Milestones

It's been 1 year since my last blog entry... the blogging craze finally died down and nobody reads each other's blog anymore. My friends, too, have either deleted their blogs completely or stopped updating them.

So many things have happened in my life recently that I felt a sudden urge to pen this down, so that maybe one day when I flip on this page, I can relive these fond memories once again.

Final Mmed

The preparation for this exam started in mid october 2010 with the formation of our powerful study group. Powerful because it consisted of the most amazing combination of ppl... the brains, the cao-muggers, administrator (a.k.a. photocopy ah soh + secretary of the grp), grumpies, mr nice guy, etc. We slogged through study group sessions which sometimes last hours and hours, burning our weekends away for 5 months. Everyone researched, read and prepared notes for each other at the initial stages. Subsequently we split up mcq's and spent hours going through each question, coming up with a set of model answers for it. Finally, we practised essay writing in "exam style" and got various tutors to help us mark.

The final 3-week stretch was the most memorable with yy and me cooping up in ktph/ttsh/yy's house. yy's indeed my best study partner!! Couldn't have done both Part 1 and Part 2 without her. I'm in charge of bringing a system into our studying schedule so that we cover all grounds and yy taught me with her spontaneity and great viva skills. It's been exceptionally trying but we struggled through and made it together!

Having passed final mmed is a huge relief for me. Up till the final moment of opening the result letter, I had so many doubts about whether I'm good enough to clear this very difficult exam. The major worry about not passing the exam is having to sacrifice another 6 months of my life attempting this a 2nd time. It's really no joke... if i fail, it also meant that those sacrifices i've made for those 5 months were wasted.

Throughout the preparation, I kept telling myself "what's the worst that can happen? Fail the exam and retake it la!" but deep down, I know that "I cannot fail this... I dun want to waste my time now and I dun want to go through all these torture again!" perhaps it was the deeper thought that truely spurred me on to give my best. The best shot at it and thankfully that's it!

Exams is ultimately a luck thing... Sure! we studied very very hard to pass it. But u can't deny that those who failed definitely studied hard too! In the end, it's luck when it comes to spotting the right essay questions, getting the right viva date, examiners, questions or even exam partners. I must say my exam luck has always been great since young, so thank god for that!

Buying our house

Besides struggling through exams, dear and i also made a major decision of our lives. We bought our lovely house at The Canopy! How did that happen? It suddenly dawned on me one day when I was studying for exams that if I pass my exams, I may turn reg in 6 months' time. With the pay rise, we actually may not be eligible for HDB flats anymore!

Haha! yesh... so the practical me brought up the topic to dear and sent a spiral of hdb website checking and house hunting! After much discussion, we initially decided to apply for adora green. So when it was launched, we went down to the showflat and applied for adora green, despite feeling that the layout and design wasn't very ideal.

After checking out the adora green showflat, we dropped by The Canopy and voila! we were amazed at the showflat! In comparison, The Canopy were so much better in terms of design and liveability! Dear especially loved the yard which can be used for laundry! The best thing about the whole thing was that we agreed on it really fast - in just 1 week! Dear had the benefit of going through other EC's showflats for comparison and related all that to me in 1 night. We then decided that with our finances, we should be able to afford a 3-bedroom in The Canopy! Within 1 week, we went to pay our option fee to book our unit on 5 march!

It was a life-changing moment for me. Now dear and I have a home to call our own, which will be ready in 2 years' time. It makes me feel secure and blissful... makes me sure of one more thing in my life. In 2 years' time, I will have a home with someone I love, someone I can trust and lean on, someone to take care of, someone who is going to be my husband (though he hasn't proposed officially... ;P).

Now u understand why I felt the need to blog this. 2 major things happened which are gonna dictate how my life's gonna be like for the next few yrs... i'm gonna move on in my specialist training, get married and set up a home... how much more can i ask for? life is certainly treating me well at this point in time!

Changed... for the better?

My recent dinner gathering with my galfrens enlightened me to something. Somehow in their eyes, I've transformed into a different person. Good thing is both of them said the change was for the better.

Well... according to them, I wasn't very "human" and seemed void of emotions in the past but now i display my emotions and thoughts more freely. They also could tell I was a lot happier as compared to last time!

Hmm.. what abt myself? Did I feel this change too?

Yup.. I definitely felt myself becoming different and their acknowledgement of the fact just made it even more obvious to myself.

The turning point most probably came when huiliang entered into my life.

