From unichurch & CBS...
reminds me of the cf videos we use to make
Monday, May 14, 2007
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Never payable debt
A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~ Tenneva Jordan
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Such is..
Don't know if to write about this or not; don't want to sound really wonderful or anything because it's totally not because of me but inspite of me...
but it's been hanging around in my head for the past few days because it's so unreal when God actually moves that it's hard to actually believe...
Anyway, 2 weeks ago I went to sit in with the geriatrician for the his day clinic. His last patient was an elderly woman who's facing a lot of stress since the death of her husband 2 years ago from cancer. It was an assessment consult so the doctor spent considerable time doing history taking, diagnosed her with affective depression and started her on SSRIs.
She left the room, I had a quick round up with the doctor and then went to the toilet with the intention of going for lunch after that.
It so happenned that I met her in the toilet and started chatting to her a bit more (hmm..ladies and toilets=long wait, haha). Just as I was walking out, she said that she was going to have Japanese for lunch nearby and asked if I would like to join her.
The first thought that came to my mind was that it wasn't such a good idea to have overly personalized student & patient relationships, especially with a depressed patient. Plus, Japanese lunch=$$, not particularly economical. Was about to call my friend to meet up for lunch like we normally do too. (Oh and I should add, I actually made lunch but forgot to take it out of the fridge which is not something I usually forget to do)
So I declined her offer and tried to call my friend.
But something inside of me prompted me to cancel my plans and have lunch with her.
The phrase "for such a time as this" just flashed past me, somehow.
Ran after her a bit, and off we went for lunch.
Talked about family, her daily routines, hobbies, about her husband.
Ordered lunch, talked some more.
She was facing a lot of stress from grief and also as her children were not in Australia. Her children also had marital problems, she was very concerned for her grandchildren.
While I was eating (a nice sushi lunch btw!) I was thinking of ways to try and slip in something about Jesus & praying for a suitable/appropriate opportunity. Yet it was hard, because I didn't want to take advantage of a patient's illness (esp depression) and forcefully push it.
but yea...God does have a sense of humor and works when we least expect Him to
cuz just as we were about to finish, suddenly out of the blue she says
"So what do you think about Buddhism and Christianity?"
Seriously it was totally unexpected because no where in our conversation prior did we come close to even talking about religion!
Went on to have a bit of a discussion about on what she thought and what I thought. Shared a bit about Jesus and the cross. A bit about my family's crisis. I must confess I'm still not really good in these things. I don't know if our conversation made a whole lot of impact, but as she mentioned she had a bible at home, did ask her to read if she had time.
But it was just the way God orchestrated the whole lunch which amazes me.
Just a side note: She even paid for my sushi lunch, even after I paid the waitress. She took the money and gave it back to me.
Yea, God does have a sense of good humor and wonder. :)
but it's been hanging around in my head for the past few days because it's so unreal when God actually moves that it's hard to actually believe...
Anyway, 2 weeks ago I went to sit in with the geriatrician for the his day clinic. His last patient was an elderly woman who's facing a lot of stress since the death of her husband 2 years ago from cancer. It was an assessment consult so the doctor spent considerable time doing history taking, diagnosed her with affective depression and started her on SSRIs.
She left the room, I had a quick round up with the doctor and then went to the toilet with the intention of going for lunch after that.
It so happenned that I met her in the toilet and started chatting to her a bit more (hmm..ladies and toilets=long wait, haha). Just as I was walking out, she said that she was going to have Japanese for lunch nearby and asked if I would like to join her.
The first thought that came to my mind was that it wasn't such a good idea to have overly personalized student & patient relationships, especially with a depressed patient. Plus, Japanese lunch=$$, not particularly economical. Was about to call my friend to meet up for lunch like we normally do too. (Oh and I should add, I actually made lunch but forgot to take it out of the fridge which is not something I usually forget to do)
So I declined her offer and tried to call my friend.
But something inside of me prompted me to cancel my plans and have lunch with her.
The phrase "for such a time as this" just flashed past me, somehow.
Ran after her a bit, and off we went for lunch.
Talked about family, her daily routines, hobbies, about her husband.
Ordered lunch, talked some more.
She was facing a lot of stress from grief and also as her children were not in Australia. Her children also had marital problems, she was very concerned for her grandchildren.
