tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70032272024-03-27T21:40:24.607+03:00Random BlogDoes exactly what it says on the tin.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-87534967119254356522010-10-06T16:49:00.003+03:002010-10-06T16:53:40.826+03:00Up Up and Away!Took the plunge. Dealing with the fall-out. About to secure my freedom from the evil tentacled monster. Takes 12 steps, but I hit a brick wall at 8.<br /><br />Took time off to recuperate and recover my energy. Now back from paradise, rejuvenated and ready to take on the beast again. All eyes on the prize, one more trip to deliver the coup de grace to that other beast in the west. Once that's done, its just a matter of time and protocol until the next step is reached.<br /><br />Its scary and new, but isn't that just what makes it all so deliciously exciting?Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-34721137811890815502009-12-14T12:10:00.000+03:002009-12-14T12:08:30.221+03:00Do NotsSpurred on by my observations at work, I have come up with a list of things to avoid as a doctor in a hospital setting (especially for interns and medical students):<br /><br />1. Don't wear jeans under your white coat. Its unprofessional, even though it may be more comfortable and convenient.<br /><br />2. Don't roll up the sleeves of your white coat. You're not a butcher.<br /><br />3. Don't wear a customised operating theatre cap. You only earn that once you're the boss.<br /><br />4. Don't drape a stethoscope over your shoulders as a medical student when its clear that you have no idea what to do with it.<br /><br />5. For the ladies - don't put on lots of makeup and perfume. Especially medical students. I don't worry about the interns, because after a few on-calls they spontaneously eliminate that aspect of their morning routine.<br /><br />6. Interns - don't spend all day long socialising over cups of coffee. Yes, your existence here is trivial and your job mostly mindless and routine, but that doesn't mean you should be flaunting the fact that you have no work to do. That will just get you into trouble.<br /><br />7. Do not write short, incomprehensible patient notes. You haven't earned that right just yet. Only the boss can write something he or she only understands and not be criticised for it. Because its HIS/HER patient, not yours you little scoundrel.<br /><br />8. Don't show up later than your seniors. That may sound like common sense but surprisingly still occurs, requiring a prompt kick up the arse on morning rounds.<br /><br />9. Do not forget to show the proper respect to anyone who is more senior than you, be it Doctor, Nurse or even orderly. They have been around for much longer than you have, and have seen many junior doctors come and go. You're nothing special.<br /><br />10. Don't give up on medicine. Even though you may take a lot of abuse, the money and hours are not that great, and the perceived public worth of the physician is ever-diminishing; it can still be a very rewarding profession. Nothing is more fulfilling than helping another human being out when they need it the most. A lot of people go out of their way to do stuff like that for free out of their own time. You get paid to do it, so count yourself lucky.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-84133657603591151772009-05-10T12:39:00.001+03:002009-05-10T12:39:00.303+03:00Times they are a changin'Major changes have recently occured in my life, both personally and professionally. We're approaching five years since the inception of this blog, and going back to read the posts from May '04 is quite the experience. I suppose its what diaries and journals are for, the chance to go back and read out your thoughts and ideas from another time. Kind of like mental time travel.<br /><br />One thing is for sure, I am not who I was then. In fact, I am not who I was last year or the year before that. I may have some (we shed and create a lot of cells frequently) of the bodily composition of that person but we are definitely on different wavelengths.<br /><br />This whole blogging business started off as a documentation of odd and quirky ideas I might have. I had a lot of time on my hands back then, hence the frequency of the posts. With time, the posts have decreased in number but have also slightly sharpened in focus. They may still be random and don't generally adhere to one unified theme, but this thing was meant to be disjointed and arbitrary anyway.<br /><br />I know blogging has pretty much gone out of style these days, but I never meant for this to be stylish. The more I read my old posts, the more I believe that continuing to write here if only to be able to re-read it later is worthwhile. These next few lines (in no particular order) are for future perusing:<br /><br />- United are in the Champions league final against Barcelona for a shot at retaining the cup. I believe we are going to win. Did we? I hope it was a good game.<br /><br />- You've just moved out of home and are currently adjusting to having your own family. Its terrifying and exciting all at once. Having more or less settled now, you have found that through all of this you've discovered that you have an affinity for furniture shopping. Who would've thunk it.<br /><br />- You're starting studying for your MRCS part B soon. The plan is to pass it first time. I hope that reading this in the future, you remember how it felt to be looking ahead to that. I also hope that you passed.<br /><br />- You have accumulated a bit of debt, but are confident of repaying it all very soon. I hope that when you re-read this, it will have been replaced by a good amount of savings.<br /><br />- You are still basking in the glory of having had the best wedding of all time.<br /><br />- One and a half years in your current job and counting. Still on track with the initial estimate of two to three years in Bahrain followed by training abroad. So, how did that work out then?<br /><br />- 1st on call, sleepless nights at the hospital working a 1 in 4 rota. Not so bad, considering what you've been through. I hope that when you read this you have had a hell of a lot more experience in operating and are no longer at junior level.