Transitions

Post first day of night float as Medical Officer. 2 weeks away from becoming a Missus. Waiting for my first pay check post pay raise today. Transitions transitions. Excitement in trepidation! In God we trust. :)

New plant in the house! Beautiful orchids from the cell group.

The ever gratifying can can mian from NUS Science Canteen. Ah, those days.

Happy Mums' day at Le Bistrot, yums!

Moving on

And with that last sunrise, my last Houseman call is done. It was a HO1 call, reputedly the busiest and amongst the more frightful ones. I went in all prepared for the worst call of my life. It came and went, quietly. It makes me all the more scared. Housemanship ends in less than a month. They say that this year will be the worst time of your life, but I can't quite imagine how it might really get better.

As I end this season of my life with a posting in Palliative Medicine, it is perhaps appropriate that I've been made to deal with difficult questions that I never considered as an undergraduate. What is the purpose of this profession? What is the goal of treatment? Is death the failure of Medicine? I vividly remember a piece of advice given to me by an oncologist, "A good oncologist knows when to give chemotherapy. A great oncologist knows when not to." As I ponder a particular Mr H who was admitted in the course of my rotation, I really lament the failing of us as humans doctors. Humans who really cannot see beyond this present moment, humans who are equipped with so much knowledge and technology only to use it for destruction.

Work aside, house building has been in progress. Only someone who has seen a house go from concrete floors and banged up toilets to a ready-to-move-it state can attest to the intensity of planning and purchasing. Which is why I am extremely impressed with Xiaxue who did an amazing job with her house renovation (oh dear now I have revealed my inner Xiaxue-reading self). Many thanks to the parents who have been so supportive in more ways than one. At the heart of it all, I know I am a terribly spoilt kid who really needs to learn to grow up, deal with refrigerator woes and leaking taps.

Sleepy. Abrupt end to post.

Home building

Building a house has certainly been no joke. Trudging along with my super efficient Fiancé planning out weekend agendas and organizing contractors and typing out refrigerators/stoves/washing machines/tiles comparison charts on Excel. In any case I was suddenly shocked when SJ reminded me that we have about 17 weekends till the wedding (OMG). On one hand I'm pretty excited about all these changes and having our new home. On the other hand I'm pretty bummed out about having to figure out dinner plans daily and wash my own clothes. Admittedly a spoilt brat at heart, can't deny that. On top of lots of work and exams and plans to endeavour into new interests...how to cope like that! 

Here are some pictures to interest you. Should anyone need any lobang for home renovation please feel free to contact myself/SJ. Our contractor is awesome possum speedy peedy. Shangjun also runs his own lobang consultancy at a minimal fee (1x good coffee). PM for more details ;)

Smashing up everything

Fixing new lights

Changing doors and pipes

Tadah!

Gecko!

Warning: This is an incoherent post.

Spent the last week lazing around and recovering from post-GS traumatic stress disorder. Winding down for the year and psyching myself up for a new one. In between afternoon naps and coffee breaks, I finished Escape from Camp 14, recommended by J - A horrific and disconcerting personal account of life in a North Korean concentration camp.  I also watched Der Letzte Zug (The Last Train), a movie depicting the transport of the finals batches of Germans to Auschwitz during World War II. Yet more heart wrenching and painful images of humans turning against their own race under a completely irrational and mind boggling regime. SJ and I also completed some woodwork over the long holiday and voila, a good table for the bedside. A little plain looking for now, but over time will grow to bear marks of use and character. 

Glorijoy: Hm...this looks a little too plain don't you think?
SJ: Shall we put stickers?

Tomorrow begins yet a new challenge beyond what I can explain with words. Having W over today to discuss plans for the new year made me realize how much I long for a greater meaning a purpose to all this. Finding time for people, ministry and spiritual growth. Work should not be an excuse! Here's to a new posting...with a gecko on my car windshield for you!