After a long 2 weeks of non-stop orientation, I will be starting my first day on the job tomorrow. Yes, we start rotations on a Saturday. The last Saturday of every month is the day of change-over. And I am starting out on Cardiology. Am a bit worried as I have never done Cardiology as a rotation before in the UK, but it should be a good learning experience. How hard can it be, right? It's either chest pain or shortness of breath. It's either heart attacks or heart failures. Will see how it goes.
In terms of settling in, I haven't been able to properly unpacked yet. The main reason is because the current tenant of the house we are renting only moved out today. I was staying in the basement of the house until now. I didn't really mind it much as I was glad for the company of the current tenants as his wife was an excellent cook and they had 2 very lovely and adorable children who kept us entertained throughout. Furthermore, they are leaving most of their household furnitures, electrical appliances and kitchen utensils to us for a small fee. In the US, majority of houses are unfurnished, unlike the UK. Thus, this helped us tremendously as we did not need to buy anything. I did buy myself a new twin-size bed, though. Namely because I have no use for a queen-size bed.
Also used the time during the orientation period to sort out house-keeping stuff such as opening a bank account, obtaining a social security number and taking the US driving test. I had to take the theory test first and fortunately, I passed with a score of 33/39. Phew! One more mistake and I would have failed. Granted, I didn't even study for it. Just walked in and took the test. Now have to take the practical part but shall postponed it first until I feel confident driving on the other side of the road.
All in all, things look okay for the moment. There is a strong community of Malaysian-Singaporean people here and we often meet-up for cook-outs. And I must say, they are excellent, excellent cooks. My craving for chinese food is easily satisfied during these outings. Yummy!
Friday, 26 June 2009
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
A new beginning
It's in the early hours of the morning and I am still busy packing. Once again, I am overweight! And for the life of me, I cannot understand why.
I only had 30kg weight limit when I packed for the UK. Now for the US, I have a 46kg weight limit for check-in baggage and an 18kg weight limit for hand carry. And I still am overweight! Argh! This is really frustrating!
It's a long, long flight that I will be taking to arrive at my destination, which involves 4 flights and 5 airports with a total journey time of 30 hours. I will surely miss the non-stop direct flight from KUL-LON that I have been taking for the past 8 years. Luckily, I have a friend who will be starting the same training as me and we will be taking the flight together. As we will be sharing a house together, the time during the long journey will be spent getting to know one another better.
Somehow, the realization that I will be starting my postgraduate medical training in a new country with a completely different medical system, hasn't hit me yet. I think I am taking it as a holiday still. Maybe I am in denial. Maybe I am scared. I don't know.
All I know is that this is something new. Something unknown. An unchartered territory. It will be a struggle, it will be a challenge but it's something different. Am I making the right decision? Was it wise to pack up and leave my training post in a London hospital for an equally excellent, maybe better or worse, training post, in a small town somewhere in the Midwest of USA?
Only time will tell.
However it turns out, no regrets.
Wish me luck!
I only had 30kg weight limit when I packed for the UK. Now for the US, I have a 46kg weight limit for check-in baggage and an 18kg weight limit for hand carry. And I still am overweight! Argh! This is really frustrating!
It's a long, long flight that I will be taking to arrive at my destination, which involves 4 flights and 5 airports with a total journey time of 30 hours. I will surely miss the non-stop direct flight from KUL-LON that I have been taking for the past 8 years. Luckily, I have a friend who will be starting the same training as me and we will be taking the flight together. As we will be sharing a house together, the time during the long journey will be spent getting to know one another better.
Somehow, the realization that I will be starting my postgraduate medical training in a new country with a completely different medical system, hasn't hit me yet. I think I am taking it as a holiday still. Maybe I am in denial. Maybe I am scared. I don't know.
All I know is that this is something new. Something unknown. An unchartered territory. It will be a struggle, it will be a challenge but it's something different. Am I making the right decision? Was it wise to pack up and leave my training post in a London hospital for an equally excellent, maybe better or worse, training post, in a small town somewhere in the Midwest of USA?
Only time will tell.
However it turns out, no regrets.
Wish me luck!
Saturday, 30 May 2009
An 8-year friendship and still going....
Visited an ex-Cambridge friend's home for the full moon (1-month) celebration of her utterly adorable baby girl.
Can't believe that she is a proud mummy now, and she still strikes a dashing figure, despite being post-partum.
I can even remember when we first met, 8 years ago. We met at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, as we were on the same flight to London to start our undergraduate degree at Cambridge University. She was reading Economics while I read Medical Science. Despite our different degree subject and college, we somehow started a friendship which has remained until now.