Of course I have emotions! I just didn't have a knack of displaying them that frequently.. or rather, had no real opportunities that required them to be displayed. My idea was that emotions can totally destroy rational thought and lead me to do foolish things that will cause regret. So whenever something happens, whether good or bad, I feel a certain emotion for at the most 5 min, then shove it aside and let my mind take over.

In the professional world, it's even more so. I need to remain calm, collected, focused on the work at hand. Nevermind my personal depression, fatigue, PMS even... my work is a matter of life-and-death sometimes, so I need to throw away those emotional rubbish! I'll always remember after my very first failed resuscitation, I sat on the toilet bowl, cried for 10 min, wiped away my tears and then went to do discharge summaries as though nothing happened. No choice... I had to be strong.

At home, I'm the big sister, always ready to give advice to my younger siblings.. the eldest daughter who is always obedient and sensible. No chance for emotional tantrums!

Over the past 1 yr n few months, Huiliang's been making my emotions go hay-wire and my rational mind hide away. There's no longer a need for reasoning cos since when does love need any reason? He's become an outlet for me to display my emotions cos I do not need to hide them from him! I know he embraces my pleasant emotions and yet tolerates my bad emotions. Through him, I gain more practice and slowly become less afraid to show others my emotions too. That's why my frens feel it too!

Tolerance is another thing I've learnt from being in a relationship. I used to HATE it when plans deviate from the original decision.. when ppl turn up late for appointments.. why things have to be this way and not that way. Control-freak.. that's what I am. I could never understand why ppl can't be responsible and keep to schedule. Over the years, I've learnt that circumstances beyond our control occur and there's no point dwelling over it or tearing my hair out. Just be more adaptive and life will be less antagonistic. Maybe it's not that control is no longer important to me... it still is in certain areas of my life like work. It's just that in a relationship, the control is no longer so important after all.. definitely not as important as my boyfren's well-being and happiness for example. I'm not perfect at it yet but i'll continue to learn...

Me happier? ha! that's a given! Even after so long, I still beam when I think about the happy times we spent together. My heart flutters when he says or does something sweet. I'm definitely still living in a bubble of bliss. Is the bubble supposed to last this long?? Hmm.. I wonder if this is normal or am I just behaving like a besotted bimbo? (haha... just like nodame... whenever she's around chiaki in Nodame Cantabile)

So is this for the better or for worse? I've realized long ago that I want more things with my life than just career. The old gerri may go far in her career... spearheaded by her confidence, coolheadedness and rational mind. However, the new gerri will get to enjoy the vibrance of life and love from the ppl around her.

Dear! thanks for bringing such a change in me!

Doctors are from Jupiter and Patients are from Pluto?

The recent fury in ST forum about a certain GP who refused to do a home visit for a patient sparked this entry.

Before I applied for medical school, I knew this job would be a tough one. It would require a lot of academic hardwork, long working hours, devotion, sacrifice, etc. My cousin who was then in his HOship or early MOship questioned me a couple of times and tried to deter me from joining the profession. Obviously, I turned a deaf ear to his advice and here I am trying to fill up this large shoe which i chose for myself.

I think the notion of "being a doctor" seems to have evolved over the years. In the past, the doctor was held in high esteem. The people considered him a saviour, a saint who has the "powers from God" to heal and save lives. They listened to whatever he had to say and bow in reverance as they waited for his healing hands to fall upon their sick bodies.

Sure... it was a large shoe to fill then already. The doctors in the past studied and worked very hard too but AT LEAST they had the support and trust of the people they treated. This gave them utmost satisfaction and self-fulfillment. They felt that they'd made a difference to this world and this made them feel noble. This spurred them on to continue to serve the people and create a better world for everyone else. It does not matter if they have to sacrifice their lunch or other aspects of their life because smiles and thanks from these trusting people were enough to circumvent everything.

Today, the same academic and professional challenge exists - even more so now that technology is changing at an exponential rate. Population boomed before the medical school intake increased in time, so doctors still work crazy hours and sacrificed social and family life in the process.

However, it is becoming more and more difficult to please the people. They've become a group of demanding and distrusting individuals. They throw angry words in the consultation room or wards and complaint letters to the press at the slightest excuse available.

A proportion of doctors becomes very disillusioned due to this. They feel that healthcare is being treated as a service industry with their professionalism being questioned all the time. Their behaviour or misbehaviour is broadcasted and judged by all the displeased people in the world. They stopped feeling the satisfaction which their predecessors got from their rapport with patients. Their initial noble and altruistic view of the profession slowly gets drained with every patient contact and experience. They sniggered when the displeased people demand that they should give their all to their profession cos in their minds they think, "WHY SHOULD THEY when the people are so undeserving?"

