Wise words

"There is no pride in passing PACES (just sigh of relief, damn heng ah, unless u are gunning for gold medal :P), and there is no shame in failing it. Just study hard, eat well, sleep well and do your best."

Super touched :')

Before Bedtime

Husband: Oh what would I do without you pooo...
Me: Hmm? (waiting for something romantic)
SJ: ...I think I would watch TV.

TV 1 Glorijoy 0

True Story

People never grow up. They just learn how to act in public.

Bryan White

My heart goes out to the poor M3 who was most recently involved in the email saga. As Amy rightly pointed out, I think we all learnt a life lesson that night. In this high strung and stressful period, everyone is looking for a outlet, and the poor chap happened to be a convenient punching bag. I guess it is truly in times of crisis that one's true character unveils itself.

That said, I am terribly ashamed of what came out of my mouth, almost intuitively, last Thursday. While I don't think there were any dire consequences, it dawned on me that I had been consumed by the MBBS monster. Utterly disgusted.

Can't wait to get over and done with it, and jump down 12,000ft off a plane.

Illusions

“The only obsession everyone wants: Love. People think that in falling in love they make themselves whole? The platonic union of souls? I think otherwise. I think you’re whole before you begin. And the love fractures you. You’re whole, and then you’re cracked open.”

Philip Roth

Question

Is life worth living? This is a question for an embryo, not a man.

Samuel Butler

A Wise Man

A wise man sat in the audience and cracked a joke. Everybody laughs like crazy. After a moment he cracks the same joke again. This time less people laughed. When there was no laughter in the crowd, he smiled and said, “you can’t laugh at the same joke again and again, but why do you cry over the same thing again and again?

Do you

(via thoughtcatalog)

Do you love me or just the thought of me? It’s so cliché but my mind has been going over this so many times I’ve stopped counting. Which one is it? And what’s the difference other than the ability to touch me?

If I’d pass away, you’d still talk to me before you go to sleep. You’d still tell me all about your day, your job, how there was this moment just after waking when you noticed the bed was colder. You’d probably ask me “and how are you?” and fall asleep shortly after, accustomed to the silence that follows.

On your way to work the radio would play the songs that remind you of me, because they all do. When you’d cross the bridge, images would start to pop up in your head. The two of us swimming naked in the river, our bodies tanned and sweaty. Strawberry ice cream in my hair, my fingers sweet against your lips. My long hair spread out in the grass, your dog peaceful at my feet, your hand pressed against my cheek. None of these are things we’ve necessarily ever done, but the pictures are so pretty in your head.

You don’t need me for that.

If I’m not here – what would you miss me for? Don’t miss being able to talk to me, because you still can. You’ve known me for so long, you already know what I’m going to say anyway. You wouldn’t miss me surprising you, because I never do. There’d be no void where my voice used to be. The silence after I’ve fallen asleep would be even more silent and with your eyes closed you can fantasize that I’m there next to you. You could make me as pretty as you like, finally getting rid of the mole on my right breast you find so distracting.

It would take some getting used to making breakfast just for one, but let’s be honest: that’s not something you’d actually miss, right? It’d give you time to go for a quick run, kick start your day, do something useful. Something you can tell me about later when you imagine me leaning against you, praising you for your hard work. When I’m no longer here, you could still have me and secretly add all the qualities you always wished I had.

When I’m gone, nothing would really change except maybe for the better. You’d cry, for the changes they’d ask you to make are something you’re not ready for. You’d cry for seeing yourself so miserable, for thinking you’d lost the love of your life. Don’t. Don’t cry, don’t change. Don’t tell a soul I’m gone. Keep me with you and make me better than I ever was, take all you never could from me. You wouldn’t have to miss a thing at all; what you loved in me could now never be taken from you. You’d never have to miss me.

But I’d sure miss to be touched.

Vocation

"If a Christian man proposes to be a teacher, physician, lawyer, mechanic, or farmer, it must be, not chiefly from promptings of the world or self, but chiefly because he verily believes he can, in that calling, best serve his heavenly Master. If he hath not this consecration, we do not say he is unfit for the ministry only, he is unfit to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. If any man think this standard of dedication too strict, let him understand at once that he is “not fit for the kingdom of God;”" R L Dabney

Fierce.

Ecclesiastes 5:12

The sleep of a laborer is sweet, whether he eats little or much, but the abundance of a rich man permits him no sleep.

What is life?

You cannot die if you have not lived.- Professor Gilbert Lau, Forensic Pathologist, on why still births are not considered unnatural deaths

Beauty is only skin deep

Oh how we love beautiful things. Beautiful clothes, accessories, people. Over the past few days, I've been indulging in chick flicks. I've seen Sex and the City I and II, Bewitched (which was really terrible, don't bother at all), Bridget Jones Diary and He's Just Not That Into You. I've had my fair share of Super Sexy Women (mymy Sarah Jessica Parker is so hot) and Really Hot Men (Hugh Grant ♥♥).

I can't help but wonder though, what makes someone so attractive. People often point out good looking people to me, in class, along the streets, in the bus. Most of the time, I'd hardly take another look. Make up ++, superhigh heels ++ and branded clothes ++. Is that what makes someone attractive? Perhaps not. I'd hypothesize that a person's attractiveness, is very largely determined by your brain's impression of his/her character, though I think most people would beg to differ.

