Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Tire Punctured

Today was pretty unlucky. I haven't found any interesting or suitable patient for my long case, and the ethics tutorial made me yawned for uncountable times. So around 4pm, i grabbed my bike and headed home.

Right after i passed the roundabouts near Princess Margaret's Hospital, the front tire of my bike became flat. Oh gosh, i can't push the bike and walk back from here, it's so far.... Then, i decided to push my bike for awhile and hoped there would be one bike shop at the front. Unfortunately, there was none, unlucky me.... I looked at the watch, oh no, it's almost 5pm, all the shops would be closing soon. No choice, i needed to try my luck on other main streets, so i hopped on my bike and started biking, poor bike!

I passed by Warehouse (a department store) and quickly went in to look for help. They did sell the tire tube, but they don't provide any assistance service. I went into the bicycle accesories aisle, saw various size of tire tube, but i wasn't sure which size suits my bike. Sigh, i should go to the bike shop instead!




Time checked, oh, it's quarter to five, i asked a guy in a shop, "where is the nearest bike shop?" The guy said, "there is one along Colombo street, another one at the end Milton road, there should be one along Lincold road too..." Good, i would pass lincoln road, bet my luck for the last time.

Thank goodness, there was one bike shop that hadn't closed yet. They managed to get me a suitable tube, but cannot put it on for me. WHAT....felt like swearing on the spot! I'm the customer and how dare you to refuse my request? In the end, he said i could leave the bike here and they could fix it up by friday. WHAT....chill, must have good control on my manner. Fine, it's my bad day so i left in the end, with my flat tire and the 10 dollar uninflated new tube.

Once i reached back home, glad that my bike hadn't shown any sign of major deformity (hope everything is still intact when i bike it tomorrow...). I tried to fix it by myself, and glad that ah beh came along and helped. Chow went online and checked the proper way of doing it and heng taught me how to patch the punctured part.We met some difficulties, but in the end, we managed to replace the punctured tube, apparently it was due to some glass pieces on the road. Who are the inconsiderate moron that indirectly causing so much misery on me? Geram betul....

Anyway, at least i learned something new today, i know how to replace a punctured tube, without the aid of any proper tool. Really pity my bike for what it had been through on my way back.....

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Registrar

Today i went to Princess Margaret Hospital's library to borrow a novel, the librarian looked at me and asked, 'Are you a registrar?' I puzzled for a few seconds and said, 'i would love to become a registrar now, nay, i'm medical student.' The librarian laughed and thought i'm either a registrar or a house surgeon.

By the way, do i look that old? Don't care, i just take it as a compliment.

Felt so happy for the rest of the day.....haha!

Friday, March 20, 2009

End of General Practice Run

Today is the last day of GP run. 5 weeks had gone, wow, that's real fast! I really enjoy this run, first of all, it is not as hectic as the others, plus the lecturers are extremely friendly and a bit too enthusiastic, haha! We had a written test justnow, and i saw my groupmates wrote very long answer for each question, making me feel so worry about the result. Anyway, it's over and i should enjoy this weekend to the max!

For the past 5 weeks, i had to go to GP clinic 3 times a week during the afternoon. When i first got the list of GPs, i had no idea which one should i choose. The only issue that i had in my mind was the distance. So in the end, i chose Mairehao and Bishopdale, which are not too far or too near from the city centre. Lucky me, the doctors in this two places are so super duper nice, making me feel like becoming a GP in the future.


This is Dr. Chris Hill from Mairehao, graduated from otago too. He worked in Brunei before and been to Malaysia for a few times, he even knows where is Ipoh. On the first day, he showed me the pictures he took in malaysia, from penang to ipoh to kl. Guess what, the first picture of ipoh that he showed me is the main street of Chemor (oh...suddenly feel so homesick...). He understands that i am still strugging with the kiwi accent, thus after every consultation, he will discuss with me just to check if i know what's going on. At the same time, he also taught me some slangs that kiwi use most of the time. I really admire the way he clicks with all the patients and made them feel so comfortable throughout the whole consultation. And i like the way he introduced me to the patient, "this is How, nearly a doctor!" (still have 3 years to go though, haha!)