This is indeed a perplexed and perpetuating problem that is spiralling out of control recently. Eventually, it's a simple relationship problem, isn't it? As with any relationship, it takes 2 hands to clap. It takes 2 to work hard to maintain the rapport and good relationship. It is never just one party's fault when the relationship fails.

The patient (or relatives) needs to learn to trust and not play the blame game when things go wrong. On the other hand, the doctor also needs to keep a check on his own professionalism by updating his knowledge and skills constantly so as to gain the people's trust. If one party is nice and sweet to another, the other party will reciprocate. If the patient is not angry and swearing away, the doctor will be in a better mood and mental frame to assess and treat him, instead of having to spend tremendous energy in trying to appease him. If the doctor is patient and communicates well, the patient will love the doctor and the last thing he will do is complain against him.

In any relationship, managing expectations is important too. If you expect a lot, you have a higher chance of becoming disgruntled and unhappy. This group of displeased people wants the doctor to know a lot, do a lot, serve a lot cos they place a lot of expectations on this so-called "noble calling". The doctor tries his best but can still easily fall short of these high expectations.

Lastly, overgeneralization worsens the problem. The group of displeased people is not everyone. There are still patients who give their utmost trust, appreciate good care and express their thanks readily. There are also a group of doctors who still hang on to the initial faith and calling and still do their best in their career no matter what obstacles might come. Some doctors also rely on the occasional good rapport and relationship with good patients to spur them on as well as to soften the blow from the displeased group.

All is not lost yet but it's hard to say whether someday it maybe totally lost.

A Tribute to PLK

This weekend at the Singapore River Regatta 2009, I walk with a sense of pride wearing my red and white PLK paddlers jersey. I had the great honour to be my team's drummer on the 2 most important days of the dragonboat calendar.

It was indeed a well-spent weekend... one which I won't trade for anything in the world. This weekend, I saw how immense passion and zest for a sport brings a team to greater heights. The wonderful thing about PLK is that amidst the intense competition and tension during a race, we never forget to enjoy ourselves. The camaraderie and friendships is always a valuable key feature in our team. Encouragement and support for each other strengthens our team spirit. I go to a race knowing that my fellow teammate will perform his utmost best and hence I should do my best too! There is no second-guessing or doubts about one another in the team. Beyond that, care and concern for fellow teammates show up all the time... ensuring each other is well-hydrated, well-fed, etc.

I really enjoy being my team's drummer. As the drummer, I get to watch my team grow from the bird's eye view.

PLK has come a long way. I still remember the first race I drummed... MR500 2008. I went in jittery, not knowing what to expect, desperately holding on to the drum for my dear life cos goodness it was soooo rocky!! My teammates were nervous but all ready to brave a storm. Discipline was absent and communication between coxwain, rowers and drummer was poor. We came out of the heats thrashed and disappointed.

However, sitting at the drummer's seat now, I can see that the faces of my fellow teammates are brimming with so much conviction and confidence... the conviction to do the team proud and the confidence that the months of training will be put to good use at this very moment. Sure... the tension and nerves were there but seasoned as they are, they've learnt to overcome all that and replace those nerves with discipline and focus. On top of that, I feel this hunger for victory fuelling every single rower's power strokes. Towards every last charge, the effort to give their all without reserves absolutely touched my heart. It is during those last 20 seconds where everyone pushed on despite being fatigued. It is during those times where boundaries were surpassed... where every single rower has risened a level in terms of character as well as stamina, just because they persevered till the very end.

And at the end of it all, whether we were 1st, 2nd or 3rd, we were victorious in our own way. We pat ourselves and each other on our backs and congratulate each other for paddling hard for the team. We walk home with a sense of belonging and pride. That's what I did last Sunday...

From the way I see it, the only way for PLK is UP towards excellence! With such a dedicated and motivated bunch of teammates backed by a resourceful and far-sighted committee, PLK is indeed an unstoppable force!

Disillusioned?

Moving on to my 5th posting in anaesthesia... 2 years of anaesthesia and going strong?

sometimes in the middle of a boring hand case which is moving on to its 5th hour at 3am in the morning, i can't help wondering whether i've chosen the right path. especially when i'm dead tired, struggling not to doze off on my patient and wishing i have a urinary catheter and iv drip like him.

and yet, after successfully provided anaesthesia and life support measures for a life-saving surgery such as in polytrauma patients, the sense of satisfaction made me high! being able to use my hands to perform procedures that make a difference such as epidurals make me feel good about myself! I like being held in a distinguished position for being able to manage difficult airway and iv access.

