Pomona Valley Hospital Holiday Festivities!
I just wanted to thank everyone in my life for being so supportive and awesome. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Here's to an exciting next year and many more to come!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Class 302: Shaved Snow
My boyfriend took me to this place, Class 302, today. They serve random asian food, but we came for the shaved snow. The place is a cute little cafe that has classroom desks for tables and on the side of the desks have school bags that house the napkins and straws. On the wall is a huge chalkboard with the specials written on it. Also displayed are notebooks and school uniforms. It's a very cute place. Now onto the shaved snow....
Shaved snow is different from shaved ice in that it is shaved frozen milk! This girl explained it better in her blog about the place:
"Snow is fabulous! Nothing that I could have ever imagine it being. When I first saw it, I thought it was layers of shaved white chocolate but in fact it’s super thin sheets of creamy goodiness. Just layers and layers all soft and pillowy, yet creamy and slightly sweet. It’s actually a block of frozen milk that’s shaven.
The good thing is this new addiction only has one source so it’s less likely to get out of hand but on the other it’ll be more difficult to satiate my cravings.
The restaurant is called Class 302 in Rowland Heights and is a small grade-school-themed taiwanese cafe. The tables look like little desks and the chopsticks and napkins hang in backpacks on the side of the desks. The chalkboard has “Today’s Activities” with the menu written in colored chalk and even the waiters dress like school children.
The food was decently priced and tasty and served in little lunch boxes. It’s simple and traditional Taiwanese food. But back to the snow… So far I’ve tried the snow with red beans & rice cakes, green tea snow with red beans and rice cakes, and snow with mangoes. My favorite combination is the rice cakes and red bean. The rice cakes are basically mochi. mmm… so chewy and sweet. It goes really well with the snow. The red beans are sweetened and there’s condensed milk poured all over everything. Drool…"
Now if I had known that the rice cakes were mochi balls, I would have TOTALLY ordered THAT! yum.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Intern Ceremony
This past Friday, my program held a ceremony for us interns. It was to commemorate our transition into 2nd year. There was good food, good company and a great slideshow put together by one of the Chiefs.
Dodger Game
Will and I went to an all-you-can-eat Dodger game. They played and lost to the Cubs but it was fun nonetheless.
This past Friday, my program held a ceremony for us interns. It was to commemorate our transition into 2nd year. There was good food, good company and a great slideshow put together by one of the Chiefs.
Dodger Game
Will and I went to an all-you-can-eat Dodger game. They played and lost to the Cubs but it was fun nonetheless.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
My Initiation Into Second Year
For a few months now I have been anxious about the transition from being an intern to becoming a second year/senior. I just didn't feel like I was ready to handle things on my own, not to mention, teaching an intern who is just as terrified as I am.
This weekend I had the most grueling call I've ever had since internship. Mind you, I am sure a lot of people have had worse, but for me it was enough. I am on the medicine service this month so during the day I was already taking care of the patients I would be taking care of while on call. Our list stood at 17 patients that day. Our call shift starts at 5pm.
Between 4:30 and 5pm, I got called for three different admissions. One was a consult, one was a transfer and one was a direct admit. I took the transfer and my senior went to see the direct admit. I knew I had to work fast because we had to sign out to the senior coming on with me. Luckily the case was simple and I was able to contact the consult and write orders. I ran the case by my attending breifly and rushed to the consult because she needed acute attention. The consult was a little bit more difficult because we sort of had to stabilize the patient and get her heart rate under control, but all in all pretty simple. I felt really confident and thought I handled being on my own great.
My senior was dealing with the direct admit who they called a rapid response on, while I told the oncoming senior about the patients on the list. Patient count: 20. We finished the consult admission and get paged for a 4th admission in the ER: generalized weakness. On the way we get a rapid response to the Cath Lab. Scratching our heads, we wonder, "Isn't there already a cardiologist there?" We get to the rapid response and we weren't needed anymore. My other senior shows up and we start signing out patients and getting updates, when we get a call for a delivery. I head over and deliver the baby with the attending and come back for sign out. For floorwork there was a post-operative note I had to do and we were supposed to do visuals on some of the patients. Food status: still no dinner; time: 8pm.
A little background so you all can understand how timeconsuming everything was that night, is that our attending on call and on the medicine service specializes in geriatrics. She is very particular and wants to know everything about the patient; and you know how older people are GREAT at remembering things. Our 4th admission was a 76 year old lady with generalized weakness. During our evaluation we get called for, not one, but two MORE admissions: Admission #5: 83 year old female with fall and generalized weakness; Admission #6: 75 year old female with abdominal pain/kidney problems. After admission 4 we take a 30 minute break for dinner and decompression. Patient count: 23, Time: 1130pm.