This is Dr. Chris Leathart from Bishopdale, graduated from liverpool. He is extremely knowledgeable, still can remember details of the basic stuff, which really amazed me. I have no problem with his accent because he has no kiwi slangs at all. ( he said perhaps because he is an english, and tend to enunciate words more properly, which is quite true...) He is like a walking textbook, able to tell the full name of underlying pathology, which is very helpful for me to do revision. And he is very humble even though he has been a GP for more than 20 years. Really learn a lot of stuff from him.

So sad that GP run has finished, will gonna miss them.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Flower for Weekend

It's a lovely weekend, but i have to stay at home and prepare for my next week's exam. Time really flies, GP run is finishing soon, and i've got 5 more runs to go, I CAN DO IT, yeah!

Yesterday afternoon, me, ah beh and raenna suddenly felt like going to the international flower show that held in hagley park, which was 5 minutes walk from our house. But we only realized that we needed to pay entrance fee when we reached there. Guess how much it is? $37!!! Oh gosh, that's so expensive! Any student discount? NOPE!!! Sigh, i can get a week load of groceries with that amount of money. ( i rather spend the money on food, muahaha...) Never mind, i am not a botanist anyway, nothing to miss, it's ok and i should get back to my study, haha!

It is so bloody expensive, but the place is still extremely crowded. For flower lover, can visit jeng yi's blog, he took a few nice flower pictures in hong kong recently


We took a picture outside our house before we walked to hagley park

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

My Bicycle


Yeah, finally i get to cycle in Christchurch. This is a second hand bike that i got from June Li, a senior TI here, with a reasonable price. It is a road bike, pretty fast on the street. Yesterday i rode the bike to my GP, it was so fun!

Last weekend before i got the air pump for the tire, me and raenna pushed the bike all the way to Moorhouse Avenue's petrol station, which is 30 minutes walk from my house, coz some seniors said we can pump it there. But we only realized that the air inlet on my bike tire was different from the car tire when we reached the petrol station. Sigh...had to push it back again... Really appreciate raenna for keeping me company, thanks!

On Sunday, ah beh also got a new bike. So both of us rode it together around the town and to my GP place so that i could familiarize with the route. Should have put some sun block before i left my house because it was a hot, sunny day.

It is really convenient to cycle in Christchurch as the land is so flat here. Just hope i can maintain the bike well because i am going to need it for the next few years.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

GP Project

Do you think i should put this picture in my assignment paper?

I have an assignment in GP run, it is called Focused Clinical Question Project. Due date is 2 weeks later, so i should start doing the homework now. What i need to do, is to find relevant studies and articles, analyze them, write a few pages of my understanding and produce a rational solution for the question that i formed at the beginning.

Research Saves Lives! (the slogan in front of my school)

Monday, March 2, 2009

Interesting Question


Today during my GP attachment in Mairehao, there was a Bhutanese patient accompanied by her son, because the patient herself couldn't speak English. In the middle of consultation, the doctor got a phone call, thus he went out and left me with the patient and her son.

The son was very friendly, we chatted for awhile and suddenly he asked me, "Are you married?" Wow, this was the first time people asked me this question. Do i look that mature till people think i'm married? My parents will slay my head if i get marry now, haha! Then i said, "No, i'm still young...hehe" 22 years old, that's consider young, right?

This incidence really make me realize that i'm actually ageing day by day. Last time when i was still a teenager, people will asked, "Do you have a girlfriend?" I believe few years later, i will be expecting people to ask me the same question that the Bhutanese asked justnow.

Oh, i also found out something very interesting. Last time when i was in India, swarna taught me how to say 1,2,3 in Hindi. It sounds like 'egg, dough, tin' (i still can remember now because james had created a remarkable gesture along with it, haha). In Nepalist (the Bhutanese patient speaks that language), it actually sounds similiar, they pronounce as 'egg, duit, tin'.