<br /><br />A few more personal things I could've documented here, but I'd rather leave them out of the public arena. Have to run now, but I hope that list makes for interesting reading at some point down the line.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-37023157234370991012009-02-15T19:43:00.000+03:002009-02-15T19:43:01.710+03:00Brighter Days AheadTough times, these.<div>Resolution of conflicts on many fronts helps, but more is to come.</div><div>Once we've jetted off east things will really start looking up.</div><div>But until then: paint, parking, wood, tables, chairs, sardar, food, drink, lists, healthy doses of work and many more..</div><div>We're getting there.</div>Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-52949399480601231032008-10-28T00:15:00.000+03:002008-10-27T15:13:55.886+03:00Eureka!I've always had a thing against Landon Donovan. The tag of "best US soccer player of his generation" rang a bit hollow when you looked at what he's achieved on a global scale. His two aborted attempts at Bayer Leverkusen in Germany really frustrated me.<br /><br />You see, the guy has undeniable skill. He might not be considered world class per se, but he definitely is the best player in the MLS pre-Beckham by a country mile. If he had stuck with it and tried to develop himself in Europe at an earlier age, I believe he would've achieved much more and became a far better player than he is today.<br /><br />What I find really irritating wasn't that he had tried to play at a club and failed, it was the manner of his failure. It wasn't based on not being good enough to get into the first team. It wasn't about a bad atmosphere or a league that was too difficult for him. It was his inability or unwillingness to experience life outside of the US. His first stint in Germany was at a very young age (16, I think), and he struggled to adapt to life in Europe and so he was allowed to go back on loan to the MLS until he matured enough to be able to handle the situation. In San Jose he prospered, and was consistently the best performer on a mediocre team. He publicly spoke about his nightmare in Germany and not being able to cope with the move away from the US.<br /><br />Then came the second stint at the age of 23. Bayer Leverkusen wanted a player of his calibre back to contribute, and he was forced to leave the US again. Once again, he failed to adjust to his surroundings and a move back to the MLS and the LA Galaxy followed suit. I was really disappointed to hear about it at the time, since I thought that surely Germany cannot be THAT bad? And even if its not exactly where he'd like to live, it is more than simply a positive career step and going back the mediocrity of the MLS was the least ambitious thing I have ever heard of.<br /><br />My friends struggled to see why I was so upset. Surely he had a right to choose where he wanted to live? My grief was in the fact that he was living my dream and making a mess of it. He had the talent to be a world class player, he was a professional footballer with everything he ever wanted.. and he couldn't leave the comfort zone of "America, the Best Place on Earth".<br /><br />Landon came out recently and said that he is now dreaming of a move to Spain or England. He recognises that his game would improve drastically over in Europe, but he's unsure now whether any club would sign him after his antics in Germany. He's finally matured enough to think with a professional mindset.. but he's almost 27 now, and a lot of time was lost where he could've further honed his craft in more competitive surroundings.<br /><br />As a person, I don't know Mr. Donovan and have little regard to how his life turns out to be. Its the concept that bothers me, the fact that his reluctance to put some pressure on himself to further improve on his God given talent stems from his inability to leave the US cocoon. When I first went to university, my roommate who hails from New York asked me why anyone would want to live anywhere but the United States. His lack of geographical orientation astounded me, and I wondered sometimes how many Americans can locate any given country on a map of Europe if presented with the challenge. I'm sure there are many worldly and knowledgable yanks, but the majority seem resistant to the fact that the world holds much more than just the 50 states. My roommate went on to developing a fondness for Europe and a willingness to travel around the world, despite his initial reluctance. It took him 6 years, but he came 'round in the end.. as did all the other Americans who I'm proud to say took a piece of Europe back home with them. May it extend to affect all of the people surrounding them.<br /><br />So, Landon, I'm glad that you've finally had your moment of enlightenment. There's more out there than simply the good ol' US of A and the MLS. Time to see if firsthand.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-34252374125168789502008-08-22T04:58:00.000+03:002008-08-21T18:41:57.972+03:00"Lightning" BoltIn spite of my love affair with most team and individual sports, I was never one to follow track and field with anything more than a passing interest in the latest world record. I must admit that the advent of the olympics didn't really strike much of a chord with me, especially after one of the best football tournaments ever in Euro 2008. How could you follow up all the drama of the beautiful game and hope to fill the void that exists after a major international tournament?<br /><br />To me, the olympics has always been too many sports on at the same time, which is quite confusing and distracting. Things like swimming, sailing, shooting, gymnastics, tae kwon do, amateur boxing, fencing, track cycling, 20km walkathon, water polo, etc etc.. they just don't really resonate for some reason. Lack of globally identifiable athletes? Difficulty to "watch-in-passing" for people are not intimately familiar with the sport?