At midnight we had admission 5 and 6 to do still. I figured I would get maybe 2 hours of sleep, at most. During admission 5, we get called for yet ANOTHER admission. Admission 7 was a lady in her 70s or 80s who also fell and also had generalized weakness. This isn't going to get confusing at all! I had to tell myself multiple times to focus because my brain was slowly turning into mush and all the patients were mixing together in my head. We finished seeing the patients and presenting to our attending at around 6:45am. We never had time to do the floorwork that needed to be done. I never did that post-operative note. I had not slept. And patient count was 24.
That morning I had to round on 6 patients and rounds with the attending started at 9am. I took a really crappy 15 minute nap and went to go see them. For some reason my brain wasn't functioning the way I wanted it to and I had to go at lightning speed. At the beggining of rounds with the attending, I felt like I was going to have an anxiety attack. I felt like I didn't know any of the patients and that my presentations were sucking. After the first two presentations of the new admissions, my brain was starting to function again, and rounds weren't so bad after all. I just felt bad leaving so much floorwork for the oncoming team.
At the end of rounds, my attending commended me on a job well done. It felt really good to get that affirmation and at this point, I think I might just be ready to be a second year resident. I just need to get that darned anxiety about rapid responses out of my head!
For a few months now I have been anxious about the transition from being an intern to becoming a second year/senior. I just didn't feel like I was ready to handle things on my own, not to mention, teaching an intern who is just as terrified as I am.
This weekend I had the most grueling call I've ever had since internship. Mind you, I am sure a lot of people have had worse, but for me it was enough. I am on the medicine service this month so during the day I was already taking care of the patients I would be taking care of while on call. Our list stood at 17 patients that day. Our call shift starts at 5pm.
Between 4:30 and 5pm, I got called for three different admissions. One was a consult, one was a transfer and one was a direct admit. I took the transfer and my senior went to see the direct admit. I knew I had to work fast because we had to sign out to the senior coming on with me. Luckily the case was simple and I was able to contact the consult and write orders. I ran the case by my attending breifly and rushed to the consult because she needed acute attention. The consult was a little bit more difficult because we sort of had to stabilize the patient and get her heart rate under control, but all in all pretty simple. I felt really confident and thought I handled being on my own great.
My senior was dealing with the direct admit who they called a rapid response on, while I told the oncoming senior about the patients on the list. Patient count: 20. We finished the consult admission and get paged for a 4th admission in the ER: generalized weakness. On the way we get a rapid response to the Cath Lab. Scratching our heads, we wonder, "Isn't there already a cardiologist there?" We get to the rapid response and we weren't needed anymore. My other senior shows up and we start signing out patients and getting updates, when we get a call for a delivery. I head over and deliver the baby with the attending and come back for sign out. For floorwork there was a post-operative note I had to do and we were supposed to do visuals on some of the patients. Food status: still no dinner; time: 8pm.
A little background so you all can understand how timeconsuming everything was that night, is that our attending on call and on the medicine service specializes in geriatrics. She is very particular and wants to know everything about the patient; and you know how older people are GREAT at remembering things. Our 4th admission was a 76 year old lady with generalized weakness. During our evaluation we get called for, not one, but two MORE admissions: Admission #5: 83 year old female with fall and generalized weakness; Admission #6: 75 year old female with abdominal pain/kidney problems. After admission 4 we take a 30 minute break for dinner and decompression. Patient count: 23, Time: 1130pm.
At midnight we had admission 5 and 6 to do still. I figured I would get maybe 2 hours of sleep, at most. During admission 5, we get called for yet ANOTHER admission. Admission 7 was a lady in her 70s or 80s who also fell and also had generalized weakness. This isn't going to get confusing at all! I had to tell myself multiple times to focus because my brain was slowly turning into mush and all the patients were mixing together in my head. We finished seeing the patients and presenting to our attending at around 6:45am. We never had time to do the floorwork that needed to be done. I never did that post-operative note. I had not slept. And patient count was 24.
That morning I had to round on 6 patients and rounds with the attending started at 9am. I took a really crappy 15 minute nap and went to go see them. For some reason my brain wasn't functioning the way I wanted it to and I had to go at lightning speed. At the beggining of rounds with the attending, I felt like I was going to have an anxiety attack. I felt like I didn't know any of the patients and that my presentations were sucking. After the first two presentations of the new admissions, my brain was starting to function again, and rounds weren't so bad after all. I just felt bad leaving so much floorwork for the oncoming team.