While I was eating (a nice sushi lunch btw!) I was thinking of ways to try and slip in something about Jesus & praying for a suitable/appropriate opportunity. Yet it was hard, because I didn't want to take advantage of a patient's illness (esp depression) and forcefully push it.
but yea...God does have a sense of humor and works when we least expect Him to
cuz just as we were about to finish, suddenly out of the blue she says
"So what do you think about Buddhism and Christianity?"
Seriously it was totally unexpected because no where in our conversation prior did we come close to even talking about religion!
Went on to have a bit of a discussion about on what she thought and what I thought. Shared a bit about Jesus and the cross. A bit about my family's crisis. I must confess I'm still not really good in these things. I don't know if our conversation made a whole lot of impact, but as she mentioned she had a bible at home, did ask her to read if she had time.
But it was just the way God orchestrated the whole lunch which amazes me.
Just a side note: She even paid for my sushi lunch, even after I paid the waitress. She took the money and gave it back to me.
Yea, God does have a sense of good humor and wonder. :)
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
Who says we are all nerds?
I'm in the library right now killing time but when I read this, I can't help but log on just to blog about this!
From: Multiple Choice Questions in Clincal Examination (Talley & O'Connor 1996)
Question 2-10:
The clinical term 'shock' has a rather different meaning from that in common use. Causes of medically defined shock include:
a) coming across a completely unexpected question in the final examination
b) myocardial infarction
c) anaphylaxis
d) angina
e) Gram-negative sepsis
I hope you get the touch of irony in the question!
Haha.
Reminds me of the story Prof Allistair Randwick told us to an answer a student wrote in an exam paper:
Give the defination of shock.
Ans: Unexpected surprise.
From: Multiple Choice Questions in Clincal Examination (Talley & O'Connor 1996)
Question 2-10:
The clinical term 'shock' has a rather different meaning from that in common use. Causes of medically defined shock include:
a) coming across a completely unexpected question in the final examination
b) myocardial infarction
c) anaphylaxis
d) angina
e) Gram-negative sepsis
I hope you get the touch of irony in the question!
Haha.
Reminds me of the story Prof Allistair Randwick told us to an answer a student wrote in an exam paper:
Give the defination of shock.
Ans: Unexpected surprise.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Feels a bit more like home
DUMC Cg in Vista used to be really fun sometimes, where I'd laugh too much or drink caffeine in mamaks & become too alert to fall sleep...(yea guys I really do miss you all!)
But thankfully bible study group is becoming more familiar and comfortable now.
It's still different; we don't sing songs in bible study and it's not a topical bible study, don't have all the testimony/sharing slot too..and although most of my bible study is Asian (which is the exception in Unichurch), they are all ABCs...
....it's actually a good sign that I can't sleep at 1.11 am now even though I have to wake up at 6+ plus tomorrow cuz I had so much fun screaming & laughing while playing monopoly.
Red Pizza night: where every1 brings random toppings
Monopoly at my place
But thankfully bible study group is becoming more familiar and comfortable now.
It's still different; we don't sing songs in bible study and it's not a topical bible study, don't have all the testimony/sharing slot too..and although most of my bible study is Asian (which is the exception in Unichurch), they are all ABCs...
....it's actually a good sign that I can't sleep at 1.11 am now even though I have to wake up at 6+ plus tomorrow cuz I had so much fun screaming & laughing while playing monopoly.
Red Pizza night: where every1 brings random toppings
Monopoly at my place
Monday, April 16, 2007
Choice
After nearly 2 months of visiting around and sometimes attending church in the morning at somewhere else, at night at another.....I've finally made the choice to be at Unichurch.
It was really hard to make this decision. The "style" of churches here are very denominational based; it's either all....
I do miss DUMC, where there's a good balance of being charismatic yet bible based with good sermons.
Church A is very worship based; famous, great music, big.
Unichurch is the complete opposite; where people rarely clap hands but with solid sermons; almost like bible college!
It's not easy to decide which because both had their advantages. I didn't want to miss out on the freedom to express & my charismatic roots but at the same time I wanted good word. For a few weeks I was running around confused! Some Sundays I'd say I want to be here, yet at other times I wanted to be at the other.
But that's what choices are all about. It finally dawned upon me that sometimes I can't have everything. At least not in this world; where human systems and even church systems are not fully perfect. Not in Australia, not in Malaysia even.
And the importance of focus & season.
