have time to laze around in the afternoon, considering life and the world we exist it. As I ponder the existence of life, my simple mind often comes to a simple conclusion of a life for the glory of God.

Lunches at Crystal Jade and Hong Kong Cafe (don't go there it really sucks) with my mum and grandma, plus walking around Shenton Way to run errands kind of filled up my days. 2 afternoons with Liwei, Ziteng and James in preparation for Easter. I also appreciated meeting up with Kaiqian, Ze, Joy, Bea, Hap, Alfred and Sng for dinner (Celeste was lurking somewhere in Indonesia). Good fish (in my opinion, but much to disappointment of some :p), good prata and teh ping :) Then there were the back-to-school days for VCF, release of Viva lists and PHS meeting. Sundays in church and at clinics. All in all, a good one and a half weeks gone by.

Tonight puts me in a reflective mood, in light of Easter, and the (pseudo) end of M2. Another academic year has gone by, rather horribly and painfully with MBT and his neverendingbacterianames. I think many would agree that M2 slapped us into reality of our limitations, and for myself, a desperate need for grace. Afternoon naps were guilt-ridden, and I am thankful for my MSN buddies who bothered to reply me (you know who you are). I would go to sleep feeling so relieved to be able to put down my work and finally close my eyes, but I would wake up to an immediate thought of "oh crap did I oversleep, I'm behind schedule. I need to hurry up". An apt illustration of what it says in Ecclesiastes.

"Because all his days his task is painful and grievous; even at night his mind does not rest.

This too is vanity."

We always remind ourselves to see the big picture, but yet our eyes are too fixated upon the details (both in Microb and in Life). Every Easter we remember the cruxifiction of Jesus, and His glorious resurrection on the 3rd day. This Easter I came to a realization that no one took Jesus' life - no one could have. It was He who willingly gave up His soul. To H and D who joined me for Easter this year, thank you for being willing to share something that is close to my heart, and I hope that the message of Easter is something that you will sincerely consider.

As we move on into a entirely new ball game, a new set of challenges await us. In a world where we are all looking for hope that finds its form in people, policies, music or spirituality, only one is found upon the truth that we know - In Christ we trust.

How Facebook changes our lives

so as our lives were plagued with PROs, and driven to endless frustration, some people sought solace in Facebook. it was highly amusing, all the different status and stuff. so i did a small collection of them. Sng wins hands down la.

Facebook Statuses with Honourable Mention

Koo Chee Hoe: humans should be uni-cellular, less nuclei whatever.
Ray Lai: WARGH. blurgl. fzzzk.
Rebecca Anastasia: MAD-icine
Sng Weizhong Jonathan: my knowledge feels like a 30 minute roasted potato. (half baked)
Charmaine Kwan: wants it to end, doesn't want it to start HOW is that possible ! :(
Zeying Tan: RAWR RAAWR RRAAAAWWWWRRRR X1000
Chai Huizhong: Hippocampus - the school for hippos
Daniel Hap: Queen Amygdala and Kingella
Arjunan Graetz: TCBS XV B-CYE EF2 ELEK DGI VDRL TPHA FTA-Abs WTF

Best Facebook Status Comment

Hu-Lin Tay: i feel like my brain has run out of space
Sng Weizhong Jonathan: yea, like you put some things in, others fall out. I've forgotten two friends names already.

Best Joke of the Mugging Season

So Watson walks into Holmes' office and asks: "besides reticulate bodies, what are the other type of bodies which chlamydia form?"

Holmes replies: "It's elementary, my dear Watson."

A Dime A Dozen

The kittens at my doorstep disappeared about a week ago. By "disappeared", I do mean disappeared. one moment they were there, and the next they vanished. Cat Mommy was still lurking around, and did so for the subsequent 2 days, so there were only 3 possibilities in my mind.

1. Cat Mommy abandoned the kittens somewhere
2. Kittens were stolen by another cat/animal/thing that can fit through the gates
3. Cat Mommy moved the kittens and then forgot where she left them (-.-)

Cat mommy had become extremely clingy, rolling around the floor much and coming up close to want you to pat her. I wish I could have asked her where her kittens were. I tried following her to the hawker centre but she ended up going there for a hearty dinner. x_x i took a stroll around the neighbourhood to look for the litter, but no sign of them anywhere. Oh well, I did another take the day before they went missing. Haven't had time to post photos till now. I felt more sad than I had expected when they disappeared :( oh well. Cat mommy got tired of hanging around our compound and so she's left as well.