At the end of rounds, my attending commended me on a job well done. It felt really good to get that affirmation and at this point, I think I might just be ready to be a second year resident. I just need to get that darned anxiety about rapid responses out of my head!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Sushi Party/Call of Duty 4
Since the beginning of internship, the residents have been throwing sushi parties. I missed the first one, but have made it to the subsequent 2 at Eric and Kimberly's house. The 3rd one was this evening. Kimberly was on call this time, so Eric was our gracious host. We were joined by their friends Bryce and Jenny; the gang was rounded off with me, Peter and Will. As always good food and good company.
Today I got to play Call of Duty 4 for the first time, instead of just watching the boys play. I had one really good attack kill. I was in the balcony and threw a grenade at the 3 boys down below and used my gun to finish off whoever didn't get killed. The rest of the time was me trying to find my way out of buildings and find my targets. Go ME!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
On Complications
"The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray" ~ Robert Burns
No matter how organized, well prepared, and determined you are, sometimes things just don't work out how you want them to. You leave 10 minutes early for work, only to be stuck in traffic for 20 minutes. Your application to medical school is rejected and you find yourself moving across the country to pursue a Master's degree instead. The only defenses you have against these unforeseen complications is a good Plan B and a great attitude.
Take, for example, our night out to Takami Sushi/Elevate. The plan was to have dinner at Takami Sushi so we wouldn't have to wait in line for club Elevate. Usually Elevate is free cover and if you eat at Takami, you're guaranteed entrance to the club. The night started off well. The food was delicious, despite being ridiculously overpriced. We had some drinks and good conversation. After we paid our bill, we were ready to tear up the dancefloor. Unfortunately we were stopped by the manager of the restaurant who informed us that there would be a $20 cover. On previous visits to the club, this was not the case. My friend proceeded to smooth talk the manager, and we were able to get four free tickets for the girls. The guys would have to pay full price. Our Plan B was to go meet other friends at another bar, but we had already paid valet, and we weren't sure we were guaranteed entrance.
During a bathroom break, my friend talked to the manager of the club who said he could get the guys in for free, but my friend would have to change his white shoes into dress shoes(he had worn his white shoes there before without a problem). While my friend went to get his dress shoes from the car, I bought the girls a drink(Pear Vodka and Sprite...yummy.) We headed over to the club entrance, only to be stopped by the bouncer because a. my guy friend was wearing a hat(which he had also worn on another occassion) and b. all the girls had drinks housed in "glass" tumblers. My cousin downed her drink and my friend and I changed out our glasses. FINALLY we were able to go into the club. We found a good spot to lounge and waited for some good music to come on. About an hour later, one of the bouncers approaches us and says we have to move because there was a private party that had that spot reserved. So we sauntered to the dancefloor and resorted to dancing, which we were perfectly happy with. Once on the dancefloor we were happy. We danced the rest of the night and it ended up being really fun.
Had we been any other group that night, we would have probably gotten really grumpy, given up and headed home. But we went with the flow, swerved at the turns, and got to our destination. My cousin and I polished the night off with carne asada fries from Albertos and watched some "How I Met Your Mother." All in all it was a good night.
"The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray" ~ Robert Burns
No matter how organized, well prepared, and determined you are, sometimes things just don't work out how you want them to. You leave 10 minutes early for work, only to be stuck in traffic for 20 minutes. Your application to medical school is rejected and you find yourself moving across the country to pursue a Master's degree instead. The only defenses you have against these unforeseen complications is a good Plan B and a great attitude.
Take, for example, our night out to Takami Sushi/Elevate. The plan was to have dinner at Takami Sushi so we wouldn't have to wait in line for club Elevate. Usually Elevate is free cover and if you eat at Takami, you're guaranteed entrance to the club. The night started off well. The food was delicious, despite being ridiculously overpriced. We had some drinks and good conversation. After we paid our bill, we were ready to tear up the dancefloor. Unfortunately we were stopped by the manager of the restaurant who informed us that there would be a $20 cover. On previous visits to the club, this was not the case. My friend proceeded to smooth talk the manager, and we were able to get four free tickets for the girls. The guys would have to pay full price. Our Plan B was to go meet other friends at another bar, but we had already paid valet, and we weren't sure we were guaranteed entrance.
During a bathroom break, my friend talked to the manager of the club who said he could get the guys in for free, but my friend would have to change his white shoes into dress shoes(he had worn his white shoes there before without a problem). While my friend went to get his dress shoes from the car, I bought the girls a drink(Pear Vodka and Sprite...yummy.) We headed over to the club entrance, only to be stopped by the bouncer because a. my guy friend was wearing a hat(which he had also worn on another occassion) and b. all the girls had drinks housed in "glass" tumblers. My cousin downed her drink and my friend and I changed out our glasses. FINALLY we were able to go into the club. We found a good spot to lounge and waited for some good music to come on. About an hour later, one of the bouncers approaches us and says we have to move because there was a private party that had that spot reserved. So we sauntered to the dancefloor and resorted to dancing, which we were perfectly happy with. Once on the dancefloor we were happy. We danced the rest of the night and it ended up being really fun.