I realize that this is the only few years I can actually join Unichurch because I won't be at uni after that. And this is also the time to dig deep into the word; especially for a noob like me...
To join a "mixed" church as well, to be humble enough to learn to adapt to different cultures.
It doesn't make the decision any easier because it's quite different (not necessarily in a bad way, but simply because it's different from what I'm used to) where there's no lifting of hands; let alone the other more "charismatic" beliefs. I don't even know most of the songs they sing here...a bit of hymns, their own EMU music (I've never sung much hymns in church before)
And it's 80% white and the rest of the Asians are ABCs. I'm still tongue-tied at times because the topics of conversation are so different!
No more laughing at lame jokes; bye to the lahs...
But I guess that what choices are all about.
To be decisive & to be brave enough to accept that for this season, there are certain things I'll miss because I'm making this choice. Yet to trust God that He will grow & bless other areas as a result of this decision.
*this is a personal observation on churches, and is not a comparison on which church is better than the other or which style is better/should be adopted. Both churches are good. Neither a Australia or M'sia church comparison as different places have different cultures & cater accordingly to the needs of its people. *
It was really hard to make this decision. The "style" of churches here are very denominational based; it's either all....
I do miss DUMC, where there's a good balance of being charismatic yet bible based with good sermons.
Church A is very worship based; famous, great music, big.
Unichurch is the complete opposite; where people rarely clap hands but with solid sermons; almost like bible college!
It's not easy to decide which because both had their advantages. I didn't want to miss out on the freedom to express & my charismatic roots but at the same time I wanted good word. For a few weeks I was running around confused! Some Sundays I'd say I want to be here, yet at other times I wanted to be at the other.
But that's what choices are all about. It finally dawned upon me that sometimes I can't have everything. At least not in this world; where human systems and even church systems are not fully perfect. Not in Australia, not in Malaysia even.
And the importance of focus & season.
I realize that this is the only few years I can actually join Unichurch because I won't be at uni after that. And this is also the time to dig deep into the word; especially for a noob like me...
To join a "mixed" church as well, to be humble enough to learn to adapt to different cultures.
It doesn't make the decision any easier because it's quite different (not necessarily in a bad way, but simply because it's different from what I'm used to) where there's no lifting of hands; let alone the other more "charismatic" beliefs. I don't even know most of the songs they sing here...a bit of hymns, their own EMU music (I've never sung much hymns in church before)
And it's 80% white and the rest of the Asians are ABCs. I'm still tongue-tied at times because the topics of conversation are so different!
No more laughing at lame jokes; bye to the lahs...
But I guess that what choices are all about.
To be decisive & to be brave enough to accept that for this season, there are certain things I'll miss because I'm making this choice. Yet to trust God that He will grow & bless other areas as a result of this decision.
*this is a personal observation on churches, and is not a comparison on which church is better than the other or which style is better/should be adopted. Both churches are good. Neither a Australia or M'sia church comparison as different places have different cultures & cater accordingly to the needs of its people. *
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Food craze
(smoked salmon with cheese, mushrooms, greens and olive oil.......all for less than Aud 2)I'm becoming a domesticated old lady: I love to go grocery shopping, love to *cough* cook.....and have started to arrange my clothes by their colour when I hang them! (ugh..)
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Red
It''s turned red! and my flowers have not died too..... :)Palliative care has a way of invoking the most hidden feelings. Even had a tutorial where they brought in a woman who loss her husband to colorectal cancer to talk about their journey. And she sobbed and sobbed.
To always be heard
To not be abandoned.
To always be heard
To not be abandoned.
but anyway.
if u r wondering, that's the balcony from my room. Yea, my place rocks..haha..pics of the place sometime later
Sunday, April 01, 2007
It's Good!
"Do you realize you are in a profession paid to love people, paid to serve people?"
"50% of med students drift away from church in med school, and another 5o-70% from the remainder drop away during internship years....are you going to be part of that statistic?"
"Our calling is just not to be a convert, but a follower"
"I am thinking of being a GP because I can have more time for my patients and even work 4 day weeks so that I can minister in church." from one of my friends.... & I am so blown away because in the Malaysian culture, being a GP is the leftover option we take if we can't get speciality training
"To have compassion for your patients, you must first have passion for God."
