To those of you who read my blog (and am wondering where I've been for the past year :P), there's been a couple of things that have happened to me of late.
1. I am officially a patient (applicable to the medical healthcare system), which feels pretty strange (given that I'm usually on the providing end of the system); I'm still putting it down to bad genes but I figured that my lifestyle hasn't aided me either. (btw, being diagnosed with hypertension at 28 is pretty daunting for me) Anyways, I've come to accept that I shall be doomed to a life of taste-less food and popping medications. Nah, it's not that bad, I just have to do what healthy people are meant to do, ie exercise and eat well. It also gives me the experience being on the receiving end of the healthcare system (eg. waiting on GPs, regular blood tests)
2. Christine and I are planning a trip to the States next month. It's gonna be a honeymoon-shopping-visiting relatives trip, and I'm really looking forward to this. We've so far included Grand Canyon, Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas, SF in the itinerary. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is the cost of the trip (as the shameless person that I am, I'm still trying my hardest to coax my parents to 'sponsor' us partly for the trip :) On a different note, I shall post something about the trip to the US embassy (for visa application) abit later on.
3. Olympics is here!!! (I don't know what that's gotta do with anything, but hey I'm excited) The opening ceremony was just fantastic, with the sheer number of participants for the event just unimaginable. But as with any Olympics games, there's lots of controversy clouding it (drug cheats, ticket scams, protests, terror attacks) I certainly hope that amidst all this everyone could focus on the spirit of the games and the showcasing of various performances by the athletes.
Food....Wine...Blooogin....
I'm easygoing ... knows how to enjoy friendship ... smart ... goodlooking ... WAIT A MINUTE ... IS THIS AN AD? WHAT A LOAD OF BULL ... haha
(More ...)
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Dinner @ Gold Leaf
To compensate for a lame dinner (all alone by myself) on my actual bday, Lum (housemate) and I decided to plan a get together mainly to tempt our tastebuds on food we haven't had the chance to try yet.
So, the week prior (Lum, his workmates and I were at Gold leaf; our regular 'hang-out' spot) we asked for them to ship in a king crab for the get-together. Apart from the obvious cost implications, it is only really appropriate where there involves more than the usual crowd (2-4 ppl) to tackle this dish.
Weighing in at 10.5 lbs, with its formidable claws and toned 'armour/shell', it looked like a good treat; the restaurant 'captain' recommended it to be served with noodles (with garlic and ginger sauce) , with the crab roe used in hot and spicy soup. Apart from the relatively more significant amounts of crabmeat, I don't think it really justified the cost (would have preferred snow crab instead) It was abit of a disappointment but an experience nonetheless.
Food aside (other dishes include steamed barramundi, oysters, sauteed pigeon with mushrooms, pork ribs in 'wierd' sauce (literal cantonese translation), it was a great time to catch up with my friends, whom I've known from different phases of my life: from uni, dundee, working here at Northern hospital . The consensus was 'stick to mud-crab or snow crab next time'; which is really sound advice, seeing that the King Crab didn't do its charm on our palates. (and part of the claw was not partially raw, which Cicily had the unfortunate pleasure to find out; sorry) The wines that accompanied the dishes were pretty good though, so it wasn't all bad. (Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc and Crawford River Riesling)
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Birthdays
It's officially the twenty-seventh year of existence on this earth for me. That essentially means in accordance to average life expentancy, under fifty years to go (that's an optimistic outlook, I think)
I'm not intending on getting a cake, but strangely enough my parents have plans to buy a cake and then enjoy it themselves on my behalf (they've done it last year, and seemed to have enjoyed it, hence a repeat of this, hehe) But the sincerity of their intentions is what counts, and I'm really really blessed to have been brought up by my parents who have always been supportive.
