Xiao’s Blog

So there ended Vic’s round one of internship matching, and I am still without a job. Not unexpected. Glad to know most of my friends got matched to the hospitals around here. Have made a few calls and sent off a few emails to enquire about possible vacancy. Fingers crossed at the moment.

Round 2, the final round would be in 2 weeks time. I sure need some luck here. Otherwise, my days in Melb are numbered. I consider myself to be a pretty lucky person. I have always been lucky in one way or another. I would need another stroke of luck now.

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Went out for dimsum today with 2 friends. Good times catching up over tea and dim sum. One is a former groupmate, the other is a current groupmate. Lotsa jokes and laughters. Good times indeed. Both of them got jobs offers already. Look forward to seeing them more often next time, when I get a job here.

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Exam result was out the other day. For once, I’ve got a 2nd upper score. I ought to be happy considering that I have struggled to get into the 2nd lower score over the past years. Yet, I felt like I have missed the boat. For once, I was able to focus well into exam preparation. But I committed some silly mistakes in the exam. Dang, could’ve gotten 1st class. Then again, I ought to be happy with my score. Oh well……

That’s all for now folks, a little bit sleepy now. Must be caffeine withdrawal.

Arrivederci

It’s been 10 years now since I first picked up a basketball and started bouncing it. I didn’t realise, actually until today when I went to meet a friend who was interested in learning more about it. Her request took me by surprise, but I was more than willing to oblige. I am not exactly that good a player, but I do like playing basketball very much. Passion. Love. Interest. Whatever you can call it. I wasn’t really prepared to actually teach someone how to play basketball, but I have ruled out the “suicides” drill that I used to run last time in training. But well, I did teach her the fundamentals : lay-ups, shooting mechanics, dribbling and passing. The rest of it would be practice , practice and practice. Hopefully, she would keep improving herself with or without my help. Looking towards the day she would issue me a 1 vs 1 challenge;)

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The younger Xiao in my family had flown to UK to commence his clinical training as well. We got the news that he had landed safe and sound there. Probably still without a net connection. We managed to secure the funds from the Foundation just in time. What surprises me actually was the fact that the manager himself offered to help us with the appeal for the funds. My Dad was called in to his office and the manager actually spent half an hour with him correcting and furnishing the appeal letter. I can imagine my Dad’s facial expression then, must be one of shock and confusion, given the way the manager ran the company, which I must say, despite my limited experience in management, but it’s definitely one heck of a man. It’s no coincidence, that his division is one of the best performing in the whole corporation.

Come to think of it, Dad has been working for the same company in the same position since he was out of school. I remembered his official position was listed as “Field Conductor” in my Standard One enrolment. A term which I have to explain times and again. He works in the field, yes,…under the hot sun,…. running the risk of being chased by bees, ….bitten by snakes, etc….etc… Being eligible for an education fund from the foundation was one of the perks offered on the table on top of the average wage he would be earning when he took up the job. It was more out of desperation rather than a foresight that my Dad actually took up the job due to the family’s financial needs then. I was even told the story of his job interview with the company, the one and only he had so far in his whole life. I must admire my Dad and Mom really, they saved and saved and worked hard for us 3 brothers’ future so we could have a shot at our dreams. Honestly, I don’t think, even by holding a M.B.B.S, FRACS or FRACP etc… I could have outdone them.

Although he never admit it, I must say so many a times, Dad had held off his own dreams for me and my brothers. Take cars for example. “I’d look at this new car after you got into the college ; I’d consider this after you entered uni ; I’d look at that after you flown, etc.. etc…” But the fact is he still drives the same 1989 second-hand Proton Saga until last year when he was offered the problematic Camry my uncle was driving. Like a kid getting a new toy, my Dad fixed the Camry up in no time and it has run smoothly since. All these times, to save expenses, he did a lot of maintenance job himself. I think he could be a mechanic or rather is a mechanic in his spare times. I wonder,who would go to the extent of dismantling the car door to do some repair and maintenance in his own porch. He actually did that a few times. -_-”

I think I’d get him a digital SLR for a start for my convocation, if I can spare the cash. I am looking at the higher priced Canon EOS 450D, possibly the lower priced soon-to-be-released Canon EOS1000D. It’s also a fact that I won’t be receiving any more financial support from him anymore,asides from what’s been already given. A little bit daunting but I don’t expect him to and I think he feels the same as well. Hopefully,I will have some cash to spare when I finished my studies. Otherwise, I think I will take a short term loan from some of my friends here.

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I just like remind myself here to be grateful for all, yet not be complacent.
I pray for my family’s health and harmony :Granma, Dad, Mom, the 2 younger little Piggy and also the chickens and rabbits in the backyard.
Let them be safe and sound at all times.
Let no disappointments dampen their spirits,
Let no sadness weaken their souls,
Let all mistakes be forgiven,
And lastly let us laugh and be happy always.

P.S. At the same time, can you make the durian tree in my backyard to bear a lot of fruits come Dec?