Had we been any other group that night, we would have probably gotten really grumpy, given up and headed home. But we went with the flow, swerved at the turns, and got to our destination. My cousin and I polished the night off with carne asada fries from Albertos and watched some "How I Met Your Mother." All in all it was a good night.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Random Blog
1. One more week until my Medicine rotation is over. If I could sum it up in one word I would use: draining. There's so many social issues that go into the dance that is medicine. It really takes a lot out of you.
2. I miss my friends. I miss going out. I miss sleeping well. I miss sleeping in. I miss my family.
3. After next week I will have to start studying my arse off for Step 3. This, I think, is one good way to redeem myself for feeling stupid at work. I'm only kind of looking forward to the long hours at Starbucks. We'll see how it goes.
4. My personal life is so blah right now. Circles...going around in circles. I honestly think I'm just chasing my own tail. *woof!
1. One more week until my Medicine rotation is over. If I could sum it up in one word I would use: draining. There's so many social issues that go into the dance that is medicine. It really takes a lot out of you.
2. I miss my friends. I miss going out. I miss sleeping well. I miss sleeping in. I miss my family.
3. After next week I will have to start studying my arse off for Step 3. This, I think, is one good way to redeem myself for feeling stupid at work. I'm only kind of looking forward to the long hours at Starbucks. We'll see how it goes.
4. My personal life is so blah right now. Circles...going around in circles. I honestly think I'm just chasing my own tail. *woof!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Sunday, March 09, 2008
I'm obsessed with this song "Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87f5nj7cOjc
I haven't watched the movie it was written for ("Once",) but one of these days I will. The songs purity and honesty really grab me. The tones and chords are simple yet touching. I'm learning it on guitar right now. I asked my cousin to learn it on piano and we can play next time I'm at her house.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87f5nj7cOjc
I haven't watched the movie it was written for ("Once",) but one of these days I will. The songs purity and honesty really grab me. The tones and chords are simple yet touching. I'm learning it on guitar right now. I asked my cousin to learn it on piano and we can play next time I'm at her house.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Other Contributions
Not sure if any of you know but I blog on two other group sites. Lately, since I've been on vacation I've been posting quite a bit on all three of my blogs. They are located ------>
over on the side navigation bar. They're on "Jason's Blog" and "742evergreenterrace;" two very different sites. Jason's Blog used to be his own personal blog, but as his friends we took the liberty of making it our own haha. There's just random random things posted on there. It's mostly pictures and some inside jokes. 742 is mostly a review blog, but we've been adding some personal blogs on there as well. However the posts are usually limited to entertainment. So check it out if you're bored.
Not sure if any of you know but I blog on two other group sites. Lately, since I've been on vacation I've been posting quite a bit on all three of my blogs. They are located ------>
over on the side navigation bar. They're on "Jason's Blog" and "742evergreenterrace;" two very different sites. Jason's Blog used to be his own personal blog, but as his friends we took the liberty of making it our own haha. There's just random random things posted on there. It's mostly pictures and some inside jokes. 742 is mostly a review blog, but we've been adding some personal blogs on there as well. However the posts are usually limited to entertainment. So check it out if you're bored.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Finally Got a New Guitar
For a couple of months now I've been wanting to get a new guitar since my old guitar is over 15 years old and, well, is a junior guitar. I feel like my artistic side has been dying since I started medical school so this is one of the things I'm doing to remedy that. So today I marched into Guitar Center looking for a particular guitar, the Jasmine by Takamine which was on sale for 100 bucks. However, they didn't have that particular one. I tried playing some other guitars on display and found the Epiphone PR-150 for 30 bucks more and got it. I'm loving it right now. :)
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Vegas 2008: Off the Strip
After testing out multiple photo servicers online, I finally decided on Picasa for my Vegas album. It does everything I want and it's easy to use. AND it has this nifty little thing where I can embed a slideshow in a blog.
The reason for my trip to Vegas was because I was on vacation and I've always wanted to see a show. I decided to take my family and go see KA at the MGM. Three weeks before my trip, I found out my friend Sheila from Chicago was ALSO going to be on vacation at the same time! So I booked the room and she booked her flight.