<br /><br />The first thing that captured my imagination was Micheal Phelps' 8 gold medals. I didn't really watch any of his events, aside from a replay of one of them, but to have lived in a time where such a record is broken was exciting stuff. The real kicker was the track and field, however. If you conjure up an image of the olympics, the first thing you'd think of besides the hoops logo and the flame would be an olympic stadium with a big track and large patch of grass (which would be awesome to play football on) in the middle. Athletics have always been the heart and soul of the games, and this year has been a special one.<br /><br />Usain Bolt, fastest man in the world. His antics and showboating as infuriatingly endearing as anything you've ever seen. His run in the 100m was something else. To be so blase about it all and still manage to shred his own world record is something I will remember watching for the rest of my life. I've never set a reminder to watch a track and field event in the past, but after that race I had to see if he can do it in the 200m. The fact that he did was almost expected but just as exciting. The cool thing was that he busted a nut this time around. Micheal Johnson is known as Superman, and its for good reason that his record stood for 12 years. Bolt really pushed himself for that one, and its going to be interesting to see how much further he can take it, being so young and all. The theory goes that he'll try to incrimentally better his world record to keep the money and the interest rolling (a la Sergey Bubka), but I don't know if its humanly possible to do better with the 200m. Although there had been some headwind that night, so you never know.<br /><br />I've now developed a routine of watching the olympics coverage at lunch and after work (government working hours, 7-2), and I must say that its really introduced me to something new. I can't say that I'll now start following all the other events like the world championships and the commonwealth games, because only the olympics can give you this feeling. I am, however, much more interested in London 2012 than I was two weeks ago!Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-11188315414727892232008-06-01T19:30:00.000+03:002008-06-02T08:30:38.762+03:00Good PointHaving a terrible morning all round today. Overworked and undervalued, I was sitting in the clinic and I locked myself in the room for half an hour to clear my thoughts before seeing any patients.<br /><br />After taking some time to mull things over, the door was opened and the good doctor was ready to heal the world once again. A little scrub of a kid, around 12 years of age, was the first in along with his personal driver/bodyguard. The family name on his medical records explained the situation to me, and so I sat him down to see how I could be of assistance.<br /><br />Turns out he had a soft tissue injury, nothing more, and was quite pleased to get the rest of the day off because of attending our clinic this morning. I asked him where he studied and, of course, it turns out to be at my old stomping grounds of days past. I told him as much and he retorted with quite an interesting comment:<br /><br />"Really? You graduated from there?"<br />"Yup. Class of 2000."<br />"Cool. So.. why are you here?"<br />"Well, how do you mean?"<br />"You know. Why are you working here as a doctor? Why not somewhere else as a businessman or something?"Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-88613105613351175042008-05-25T09:52:00.000+03:002008-05-25T09:52:00.316+03:00Screaming EaglesHappy birthday blog and whatnot. 4 years now since this all started, and this is my 101st post. Been a while since the last one but I guess work and life caught up with me and the interest in blogging had started to wane a bit.<br /><br />Blogging.. so two years ago? I don't know, it's difficult to sustain a reasonable audience if you don't give them frequent reading material. And then you're back to square one, typing up stuff to post it where no one would read it. I'm sure there's a few of you still out there who log on here every once in a while. I just hope my recent hiatus hasn't scared the rest of you off.<br /><br />Was going to rant on about a few things. Mainly about disrespect to red traffic lights as well as assorted misgivings about the current shape of Bahraini society. I'm stuck at work, however, and methinks that some sleep now in anticipation of a possibly busy night would aid me greatly in surviving the work week ahead.<br /><br />Oh well, here's to passing the 100 mark. Will try to keep it up for as long as I can, I suppose.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-8797715942763780992008-02-25T00:11:00.000+03:002008-12-13T08:37:32.806+03:00Fun Times<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgrKmB0avmi5QZRxlX6I2I8qNnhXFWckFf5k-o8RYo81CJXA65HnizuyoAjSVGshiL96xI1bp70PtaSpbdiobkRQgyrC5tmZP4pRewA8F2zZeFuLHiSJuNrFn93GDWU79f9cwh/s1600-h/knife.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170484891166548802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgrKmB0avmi5QZRxlX6I2I8qNnhXFWckFf5k-o8RYo81CJXA65HnizuyoAjSVGshiL96xI1bp70PtaSpbdiobkRQgyrC5tmZP4pRewA8F2zZeFuLHiSJuNrFn93GDWU79f9cwh/s320/knife.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="left"><strong>Me:</strong> So.. what happened?<br /><strong>Dude:</strong> We were playing.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong>Me:</strong> What game exactly?</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong>Dude:</strong> I told my cousin he couldn't do it, he said he could.. then he did.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong>Me:</strong> I see. And where is he right now?</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong>Dude:</strong> Outside in the waiting room.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong>Me:</strong> Right.</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">Idiots.</div>Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-4946142929531911062008-01-12T21:43:00.000+03:002008-01-12T22:34:26.907+03:00GripeBeen back in Bahrain for a while now, just started working. Feels good to be doktoring around after a long layoff, but the routine of having to wake up in the mornings again will need some getting used to. Adjusted to living here by now, so I guess Ireland is mostly out of my system at this point. There are some things you have to accept as they are around these parts, even though they could do with some (read: a lot of) improvement.