DAY 152

Jan 31

1) Today has been a (relatively) hot day. Woke up early as usual, before heading downstairs to make breakfast. Off I went to RCSI for our first lecture on anatomy, before going to Damer Hall for our Gastrointestinal Tutorial. Wendy and I had a really hard time searching for the entrance, since it was quite obscure and we actually passed by without realising it XD.

2) Immediately after that, we had another Anatomy Practical, this time on the knee and ankle joints. Our surgeon prosector was Mr. B.E. Lane, who was a retired gastrointestinal surgeon. We learnt so much from him today. After lessons ended, I took my stuff and went to the library, where I had my lunch.

3) The afternoon was spent sorting out stuff on our Moodle page, and going for the second meeting for the Team Project. A short nap later, and I went to Mercer Cafe to have an early dinner. I've noticed more and more people coming to the library recently. Maybe everyone's so determined to do well this semester. Anyway, I did some study myself too, before calling it a night. Had some light supper, before packing my stuff and walking home. That has been my day, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks very much as always, and have a great day. Cheers!

That's breakfast, lunch and dessert all in one go ^^

Chilling out at the Mercer Cafe

My dinner for tonight - fried chicken with rice and mixed veggies

DAY 151

Jan 30

1) Today was a dreadful 8-1 class. What made it dreadful was not the duration, but the fact that it was a continuous 5 hours, without any chance for us to catch a breather. That, coupled with the fact that I had to wake up extra early so as not to miss the first lecture - and you would have needed phenomenal brain power not to let your mind drift as the day progressed.

2) Our five lectures were on various modules, from Fundamentals of Biomedicine (FUN2) to HBPS (Health Behaviour and Patient Safety) and Introduction to Clinical Practice (ICP1). We even had a senior student give a talk about a student exchange programme at the RCSI Bahrain Campus over one semester - so in all fairness there was a lot of variety today. As usual, once class finished, I grabbed my stuff and went over to the library, where I have remained since.

3) In the afternoon, I went through the next day's lectures before taking a short nap. It's amazing how a power nap can refresh a person's mind, especially after a long day. And what better place to do it than in the library haha. In my defence, many of the patrons here do this as well. Anyway, grabbed a quick dinner later in the evening, before coming back to my spot for another round of study.

4) It may seem like a dull life for a medical student to lead, holed up in a cubicle "studying one's life away" as they say, but I honestly enjoy it. Of course, I have not neglected my co-curricular activities as well, and I will definitely take part in any interesting events that happen to pass me by. Until then, I'll end on this note. Thanks for reading as always, and have a great day. Cheers!

My typical meal plan (packed for the go XD)

Still have chicken rice (from the PMCSA- CNY celebration)

Chicken Tikka Masala for dinner 

DAY 150

Jan 29

1) Today has been a typical Sunday for me. I woke up early as usual, before making my breakfast and dropping by Mercer Library. Thus began my usual stint of studying, which lasted till around noon. The thing I dislike is I feel that after learning something new, some of my previous knowledge will inadvertently be forgotten. Makes it difficult to retain what I previously learnt XD

2) Come afternoon, I reheated the leftover chicken rice (that I took back yesterday after the CNY event) and it still tasted fine. Took a short nap afterwards, before continuing my second round of studying. The focus now was on anatomy, as our Friday Quiz will cover that as well.

3) Soon, I was joined by Stephanie and Esther, who had come to study at the library too. Not long after that and it was dinner time. Went over to Mercer Cafe and to have my dinner, all the while unwinding while keeping myself occupied by watching YouTube videos.

4) A final bout of study later, and that was it for the night. Had a light supper (I'm a creature of habit haha), before walking back home to Leeson St. That would be a typical day for me, and I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks very much for reading, and have a great day. Cheers!

DAY 149

Jan 28

1) Today was a lovely day for me! I stayed up late yesterday Skype-ing with my parents, so overslept a little bit. Had some breakfast, before walking to the library, only to meet my friends along the way. I decided to abandon my studying (hey, friends come first XD) and help out. The PMC Student Association was hosting a Chinese New Year Celebration at RCSI. It would be my first CNY away from home and I wasn't about to miss out, was I? So Lyana and I helped out with the CNY decorations, before I went to carry the boxes of oranges. By around noon, most of the guests had arrived, and so the event began.

2) Melvin and Jason, acting as the superb MC's of the day, welcomed everyone with the charm and wit that they are famous for. Among some of the events that transpired were the "mandarin oranges eating contest", music performances by the PMCSA members, a Tai Chi demonstration by my good friend Zi Yan, as well as two Lucky Draws. During intermission, everyone was ushered to have lunch in the adjacent Board Room. Chicken rice, accompanied with a smorgasbord of cookies and cakes, and topped off with boxes upon boxes of mandarin oranges, completed our line up of food for the today.