Our first night we all ate Dinner at Nora's Cuisine off the strip. My friend had had her rehearsal dinner there and I thought it was one of the best itialian food I've tasted. Afterwards, we headed over to the Orleans to watch Step Up 2 the Streets, which was actually better than what I had expected. Sheila and I shared some coffee while my mom played the slots. She won 100 bucks! SWEET.
The next morning, I woke up at 5am thanks to the construction outside of our hotel room! I moved into the living room where Sheila was sleeping and slept for the rest of the morning. My mom wanted to go to Chinatown for Boba because we had seen a lady drinking Boba the night before. So we headed over to Chinatown, again, off the strip and had some fantastic DimSum. Since we were stuffed, we decided to walk it off and shop at the nearby center. There, we found Boba and good deals on cheap jewelry. We stopped off at Rio because my mom wanted to shop at this store there. While we were there she suggested we catch the "Show in the Sky" which was supposed to start in 30 minutes. Hmmm what could we do while we waited? We played the slots of course! And THANK goodness we did! I won 450 bucks!
We headed back to the hotel for a much needed nap and got ready for KA. The show was amazing. The technology was as impressive as all the gymnastic tricks that were performed. Back at the hotel, we ate the leftover italian food and called it a night. The next morning we ate at Paris buffet and took Sheila to the airport. Good times.
On our ride home there was heavy rain and heavy sunshine at random times. Very interesting drive. It definitely kept me on my toes. What a great way to start off my vacation!
After testing out multiple photo servicers online, I finally decided on Picasa for my Vegas album. It does everything I want and it's easy to use. AND it has this nifty little thing where I can embed a slideshow in a blog.
The reason for my trip to Vegas was because I was on vacation and I've always wanted to see a show. I decided to take my family and go see KA at the MGM. Three weeks before my trip, I found out my friend Sheila from Chicago was ALSO going to be on vacation at the same time! So I booked the room and she booked her flight.
Our first night we all ate Dinner at Nora's Cuisine off the strip. My friend had had her rehearsal dinner there and I thought it was one of the best itialian food I've tasted. Afterwards, we headed over to the Orleans to watch Step Up 2 the Streets, which was actually better than what I had expected. Sheila and I shared some coffee while my mom played the slots. She won 100 bucks! SWEET.
The next morning, I woke up at 5am thanks to the construction outside of our hotel room! I moved into the living room where Sheila was sleeping and slept for the rest of the morning. My mom wanted to go to Chinatown for Boba because we had seen a lady drinking Boba the night before. So we headed over to Chinatown, again, off the strip and had some fantastic DimSum. Since we were stuffed, we decided to walk it off and shop at the nearby center. There, we found Boba and good deals on cheap jewelry. We stopped off at Rio because my mom wanted to shop at this store there. While we were there she suggested we catch the "Show in the Sky" which was supposed to start in 30 minutes. Hmmm what could we do while we waited? We played the slots of course! And THANK goodness we did! I won 450 bucks!
We headed back to the hotel for a much needed nap and got ready for KA. The show was amazing. The technology was as impressive as all the gymnastic tricks that were performed. Back at the hotel, we ate the leftover italian food and called it a night. The next morning we ate at Paris buffet and took Sheila to the airport. Good times.
On our ride home there was heavy rain and heavy sunshine at random times. Very interesting drive. It definitely kept me on my toes. What a great way to start off my vacation!
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Market Broiler
The fact that my family has been going to Market Broiler at the Ontario Mills Mall consistently for a couple of years now can attest to how freakin' fabulous this place is. What kept us coming was the Snow Crab that comes with this creamy butter sauce. Mixed with lemon, it is hands down THE best crab out there. It is always fresh and I've never had a bad crab in that place.
This year(or last year) they opened up the Kamiyama Sushi side to the restaurant only available in Ontario. We've tried a few rolls, including the Dragon roll, the Krunch roll and Tuna roll which are all available on the regular menu. On the Kamiyama Sushi menu, there was an albacore tuna roll I wanted to get. At the time I ordered it, they were out of all their tuna. So the chef made me this awesome roll with salmon for free. I don't know what it was called, but it was great and kudos to them for giving it to me for free. Talk about service!
Today, my mom's boyfriend took us out to dinner to Market Broiler for Valentine's day and I was definitely in for a pleasant surprise.
For appetizers we wanted to get a roll. We decided on the OC roll which had tuna(I can't remember), cream cheese, hints of wasabi, topped with panko and drizzled with sauce; OMG #1.
For entree, I decided to get the Duo platter with my staple, the Snow Crab and something new, the Hawaiian Glazed ribs. I'm not usually a rib person, but I had gone to Lucille's the previous weekend so I figured I'd try these out and OMG. The meat was practically falling off the rib and it was full of flavor; I didn't even need to add the hoisin sauce they provided.