A senior trainee in anaesthesia whom i've worked with recently announced her decision to quit anaesthesia. I've always held her in high regard cos she's good in her work! Not quite sure if it was due to the fact that she didn't manage to clear her final exams recently. Suspect it's probably that with a combination of factors like marriage, better financial prospects as a gp locum, etc.

This sorta led me into a chain of evil thoughts...

What if i can't clear exams too? what if after so long, i realize i don't really wanna do anaesthesia for the rest of my life? what if i don't really wanna work and just wanna take care of my spouse and kids? What if i actually suck at doing it and everyone's too tactful abt it hence i dun hear abt it?

All the what ifs...

I actually had these thoughts even when i was studying for part 1! my idea was that if one day i was gonna give it up, why should i put in so much hardwork and sacrifice so much to clear this irritating part 1 exam? haha! i was obviously finding some excuse to get outta studying for it...

ultimately, with the motivation of many ppl including my dear study partner and the senior anaesthetists who've been there and done that, i shoved all these horrible thoughts aside and persevered on with the exams. Good thing i did!

I've realized that there's no point thinking about all the "what-ifs" cos they haven't even happened! I mean i dun even know if i'm gonna get married and have kids! if i din even try, how would i know if i can clear the exams?

the only way to do this is to hold on to the present.. Do what i can now and to the best of my ability. Ultimately, even if it ends in a skewed manner, i'll still have no regrets for i've done all i could.

ME day

I'm desperately in need of a ME day! what's a ME day? it's a day where i don't have to bother about anybody, anything except my own self! a day for me to spend alone doing whatever i want and this "whatever" must not be related to anybody or involve any work at all!

I remember while i was doing exams, i kept telling myself "YES!! once i clear the exams, i'll need to and wanna do so many things and have loads of fun!" I sorta regret making that sorta promise now cos 3 weeks post-exam and i'm definitely terribly tired out! let's see what i've done...

1) organized Jinnie's hen party
2) helped out as maid of honour at Jinnie's wedding
3) brought my Jayjay to the vet
4) went for Xiaohui's solemnization
5) attended Jane's wedding
6) met up with my girl buddies for catching up and dinner twice
7) spend time with my dear dear
8) brought mom to facial and spa
9) did 3 night calls
10) made a paper presentation for departmental meeting
11) helped yee yian arrange for departmental buffet lunch

Dun get me wrong! i definitely had a lot of fun doing all the above and every single one of them was definitely all worthwhile! but look at the list! None of it was for myself!! honestly, i'm drained... i feel that i've been squeezed dry over these past 3 weeks... dry as a prune. I was already down with URTI 2 weeks ago and totally lost my voice then. I seem to have recovered but i suspect there's some remnant bug around cos i'm still coughing and having rhinorrhea intermittently. In general, i feel that both my body and mind are tired and feeling weak.

A simple ME day would've recharged me back to form but when can i find this ME day? no more leave till end of october... all thanks to exams for burning all my available leave for the posting.

Well, at least now that my department presentation is over, i can heave a sigh of relief for now and finally have a good night's rest tonight. Studies show that by depriving ourselves of the optimal hrs of sleep for 1 night, we'll need 2 or more days of good sleep to replenish that deficit. Looks like i may need at least 2 months of good sleep then...

Part 1

Say the word "Part 1" to most anaesthetists and u're likely to get the response "URGH! worst exam i've ever taken!"

It was truly a formidable exam. Never have i studied soooo damn hard for an exam! Stripped of my love life, social life, healthy lifestyle, training time, family life for the past few months, goodness... do u even call this alive? This is also the first time where at every stage of the exam, i had this feeling i'm gonna fail! Whether it's the day i started studying, 1 day before the exam, after written papers, during viva or the second before i get the results, i thought i was gonna fail.

After so much sacrifice, i made it! and the best thing is, my fellow study groupmates made it too!

There are soooo many ppl who made this feat possible!

Dear huiliang has been an extremely supportive boyfriend during this difficult period. Having to tolerate the numerous rantings i had and the frequent bouts of low self-esteem is no joke, especially when they start increasing in frequency nearing the exam. Not to mention having an almost non-existent girlfren who only remembers "pharmacokinetics of morphine" rather than things pertaining to him.