In that 3 years at Cambridge, we each had our ups and downs, from the endless cookouts to the stress of Tripos finals, from the exhilarating joy of being in love to the bitter tears of sorrows. And we were there for one another. I can remember our outings in London, our rants and bitching session over lunch and our super-long phone calls for just about everything and anything under the sun.
She eventually left Cambridge for Malaysia, while I stayed on to continue my medical degree. Despite the time constraint, and the distance between us, we tried(!) to stay in touch but failed miserably. Nevertheless, all was forgotten when I returned home for holidays, as without fail, we would make time to meet up. We always ended up meeting at KLCC as I was not allowed to drive and taking the LRT was the easiest method for me. And during those meet-ups, it was as if nothing had changed. We still gossipped about people, rant about work and discuss our current love affairs. It was never a dull moment between us.
Now, she is happily married and a proud mummy! Admittedly, I am envious, but I am equally happy with joy for her. I look forward to watching her baby girl grow with each passing year, to be as pretty and intelligent as her mummy. And here's wishing that our friendship will continue to grow, despite the distance between us.
Congratulations, LM and may you be forever blessed with endless love!
Can't believe that she is a proud mummy now, and she still strikes a dashing figure, despite being post-partum.
I can even remember when we first met, 8 years ago. We met at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, as we were on the same flight to London to start our undergraduate degree at Cambridge University. She was reading Economics while I read Medical Science. Despite our different degree subject and college, we somehow started a friendship which has remained until now.
In that 3 years at Cambridge, we each had our ups and downs, from the endless cookouts to the stress of Tripos finals, from the exhilarating joy of being in love to the bitter tears of sorrows. And we were there for one another. I can remember our outings in London, our rants and bitching session over lunch and our super-long phone calls for just about everything and anything under the sun.
She eventually left Cambridge for Malaysia, while I stayed on to continue my medical degree. Despite the time constraint, and the distance between us, we tried(!) to stay in touch but failed miserably. Nevertheless, all was forgotten when I returned home for holidays, as without fail, we would make time to meet up. We always ended up meeting at KLCC as I was not allowed to drive and taking the LRT was the easiest method for me. And during those meet-ups, it was as if nothing had changed. We still gossipped about people, rant about work and discuss our current love affairs. It was never a dull moment between us.
Now, she is happily married and a proud mummy! Admittedly, I am envious, but I am equally happy with joy for her. I look forward to watching her baby girl grow with each passing year, to be as pretty and intelligent as her mummy. And here's wishing that our friendship will continue to grow, despite the distance between us.
Congratulations, LM and may you be forever blessed with endless love!
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
Return trip to UK
Have just returned from my trip to the UK. Gosh, it has been a hectic 10 days.
I stayed in Cambridge the first night as my sister had come down to join me. She only stayed for a night to mainly catch up with me, and to collect the things that I had carried over for her from Malaysia. The next morning, I travelled to Cardiff for my Diploma exam the following day. It is a distance-learning diploma which I have been undertaking for the past 2 years. After completing all the assignments and coursework, it made sense to complete the Diploma by doing the exam. I had to stay in Cardiff for 2 nights as I might be called for a pass/fail viva, thus had to stay, just in case. Luckily, I was not called for the viva, which means I have passed the exam and now have an extra credential to my name.
From Cardiff, I returned to Cambridge to meet up with friends and then for the May Bank Holiday weekend, I travelled to Cotswold with the same 2 friends I went to Budapest with. Looks like that wasn't our last trip together but this one probably is. I am leaving to the US, one is leaving for Australia and one is remaining in the UK. Not forgetting another friend who is now back in Malaysia. Who knows when we will ever get the chance to travel together again....
At Cotswold, we visited the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway where they were celebrating Hogwarts weekend, and we got to sit on the Hogwarts Castle locomotive.
It reminded me how much I love trains. Especially steam trains. In my next trip to the UK, I will definitely go on the Jacobite Steam Train, up north in Scotland.
Soon, it was time to go home. Funnily, although I am now leaving UK for good, I wasn't sad yet. Or maybe because reality hadn't set in yet. Or maybe because as I haven't officially resigned from my UK job offer in London, which starts in August, I can always come back to the UK if things don't work out in the US. I have about 1 1/2 months in the US before August for me to see how I do there. Although I do pray that I won't have to come back to the UK. Not that I don't like the UK, but more that I have sold everything and have nothing left, thus if I come back to the UK, I will have to start from scratch!
