DAY 733-736

Sept 4-8

1) It has been about a week since I've begun Intermediate Cycle 2 (IC2) here in RCSI. This also marks a week past the two years since I've set foot in Dublin. Two years in which I have not returned to Malaysia, and two years living independently. And what a story it has been :)

2) In this week alone we have by and large covered our first module: Tropical Medicine. It's a small module relative to the other three, with only 2.5 credits allocated. However, I've found this module to be particularly interesting, partly due to the relevance it has with Malaysia as a tropical country. It has also broadened my perception of healthcare, as tropical health specialists and consultants recount their personal experiences deep in the rural parts of the world. Many of them have even had personal encounters with these tropical diseases.

3) It has been a nice start to the week, albeit a little tiring. Having to wake up for 8 or 9am lectures is difficult; maintaining concentration throughout the day until late evening is extra difficult. Thankfully, the lecturers are aware of this and try to shake things up a little with small group discussions and even an end-of-module quiz.

4) For this semester, there is a lot of content as we strive to wrap up the Pre-Clinical stage of our course. In the following semester (back home in Malaysia), we shall begin the Clinical stage which requires actual patient contact and rotations. As of now, I'll do my utmost best and hope for the best, as always. That's all for today's blog - thanks for tuning in, and have a nice day. Cheers! :D

Everyone's back, and enjoying a nice lunch at the hospital canteen :)

Salmon with a side of chips and cabbage

l-r: Me, Kuhan, Toto, Joey, Zi Yan

(lunch is the best time of the day for me XD)

Trying to fit everyone in the shot!

Toasted baguette with pesto chicken, hard boiled egg and cheddar cheese - from the new cafe at the Smurfit Building!

As you can see - "Adolf Hitler" is on top in this end-of-module quiz

(*Spoilers* - this person actually won the quiz overall!)

As they say in Ireland - fair play to you mate!

DAY 63

Nov 3

1) Today was a very light day for me in terms of studies. Just three lessons and we were done! As usual, woke up and got ready for class before 8 a.m. Mind you, I slept at 3.00 a.m. plus on the same day, so it is no mean feat haha.

2) After the first lecture was an hour break. Took the opportunity to grab a really hearty breakfast at AK. Henry's. After that, it was two consecutive lectures, before we got to go home! The only reason today was sooooo lax is because we have our second mid-term quiz tomorrow! So we have three mid-term quizzes, before the finals on the first week of December.

3) Went to Dicey's for lunch with my friends. I had the battered cod today and it was great as usual. Really crispy batter and soft, flaky fish - unlike the usual mushy type that is the bane of many fish shops I've sampled. So with lunch settled, I came home to start studying.

4) Soon, it was dinner time. Went down to cook rice as usual, but with a different type of sauce: madras curry sauce! Tasted very, very good in my (unbiased) opinion hehe. Then it was back to the books, for the remainder of the night. Tomorrow is another quiz, and also another feather in my cap. Goodnight, and thanks for reading!

 A full Irish today, but that's because

I didn't have anything to eat since my lunch yesterday!!

Le Menu at Dicey's 

Battered cod with Tartar Sauce

Cooking has become less of a chore, 

and more of an avenue to express my culinary creativity XD

DAY 35

Oct 6

1) Today was an exciting day. Woke up to have a nice breakfast, in the form of toast with peanut butter and nutella, washed down with a glass of fresh milk. Perfect start to the day then. Attended two very simple lectures, and that was it! How cool is that?

2) Well, the main reason for the short lectures today is due to the fact that tomorrow is our first card-signing session, for Group A. I'm in Group B, so it doesn't apply to me... yet (mine is next Friday) Anyway, for lunch, we stopped by at Dicey's Garden, where the student's meal is fixed at €5.00. I had the battered cod, with all the sides, plus a moat of gravy. Perfecto!

3) Came back feeling extremely stuffed. Slept a bit, got out the books to study, and before I knew it, it was 6 p.m. Tonight was the first running event, organised by the Running Society of RCSI. We jogged all the way to Phoenix Park and back, stopping occasionally at the traffic lights. Turns out almost everyone I spoke to were ardent runners who had at least represented their own school, and one guy even claimed to have taken part in over 15 marathons! I felt so left out haha. Still did my best to keep up with them though.

4) After over an hour of slogging, we finally made it back to RCSI, where a big carton of chocolate milk awaited us. Pure bliss, and a lovely way to end the night. Walked home from RCSI, to cook dinner for myself. And the rest, as they say, is history. Preparing to study after this, so I'll be ending on this note. Hope everyone reading this had as fantastic a day as I did. Cheers!

 Nutella and chunky peanut butter on toast,

truly comfort food at its finest

Glass of milk for the bones

Battered cod with all the fixings

RCSI Main Entrance

Dinner time

DAY 32

Oct 3

1) Today was a typical school day. Woke up earlier than usual since class started at 8 a.m. Lectures went non-stop until 2 in the afternoon. I felt so sleepy during this time. Not to mention hungry.

2) After lessons, my friends took me to a restaurant called Dicey's Garden, where they had student deals for lunch, with huge portions, and only €5.00! I had the beef curry with rice and chips, and it certainly was HUGE! Ate to my heart's content, and my friends went back after that. I stayed on at RCSI to study, since I had a tutorial on how to use EndNote for referencing.

3) EndNote turned out to be rather complicated, so I'm going to have to review the lecture slides later on. Came back home and decided I would make a simple soup for dinner. Made some tomato soup, and that was enough for the day. Later, I discovered I had misplaced my computer mouse, most probably at the Computer Lab, where I attended the tutorial. I certainly hope to get it back soon, but it was my carelessness that got me into this mess in the first place. I'll be more careful next time.

4) The last part of the day is about me trying to study. I don't think I'm good at it, but I can at least try. Tomorrow's lessons also begin at 8 a.m., and I'm not looking forward to waking up so early in the morning. Oh well, cest la vie I guess. That's all for today, and goodnight!

 Underneath the mountain of chips lies

a heapful of beef curry and a huge portion of rice,

all for only €5!

Me and Jason in the Computer Lab,

Mercer Library

Dinner was a big bowl of tomato soup,

with some emmental cheese