I've just got back from a camp specially for med & dental students in NSW & ACT and
-To have doctors and doctor-missionaries share their lives; specially voluntering to come to speak
-Doctors who really love their work, the people we normally read about in books speaking in person & who are so eager to help us blur students
-To have & be under an organization (CMDFA/Transfusion) that has a mentor-doctor list & lots of contacts so that students can go to Africa/Asia
-Students who are really eager to go the extra mile; my 6th year seniors went to Africa and Papua New Guenia last year!
......it's all really good
For a "i'm so new i don't know any1" noob like me it was also good to get to know the UNSW ppl a lot better as well...we the 4th year girls are thinking of going to either China or Africa for electives together! (if we can get the same elective block though..)
And now the dilema is not "how to arrange elective/trips overseas" but rather "every place sounds really challenging and exciting..how do I make up my mind?!"
(the towel represents servanthood)
PS: Do continue to pray for my family though...while I'm having things good here, it's still a struggle at home......
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
It's times like this..
...when the 75 year old man you're clerking while trying to understand what he's saying in his thick Polish accent, all of a sudden pauses mid sentence and chokes up..and cries, and cries....
grace.
grace.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Whoosh
I don't know if it's this particular rotation or it'll be the same for the rest of the year but things are really busy! Especially in Vinnies (yea, the aussies love to give nick names).
On average, I leave home at 715 and come back at 630! And still find that I don't have enough time to clerk patients or schedule other tasks we need to do. Lina and I were contemplating of coming back on Sat just to fit in some things. Things are a bit more laid back at Prince of Wales hospital though, I often leave before my housemate even wakes up and come back to find my housemate playing his games online...
But Oncology rotation has really been good. I've learnt a lot more, especially human-wise (does such a word exist?! haha). And be challenged to verbalize Jesus.
Even though I often say that I want to be a doctor who uses her occupation as a means to share the gospel, I'm often too cowardly or too polite to really talk about Jesus; so I end up being very courteous and try to be caring....which is not wrong but at the end of the day, the patient just thinks I'm a nice medical student..and that's about all.
Yet because of how my family has been affected and all, I am little bit bolder now.
Because I think there's nothing to lose
I won't say I'm that great in sharing about God..haha..still very awkward and stiff. And sometimes too busy to really talk to the patients about how they are feeling.
My patient was discharged yesterday for palliative care at home. He has been really helpful to me to allow me to ask him endless questions and examine him even though he's terminally ill. Wanted to see him just before he got discharged and pray for him..but he was already discharged by the time I got there. Too bad I thought; walked down to go home.....and low and behold, he and his wife were at the reception area walking to go to their car!
Anyway, all I did was to pray for his wife. In the parking lot. Don't even know what to pray for without sounding insensitive. Don't know what diff it makes. But it's a big improvement for a coward like me. ;)
Look at my chilli plant! Won't need to buy chillis if this succeeds. I hope it doesn't die on me though...always forget to water it when I get home late.
On average, I leave home at 715 and come back at 630! And still find that I don't have enough time to clerk patients or schedule other tasks we need to do. Lina and I were contemplating of coming back on Sat just to fit in some things. Things are a bit more laid back at Prince of Wales hospital though, I often leave before my housemate even wakes up and come back to find my housemate playing his games online...
But Oncology rotation has really been good. I've learnt a lot more, especially human-wise (does such a word exist?! haha). And be challenged to verbalize Jesus.
Even though I often say that I want to be a doctor who uses her occupation as a means to share the gospel, I'm often too cowardly or too polite to really talk about Jesus; so I end up being very courteous and try to be caring....which is not wrong but at the end of the day, the patient just thinks I'm a nice medical student..and that's about all.
Yet because of how my family has been affected and all, I am little bit bolder now.
Because I think there's nothing to lose
I won't say I'm that great in sharing about God..haha..still very awkward and stiff. And sometimes too busy to really talk to the patients about how they are feeling.
My patient was discharged yesterday for palliative care at home. He has been really helpful to me to allow me to ask him endless questions and examine him even though he's terminally ill. Wanted to see him just before he got discharged and pray for him..but he was already discharged by the time I got there. Too bad I thought; walked down to go home.....and low and behold, he and his wife were at the reception area walking to go to their car!
Anyway, all I did was to pray for his wife. In the parking lot. Don't even know what to pray for without sounding insensitive. Don't know what diff it makes. But it's a big improvement for a coward like me. ;)
Look at my chilli plant! Won't need to buy chillis if this succeeds. I hope it doesn't die on me though...always forget to water it when I get home late.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Ah..yes..
