Japan-ised

My elective report might be rubbish but my second project a.k.a exploring various types of coffee is no doubt, a masterpiece in the making

The power of 100 yen shop - like it or not, it'll end up becoming a necessity in your life

been eyeing kimono since day 1.....shud be able to afford one if i survive solely on 7-11 food n 100 yen shop beverage every day *faint*

Experience Japan - K-A-R-A-O-K-E....and just keep shouting even if you can't sing in japanese

Nihongo wakarimasen!

one of the most overused japanese phrases among we 4 girls
it means i dun understand japanese!!!
an essential travel phrase in japan

High five with poodlie (Matcha-chan)...how could you not love Japan?? even the dog is so friendly :)

Poor Helen, for being alienated like a swine flu victim after this photoshoot..ash's monologue: 1 metre away, kudasai!!!!

4 japanese woman- wanna be's - probably the least feminine of all....

kid memorial park in Hiroshima - getting more childish after one week of elective at paediatric department..wat happens in japan stays in japan, HOPEFULLY!

Me with two kawai japanese kids and their pretty otkusan...standing between me and ash is the happy-go-lucky Prof Shimono, the head of paediatric department

Surgery day

too tired to elaborate

long story short

5 hours of observing an extended oral maxfac surgery (12 hours supposedly) in the morning

3 hours of oral surgery in the afternoon

I am so beat down tired

my only consolation is that
i attempted my very FIRST surgical extraction today!!!!

not so scary after all

No biggie

I know I complain ALOT...my course, weather, tutors, patients, study, life, friends...literally anything under the sun
and now
I am trying...trying real hard here to stay positive

so I've just shifted into a new room
never mind the horribly exhausting packing, moving and unpacking (think P-O-S-I-T-I-V-E!)
compared to my previous room, ridiculously tiny and claustrophobic
the new room is quite a pleasure to live in
spacious, big windows, nice view, closer to laundry and main entrance, kitchen and bathroom are within 2 steps (it's not too hard to be P-O-S-I-T-I-V-E, isn't it?)

but...but...but
no internet!

*GASP*
It's okay
I still have keys to my old room so just bring my laptop and go online there

but..but...but
it's tiring to shuffle between two rooms, with 12 stupid doors in between!!

*GASP x2*
It's okay
moving about on the same floor is better than climbing stairs

I am thinking P-O-S-I-T-I-V-E !!

just suck it up

People have been speculating, even nosing around on which tutor they are going to get next year.
Some happy. Some sad. Some indifferent

funny how one person can cause such a big fuss among students which reminds me of old school days when we always spread rumours around on which physics/chemistry/bio/math teacher we were going to have for the next academic year...if a lousy one we'd have to get ready for tuition class which means more work and less sleep for us and parents. That's how one teacher affects our lives back then.

little did i expect, the same thing happened in uni, only we dun need to worry about what tuition class to attend, how to get there, whether or not the time clashes with parents' work/other tuition classes etc...a different level of influence and change in daily routine without much emotional impact
But in dentistry, the personality of the tutor matters not just in terms of students' clinical performance but more significantly, stress level.

a nice & encouraging tutor can brighten up your day, making you look forward to the next session; a strict tutor although scary, pushes you towards excellence; a sadistic tutor can suck out your enthusiasm slowly, nurture your self-doubt then thrash your confidence; an unreliable tutor stresses you out in the sense that you dun get to learn as much as your peers who are with other tutors, also you feel uncovered if you mess things up since tutor is not gonna fix the tight spot for you...stressedddddddd!!!

speculating clinical tutors is like watching weather forecast
rain, shine, t-storm, snow, gloom, sleet...you predict the weather condition yet you cant change it...probably what you can do is adjust your plans according to the weather.

On a personal note, i was rather down when one of my favourite tutors, Dr. W confirmed that he wouldn't be looking after us next term. So... who is? Dr. L? Dr. J?

*pout*

I cant agree more with Zulfi that oral surgery isnt going to be same without Dr. W

"Yeah, it's going to be Borrrringgg and Stressssssfullll'' Dr. W joked with a big smug grin


*pout**pout*

Dear patient

Today, my pros patient didn't turn up for his appointment.

A key appointment that determines whether i have to start all over again or i can draw a big smile on his face, perhaps more on mine.

A 50/50 gamble

I'm not sure if i should be relieved that he saved me from having to face the risk of redoing the whole or maybe half of the procedures
or rather, annoyed that i didn't get the chance to find out the answer to my unsettling question

"Call him!''
an automatic response you get whenever your patient is late or hasn't shown up yet

I wish i could! I really do!!

Helen deciphered the pain in my face

"Ooooh your patient doesn't have a phone!!!!!!"

thanks for understanding me

One thing about my pros patients, they are not only senior but also live primitive
they don't have phones at home, let alone a cell phone
so the only way to inform them of their appointment is sending them an appointment card
whether or not they can make it, you wont find out until the day of the appointment..damn!

In order to live through this 'inconvenience', I've learned to confirm their future appointments on the day i see them, write down the dates on their card, verbally remind them countless times like a nagging mom since i can't call them up. Otherwise, my session would be at stake if they forget. This method has worked so well for this particular pros patient until today.

it feels like a kite with a broken string now

ooh well oooh well
the worst is yet to come

another pros patient of mine is holding grudge against me, for not seeing her a while (that's another grandma story)

my long-lost cons patient changed her contacts without any notice

How to get hold of her???

"Send her an appointment card!'' the mighty super brain Sultan replied spontaneously

Again???!!!! GeeeeeeeeZ!

so here it goes.....

Dear patient,

Phones were invented for a reason. So, get yourself a house phone/cell phone or at least give me a number that i can call, either your neighbour's or whoever's, PLEASE!

Your unpaid dentist

*snort*