<br /><br />Was driving on the highway the other day and something peculiar happened to me. Not just once, but three times within the span of two weeks. I would be driving at a reasonable speed (about 110 km/hr) in the fast lane and a speed demon would show up behind me, all guns blazing. In most cases I would move over to the right and allow him/her (because women are just as bad these days) to pass. In all three cases there were cars in the middle lane and so I had to carry on until I got a chance to switch lanes. Instead of being polite enough to wait until I moved over, the drivers in this case would accelerate and overtake me on the hard shoulder, squeezing between my car and the barrier to the left at around 160km/hr. I could not believe what I was seeing. Speeding and high-risk driving are common enough, but this is just suicidial. Needless to say, it brought out a bit of road rage and I guess honking the horn and flashing my headlights were the most I could do in my frustration at those fucking idiots.<br /><br />This ties into another phenomenon I have been witnessing. At times during the night, around 11pm and onwards, people would choose to ignore red lights located around the kingdom. They would slow down, see that the intersection was not busy, and would just drive off like nothing happened. It drives me insane seeing this, and even though they might justify it by saying that they've slowed down and saw no other cars coming.. there simply is no jusitfication.<br /><br />All of these things, aside from demonstrating that a large proportion of bahrainis have completely lost any iota of driving etiquette left within them, is showing us the unfortunate mentality that most of them live with. This idea that they are in some way superior to those around them, that their time is worth more and that they can bend or break the law according to their wishes is simply laughable. No one is above the law, and I don't care how busy or in a rush you are, endangering other people's lives in such a flippant fashion is simply unacceptable. You almost wish you could say this to their faces, but something tells me that anyone who would do something like that without feeling any remorse is not worth talking to in the first place. Why have we turned into such a materialistic, consumerist society that is defined by the selfishness of the individual and not the love of the collective? Everyone is so concerned with how to progress themselves that they are openly willing to step (and shit) on eveyone else's heads. It a terribly sad state of affairs to find ourselves in, and I hope that something drastic happens in the near future so that we may shake off this frankly primitive way of living.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-82105426621492526932007-11-22T13:11:00.000+03:002007-11-22T02:12:32.304+03:00WoWWorld of Warcraft has officially taken over my life. The game was released in 2004 and I've fought buying it for so long because I knew this would happen. Some people think its geeky, but heck I don't care.. it still kicks ass. I'm at level 43 now, achieved in the span of 3 weeks which is quite intense. The fact that work don't come easy in this country means that I've got lots of spare time (yes, there is a shortage of doctors in Bahrain yet we still find it hard to get employed). All this spare time has been dedicated to leveling my character in pursuit of more power, better items and crazier adventures.<br /><br />The missus is unfortunately away for a while, and I know that this will all end when she comes back. That doesn't make me sad. In fact, it might be a good thing for my general well being.<br /><br />Short post, but I need to get back to questing. Level 44 awaits.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-15557283053336375052007-10-21T01:44:00.000+03:002007-10-20T15:48:13.242+03:00Medical Oddities: The AlbumThis one goes out to Beau Davidson in memory of some good times:<br /><br /><br />1. Kick the Cookie Under the Crash Cart<br /><br />2. Focus to Walk<br /><br />3. Don't Scratch Your Balls With Your Keys<br /><br />4. Knock on Glass<br /><br />5. Splint My Handjob<br /><br />6. If You Break Your Leg, I Got Your Back<br /><br />7. Kicked In the Calf By a Cow<br /><br />8. Good Consistency of ChewinessMohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-34350980512962618112007-10-15T23:05:00.000+03:002007-10-15T13:05:29.493+03:00Man TearsThe rugby world cup concludes this coming saturday with a titanic clash between england and south africa. I say titanic because the 'boks have been looking solid all tournament, while the english have risen from the dead with a string of powerful performances that have taken them a game away from retaining their crown. Considering that south africa have already beaten england 36-0 a few weeks back in the group stages, it should be very interesting to see how much of the psychological effects of that game are still lingering in the minds of both sets of players.<br /><br />This post was supposed to introduce a theory of mine that I have been honing for a few weeks but was unfortunately dented slightly with the argies' demise to the 'boks last night. The argentinians were hands down the most emotional bunch of players prior to every match. At least half the team was crying at the lineup for the national anthems, and some were even reduced to quivering wrecks. Throughout the tournament I noticed a trend in which the team that seemed to be more fired up during the national anthems in crunch matches seemed to be playing with a higher intensity, and ultimately either won the game or ran the score much closer than anticipated against heavily favored opposition. The argentines, fueled by what seemed to be some real pride in their country and a quite inspiring anthem, were undefeated until last night. The theory had been working so far, with the english really getting pumped up to God Save the Queen over the past two games which got them playing with real intensity from start to finish. The french have another great anthem in La Marseillais, and they really got into it against the kiwis in cardiff, resulting in one of the greatest and most memorable upsets of all time. Although the stade de france was booming two nights ago, the players seemed to be less emotional than the english before that game and the final result was a win for the red roses.