1. I am frog.

2. Blue-eyed Brunette.

3. Machiam look like hamster leh. Hamster face.

4. RAR! growing up quickly into catty vicious things.


5. Sleepy/lazy heads.



6. Plonk.


7. Pretending to be a porcupine.

as for my thoughts on PROs, they shall remain as thoughts. I don't know what is in store, but all in all, God is still in control, and I couldn't have been more reminded of that. for now, i'm content being tired from blading and not studying, and looking forward to a good nights rest. I had my camera with me today as well, but didn't catch much other than a slow sunset and some hummus dips. :p

8. Lunch at Kebab Station (ECP), starting with appetizers - Hummus Dips :)

9. Sunset and a tree of character.


10. By your side.


11. Fiddled around with exposure and the words on the sign. (Click to Enlarge)


12. What's a post-exam activity without an incriminating photo of our favourite person
? x)

On Vivas and Supps

G: I think at least 10% of the cohort will have to go for vivas/supp papers *frets*
S: Aiyah, don't worry la. that's like 25 people only.
G: Ya that's quite a lot of people!
S: No...sure got people who never study.
G: Eh everyone studies!
S: Are you sure...what about those idiots who whole day play play play and never study?
G: Eh, we're not in Law School.

>.<

Amidst Sadness

I LOLed at this email from Jeev :D 1 more week guys! RARHGHAH.

Hey guys

I read Prof OWY's notes first, then used this booklet i had with answers in it to complie this auditory Q&A. Hope it makes sense. Sure got some wrong stuff here and there so pls help to clarify! will try do others asap.

chaloz!and 6 days more to FREEDOMzzZ!

anyone organizing parties btw? like where we can get drunk. safely.

Yours,
Jeevan Raaj.

On the shoulders of Giants

It is always heartening, when exams draw near and my Inbox is always popping up with things like "Neuroscience Review transcript" or "Answers for Past Year Papers" and "Advice from Seniors". Resources are always made available, notes, questions, answers, explanations. We have faithful people who take photographs and notes diligently during Practical sessions (to Dr Taylor's great dismay) and thereafter letting everyone have a copy. The Academic Directorate 09 even created a fantastic resource site from which everything is clearly tagged, labelled and easily downloaded from. year in year out, we have things like "Lifern's Notes", "Enqi's Pharmacology" and the like, lots of notes that people have put in time and effort in (and leaving their name in there for that legacy), in hope that the future batches have a lighter load. it amazes me, because while I hear of my friends elsewhere having to buy notes and textbooks from seniors, people suddenly finding their notes missing when the exams draw near, I'm thankful to be part of community where there is a great deal of sharing. I am reminded that it is not about us, nor is it about the grades. I can only return the favours. :)

"If I have seen further it is by standing on ye shoulders of Giants."

Isaac Newton, 1643 - 1727

Stain em with methylene blooooo...

Dedicated to the M2s :)

Big spores keep on drifting
Carry me to my new hosts skin
Contact airborne isolation
Its time to infect someone again
I know its a sin

Methicillin resistant staph aureus
Vancomycin resistant enterococcus
Multidrug resistant Tuberculosis
MDR Klebsiella

Sweet intestinal flora
Stain them with methylene blue
Clostridium difficile enterocoliits
Lord, its coming after you

Ventilator acquired Acinetobacter baumannii
Only sensitive to Polymyxin A
Intermediate sensitivity to piperacillin tazobactam
Tigecyclines useless today

Mississippi river valley
Histoplasmosis capsulatum
Blastomyces Dermatitidis
Coccidioides immitis
In the Southwest

AIDS defining infections
Cryptococcus Neoformans
Mycobacterium Avium Complex
Pneumocystis jirovecci
Cytomegalovirus
Toxoplasmosis, gondii

Sweet intestinal flora
Stain them with methylene blue
Clostridium difficile enterocoliits
Lord, its coming after you
And it aint the flu

Rickettsia Rickettsii
Borrelia Burgdorfi
Bartonella Henselae
Rickettsia tsutsugamushi

Nosocomial Pneumonia
Living in the ICU
Progressive Mutifocal Leukencephalopathy
Lord its comin after you
And youre screwed

Dance to the Rhythm of the Crowds

[EDIT] Uploaded: For the Ruggers :) [/EDIT]

I'm too lazy to post photos of Law Med 2009 - but just one that caught my eye. I usually try to steer away from such post processing these days, but this was difficult to resist. He makes it look...graceful.