My family, who has had to live with an extremely messy girl with notes and stuff strewn all over the house. My dad and mom who, although din quite understand why i need to study soooo hard, have been really encouraging!

My study group! Having a good study group to motivate me to study was so important! I studied most often with yy and if not for her, i definitely wouldn't have passed! we ploughed through all the notes and past yr questions together, going through essay outlines after essay outlines, viva-ing each other again and again. I'm really happee we passed it together!

There were many tutors who took time off to give us vivas and i'm really thankful to them! this exam is all about practice and their viva tutorials were really precious to us! every opportunity to practise answering viva questions made us a step more prepared for the exam.

My frens who have not met up with me or even heard from me cos of this horrible exam have also been really understanding and even sent me many well-wishes before the exam.

Debbie, yy's maid, cooked really yummy and nutritious food for us during the intensive study periods at her house. Lightning and Sidney, yy's dogs, who entertained us during our breaks from studying and kept us sane and loved at the same time.

Feel that I've grown up a bit after this exam. Learnt a lot during this exam... on top of the academic material which may or may not be useful to my clinical practice. Every challenge in life serves to make u a better person i suppose. i've always believed in: What doesn't kill u will just make u stronger. of course this statement usually only pops up retrospectively... haha! (if i had written a blog entry 1 week ago, the mood would've been absolutely bleak and hopeless-sounding.)

My altis - my sanctuary

Going home without my dear altis today is such a chore! See right... i've been sooo pampered recently. Usually when i don't drive, i have my dear Huiliang to accompany me home. Somehow, he's got some kinda huge buffering capacity such that i don't pay much attention to the surroundings. The ride home's usually pleasant cos he's around. heh...

And when i drive, i'm always SITTING comfortably in FLORAL-SMELLING cool air. There's always my favourite radio station or NICE MP3's playing in the background which i can sing along or tap my toes to. Even if i get stuck in a jam or have to deal with lousy drivers on the roads, it's not too bad cos i'm enclosed in my own happy space.

During my horrible ride on the mrt today, i had an assault on all my senses... well, all except "taste". Of which, i think the most potent is definitely hearing and smell.

Hearing
Why do ppl have to talk on their handphones at the top of their voices in the mrt? To my left were 2 Chinese nationals talking in 2 different dialects, to my right were a Thai and another Bangladeshi and right opposite me another Chinese national speaking in Mandarin. I am serious!! All 5 of them were literally shouting into their phones... the one opposite me even switched on the loudspeaker so we can all hear his fren as well. How nice of him... afraid that we'll miss out on parts of their conversation...

I was secretly wishing in my mind that the hp of the lady sitting next to me will go outta battery or signal. I must've wished really hard, cos halfway she did go "Hello? hello?" Just as i was smiling in my mind "YES!", she quickly dialed again and continued her conversation at higher amplitude, probably exclaiming how her line got cut off. At the end of my ride, my threshold for irritation was definitely reached and i also developed a tension headache.

No wonder those earplug-style earphones are selling so well. Thanks to all these inconsiderate ppl generating so much noise! Darn! i must remember my mp3 player when i take the mrt alone next time.

Smell
My sense of smell is very astute. I can smell a speck of coriander or a whiff of cigarette breath/smoke from afar. However, in the mrt, i wish my olfactory nerves are not so powerful or my cribiform plate would have an valve or door which i can close at will.

ok.. i must learn how these smelly ppl manage to block off their own sense of smell. I mean if u are smelly, u should be the first person to smell urself and realize it right? and any person with common sense will do something abt it right? like spray some deodorant if u have body odour, shower first before leaving the gym, use widely accepted scents and not something pungent, etc. How can anyone live life knowing that everyone thinks u're smelly?

Touch
Nope... don't worry i wasn't groped or anything. It's just that this lady next to me can't stop flicking her long hair and it kept tickling me. I tried my best to inch away from her but that only meant that i was nearer to Miss Loudspeaker on my left.

Sight
Able-bodied ppl not giving up seats... ppl sitting on the floor and blocking the way... ppl not giving way to alighting passengers. I can see ugliness in my society almost constantly. I've given up commenting on this already.

Either my tolerance threshold has lowered or the standards have dropped. It's probably a mixture of both. I can also foresee that both can only get worse from now on... meaning i'll continue to enjoy my comfort zone and develop lower and lower threshold for such nonsense. The standards of our society can only get worse as well since the perpetuators don't seem to see it as a problem.

I hope I dun have to endure another mrt ordeal anytime soon.