My mom's boyfriend got the surf and turf with the NY steak and the King Crab, of which I had a bite and another OMG! I came into to the restaurant grumpy and left full and satisfied. Not only is the seafood there always a pleaser, but now I've discovered their non-seafood just as good! AWESOME!
YEAH BABY!!: A Guitar Hero 3 moment
This accomplishment deserves to be posted on all 3 blogs I'm involved with. I beat "Cliffs of Dover" on Guitar Hero 3 on HARD level, not once but TWICE last night. Granted I didn't do very well but I beat it!! To help you understand how difficult a feat it is, I have attached a YouTube video to help demonstrate.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Music
“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." - Berthold Auerbach
“I have my own particular sorrows, loves, delights; and you have yours. But sorrow, gladness, yearning, hope, love, belong to all of us, in all times and in all places. Music is the only means whereby we feel these emotions in their universality. ~H.A. Overstreet
Lately, I've been going through some “drama,” we'll call it, for lack of a better word. I've also been needing to study and clean among other things. Thus, this past week I've been trying to get over the “drama,” I've studied a little bit and I've cleaned a little bit. All three things were catalyzed by one thing, MUSIC. I then realized the importance of music in my life.
No matter what I'm feeling or going through at a certain point in my life, I can usually find a song to describe my situation. One example would be my “Hmmm...I feel like going clubbing.” song and right now that is Low by Flo Rida featuring T. Pain. When I was in junior high, I would get into tiffs with my mom and I would blast Disarm by The Smashing Pumpkins. If I really need some cheering up, I usually listen to showtunes/musicals and sing along. And finally DANCING, one of the loves of my life is an interpretation of music, both of which are an interpretation of life. Likewise for this situation(s) I'm in at this time, there are songs to accompany it/them; a soundtrack of my life if you will. So, “thank you, music,” for getting me through the roller coaster that is my life.
“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back on loneliness.” - Maya Angelou, Gather Together in My Name.
“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” ~Victor Hugo
“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life." - Berthold Auerbach
“I have my own particular sorrows, loves, delights; and you have yours. But sorrow, gladness, yearning, hope, love, belong to all of us, in all times and in all places. Music is the only means whereby we feel these emotions in their universality. ~H.A. Overstreet
Lately, I've been going through some “drama,” we'll call it, for lack of a better word. I've also been needing to study and clean among other things. Thus, this past week I've been trying to get over the “drama,” I've studied a little bit and I've cleaned a little bit. All three things were catalyzed by one thing, MUSIC. I then realized the importance of music in my life.
No matter what I'm feeling or going through at a certain point in my life, I can usually find a song to describe my situation. One example would be my “Hmmm...I feel like going clubbing.” song and right now that is Low by Flo Rida featuring T. Pain. When I was in junior high, I would get into tiffs with my mom and I would blast Disarm by The Smashing Pumpkins. If I really need some cheering up, I usually listen to showtunes/musicals and sing along. And finally DANCING, one of the loves of my life is an interpretation of music, both of which are an interpretation of life. Likewise for this situation(s) I'm in at this time, there are songs to accompany it/them; a soundtrack of my life if you will. So, “thank you, music,” for getting me through the roller coaster that is my life.
“Music was my refuge. I could crawl into the space between the notes and curl my back on loneliness.” - Maya Angelou, Gather Together in My Name.
“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” ~Victor Hugo
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Positive Feedback
This post is definitely not here for bragging purposes. I've needed something like this for a while, especially since I didn't do too well on my intraining exam and I'm about to start studying for my Step 3. This past Wednesday I had procedure clinic. We did mostly skin biopsies which are my favorite. This is what my preceptor had to say about it:
"i was very impressed with dr.(insert my last name here)'s skills during the 1/23/08 procedure clinic. she demonstrated the skills and initiative normally seen with a third year."
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Death
Yes, I know. What a morbid subject to be talking about, but death and the subject of mortality are all around me lately. It might have a lot to do with the fact that I work at a hospital, but nevertheless, it's been on my mind quite often.
It all started during my Medicine rotation when half of our list of patients were cancer patients. Some were newly diagnosed with terminal cancer, while others have had cancer for a long time and were losing the battle. One in particular is a woman who has breast cancer that spread to her brain and bones, leaving her in excruciating pain. She is 33 years old, has two children and is slowly trying to process and come to terms with the fact that she will never be normal again, and probably won't live to see her children grow up. Just from that example alone I think you can appreciate why I am writing about this subject.