Ian Dominic, Law-Med Rugby 2009

Honour

The Honour. we know it in our hearts, but it's hardly on our lips - fear that the ideals we hold might leak out. Doubt of its existence.

I was at the Law-Med 2009 last night, where there was a fiery exchange between Team Medicine and the Lawyers. If you thought the motion seemed all too ridiculous, too many words frivolously tossed about, well think again. I did.

I left before the results were announced. Hippocratic, hypocritic, whatever. I left proud, and inspired.

Medical Student

During a lecture on Neuroimaging, a non-examinable topic:

K: Hey MJ you're actually taking notes?
MJ: Yeah I'm going to become a good doctor.

The Coming of Age

it's like saying your first word;
taking your first step;
reading your first book;
having your first solo recital.

it's like the coming of age.

Pygmalion 2009

hats off to the cast and crew of this year's King Edward VII Hall Play. the characters were very well cast, the costumes, script, stage directions and music all very thoroughly thought through. not forgetting the set - mindblowing. very very awesome. thanks for an excellent night. congrats Yukit!

Robot

oseems like i haven't blogged in ages! the last time i wrote something decent was...(searches archives)...like in November last year! O_O my brain is rotting. i haven't stopped to think about the turn of the new year, or what i'd like to see in this new semester. all i know is that i'm my calendar seems too packed for anything, and everyday is quite a bit of checklist to tick off.

stop.

a quick recap of all the things that have been happening since then. i had enjoyable memories at AnnTic camp and the holiday to Hong Kong with SJ, Yue En, Kim and Ying, and then i had to come back to face the realities of Microbiology CA on the first day of school. there were Christmas parties i missed, New Year celebrations i missed as well. in my mind i really didn't know how to sort out the different categories of friends i had, and i wished i could have been everywhere at every point in time. then school came, and it was somehow a consistent jog towards the next CA (which we just finished yay). lots and lots of worms and parasites climbing around in preparation and now it's finally a good break for CNY.

breathe.

i want to think about the year past, but again i am going to leave it for the time i have riding around in the car during CNY visitations. right now i have 101 things i need to do. been helping out with the photography with NUS-GE water polo games. the last time i shot for water polo was during the HC-RJ finals in J2! i remember liking that series a lot. i hadn't realised that this time i was in for a whole lot more testosterone than i would have expected. rarrr. will put up photos after tomorrow finals - hopefully they are more interesting that those from the qualifiers. next up will be the Med Law games, which should be quite interesting. :)

think.

next week we only have one day of school. what happened to hectic medical school?! it's almost crazy to think that M2 is almost over. there's about 3 more weeks and we're gonna be hit with CAs, study break, and the Professionals. ahhhh. i haven't spent much time in school this year - been doing random stuff, tuitioning and more random stuff. i can't wait for M2 to end and finally be able to don our labcoats and steths, but at the same time i also really treasure the time in lecture theatres, talking rubbish in between the breaks, being able to wear cui clothes and slippers to school. of course our favourite can1 can1 mian4 and the incredibly ditzy auntie.

do.

ok i'm off to do the next on my list of random things to do. pack 800 pieces of class photos, and give them out in class tomorrow.

PS: Alfred just sent me the poster for the Great Science Challenge 2004 (now known as the National Science Challenge) and zomg there are like 5 Med people it's crazy! can't believe we were in the same studio 4 years ago! man we're laughing our asses off now - those were the days!

MCF Christmas Party

i must say that last night was surreal.

it has all come full circle.

and we're only human too.

It's Finally December

Time to make funny faces and put on your Christmas hats!

