DAY 29

Sept 30

1) Today was packed full of stuff! Early in the morning we had lectures, starting from 9 till 5 in the evening, with no break in between. We had our third anatomy lesson (on the mediastinum), our first history taking tutorial, three cardiovascular and upper limb lectures, and one fundamentals of biomedicine lecture. In short, it was a killer!

2) Had lunch at AK. Henry's (where else?) before cleverly stowing half of my sandwich for dinner. It may not seem much but the €3 sandwiches at RCSI are really wholesome and filling. Plus they are served with the most delicious crisps I have ever tasted - Tayto crisps! I am probably hooked on it by now. At least it's good quality crisps and not the ones back in Malaysia *wink wink*

3) Immediately after lectures ended, we gathered at the entrance and walked to the bus stop, planning to take the 39A bus to UCD. There was a surgical event organised by the Malaysian Medics International Ireland (MMII). Bus ride took us around 20 minutes. First impressions of UCD: huge with a capital H. Much more facilities such as swimming pools, libraries, and even a mini pharmacy! The event started off with some speeches, followed by a surgical talk by Robert Memba, Assistant Professor/ Specialist Registrar of the Department of Surgery, Trinity College Dublin.

4) Next was the fun time: competitions! We were broken into small groups, before being given various tasks to complete, within the time limit. My team didn't win anything in the end, but we still had loads of fun! The event finished at around 9.30 p.m., and after that I did something rather crazy. I found out the 46A bus that would take me back to Leeson Street Lower would be coming in 8 minutes, and the nearest bus stop from UCD was quite far away. So together with a friend, we ran as fast as we could, up and down lanes and sidewalks - my backpack constantly weighing me down - until we reached the bus stop.

5) Luckily, I reached there with time to spare. Took the bus back home, and came straight to my room to type this. Tomorrow is going to be another hectic day, as I embark on a quest to see my first ice-hockey match! That's all for my post today, hope you enjoyed it, and goodnight!

Lunch AND Dinner right there

 It was raining when we waited at the bus stop

Pretty self-explanatory

Entrance to UCD

RCSI in front, UCD at the back

Some really nice facilities at UCD

Dinner XD

Dr. Robert Memba

DAY 26

Sept 27

1) Today can be summed in one word: exhausting! Woke up at 7 a.m. (still don't know how I do it), before having a light breakfast and hurriedly watching the dissection video for anatomy practical today. Attended lectures beginning at 9 a.m. Immediately after the first lecture was dissection time (our second anatomy practical so far). Our surgeon prosector was Mr. Daniel Kelly, MCh, FRCSI. He lectured us on the inner workings of the thoracic cavity and neurovascular bundle. It was a lot to take in, as the information was almost overwhelming. But I will find a way to remember all this (I hope...)

2) After anatomy class, my mind was in a whirl and I couldn't think anymore, so we went for lunch as  usual. Tried the jacket potato today. It was really filling since it consisted of a WHOLE potato! At least I felt completely full afterward. Next, three consecutive lectures were to occupy our remaining time slot for today. Suffice to say, I was happy when the last lecturer finished her lecture.

3) Walked back home to Leeson Street Lower, where I immediately cooked rice. Today is my first time trying out the basmati rice I bought at Asia Market. It is a long, slender-grained aromatic rice which, in my opinion, tastes better than the rice I have been consuming all this while. I also discovered I can prepare, cook, eat and wash up a meal in less than an hour, every single time. So I need not worry about cooking being too time consuming.

4) Finished dinner and wanted to have an orange, but the last remaining orange I had seems quite unusual. The skin is at least doubly thicker than any orange I've had, and there's hardly any juice left. I decided not to have it, for fear of an upset tummy. Instead, I had a small praline for dessert. Satisfied, I returned to my room, had an hour's nap, and here I am typing this out. It has been a long day, and I need to revise some things the lecturer told us today. Cheers!

The ice hockey match in Belfast this Saturday!

Baked potato with rice and sauce on the side, €3.95

The usual suspect (Basmati rice, minced meat bolognese 

and mixed vegetables)