Finally get to put some pics!
Weekend away with unichurch at Gerringong..Awesome beach. Quite cool bible study: we did a study on Leviticus. Yea, I know...Leviticus?!? But really learnt lots about the significance of all the mold, lambs and unclean this & that...I guess not a book that should be brushed off after all.
My favourite pic of the bridge
Melbourne!
Walking the Harbour Bridge on the 75th Anniversary of the coat hanger (yea, that's what they call it here)
Weekend away with unichurch at Gerringong..Awesome beach. Quite cool bible study: we did a study on Leviticus. Yea, I know...Leviticus?!? But really learnt lots about the significance of all the mold, lambs and unclean this & that...I guess not a book that should be brushed off after all.
My favourite pic of the bridge
Melbourne!
We were doing an amazing race round the city...that accounts for the funny dress up which was part of the task in 1 of the pics. Really good idea by the Focus church; we had pit stops at the landmarks in Sydney & at 1 point had to sing Amazing grace while walking down Darling Harbour.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
oh great
i'm sitting in the computer room now in Uni and trying hard to stop my eyes from running...
really embarrasing actually..
sigh i just don't know why must I be still stuck with the same old same old.
even when i've totally given up already..
better leave now before it starts flooding
really embarrasing actually..
sigh i just don't know why must I be still stuck with the same old same old.
even when i've totally given up already..
better leave now before it starts flooding
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Give me my internet
3 weeks ago we had to wait for internet to be connected.
Then the internet got connected but my computer decided to die on me.
And even after 2 visits by the techicians & endless phone calls and 2 weeks of waiting, my com is still not fixed.
Which would be ok, because no one dies of internet deprivation...except that UNSW has this really high tech system where all the lecture notes, class timetables, case tutorial readups and more importantly clinical school teaching sessions (which may change everyday) are all online...
anyway, guess what block I'm starting on; of all the things to start with..!
Agings and endings (which is the term they use here for pallitative, cancer and aged care)
somehow....my face gets a little hot when breast Ca is mentioned in lectures. And wow great, Ca breast is the among the most common and thus most oft mentioned ca.
There's no escaping it I guess.
but it's still good. still good. by grace.
Then the internet got connected but my computer decided to die on me.
And even after 2 visits by the techicians & endless phone calls and 2 weeks of waiting, my com is still not fixed.
Which would be ok, because no one dies of internet deprivation...except that UNSW has this really high tech system where all the lecture notes, class timetables, case tutorial readups and more importantly clinical school teaching sessions (which may change everyday) are all online...
anyway, guess what block I'm starting on; of all the things to start with..!
Agings and endings (which is the term they use here for pallitative, cancer and aged care)
somehow....my face gets a little hot when breast Ca is mentioned in lectures. And wow great, Ca breast is the among the most common and thus most oft mentioned ca.
There's no escaping it I guess.
but it's still good. still good. by grace.
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Busted
Cuz it was such a short trip after all, I didn't bother telling anyone that I won't be home..
plus everyone so far has been assuming that I live with a girl
..so on monday my grandmother came to my flat to find 1 guy there.
on a weekday no less!
must be thinking I cut class a lot. (I really did have 2 days off! haha)
I hope she won't pop by this weekend cuz I'm going away again..
plus everyone so far has been assuming that I live with a girl
..so on monday my grandmother came to my flat to find 1 guy there.
on a weekday no less!
must be thinking I cut class a lot. (I really did have 2 days off! haha)
I hope she won't pop by this weekend cuz I'm going away again..
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Thursday, March 01, 2007
Weird
Just a glimpse of how different medicine in UNSW is run......
...........I DON'T have written exams ANYMORE. Zero SAQs, MCQs, essays. (not a single paper all the way up to graduation!). IMU Sem5 is now officially my last written exam till I get called a doctor.
emm..I don't know if that's good or bad, cuz everything will be tested in VIVAs & OSCEs!!
haha, better get used to working under pressure I guess.
...........I DON'T have written exams ANYMORE. Zero SAQs, MCQs, essays. (not a single paper all the way up to graduation!). IMU Sem5 is now officially my last written exam till I get called a doctor.
emm..I don't know if that's good or bad, cuz everything will be tested in VIVAs & OSCEs!!
haha, better get used to working under pressure I guess.
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