As I'm still stuck in Shepparton until the end of the week, I've planned to meet up with some of my friends over the weekend for abit of a feast. (Emperor crab is on the menu; ie. a monstrous 4-5 kg crab, served in several styles of cooking; haven't personally had it before, so gonna give it a go)
Alot has happened for me over the past year; I have been very fortunate to have Tine in my life again; she has been always been there for me, supporting my decisions and journeying with me. There is lots more happening in the upcoming year; with the wedding and the start of a life with my soulmate (for real, hehe), change of accommodation, exams (gah!), and many surprises along the way I'm sure.
I'm very grateful to both my parents and the Big Daddy upstairs who's 'got my back' all through this life journey thus far...and also for my friends and associates along the way who've directly or indirectly shaped my life experience and my outlook on life.
I'm not intending on getting a cake, but strangely enough my parents have plans to buy a cake and then enjoy it themselves on my behalf (they've done it last year, and seemed to have enjoyed it, hence a repeat of this, hehe) But the sincerity of their intentions is what counts, and I'm really really blessed to have been brought up by my parents who have always been supportive.
As I'm still stuck in Shepparton until the end of the week, I've planned to meet up with some of my friends over the weekend for abit of a feast. (Emperor crab is on the menu; ie. a monstrous 4-5 kg crab, served in several styles of cooking; haven't personally had it before, so gonna give it a go)
Alot has happened for me over the past year; I have been very fortunate to have Tine in my life again; she has been always been there for me, supporting my decisions and journeying with me. There is lots more happening in the upcoming year; with the wedding and the start of a life with my soulmate (for real, hehe), change of accommodation, exams (gah!), and many surprises along the way I'm sure.
I'm very grateful to both my parents and the Big Daddy upstairs who's 'got my back' all through this life journey thus far...and also for my friends and associates along the way who've directly or indirectly shaped my life experience and my outlook on life.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Great moments with my baby...
How time flies when you're having great fun; in my case, great moments etched into my memory for the rest of my natural life.
Christine came over to visit me this winter (for two weeks; she left for malaysia 10/6); and it was just a fantastic time for the both of us. I had to do abit of planning beforehand which is always exciting for me, but what mattered most to me was the personal time spent together. It was, as usual, a hectic schedule, given the situation that i still had to work several days in the two weeks Christine was there. This was not just in terms of travelling, but also because we had decided to go for pre-marital counselling, and that had to be factored into the schedule what with the few days we had in Melbourne.
Attached are some pictures we took during the trip (with friends aparna, cicily and lum at Gold leaf restaurant; aboard the paddlesteamer Emmylou with Christine at Echuca, with Christine at Japanese Garden in Brisbane Botanical Garden, Coot-tha). I'll post some highlights of the trip in the next few weeks. Stay tuned.
goin to the country...
I'll have to admit, I see myself as a 'town' boy, too accustomed to the urban lifestyle; to the extent that if I don't get to use my computer for 24 hours, I reckon I might suffer terrible withdrawal reactions. So doing this current placement for 3 months (beginning May) has been abit shaky for me to say the least.
Firstly, the travel; if there was a nice windy and scenic route to Shepparton, I wouldn't be complaining. The trouble is it's so uninteresting and uninspiring to have to haul my behind up early on a Monday morning (before 6am, when all is dark) and drive up a freeway on cruise control almost all of 180km to get there. And then comes the return trip on Thursday (shortly to be changed to Friday, even WORSE). Though it's a shorter trip (distance-wise) as I start from Seymour (about 100 km to get to Melbourne), the time taken is almost equivalent because of the traffic once I get into Melbourne. And I'll have to tip my hat off to those truckers who drive inter-state for a living; no wonder they need amphetamines to keep their drive interesting (more so than to drive whilst awake in my view :P)
Then comes the part of the accommodation; I have no qualms about the house that the hospital has provided (quite basic, but does the job), but when you talk about WINTER months, you'd expect some form of heating to stave off frostbites etc. (ok, abit of exaggeration) Let me paint you a picture, it is a 3 bedroom house, with NO central heating, only gas heating (from a standalone wall unit in the living room) Now if I was an Alaskan or Canadian (no insults intended) I would be pretty comfortable with that type of heating. So could you imagine when I have to sleep in the bedroom (with only a portable heater that I have to haul up there from Melbourne) ice-cold every night, half of the week? I have resorted to putting the mattress in the living area, just so that I wouldn't suffer hypothermia every night :P
And the other obvious sticking point: NO broadband or any form of internet access; that's really such a bummer. I don't get to see my baby online; and have to resort to good old phone call, which makes me sound like a zombie on the phone (that's what she says :P) I can't correspond as much; can't download and leech files (that's my part-time job)
Don't get me wrong, I like the team that I've been working with; both in-patient and out-patient settings. They adopt a slightly different model of practice from urban mental health practice; it is an integrative team, whereby the patients are followed through admission to case management, so there's more continuity of care and consistency for the patient to develop a better therapeutic relationship with their case managers. They also do alot more of primary mental health liaisons, dealing with depression and anxiety disorders quite frequently, giving some supports to the GP and psychologists. The staff are very experienced, and are very sensible in asking for advise or reviews where they have some uncertainties particularly with regards to medications.