The missing piece of my life

It's been an awfully long time since my last entry. Hmm... i really wonder who still reads this. In fact, blogging seems to have died down... at least entries are definitely dwindling among my friends' blogs.

How apt that i named this blog "pieces of life". There i was going about with my usual routine of work, friends and family. Never have i realized that in this huge puzzle, a crucial piece was actually missing all along. and then suddenly something happened. Something that turned my life, my mind, my emotions, my everything upside down. Someone really special had emerged to fill up that missing piece, the void in the hidden area of my heart.

Being a hopeless romantic dreamer who watches taiwanese ou xiang dramas and read romance novels (not the sleazy and cheezy kinds k...), I've always believed in the idea of fate and soulmates. Ppl around me like my dear aunts and friends were getting anxious for my lack of love life and urging me to take the initiative to find my Mr Right. Much to my amusement of course, cos I strongly believe that when he comes, he comes. I believe fate will somehow bring him to me someday. I also believed that somewhere out there, there is someone meant for me to discover, someone meant to discover me at the most appropriate time and place. If it hasn't happened yet, it just means for certain reasons, we're not ready to discover each other's goodness yet!

And now i've found him! it's been an amazing time of my life. I mean my life was pretty ok already actually. I enjoy my job, have a bunch of good friends and supportive family and keep myself fit with dragonboat trainings. But now life is so much more satisfying and vibrant, supported with an undercurrent of bliss! I enjoy my job even more cos I know that after a long difficult day, there's a listening ear for my problems and challenges at work. I feel emotions which i've never felt before. There's now a sense of belonging and companionship cos I occupy a place in his heart and have given him an important place in mine too.

Still early in this journey of discovery, I find myself surprised all the time... at how compatible we both are in many ways, at how much I enjoy his presence and the sense of security he gives me. I feel like i've been bestowed the greatest gift on earth, the gift of love from someone so sweet and caring. For this i'm eternally grateful and thankful.

I'll definitely cherish this extremely dear new-found piece of my life, cos it has made this puzzle more complete!

It's the season to be piggy... lalala

Major peeeeeg out since christmas eve! ARRGGHH!!

My departmental christmas lunch was a super sumptuous! 1000-buck budget for a whole lot of food from Goodwood Park Hotel... waahh... this is definitely one extremely rich department. 1 week ago, we were already pre-empted by our very excited registrar who ordered the food. She said she ordered 8 kinds of meat for all of us!!! Wow! bet she had a really great time going "ok.. this this this that that this..." yeah... quite impressed with the 8 kinds of meat... turkey, honey-baked ham, lamb ribs, beef, LOBSTER, roasted chicken, foie gras... shucks i forgot what's the last meat.



Everyone had a jolly good time... dancing, drinking wine, peeging out, singing carols, playing foosball! oh yeah... can u imagine our department bought a foosball table for us to play?!?! this is welfare to the max! reiterates the fact that our department's rich huh?



After lunch, i headed off home for christmas dinner with my family and aunt. more food! despite not having digested my sumptuous lunch. haha!

Hai... i was on call on christmas day... but this didn't stop us from enjoying the festive season and indulging in more food! we had more turkey, pohpiah, indian curry, etc stocked up in our pantry and basically just popped by to eat and eat whenever we have free time from the work!

Met up with my dear jc bandmates for some catching up on boxing day... it must of course involve some food. (Singaporeans really know how to eat! we eat for every occasion!) Had dinner at a hongkong cafe and then proceeded to Selegie St for some Youtiao Tau Hway.

More to come... Had a thai-style party at my colleague's house on saturday... lotsa gossipping over yummy tomyam soup, thai fried rice and green curry chicken. Not to mention the yummy thai desserts with their sinful coconut milk dressing!

And finally, Huiyu n John's wedding dinner at Pan Pacific Hotel yesterday. I was SOOOO scared i won't be able to fit into my black tube dress after all the peeging out. Phew! hurray for good genes from my parents... i can still zip it up! haha!

Gosh... thank goodness for training on sunday which eased the guilt totally! I dragged myself outta bed at 7am on sunday despite sleeping at 2am after the party the nite before. It was really a struggle but i told myself i NEEEEED this training... otherwise i'll feel guilty for the rest of the week.

Under the bright scorching sun in the company of my energetic teammates, i ran 2.something km, worked up my muscles n heart during race sets and felt my guilt slowly being washed away by yucky kallang water. hurray for training! totally allows me to indulge in all these good food and yet not feel fat and unhealthy. haha!