<br /><br />So far so good theory-wise, except for last night. The springboks have been cool and composed throughout the tournament, without really having any real worries (except maybe for Fiji, but that didn't last for too long) and they stood up for their anthem with looks of determination. The argies were typically fired up, with tears flowing so fast and far that it really moved you to see such big men in such a sorry state. End result was a bok win, but for a few mistakes I think that the argentines could well have won the game. Actually, now that I type this out I think my theory is still quite valid. The argies had the intensity at the beginning of the game and were looking much the better side until a few costly giveaways. The south africans then had the mental fortitude to use that points advantage as leverage to negate the intensity of their opponents and put in a very professional display of rugby. I think the argentines could have won this world cup with a little bit more control and discipline.<br /><br />Key lessons here:<br />1. Have an inspiring national anthem full of crescendos.<br />2. Make sure a good few members of the team cry at the start. One player ala John Hayes for Ireland won't produce the required effect. You need at least 3 criers.<br />3. Convert the crying into anger.<br />4. Don't concede silly penalties and don't give away interception tries.<br /><br />I think I'm gonna go apply for the (soon to be) vacant new zealand post now after that inspiring set of sentences.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-36589170799322950272007-09-20T23:39:00.000+03:002007-09-21T14:14:30.325+03:00Dream Eco-DisasterI overslept this morning. For some reason I didn't wake up at the usual time and ended up sleeping to a very late hour, an hour I was annoyed to have slept until. Two things came of it: a groggy head (which I have now), and a vivid memory of a dream which is the basis to this post.<br /><br />We had gone to Al-Dar islands with the family, and in the dream it was exactly as I remembered it (except it looked nothing like the real-life version). One thing which was disturbingly different was that the tide had eaten up more than half of one of the three football pitches. My dream-self lamented the loss of this pitch that was the scene of many childhood footy heroics, and I kept going on about global warming and how this was the first time that I had really felt the effects. I even vowed to write a post about it and put it up on my blog. Subsequent recollection of this statement while awake is the driving force behind my current furious typing. Funny thing is, the football pitches I had seen somewhere or another, and it was just a case of cut and paste over the already existing image I had of the islands. If anything, where they were positioned in my dream meant that a big chunk of the beach and sea were buried by these pitches. Another eco-disaster, considering all the ongoing land reclamation work in Bahrain, so maybe the sea was fighting for its survival in the dream, refusing to have so much land imposed on it while I slept.<br /><br />The dream later evolved into starting a 4-on-4 game and having Cristiano Ronaldo step in to make up the numbers on my team. The bastard never passed the ball to me before I woke up. Thanks for nothing, buster. Oh and Jose, we wouldn't have had it any other way. Cheers for all the brilliant soundbites, and don't stay away for too long!Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-84523841633330720292007-08-24T23:21:00.000+03:002007-08-24T13:29:46.747+03:00WorrisomeIs anybody else concerned about the precarious position that Lindsay Lohan is finding herself in these days? If it were someone I knew<strong><em> </em></strong>I would be sounding the alarm and calling for an intervention as soon as possible. It seems that the downwards spiral in which she is trapped in is gathering alarming momentum. For someone who has recently hit rock bottom she seems to be going to great lengths to prove that there is yet another level below.<br /><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6961558.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6961558.stm</a><br /><br />I recently watched "The Parent Trap" on television in England, and the fresh-faced kid with the charming smile back then has taken a terribly incorrect turn on the path of her relatively short life. To have fallen so far in such a short period of time is quite sad, I must say. Lindsay, although I'm not really a fan and I follow your news sporadically, as a fellow human being I must say that I'm very worried at what might come next. Trust me, its much more satisfying to fade away after a long and fruitful life than to burn out before you hit 25. Get your shit together before its too late.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zIzciYwGHM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zIzciYwGHM</a>Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-75346486826686930462007-07-04T18:26:00.000+03:002007-07-04T10:26:58.429+03:00Slàn LeibhHere's a little snippit from MAD magazine that I found quite amusing:<br /><br /><strong>In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king, AND...</strong><br /><strong></strong><br />...pirates wear TWO eye-patches.<br /><br />...regular comic book superheroes include "Eye Man" and "The Sighted Guy".<br /><br />...racial segregation is much harder to enforce.<br /><br />...socks and sandals are still a fashion faux-pas at formal events.<br /><br />...the national anthem features the phrase "detached cornea" four different times.<br /><br /><br />Goodbye Ireland, thanks for seven great years. See you when I see you!Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-61911097566143541922007-06-29T07:28:00.001+03:002010-01-19T09:47:16.364+03:00Fully RegisteredSure enough, its over just as fast as it all began. From the 1st of July I'm going to be a fully registered doctor and my internship days will be well in the past. I'm also going to be unemployed until further notice and I'm actually quite looking forward to it.