3) The event finished two hours earlier than usual. This may sound a little surprising to some, but I think it's due to the superb planning by our event coordinator this time around - Aisha. We took another hour to clean up, and to pack home some leftovers for the homeless, before keeping the rest for ourselves. Most of my friends left by then, and I came over to the library to put everything down and take a breather. Continued with some studying for the rest of the evening (believe me, when you go to uni you forget the concept of day and time - everyday is a good day to study haha). Had a late dinner since I was proper full from all those oranges, before packing up and returning home.

4) All in all, the CNY celebration was nothing less than an absolute success. Many of the guests thanked us for the effort and a job well done, which made all the hard work worth it. For me, it was about reflecting on how I spent my CNY back at home - going to temples to pray and then visiting our relatives, and contrasting this with spending CNY abroad with my friends, and being reminded that my friends are the pillars of strength that keep me motivated throughout my tenure in Dublin. It has been a long day for me, and I won't lie when I say that I'm sleep deprived, but it has all been worth it. That's the end of my day, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks as always, and have a great day. Cheers!

1Malaysia as can be ^^

My morning toast, with a dash of CNY magic :)

The decorations that we put up

Chicken rice with sambal

And the non-halal counterpart

A delicious assortment of tarts, cookies and pastries <3

The Lion Dance!

The turnout was larger than expected, and a lot better than the previous years :)

The ensemble of performers which belted out a famous Wang Lee Hom classic

- ai yin wei zai xin zhong (爱因为在心中)

Chicken rice, with veggies and sambal

Mandarin orange XD

My fellow partners in crime:

(l-r: Me, Khee Heng, Stephanie, Nee Kee, Esther and Jason)

DAY 148

Jan 27

1) Today is Chinese New Year's Eve in Dublin! And here I am, enjoying my 9-4 lectures as usual XD. Woke up early to make the 9am class as usual, and our first lecture was on anatomy, specifically on the leg. After that, we went to the Anatomy Room, where we got the opportunity to dissect and reflect the muscles and tendons, as well as explore the nerves and vessels underneath. There will soon be an interfaith celebration to commemorate the deceased - who very generously donated their bodies that we medical students may dissect and learn from - and I intend to take part.

2) After our Anatomy Practicals, I went to Mercer Medical Centre to get my blood test done. I previously had my three vaccinations for Hepatitis B, so this was to confirm that I had immunity against the disease. It was over very soon, and I walked back to the Coffee Doc to do some study, while waiting for my friends to finish their Anatomy Practicals (they were in a different group than me). At 1.00pm, we met up and went to Dicey's Garden together. It has been so long since I went to Dicey's - and it tasted awesome after such a long hiatus haha.

3) Made it back just in time for the next two lectures - one on Health Behaviour and Patient Safety, and the other on Immunology. By 4.00pm, everyone was just so tired that we couldn't wait to go home. I went to the library instead, as I was going over to Nee Kee's apartment later to celebrate our very own Reunion Dinner with my friends. Later in the evening, I went over to meet my friends, and we had a whale of a time tossing the Yee Sang (a raw fish salad dish). After dinner, we set about folding some paper hand fans, before heading out to McDonald's for some ice-cream. I didn't have any because I was quite full. Walked back home with Jason after that, and finished by typing this out.
That's all for tonight's blog update, and before I sign off,

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!! GONG XI FA CAI! Wishing everybody a very happy and prosperous New Year in the Year of the Rooster, and have a great weekend. Cheers! :D

The new Academic Building, which cost €80,000,000 and is scheduled to open this March!

Toast as usual for my breakfast

Kettlebells - NOT mine, just saying ^^

Mercer Medical Centre, where I got my blood test

St. Stephen's Green Shopping Centre

Dicey's Garden Menu today

Lunch with my buddies :)

They don't mess around with the portions at Dicey's - beef burger with all the fixings

Received a very unexpected surprise - Ang pow from Esther & family

(THANKS VERY MUCH!!)

Yee Sang <3<3<3

Group Photo ^^

My dinner today

DAY 147

Jan 26

1) Today was a holiday for us! I still had one class in the afternoon, but that was on library and retrieval skills so it doesn't count. Woke up late today (8.00am is late for me in winter haha), went downstairs to make breakfast and to pack my meals, before walking to the library. Basically I revised anatomy for the whole morning and part of the afternoon.

2) I paused for a short break to have my lunch and to unwind. Then it was another bout of studying, making notes and trying to condense as much info as possible into my brain. At 2.00pm, some of us had to attend the small group tutorial, in which they taught us how to use the RCSI Website to search for journals and how to cite and reference them. It was really helpful, especially considering we have an individual and team project coming up.