I find that this phenomenon is most clearly demonstrated in the movies. I'm sure you'd have seen a show starring Really Hot Guy as the villain, and Average Joe as the superhero. Really Hot Guy never really ends up looking that hot, while Average Joe always turns into this gush-worthy super star that you remember the most. I mean, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) in Bridget Jones Diary was like OhSoHot in the first half of the show where he played the suitor who was being maligned and taken advantage of. Mark Darcy (Collin Firth) on the other hand just looked...twerpy. But when it was finally revealed that Mark Darcy was the one who had been suffering in silence, and who had all the lovely traits (he could cook, clean and loved Jones for how she just was), Collin Firth suddenly transformed into this magical young handsome chap with a sexy British accent! ♥ Hugh Grant then became...rather pathetic. Point proven.

So it's true then, beauty shines from within (:

PS: See! Hugh Grant looks so hot here. But by the end of the show, he just looks like a taopok.

Truth

"If the bible is so explicit about what is true, what is good, and how we ought to live our lives, then if we choose to do otherwise, is that not outright rebellion?"

The Great Divorce, by CS Lewis

What needs could I have,’ she said, ‘now that I have all? I am full now, not empty. I am in Love Himself, not lonely. Strong, not weak. You shall be the same. Come and see. We shall have no need for one another now: we can begin to love truly.’

* * *

'But what of the poor Ghosts who never get into the omnibus at all?'

'Everyone who wishes it does. Never fear. There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, "Thy will be done," and those to whom God says, in the end, "Thy will be done." All that are in Hell choose it. ... No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek find. To those who knock, it is opened.

emokid88

Everyone in life is gonna hurt you, you just have to figure out which people are worth the pain.

Punch and Punctuality

A: So what time are you going to M's party later?

B: Hmm...about 7pm?

A: Ok then, I'll see you at 8:30pm.

B: What! You have so little faith in me! I won't arrive so late okay...I will leave my house at 7pm.

A: What! You mean that all this while when you mean "X" appointment time you mean its the time that you leave your house?! Goodness, we have been miscommunicating all this while

B: Noooo I mean...(defenseless)

* * *

B later turned up at the party at 8:30pm.

Modern Thinker's Creed

"...We believe that all religions are basically the same-at least the one that we read was. They all believe in love and goodness. They only differ on matters of creation, sin, heaven, hell, God, and salvation."

This CNY...

...I learnt that the secret of longevity is in drinking Pepsi, smoking and eating an apple everyday.

*_*

Source: Things Like That

Epic

Glori! Next week is Valentines' Day...

...are you organizing anything?

- Shangjun, Vday 2010

Hello again

many people have asked me why i locked this space. frankly, i don't have a good answer for it. it was partly a social experiment, partly because i wanted some time to tweak the layout, and partly because i wanted a bit of quiet and one less distraction from the looming exams. i guess they all kind of failed, and here you are reading this again. i appreciate that you who are reading this have been concerned about what's been happening, how i've been and those who have been messaging me to check on me. apologies to those who have been unable to read other people's blog because it appears that this is blog central. thank you (: i personally believe that should i be writing on a public sphere like this, it doesn't make sense for me to be restricting readership, and i do hope to be able to continue sharing bits of fun, laughter and God's goodness with all of you. (:

yesterday i spent 2 hours taking some M2s through clinical examination skills. i didn't sign up for it, but took over Hap since he had to be at OT3 the entire day. i was really apprehensive about it (which was why i didn't sign up in the first place), since i felt rather inadequate and also fearful of the potential questions that they could ask. in the end i agreed because i thought, hey look my friend needs help, there is no good reason for me not to do it. i spent the earlier night revising on my steps and reading up on some common conditions. it turned out to be a pretty enjoyable session, and reminded me of the good times i had at TTSH medicine. i think clinical training always reminds you of the reality of the things you study about it books and notes, and inspires you to get it on and really work hard to become the best you can. i'm glad i managed to teach them some stuff, and hopefully it'd be something they'll be able to put to good use in future. (:

i had a swim this morning as well. swimming is getting rather boring, and i find that monotony might just be my best motivator to stress myself during exercise. i find difficult in swimming the first 10 laps, having to swim 2x front crawl followed by 1x froggie. the next 10 feel much easier, and i can push myself to do 3x front crawl followed by 1x froggie. the final 10 laps seem the easier and i can do a full 10x front crawl. seems rather peculiar to me, and i think it might just be because i get so bored swimming that i just want to get the exercise over and done with. ;)

SJ bought me new crocs again! don't ask me why. is it true that boys only buy their girlfriends things on a guilty conscience? :p in any case they are nice (: ♥

this evening was spent with Joseph and Fred at ACJC promoting our lemon-honey drink. it was quite a nightmare, since it was the first time we actually got down to making the honey that has been so often talked about to protect voices and sooth the cords. sounds easy enough huh, to be making some honey water and to throw some lemons in, but not when you have to make like a huge bucket of it without people complaining about how dubious it looks. well, it was a good time just hanging out with people, looking at the cast/crew, and imagining the excitement, stress and anticipation at the culmination of many months of hard work tomorrow. all the best to Alfred, Hap, Hulin, Melo, Ray, Angela, Zhouhao, Abhi (just a few names off the cuff)! (:

i realized that i enjoy meeting people in small groups. i don't really like big group outings and parties. i'd much prefer a quiet evening with a couple of people, whether they are close friends or not, and get to know them. today i spoke with a friend, and i really appreciated being able to share things close to heart with such great vulnerability. i recently spent an evening having supper with HT and chilling out at island creamery till midnight. it is so precious. (:

its been a long time since i wrote such a long post! all the best for studying guys, don't go blog surfing too often. ;) let me end off with a quote from our very own COFM lecturer.

"Women are the things which produce the population.

Not to say that men aren't part of the equation.

Women are like.. the incubators"

- Prof Jeannette Lee,

on the importance of studying Women's Health