<br /><br />Its been an interesting year. It wasn't as hellish as people paint it to be, but it definitely did have many shitty moments embedded within its fabric. Being a bottom feeder is never fun (unless you're a hamour, you'd love that shit if you were.. lying on the bottom of the sea, scooping up whatever falls your way.. which is interesting, the colloquial Bahraini term hamour draws on the size of the fish to describe influential public figures, especially businessmen, while in actuality the hamour is a bottom feeder in the most literal sense of the word). Being the shit-filter, the person that is inundated with stupid requests and showered with mind-numbing clerical work.. it takes you a few weeks to get a hang of it and a few months to totally master it and then you're cruising.<br /><br />My work experience so far has been that of knowing how to manipulate the system. Sure, I picked up some teaching here and there, but my job has been to facilitate the lives of those more senior than me. The best intern is not the one who knows the most, but the one who makes sure everything is set up for the big boys to come in and make a decision. A demeaning existence were it permanent, but that's why its confined to one year. By the end of this year you've become a bullshit connoisseur, being able to smell it miles away and sidestep it with plenty of time to spare. Now that you know how to play the game, you can start practicing medicine in earnest, with more responsibility gradually being placed on your inexperienced shoulders.<br /><br />So what have I gotten out of it all? Mainly confidence.. the knowledge that I can deal with any situation no matter how fucked up it is. Sure, you're always learning in life and in medicine.. but it has to go without saying that this abrupt introduction into the real world of hospital medicine has to be the blow that strips the largest layer of innocence and naivety from most of us.<br /><br />I leave on the 4th of July. After seven years of calling the republic my home, its time for me to move back to where my family reside. I'm anticipating a sizeable enough culture shock, but it doesn't worry me.. I'm more focused on the bliss of unemployment at the moment, even though the regular income will be missed. As I see the new interns come into the hospital to sign their contracts and start moving into our vacated lockers, you can't help but get a tingling down your spine as you remember the beginning.. the very nervy, anxiety-ridden beginning to a year that would go on to shake you to your core.. a year that I've just survived but will forever carry the memory of.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-75952437296053585682007-05-30T08:41:00.000+03:002007-05-30T00:49:18.416+03:00Sparkle and ShineGems from one of the cleaning staff at the Ireland outbound section of Heathrow Terminal 1 at around 10pm:<br /><br /><strong>Man (Indian origin, 65 years old):</strong> ...its good here, quiet today.<br /><strong>Woman (African origin, 40 years old):</strong> Yes, sometimes it can get very busy.<br /><strong>Man:</strong> But I like it. Everyday I find 50p or 1 pound while cleaning. People always drop change.<br /><strong>Woman:</strong> What do you do with it?<br /><strong>Man:</strong> I buy my drink. You know, Red Bull. Something to keep me awake.<br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>*Walking Away*</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong>*Coming Back*</strong><br /><br /><strong>Man: </strong>Every day I clean up at least 5 full cups of coffee.<br /><strong>Woman: </strong>So?<br /><strong>Man:</strong> This place here that sells the coffee.. if its so bad, why are they allowed to keep on selling it? No one finishes their coffee.<br /><strong>Woman:</strong> *laughing*Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-86844015264017452402007-04-25T02:15:00.000+03:002007-04-24T16:15:47.817+03:00Quickfire 3: Elevator PoliticsWorking in a hospital with 6 floors (especially as in intern) means having to use elevators at least 25-30 times a day. Its virtually a tool of the trade, having to be in so many places all the time means that getting around efficiently and comfortably has a major impact on your work day.<br /><br />What annoys me the most is visitors (or even smoker patients) who share the elevators with you. Most people who work here tend to understand how the things work, and will know how to speedily get to where they're going. There are usually two call buttons, one for each direction, and common sense dictates that you press the one your require and wait patiently. Then you have those idiots who walk up after you and press the other direction too. Why? Is it because they might be going downstairs to where the staff canteen is, or where the hospital maintenance facilities are? I don't think so, they're visitors and are using the elevator to go up to the next floor (completely ignoring the stairs). They press the down button and stop a descending elevator, ask where its heading and are told its going down. And then they get on. As it goes down and comes back up again, the doors open and guess who's in there? The same idiot. What kills me is when you ask them why they do that, they answer "its faster". Faster for what exactly? Do you just enjoy being in elevators? Have you no understanding that you're delaying those going down and crowding them for no reason whatsoever?<br /><br />Please, just stop coming to my workplace and annoying me. I don't come into your job and start fucking your shit up, so repay me that courtesy. Thank you.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-15052351567880387692007-04-25T02:01:00.000+03:002007-04-24T16:01:30.568+03:00Quickfire 2: PrideOne of the few things that keep me going during the routine days is an upcoming meal. Since most hot hospital food is usually inedible, a custom made sandwich is always a tasty option to look forward to.. sometimes as early as 9am.