3) A bit more studying afterwards, and it was evening. Decided I'd take a break from study, and walked to college to change my clothes. I'd promised the Running Club I'd come for their first run this semester - a leisurely 4km stroll. What I didn't account for was the cold - running with just one jacket on is definitely NOT ideal in winter, much less so here in Ireland, where the winds get really strong as night approaches. After our run, I headed to another event - the Orthopaedic Research Night & Stryker Demonstration, organised by the RCSI Orthopaedic Society. Basically, there were some student research presentations, before a short break, followed by a demonstration on hip and joint replacement, by a company called Stryker. Zi Yan and I asked a representative loads of questions and we learnt so much about how bone and tissue engineering. It's such an interesting field to be honest.

4) Took my bath and changed, before coming back to the library to have my dinner. I've noticed my appetite increasing (quite substantially too) during winter, and I suppose it's the body heat we lose due to the cold. I certainly would not want to return to Malaysia as a roly-poly haha. Anyways, a third round of studying - this time on Immunology, and I was done for the day. I must say, almost all my friends here are absolutely crazy. They stay in the library all day like me, but unlike me - they don't seem to take breaks! Oh well, at least it's great motivation for me to try harder. That sums up my day, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks very much as always, and have a great day. Cheers!

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland ^^

Breakfast for today

My usual spot at the Mercer Cafe

That's supposed to be my lunch, just laterally rotated XD

Event of the Night!

Hip and Joint Replacement Surgical Tools

Learning more about orthopaedics and bone replacement surgery from a representative of Stryker,

the largest medical technology industry in Ireland

(excuse the informal wear - I came directly after my run!)

That's me and Zi Yan

DAY 146

Jan 25

1) Today has been a very, very relaxing day. I suppose it's to make up for the past couple of days which have been really trying. Anyway, our first class was at 10.00am today, so I had ample time to sleep in, have breakfast and finish doing my laundry. Our two lectures were on a new module - the Health Behaviour and Patient Safety - presented by Dr. Kelleher. One of the lectures was on IQ testing - something which I was really interested about. I used to do so many IQ tests online - to see what they were all about, so I was pleasantly surprised when it was included as part of the lecture.

2) After lectures, I went straight to the library - not to study, but to have lunch haha. I had four cheese pizza which I bought from Dunnes. It tasted great, but wasn't too filling unfortunately. Anyway, most of my friends had small group tutorials later that day, whereas mine is tomorrow. So I took a short nap in the library, as is my custom, before waking up refreshed and ready to study. Dabbled a bit with our team project (on Lewy body dementia), before reading up on the next couple of lectures.

3) Before I knew it, it was time for dinner! Went to the Mercer Cafe, and reheated my usual chicken tikka masala with rice combo. Returned soon afterward to continue studying, this time on Immunology. Our first quiz next Friday covers both Immunology (15 questions) and HBPS (5 questions). Granted, the weightage isn't too high at only 2.5%, but still it would be unadvisable to waste any mark haha. After a couple of hours studying, my mind was drifting away - so I decided to call it a day and enjoyed a little supper before walking home. That has been my largely unspectacular day today, and I hope you enjoyed reading. Thanks for reading as always, and have a great day. Cheers!

Mercer Library today :)

Breakfast toast

Pizza for lunch 

My batch cooked chicken tikka masala for dinner

DAY 145

Jan 24

1) Today was a really tiring day for me. I got up early in the morning, had my toast for breakfast, before packing up and heading for our first lecture. After the lecture, Group A went for their anatomy practicals while I, being in Group B, went down to the Coffee Doc to study. Our turn arrived soon enough, and we learnt about the muscles and vasculature of the leg, and did some dissection too.

2) At 1.00pm, our session ended, and I had an hour's break for lunch. But instead, I went to the Group Study Room 3 in Mercer Library, where my friends had agreed to meet up to discuss about our upcoming Team Project. On top of that, we each have to do an individual project, not to mention our first quiz starts next Friday! And we're only into our second week of study...

3) Hurriedly returned to RCSI after the meeting, since not much time was left. Sat through another three hours of lecture, and by 5.00pm the entire class was mentally gone. Some of my friends went back to cook, while I returned to the library (my second home), where I took a short break while having my dinner. A power nap later, and it was back to the old grind, burying myself in study until late at night.

4) Finally, by about 9.30pm plus, my mind was completely saturated with info, and no amount prodding would allow anything to enter anymore. So I had a light supper at the Mercer Cafe, before packing my stuff and walking home. I still have to finish my laundry before tucking into bed. Oh well, that's another day in my shoes haha. Hope you enjoyed reading about it, and have a great day. Cheers!

Lemon and Lime Marmalade, Orange Marmalade, Smooth Peanut Butter Toast for breakfast today ^^

Some of my homemade chicken korma with rice, mixed veggies and roast potatoes for lunch

Chicken tikka masala for dinner today :)