Arrivederci.

This is another one of the recipes I used rather frequently here in Melbourne. Since it’s holiday now, I thought might as well blog a little about it.

Reference: kuali.com

Ingredients

• Overnight cooked rice
• Oil

Ground ingredients (A):

• 4 shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp chilli paste
• 50g dried prawns, pounded
• 150g prawns, diced
• 2 dried Chinese black mushrooms, soaked and diced

Seasoning:

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• A few drops dark soy sauce for colour
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 stalks spring onions, chopped

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Exam’s just over and I have completed the final written paper as a medical student. What’s left for the rest of the year would be clinical exam - short cases and long cases. The exam? I felt pretty good about it this time, although I will still keep my finger crossed. Once bitten, twice shy. I didn’t expect to fail my paediatric short case exam. I admit having done poorly, but I was confident it wasn’t that bad. However, the short revision week I had, I believed had brought my confidence to another level - I am actually pretty good. It’s probably the first time, I had done my OSCE so confidently, smiling and thinking so fast, speaking unhurriedly, clearly and going through my differential diagnosis. *Tune Final Fantasy 7 Level up sound.* I am not exactly that concerned for my score than I should, because, all I need to do now is just to pass my exams for the rest of the year and the scores needed for job application , had long been submitted. In fact, I am more than happy with the way I had gone through my OSCEs.

Now what I have in my hand is a 3 weeks holiday. I have nothing planned because there won’t be anyone around. Almost all my friends are going back to their respective hometowns. On my last count, I counted 2 people who would be here for the most part of the next 3 weeks. And I am still wondering what to do for the rest of the holiday. I have borrowed a dumbbell. I have loaned a Australian Medical Council MCQ book for a half-hearted attempt at revision during this holiday. Stocked up the fridge pretty well to try out new recipes. Been applying for casual jobs, but no luck as yet.

To kick off my holiday this time, I just realised I was first restricted, then blocked by one of my groupmates on Facebook. I am unsure what to make of that, considering she’s probably the nicest person in my group. Yes, the same lady who gave me a pretty surprising call not too long ago. I was initially furious, I felt heavily offended by her action. Only to realise the foolishness of my anger. Oh well, as one of my friends put it,”There are some people that you just can’t get along with, no matter how you try,if you did try.” I wonder if it’s just me, or I just think that my clinical group is so “fractured”. A hates B, B detests C, C can’t stand D, E blocks F, and F blogs about it. Haha. Something like that.

I stand by what I said during one of my interviews, one of my best time is definitely the university life in IMU. There might be some clashes there and, but nothing compares to what I am witnessing. Pretty hard to reinstate the dynamism of the group. If only there’s a 101 book on team-building. I did try my best to mediate the situation but it looks like I am not doing a very good job at it myself.Ah well, that’s what been giving me headache for the last 2 days. Looking for answers. Looking for ways. I think best not to brood over it too much. We’ll see how things go after we resume our studies in 3 weeks time.

Alrite, I think I should play some games now. Arrivederci.

I came across this video. 5′ 8″ with a vertical leap of 51 inches. Codename : Area 51 in reference to his vertical leap as well as No-Go zone designated to the 50″ vertical leap barrier. Melbourne kid. Maybe I will bump into him.

Of coz, speaking of dunking, Jordan would always come to mind. Last I checked, Jordan’s best vertical recorded = 48″

In my secondary school years, I did measure my vertical. Best effort = 71 cm = 28″ or 2′ 4″

To be able to dunk for my height of 5′ 6″ and a standing reach of approximately 7′ 2″, I would need a vertical leap of 45″ or more. Too far……Well. Used to work towards that. I can probably still gain a few more inches. but to get another 10 is pretty much impossible.

NBA average? 28 inches. The number is probably skewed due to the presence of very tall yet not very athletic players.

Now, I feel like lumbering even when I take a normal jumpshots.-_-” Gotta work out after exam. Always say that. Haha…..We will see.

First paper tomorrow

Arrivederci

I looked in the sky and there I saw a star shining so bright above
I closed my eyes and wished upon a star that I would find true love
Someone who needed me
Someone to share my life
For a love that would be true
I would wait forever
So no matter how long it may be
I will be waiting

One star-brighter than the others
Two hearts-beating for each other
I believe wishes really do come true

Love at first sight I knew it from the moment when you said hello
I hoped you felt it too, but we were both so shy-how was I to know
when you reached for my hand
I knew you were the one
We laughed and talked for hours like I’d known you forever
Like a dream or something from a book
True love has found me

One star-brighter than the others
Two hearts-beating for each other
Now I see wishes really do come true

You just have to dream
Nothing’s as bad as it seems to be believe me
Someone’s waiting for you to try
There in the sky

One star-brighter than the others
Two hearts-beating for each other
You will see wishes really do come true

You can’t stop believing-wishes do come true
You gotta believe me wishes do come true

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Found this while blog-hopping. Very beautiful song.