Onto personal matters, my uncle was diagnosed with throat cancer a few months ago. He is in the process of getting treated with chemotherapy and radiation. He has six children and is now using a gastric tube to receive nutrition because the radiation has affected his ability to swallow and take in food by mouth. I had finally come to terms with that, and felt okay about the whole thing when I found out that my ex-boyfriend's dad was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He's like a second father to me and has always supported me. Needless to say it hit home and was really too much to take. It made me think of what if my parents were the ones diagnosed with cancer? What would I do?
As a child I would think about death all the time. For some reason my mom would always take me to funerals because she had no one else to go with, so I was terrified of death and would cry to my mom saying that I didn't want to die. That phase eventually passed and I hadn't really pondered my own mortality until I got the news that Heath Ledger died unexpectedly. He was my age. I think his death impacted me, and a lot of other people, because he wasn't exactly one of those actors who were “at risk” for this sort of thing(that we know of.) The fact that he was so young really made me realize that we could all go any minute. It's quite scary and depressing!
The whole point of this blog is not to depress anyone, but to give you guys a little perspective. We're all mortal and we are all here for a finite amount of time. Shouldn't we spend what time we have in this world doing things that are worthwhile? Are you happy in life? If not, why not and what can you do to make yourself happier? Sure, there are things that are lacking in my life, which I am working on and searching for. I could give up and say I'll never get those things, but that's what life is all about: the journey. I am a product of the experiences I have had, all the hardships I have faced and people I've come in contact with. With that in mind, I feel like I'm pretty blessed with my friends, family and the way my life has turned out. Am I ready to die? Hell no. But if I were to die, I would hope that I could go knowing that I had tried my best to live a fulfilled life, with great appreciation for the people who have helped me accomplish such a feat.
Yes, I know. What a morbid subject to be talking about, but death and the subject of mortality are all around me lately. It might have a lot to do with the fact that I work at a hospital, but nevertheless, it's been on my mind quite often.
It all started during my Medicine rotation when half of our list of patients were cancer patients. Some were newly diagnosed with terminal cancer, while others have had cancer for a long time and were losing the battle. One in particular is a woman who has breast cancer that spread to her brain and bones, leaving her in excruciating pain. She is 33 years old, has two children and is slowly trying to process and come to terms with the fact that she will never be normal again, and probably won't live to see her children grow up. Just from that example alone I think you can appreciate why I am writing about this subject.
Onto personal matters, my uncle was diagnosed with throat cancer a few months ago. He is in the process of getting treated with chemotherapy and radiation. He has six children and is now using a gastric tube to receive nutrition because the radiation has affected his ability to swallow and take in food by mouth. I had finally come to terms with that, and felt okay about the whole thing when I found out that my ex-boyfriend's dad was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. He's like a second father to me and has always supported me. Needless to say it hit home and was really too much to take. It made me think of what if my parents were the ones diagnosed with cancer? What would I do?
As a child I would think about death all the time. For some reason my mom would always take me to funerals because she had no one else to go with, so I was terrified of death and would cry to my mom saying that I didn't want to die. That phase eventually passed and I hadn't really pondered my own mortality until I got the news that Heath Ledger died unexpectedly. He was my age. I think his death impacted me, and a lot of other people, because he wasn't exactly one of those actors who were “at risk” for this sort of thing(that we know of.) The fact that he was so young really made me realize that we could all go any minute. It's quite scary and depressing!
The whole point of this blog is not to depress anyone, but to give you guys a little perspective. We're all mortal and we are all here for a finite amount of time. Shouldn't we spend what time we have in this world doing things that are worthwhile? Are you happy in life? If not, why not and what can you do to make yourself happier? Sure, there are things that are lacking in my life, which I am working on and searching for. I could give up and say I'll never get those things, but that's what life is all about: the journey. I am a product of the experiences I have had, all the hardships I have faced and people I've come in contact with. With that in mind, I feel like I'm pretty blessed with my friends, family and the way my life has turned out. Am I ready to die? Hell no. But if I were to die, I would hope that I could go knowing that I had tried my best to live a fulfilled life, with great appreciation for the people who have helped me accomplish such a feat.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Inquiring Minds Want To Know
p.s. really sad about Heath Ledger's passing. :(
The following is an email I sent out to a group of friends in response to some questions that were asked during dinner. Since I worked so hard on it, I figured it could serve as a blog. I'm trying to blog at least once a month(it was once a week, but that's not gonna happen).
This email has come about thanks to Yolanda’s inquisitive nature which subsequently inspired Jason, Alex and I to ask some questions of our own on the car ride home last night.