<br /><br />Whether its at the hospital or in a deli nearby on the weekend, one of the things that really gets to me is when my sandwich is made in a sloppy fashion. I believe that, no matter what you do, you should always have pride in you work. If its your job to make sandwiches all day, then its your duty to infuse a sufficient amount of love in each one you make. It really bothers me when someone makes me an asymmetrical sandwich, or one that is light (or top-heavy) on ingredients. Either the bread isn't cut properly, or the sandwich has so much cheese on it that the rest of fillings are completely drowned out.. things like that aggravate me to no end.<br /><br />I understand that making sandwiches can be tedious. It may not be your profession of choice.. you may not have grown up envisioning this for yourself.. but its still your job, and you should have some pride in what you produce. This sandwich may mean nothing to you since its one of 50 you'll be making today, but to me.. this sandwich is what I've been looking forward to all morning and is going to set the tone of the rest of my afternoon. Please don't let me down.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-17894219751193665172007-04-25T01:52:00.000+03:002007-04-25T02:30:39.013+03:00Quickfire 1: PCDPCD is an acronym for two conditions that go hand in hand.<br /><br /><strong>Pre-Call Depression:</strong> A feeling of loathing of life descends as you walk around the hospital all day knowing that you're not going home that night. Five o'clock comes around and people are smiling and cheerful as they walk out the door.. but all you can do is hope for a quiet night as you don your scrubs and prepare for a rough 24 hours. It usually presents with irritability and feelings of anger. Lashing out is a common symptom.<br /><br /><strong>Post-Call Delirium: </strong>Lack of sleep coupled with an overworked mind lead to a delirious state. Someone once told me that being post-call is equivalent to having drank two pints of lager. Some people burst into spontaneous fits of giggles at inappropriate times while others say and do the most outlandish things. Everyone looks like absolute crap post-call. In extreme conditions when associated with a busy day, lack of food and a developing headache, it can actually escalate into a full blown migraine or a hypoglycemic attack.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-33694157444451324462007-03-18T20:31:00.000+03:002008-12-13T08:37:33.153+03:00?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1g5bx5Epum7g7DQ4oBtQ5apZspa40BbfDC8mHGH5DcL-UiX7C6Bo0bjK9I6B_v85jz8UbhRqvfYw9nc265d5BaPJh4Qgz03DpfPyX94otXEghDEoZ7qvzRuoyi_xIIZAaZ4D/s1600-h/Image054.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5043210036099965650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ1g5bx5Epum7g7DQ4oBtQ5apZspa40BbfDC8mHGH5DcL-UiX7C6Bo0bjK9I6B_v85jz8UbhRqvfYw9nc265d5BaPJh4Qgz03DpfPyX94otXEghDEoZ7qvzRuoyi_xIIZAaZ4D/s320/Image054.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-1559936370835440312007-03-08T04:33:00.000+03:002007-03-07T20:35:20.707+03:00My Super Sweet BullshitSorry folks, but this is going to be one angry post about nothing.<br /><br />Channel surfing today, stumbled across MTV.. I never watch MTV anymore and I realized why. Anybody seen that show "My Super Sweet 16"? Well, if you haven't, its basically a 20 minute thing following a girl who's turning 16 and documenting the build up to the lavish party celebrating this oh-so-important milestone. I've ranted in private about this show before and I've made my distaste for it quite obvious to those around me, but today I decided to go public with it. Why? Well, it just happened to be an episode where the girl was that bit extra spoilt and it completely got on my nerves.<br /><br />It cost her mother <strong>$180,000</strong> to throw the party, inclusive of a brand new Audi. I'm pretty sure this wasn't the most expensive party ever portrayed on this piece of trash masquerading around as entertainment. I don't know who watches this shit, but it certainly embodies everything that is wrong with American society in particular, and the human race in general. I'm not sure if its put out there for people to ridicule, or to provide insight into the lives of those who just don't deserve what they have.. but if its being aired for people to actually enjoy and wish it were their life then that's pretty fucking disgusting.<br /><br />The kids on this show come across as the most shallow and ignorant people you could ever meet. I know montage can be a powerful tool for producers to portray their subject in a negative/positive light, but I can't help but believe that the people involved have some measure of control over how their image is broadcast. The concept of taking a rich little 15 year old and giving them license to spend that kind of money on a birthday party WITH THE CONSENT AND COOPERATION of their parents is absolutely appalling. The tantrums, the lack of respect for anyone around them (including the parents), the complete disregard for the worth of money and the abhorring lavishness of the whole thing.. is this actually being encouraged? Have we reached a stage where actions such as these are laudable, even enviable? The party itself is disgraceful, with kids dressed and acting like adults twice their age, which really begs the question.. where are their parents? There're spoilt bratty kids all around the world, but it seems to be a competition for who can be the most shocking at this point.<br /><br />Its an inescapable fact of life that there will always be a minority of rich people who will control things and shit on the heads of the lesser endowed majority. For us to portray the ugly face of decadence on a show that kids watch with such intrigue is completely irresponsible. I know most adults would turn their eyes away and would get that what is being shown is ludicrous. What concerns me is that there are 15 year old girls out there who now expect that this kind of behaviour is the norm, and you just HAVE to make a spectacular entrance in to your $100,000 party or else you're just going to look the fool. MTV, you should understand that you do (unfortunately) set the bar for all things cool when it comes to your teenage audience, and portraying this kind of crap in anything but a negative light is infuriatingly counterproductive in the molding of an impressionable young adult into one who is a responsible, useful part of society.