I still have about a month to go with this attachment; in terms of the experience working with the team it's been great; obviously it would be more pleasant if the above problems of travel and logistics were just addressed abit better. I wouldn't really recommend Shepparton as a place to stay long-term; there really isn't much there to do, apart from fruit picking around regional parts of it. Though one of the restaurants that I tried when Christine was here was an excellent Italian restaurant - if you get the chance, go to cellar 47, which is on high street of Shepparton itself.
Above pics are taken in the accommodation when Christine came over early June (the twelve string guitar to take away the blues :P; used to also play for Christine during her birthday during this trip)
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Home of Haggis
Well, since Tine has tagged me, I guess I should respond (for the first time, hehe :P)
If I didn't get it wrong, the question was where do you want to go next?
For me, though I've been there before, Scotland actually holds alot of significance in my life; I was born there (in Glasgow), did my undergraduate and intern years there, and met my soul mate there.
To me, nothing beats the scenery that Scotland offers; from the vast ranges to Loch Ness; the four seasons offer contrasting yet breath-taking views all year round.
The places that I wish to visit in Scotland would be the Orkney island, Dundee (where I studied), Isle of Skye and Glasgow (my birthplace)
Not to forget that Scotland was the birthplace of golf (St Andrews); and who can resist the Haggis? an assortment of sheep innards....YUM :P
Original post:
Proposition: Where do you want to go next (OUTSIDE OF YOUR COUNTRY) for tourism, work , study, whatever…
Requirements: Find some info about the place, itinerary, etc ... pics if possible so you get MORE Traffic coming in, and maybe some people can find somewhere to go to. Excludes your NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOURS, ie. Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, a country that borders yours. You must register for MyBloglog so we can blogwalk ah ... get it?
Quantity: FIVE PEOPLE.
Tag Mode: Chain Link. 15 of them.
You leave 15 people and their DEEP LINK of their Blog Name and TAGGED POST and hit out for five more. So it will look like this ...
Azrin going Down Under
MaRLinda in Disneyland Paris
Athira Baby and her Balamory Antics
Msau to Japan
Doris to the Carribean Islands
Paris and Bella Italia!
Tine in Viva La France
Monday, March 12, 2007
Patients and patience
Managing patients in the forensic system is pretty interesting. There are some who have been assessed in the corrections system to be mentally unwell (and may have been responsible for actions leading to the incarceration), or some who are in the system for diagnostic clarifications or more assertive management.
It can be frustrating to try and establish some form of rapport with patients who almost always feel that the system is trying to suppress or do injustice to them. Why should I be treated? I'm not mentally unwell...that familiar saying seems to start some of the conversations off. For me, the key is in reassuring them that you're advocating for their interest, and that generally helps a long way. And we are actually doing so, though sometimes we take away their autonomy to decision-making and consent, but generally this is done to assist and help them through recovering from an acute episode of mental unwellness.