And to complete my experience in the UK with a bang, I managed to used up all my Enrich points in exchange for a First-Class Ticket Heathrow-Kuala Lumpur. I first arrived in the UK on 27 September 2001 on an Economy Class ticket as a student and finally left the UK on 26 May 2009 on a First Clsss ticket as a medical doctor. I sure have moved up in the world...=)
I stayed in Cambridge the first night as my sister had come down to join me. She only stayed for a night to mainly catch up with me, and to collect the things that I had carried over for her from Malaysia. The next morning, I travelled to Cardiff for my Diploma exam the following day. It is a distance-learning diploma which I have been undertaking for the past 2 years. After completing all the assignments and coursework, it made sense to complete the Diploma by doing the exam. I had to stay in Cardiff for 2 nights as I might be called for a pass/fail viva, thus had to stay, just in case. Luckily, I was not called for the viva, which means I have passed the exam and now have an extra credential to my name.
From Cardiff, I returned to Cambridge to meet up with friends and then for the May Bank Holiday weekend, I travelled to Cotswold with the same 2 friends I went to Budapest with. Looks like that wasn't our last trip together but this one probably is. I am leaving to the US, one is leaving for Australia and one is remaining in the UK. Not forgetting another friend who is now back in Malaysia. Who knows when we will ever get the chance to travel together again....
At Cotswold, we visited the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway where they were celebrating Hogwarts weekend, and we got to sit on the Hogwarts Castle locomotive.
It reminded me how much I love trains. Especially steam trains. In my next trip to the UK, I will definitely go on the Jacobite Steam Train, up north in Scotland.Soon, it was time to go home. Funnily, although I am now leaving UK for good, I wasn't sad yet. Or maybe because reality hadn't set in yet. Or maybe because as I haven't officially resigned from my UK job offer in London, which starts in August, I can always come back to the UK if things don't work out in the US. I have about 1 1/2 months in the US before August for me to see how I do there. Although I do pray that I won't have to come back to the UK. Not that I don't like the UK, but more that I have sold everything and have nothing left, thus if I come back to the UK, I will have to start from scratch!
And to complete my experience in the UK with a bang, I managed to used up all my Enrich points in exchange for a First-Class Ticket Heathrow-Kuala Lumpur. I first arrived in the UK on 27 September 2001 on an Economy Class ticket as a student and finally left the UK on 26 May 2009 on a First Clsss ticket as a medical doctor. I sure have moved up in the world...=)
Friday, 1 May 2009
Forever 21
Celebrated my birthday yesterday. The last time I celebrated my birthday in Malaysia was in 2001, and I remembered a close friend buying me blue roses, which I had requested for. How time flies.....
This time, I arranged to make it a birthday celebration cum ex-Cambridge gathering. We had it in this restaurant called Bubba Gump, that specialises in shrimp galore. More importantly, I got to meet up with my close friends whom I have not seen for awhile. Everyone is doing well and one friend is currently expecting to deliver anytime soon.
Towards the end of the dinner, my friends had cunningly informed the restaurant staff, and I was asked to stand on the chair and shake my bootie in order to get a free ice-cream sundae. I have never been so embarassed in my life! Oh well, I was among close friends and you only get to celebrate your birthday once a year, so what the heck, I shaked my bootie! And I have a video to proof it. Although I will never ever show it to anyone ever!
Oh, and I just found out I passed my MRCP Part 2 exam. I am stunned and shocked. This is the best birthday present I could ask for this year. Yay!
This time, I arranged to make it a birthday celebration cum ex-Cambridge gathering. We had it in this restaurant called Bubba Gump, that specialises in shrimp galore. More importantly, I got to meet up with my close friends whom I have not seen for awhile. Everyone is doing well and one friend is currently expecting to deliver anytime soon.
Towards the end of the dinner, my friends had cunningly informed the restaurant staff, and I was asked to stand on the chair and shake my bootie in order to get a free ice-cream sundae. I have never been so embarassed in my life! Oh well, I was among close friends and you only get to celebrate your birthday once a year, so what the heck, I shaked my bootie! And I have a video to proof it. Although I will never ever show it to anyone ever!
Oh, and I just found out I passed my MRCP Part 2 exam. I am stunned and shocked. This is the best birthday present I could ask for this year. Yay!
Saturday, 25 April 2009
HK-Macau Trip
Am back from my trip to Macau and Hong Kong. My parents were away in Surabaya, Indonesia for 4 days, as such I was forced to travel. My dad thinks its too dangerous for me to stay alone at home, and that it is safer for me to travel elsewhere. Yes, the logic doesn't fully make sense.
Anyway, I bought a super cheap MAS flight to HK for only RM 550 return. And with all accommodation provided for, why not? From HK International Aiport, I took the ferry to Macau to stay with my high school friend. It was great catching up with him, as we have not met up for many years. He brought me to all the various casinos in Macau as well as the delicious food. And yummy Portugese egg tarts.