<br /><br />For a light-hearted take on the same show, see South Park season 10, episode 11 entitled "Hell on Earth 2006", in which Satan plays the part of one of those terrible 15 year old brats and eventually gets what he deserves.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-33845305512712065552007-02-10T23:24:00.000+03:002007-02-10T15:24:38.608+03:00The Human ConditionI was standing around at the general post office in dublin, waiting to get a postal order for my visa renewal application, when I overheard a conversation.<br /><br />Person 1: A young-ish man, in his late 20s to mid 30s. Tall, well built and with multiple old scars on different areas of his face. His eyes look dull, a bit like he's seen more shit than a person should see in one lifetime (outside of major warfare). Kind of like the eyes of all the impoverished young adults living in Dublin's slums. Life heading towards one of three directions: prison, alcoholism or a violent death at a young age.<br /><br />Person 2: A middle-aged woman of around mid 40s to early 50s. She stinks of stale smoke. Its the kind of smell you get in your clothes and your hair when you've been smoking heavily for around 20 years and are constantly surrounded by those who are just like you. Her voice is gravely, her laugh is akin to a cackle. Vocal chords have taken a severe pounding at this point. I hope she's not into karaoke.<br /><br />P1: *inaudible mumbling*.. fuck's sake!<br />P2: *cackle, cackle*<br /><br />P1: Why are all the people coming at this time, it makes it so much busier! *looking around menacingly at senior citizens in queue*<br />P2: *nervous cackle*<br /><br />P2: You know, you should get your lotto tickets today. The jackpot is around 110 million euros.<br />P1: *inaudible mumbling*.. here, hold my welfare certs for a minute, will you?<br />P2: *cackle cackle*<br /><br />P2: What would you do with 110 million?<br />P1: I'd lose it all in 2 days.<br />P2. *cackle* and how would you that? Its hard to drink that much in 2 days.<br />P1: *serious look* Las Vegas.<br />P2: *nodding in agreement, thinking of next cigarette*<br /><br />I really hope he doesn't win the lotto.Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7003227.post-24772077447853287372007-01-14T13:14:00.000+03:002008-12-13T08:37:33.638+03:00ContrastDriving up the coast to work these days means that I cover around 50 kilometers every morning. In-car entertainment is extremely valuable, and so I've ended up with over a dozen CDs filled with the most eclectic, incongrous collection of songs imaginable. Totally disjointed. I've been told that there is an art to making CDs, and that I've yet to discover it. Apparentely I just end up perusing through my itunes library and shifting whatever song tickles my fancy into my "to burn" list. Unfortunately, random tastes are based on fickle-ness. What had tickled me the day past might grind on my nerves the next morning, and so the CD is chucked into the armrest storage facility along with the rest of the experiments gone bad, and so on and so forth.<br /><br />So my Renault doesn't have a speeding indicator. You know that noisy beeping (or single, gentle beep.. whichever the make of your car) that reminds you that your right shoe has suddenly become full of lead? Well, my car doesn't have it. Now, I'm not sure if its a manufacturing fault, an issue that needs servicing, or just some sort of reflection on the laissez-faire attitude that the frogs apparently have towards excessive land speeds. When it comes to not wearing my seatbelt, the damn thing won't shut up. It does its job well, however, since I never forget to wear my seatbelt just to make sure the associated warning ding doesn't cause me to drive into a wall out of utter exasperation.<br /><br />The new hospital is a bit ghetto, but hey.. that's life. This job involves a lot of moving around, working in different places. I suppose over the next few years here I'm going to have to get used to certain things. On the upside, its much smaller than my last place of employment, and so people are friendlier and the staff are much more familiar with each other. Quaint.<br /><br />Here's a picture of where I usually am for around 70 hours a week (its not THAT bad, I just took a picture of the abandoned basement corridor for effect.. this hospital is still very safe to report to if you're ill), and a picture of where I'd ideally like to be for 70 hours a week. It was a beautiful day, and my beautiful companion decided to take a beautiful shot of me dragging my club set as I set off after that beautiful drive I had just bombed down the beautiful fairway. That is, before she had to retreat back to the car because the wet course had completely soaked her cute little shoes that were made of some kind of cloth. Hmm. Her feet apparently froze, and I ended up with a pair of socklets in my car that were hung out to dry. I discovered them three weeks later. Very amusing.<br /><br /><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOAYPZAPiEry8UXDRoBtu3CzS-2DtNdKS0WMOXxFSha0QsbGpjkLDf-JI2HAYWbRRDB4UC1XDFZofzOS1Cqfb9BpZB_ROtmffHxaO8peitT02mK2CVKSvBAI4NRdjPK-uODzJ/s1600-h/Image046.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5019703297030983714" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJOAYPZAPiEry8UXDRoBtu3CzS-2DtNdKS0WMOXxFSha0QsbGpjkLDf-JI2HAYWbRRDB4UC1XDFZofzOS1Cqfb9BpZB_ROtmffHxaO8peitT02mK2CVKSvBAI4NRdjPK-uODzJ/s320/Image046.jpg" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVnGESx6dba5daijBZx9vWMjDEKgaVNF9wK2poeTaURedL3uWswyNCtiYNOmbvigfTiZb2bRvuRQ_3wH3SIqoichbgzUeKXy8ZmyQ1HY57IMt2KElsw_EKe_2-adO2Z0BZTBf/s1600-h/Image041.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5019703434469937202" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilVnGESx6dba5daijBZx9vWMjDEKgaVNF9wK2poeTaURedL3uWswyNCtiYNOmbvigfTiZb2bRvuRQ_3wH3SIqoichbgzUeKXy8ZmyQ1HY57IMt2KElsw_EKe_2-adO2Z0BZTBf/s320/Image041.jpg" border="0" /></a>Mohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042057356029563331noreply@blogger.com4