Currently there is a young Sudanese gentleman who is in remand for upcoming charges of murder; he stabbed a GP to death in response to a conviction/delusion that the Australian healthcare system has failed to treat him for his physical health. He was diagnosed with Hepatitis C shortly after arriving from Egypt; and now has a complex delusional system about how the various specialists have refrained treatment from him due to certain prejudices/ discrimination. He still is very suspicious about the medical treating team, believing that previous investigation results were fabricated to make it seem like he did not require treatment for his Hepatitis. These ideas preoccupy him everyday, causing him sleep deprivation, high levels of anxiety, also believing that his liver is completely destroyed/damaged due to the delay in his treatment. Though he is on treatment to try to relieve his distress/preoccupation of these physical complaints (which we are also liaising with hepatologist and haematologist), it is just a long process of reassuring him that his current physical health is our priority too, but that he will not die from no treatment in the immediate sense. I feel that he's getting depressed from this perceived injustice and his stay in the hospital, the stigma of mental illness probably doesn't help his current state of mind. I'm trying to regularly see him to address his concerns, with an interpreter, in hope that he is able to perceive that we are truly trying to help him address both his anxiety as well as his physical health.
It can be frustrating to try and establish some form of rapport with patients who almost always feel that the system is trying to suppress or do injustice to them. Why should I be treated? I'm not mentally unwell...that familiar saying seems to start some of the conversations off. For me, the key is in reassuring them that you're advocating for their interest, and that generally helps a long way. And we are actually doing so, though sometimes we take away their autonomy to decision-making and consent, but generally this is done to assist and help them through recovering from an acute episode of mental unwellness.
Currently there is a young Sudanese gentleman who is in remand for upcoming charges of murder; he stabbed a GP to death in response to a conviction/delusion that the Australian healthcare system has failed to treat him for his physical health. He was diagnosed with Hepatitis C shortly after arriving from Egypt; and now has a complex delusional system about how the various specialists have refrained treatment from him due to certain prejudices/ discrimination. He still is very suspicious about the medical treating team, believing that previous investigation results were fabricated to make it seem like he did not require treatment for his Hepatitis. These ideas preoccupy him everyday, causing him sleep deprivation, high levels of anxiety, also believing that his liver is completely destroyed/damaged due to the delay in his treatment. Though he is on treatment to try to relieve his distress/preoccupation of these physical complaints (which we are also liaising with hepatologist and haematologist), it is just a long process of reassuring him that his current physical health is our priority too, but that he will not die from no treatment in the immediate sense. I feel that he's getting depressed from this perceived injustice and his stay in the hospital, the stigma of mental illness probably doesn't help his current state of mind. I'm trying to regularly see him to address his concerns, with an interpreter, in hope that he is able to perceive that we are truly trying to help him address both his anxiety as well as his physical health.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Forensic Stint
After a loooong absence of bloggin, I think I deserve to give my hands abit of a work-out.
I'm not saying I don't enjoy bloggin, it's just that I've had a fair bit of things happening lately; with the change in workplace, change in marital status (soon), and also change in attitude towards examinations (this will be transient, trust me)
Well, I've started my stint in forensic psychiatry since the past 3 weeks (went back to M'sia in the middle of those weeks), which has been very interesting. First thing that's different from mainstream psychiatry: you take a much longer time to get into the wards; this is because it is a maximum security facility, so only after you have your iris scanned, your possessions scanned (as in airport security), will you be allowed into or out of the building. Now, this poses a challenge for emergencies; especially medical emergencies, so I guess we'd just have to rely more on the ground staff who are available for that. The second thing is the pace of patient flow. I've only had ONE admission and ONE discharge for the three weeks; and this is in an ACUTE patient setting. If I was still in Dandenong Hospital (acute inpatient ward), I'd have already had at least 15 discharges. Obviously not the ideal (where you only keep patients for about 10 days on average), in the forensic system you will get to know your patients inside-out. And I think I'm starting to get the hang of it, and am enjoying it. The other thing to be mindful of is how controlled the environment is; any slight hint of patients escalating in aggression, they'd be talked down, and if need be, secluded. So I do feel pretty safe here. (most times) And best of all, I get my own office (yay) for the first time since I started my training programme. And I could spend some time bloggin (not emailing, cos they don't allow access to gmail or hotmail etc, darn), and reading the news/current affairs. I'll talk abit about my patients (obviously will de-identify them) , which are a very interesting bunch.