After a day in Macau, I was off to Hong Kong. My last trip to HK was in 2001, once for the Jardine interview and once for a family holiday. 8 years really fly by quickly.
I stayed in the most luxurious apartment that I have ever had in my lifetime so far. My friend stays in a posh service apartment which apparently cost HK 48,000 per month. It's basically like staying in a hotel room, with daily cleaning and fresh towels, and someone to make your bed for you! (I wasn't fortunate enough to be in one of the Cambridge colleges where the bedders would make your bed for you =P) His apartment is on the 68th floor with an excellent view. Man, I am seriously in the wrong profession. I want to be pampered too! But honestly, I would not spend my own hard-earned money on such luxury. If paid by the company, then that's a different story.
I went to Lantau Island and the Peak and did all the touristy stuff. Decided against going to Disneyland since I am going to the USA, might as well go to the original one. Heh....
Anyway, I bought a super cheap MAS flight to HK for only RM 550 return. And with all accommodation provided for, why not? From HK International Aiport, I took the ferry to Macau to stay with my high school friend. It was great catching up with him, as we have not met up for many years. He brought me to all the various casinos in Macau as well as the delicious food. And yummy Portugese egg tarts.
After a day in Macau, I was off to Hong Kong. My last trip to HK was in 2001, once for the Jardine interview and once for a family holiday. 8 years really fly by quickly.
I stayed in the most luxurious apartment that I have ever had in my lifetime so far. My friend stays in a posh service apartment which apparently cost HK 48,000 per month. It's basically like staying in a hotel room, with daily cleaning and fresh towels, and someone to make your bed for you! (I wasn't fortunate enough to be in one of the Cambridge colleges where the bedders would make your bed for you =P) His apartment is on the 68th floor with an excellent view. Man, I am seriously in the wrong profession. I want to be pampered too! But honestly, I would not spend my own hard-earned money on such luxury. If paid by the company, then that's a different story.
I went to Lantau Island and the Peak and did all the touristy stuff. Decided against going to Disneyland since I am going to the USA, might as well go to the original one. Heh....
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Leaving on a jet plane
Today is my last day in the UK. I am flying home in a few hours time. Although, technically, I am coming back in the middle of May for a week to take my Diploma exam.
I finally managed to sell my car. Sold it to the Honda dealer for a loss, but that's to be expected. What saddens me is not the financial loss, it's losing the car. Back in 2006, I searched long and hard for the perfect car. I finally found it and paid a sum for it. It has given me no trouble for the past 3 years and I truly enjoyed driving it. And now, I have to let it go. Sigh. You will always remember your first car. I will miss you....
Took the MRCP Part 2 last week as well. It was bloody difficult. There are 3 papers in total, each paper has 90 questions and lasting 3 hours each over 2 days. The first paper was a total killer. Despite it being multiple choice questions, ie choosing the best answer out of 5, it was difficult as the answer could be either of them. Even if it was an open book test, I wouldn't have been able to answer the questions. Will find out the results in 4 weeks time.
Anyway, my things are all packed up. The boxes to Malaysia have been collected. The boxes to the US will be collected in June and are being kept in my landlady's house. And more things are being kept in a friend's house, which I will bring back during my next trip to the UK in May.
Am really looking forward to being home for a whole month! Won't get this opportunity ever again for the next 6 years, so will enjoy it while I can.
Malaysia, here I come!
I finally managed to sell my car. Sold it to the Honda dealer for a loss, but that's to be expected. What saddens me is not the financial loss, it's losing the car. Back in 2006, I searched long and hard for the perfect car. I finally found it and paid a sum for it. It has given me no trouble for the past 3 years and I truly enjoyed driving it. And now, I have to let it go. Sigh. You will always remember your first car. I will miss you....
Took the MRCP Part 2 last week as well. It was bloody difficult. There are 3 papers in total, each paper has 90 questions and lasting 3 hours each over 2 days. The first paper was a total killer. Despite it being multiple choice questions, ie choosing the best answer out of 5, it was difficult as the answer could be either of them. Even if it was an open book test, I wouldn't have been able to answer the questions. Will find out the results in 4 weeks time.
Anyway, my things are all packed up. The boxes to Malaysia have been collected. The boxes to the US will be collected in June and are being kept in my landlady's house. And more things are being kept in a friend's house, which I will bring back during my next trip to the UK in May.
Am really looking forward to being home for a whole month! Won't get this opportunity ever again for the next 6 years, so will enjoy it while I can.
Malaysia, here I come!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