1. What are the different types of Panko?
-There are two forms of panko. White panko is made from crustless bread, while tan panko is made with the entire loaf. Both types are usually sold plain, and panko can in fact be rather bland. However, the crumbs absorb flavor readily, making them an extremely versatile ingredient. Some companies also make seasoned panko with popular Asian spices.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-panko.htm
2. What’s the difference between Au Gratin and Scalloped potatoes?
"Scalloped potatoes are a milk based potato dish. Thepotatoes are usually sliced very thinly although what technically makesit 'scalloped' is the milk base. A gratin on the other hand is any dishthat is topped with cheese and/or bread crumbs and layered with bits ofbutter and is baked until brown and crispy. People often get themconfused and use the terms interchangeably. However, gratins can be madewith a variety of vegetables”http://food.families.com/blog/ask-a-food-blogger-scalloped-potatoes-vs-potatoes-au-gratin
3. (While discussing Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons in the car)
a. What is it called when you have a word/words and you rearrange the letters to make a different word/words? Ex: sliver = livers
anagrams :(LATIN ana- 'again' + gramma 'letter') defined as words made from the letters of another word. an anagram does not have to use all the letters of the first word. You create words using only the letters that create names or words, or phrases or sentences, and these words within names or words are anagrams.
perfect anagrams : defined as using all the letters of a word or name to make another name or meaning or revealing from the first. To claim a miracle real, you have to be a miracle claimer.
(This one is a bit confusing and a bit more philosophical but eh, you get the picture….my head hurts.)
b. What is it called when you have a word or group of words, that can be read backwards and forwards? Ex: a man a plan a canal panama, or civicpalindromes(GREEK palin ("back") and dromos ("way, direction") ) : definition : same spelling forward and backwards, and so reads same forwards as backwards
c. What is it called when a word(usually) or figure is drawn a certain way that you can read backwards, forwards, upside down? Example below
ambigrams(ambi=both, gram=word) - names, phrases or words made to read the same forward and backwards, reversed upside down. The master of Ambigrams is John Landgon. You can see many examples of his art at the web site of John Langdon, including his creation of the Angels and Demons ambigram as used in Dan Brown's books, Angels and Demons
p.s. really sad about Heath Ledger's passing. :(
The following is an email I sent out to a group of friends in response to some questions that were asked during dinner. Since I worked so hard on it, I figured it could serve as a blog. I'm trying to blog at least once a month(it was once a week, but that's not gonna happen).
This email has come about thanks to Yolanda’s inquisitive nature which subsequently inspired Jason, Alex and I to ask some questions of our own on the car ride home last night.
1. What are the different types of Panko?
-There are two forms of panko. White panko is made from crustless bread, while tan panko is made with the entire loaf. Both types are usually sold plain, and panko can in fact be rather bland. However, the crumbs absorb flavor readily, making them an extremely versatile ingredient. Some companies also make seasoned panko with popular Asian spices.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-panko.htm
2. What’s the difference between Au Gratin and Scalloped potatoes?
"Scalloped potatoes are a milk based potato dish. Thepotatoes are usually sliced very thinly although what technically makesit 'scalloped' is the milk base. A gratin on the other hand is any dishthat is topped with cheese and/or bread crumbs and layered with bits ofbutter and is baked until brown and crispy. People often get themconfused and use the terms interchangeably. However, gratins can be madewith a variety of vegetables”http://food.families.com/blog/ask-a-food-blogger-scalloped-potatoes-vs-potatoes-au-gratin
3. (While discussing Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons in the car)
a. What is it called when you have a word/words and you rearrange the letters to make a different word/words? Ex: sliver = livers
anagrams :(LATIN ana- 'again' + gramma 'letter') defined as words made from the letters of another word. an anagram does not have to use all the letters of the first word. You create words using only the letters that create names or words, or phrases or sentences, and these words within names or words are anagrams.
perfect anagrams : defined as using all the letters of a word or name to make another name or meaning or revealing from the first. To claim a miracle real, you have to be a miracle claimer.
(This one is a bit confusing and a bit more philosophical but eh, you get the picture….my head hurts.)
b. What is it called when you have a word or group of words, that can be read backwards and forwards? Ex: a man a plan a canal panama, or civicpalindromes(GREEK palin ("back") and dromos ("way, direction") ) : definition : same spelling forward and backwards, and so reads same forwards as backwards
c. What is it called when a word(usually) or figure is drawn a certain way that you can read backwards, forwards, upside down? Example below
ambigrams(ambi=both, gram=word) - names, phrases or words made to read the same forward and backwards, reversed upside down. The master of Ambigrams is John Landgon. You can see many examples of his art at the web site of John Langdon, including his creation of the Angels and Demons ambigram as used in Dan Brown's books, Angels and Demons
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