With regards to issue re: marriage, I proposed to Christine in Feb (whilst back for CNY), and I did get a YES. A fair bit of time is now being spent on making arrangements for the actual ceremony, but a lot more thoughts put into the immediate future when Christine does come over to Australia. And, not to forget the financial considerations of the reception; which I'm sure will be pretty significant, but I'm happy to pamper my baby if that's what she'd like. During the trip back (10 days), I proposed, met her family, met her dads' extended family, caught up with my relatives (mostly my dad's side) and friends. So yes, I'm still recovering from the jam-packed schedule from the trip. Let's just say it was a very purposeful trip; enjoying every moment of it, particular the precious time spent with Christine.
Exams? Well, I think it's gonna be a very short phase, but I'm started to fire up for the exams. At present, I'm still trying to rationalise when I should sit for it (this or next year). Regardless, I'm gonna have to start preparing for it, so that if I decide to sit for it end of this year, I'd at least have the courage to face it then. So, I'll keep you guys posted about what happens.
I think I'll stop for now. Will talk in more detail about all the above mentioned later. Cheers.
I'm not saying I don't enjoy bloggin, it's just that I've had a fair bit of things happening lately; with the change in workplace, change in marital status (soon), and also change in attitude towards examinations (this will be transient, trust me)
Well, I've started my stint in forensic psychiatry since the past 3 weeks (went back to M'sia in the middle of those weeks), which has been very interesting. First thing that's different from mainstream psychiatry: you take a much longer time to get into the wards; this is because it is a maximum security facility, so only after you have your iris scanned, your possessions scanned (as in airport security), will you be allowed into or out of the building. Now, this poses a challenge for emergencies; especially medical emergencies, so I guess we'd just have to rely more on the ground staff who are available for that. The second thing is the pace of patient flow. I've only had ONE admission and ONE discharge for the three weeks; and this is in an ACUTE patient setting. If I was still in Dandenong Hospital (acute inpatient ward), I'd have already had at least 15 discharges. Obviously not the ideal (where you only keep patients for about 10 days on average), in the forensic system you will get to know your patients inside-out. And I think I'm starting to get the hang of it, and am enjoying it. The other thing to be mindful of is how controlled the environment is; any slight hint of patients escalating in aggression, they'd be talked down, and if need be, secluded. So I do feel pretty safe here. (most times) And best of all, I get my own office (yay) for the first time since I started my training programme. And I could spend some time bloggin (not emailing, cos they don't allow access to gmail or hotmail etc, darn), and reading the news/current affairs. I'll talk abit about my patients (obviously will de-identify them) , which are a very interesting bunch.
With regards to issue re: marriage, I proposed to Christine in Feb (whilst back for CNY), and I did get a YES. A fair bit of time is now being spent on making arrangements for the actual ceremony, but a lot more thoughts put into the immediate future when Christine does come over to Australia. And, not to forget the financial considerations of the reception; which I'm sure will be pretty significant, but I'm happy to pamper my baby if that's what she'd like. During the trip back (10 days), I proposed, met her family, met her dads' extended family, caught up with my relatives (mostly my dad's side) and friends. So yes, I'm still recovering from the jam-packed schedule from the trip. Let's just say it was a very purposeful trip; enjoying every moment of it, particular the precious time spent with Christine.
Exams? Well, I think it's gonna be a very short phase, but I'm started to fire up for the exams. At present, I'm still trying to rationalise when I should sit for it (this or next year). Regardless, I'm gonna have to start preparing for it, so that if I decide to sit for it end of this year, I'd at least have the courage to face it then. So, I'll keep you guys posted about what happens.
I think I'll stop for now. Will talk in more detail about all the above mentioned later. Cheers.