Dr Mark Taylor coming into lecture in a crazy hat
Photo by Melvin Tan, stolen off Facebook. :P

For Too Many Reasons

some photos from Celeste's birthday on the 17th (earlier this week), and post CAs chillaxing at Sentosa to watch the sunset, albeit rather pathetic. hahah. sitting by the beach, singing cheesy f4 songs (wo bu shi f4 x1000) and drinking juice.

ah. exams are over....for now. ;)

1. Watch those cheeks woman. ;)

2) Celeste gets a surprise magic trick from Sin Yong

3) Group shot in Seminar Room. strange place for a group shot, but oh well.


4) Cel's dinner at Secret Recipe. Bea was perving on a little baby, so I said, "hey bea, make a pervy face for the camera". Bea: HEH HEH.


5) Mandatory people shots. ups to these people who took the night off from preparing for Pharm and COFM to remember a friend. :)


6) A repeat from DnD?


7) Strange people. (oops, sorry about the white balance)


8)


9)

10) I think i might have forgotten how to smile for the camera.

11) the gigantic Christmas tree at Vivo. challenges the all time favourite at Taka! PS: is the tree in Taka a real Christmas tree?

12) Under Christmas lights

13) Having some fun in the wading pool. They subsequently proceeded to take some jump shots which I caught on camera. but they're too inappropriate for viewing. TSK TSK.

14) in a whimsical reindeer carraige!

15) Possessed Liang Po Po. hoo hoo hoo hoo

16) Was experimenting with the location, so got ahma to pose for me.

17) Watching the sunset. a pity it was a really cloudy day so all we saw were some rays of orange light.

18) i think they are pretending to be apes. for reasons i cannot fanthom.

19) The Southern Most Point of Continental Asia (doh) by night.

If you were feeling down from studying Pharm...

you're not alone. hug!

Playhouse 2008

watched Playhouse over the weekend, both the M3 and the M2 plays. it was worth every bit of time :) the M3s had a stellar cast, while the M2 play made me rotfl. it was especially cute. wished i could have stayed for the remaining plays. awesome!

Broken Hearts

"...and that is the only example of a truly broken heart."

Professor Aileen Wee, on the rupture of ventricular walls as one of the immediate consequences of Subendocardial Myocardial Infarction

Image from: Google Images

Small Things

today was the much anticipated cookie giving day. much anticipated by us in the Medicine Christian Fellowship (MCF) at least. today, everyone in LT29 got to bring home a packet of the familiar Khong Guan sugar topped biscuits most of us would have been addicted to at one point in time of our childhood. free refill. =p

it's quite amazing really, even though i wouldn't have had thought so a few weeks back. at the beginning of the year, the idea was birthed from one of the meetings MCF had. soon enough, Grace and Andrew were wondering how they were going to get things organized and going. there was the money problem, packing problem, logistics problem, packaging problem, and perhaps the most burdensome of all, the heart problem.

so we passed around an envelope. some coins, some dollar bills, together with much love put into a brown envelope, hoping that God would use what we had. no one really knew what to expect or what to do, but out of this unknowingness came the seeding of faith. coincidentally (or not)

1. Abel's church was mass producing small gift cards at an affordable price.
2. Edward had spare plastic packaging at home, an exact 260 of them.
3. Shuhui lived upstairs a shop that sold the cookies and offered to buy and send them to school

21st October, we met in a seminar room. armed with gloves, 5 tins of biscuits, pens, cards, twisty things and plastic wrap, we packed, wrote, and wrapped. "1.5 cups per bag, 600g, it's just enough to go around so don't waste" as instructed by Grace. "too much too much!", "walau so giam put more la!" at the end of the day, we were left with just about half a tin left. maybe we did put too little in each bag, but i was reminded of the 5 loaves and 2 fish.

then there were the cards. i got a little itchy fingered, so i wrote "may your joys exceed the number of viruses that we have to learn!" :P if you got that card, i hope you were encouraged. :)

Cedric did up a slide show, reminding us of what some of us might have professed to believe in during our admission interviews. he ended of with a slide that said, "be encouraged, by the small things that pass us by".

and i hope you were encouraged. :)