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 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 143

Jan 22

1) Today has been another lazy Sunday for me haha. Believe me when one becomes a medical student we tend to forget the days of the week. The only tell tale sign that today is Sunday is the streets are a lot emptier in the morning, since most people wake up late or have gone to church. As usual, I got up late, had breakfast, and strolled over to the library.

2) Began my usual study routine, and stopped for a short break during lunch. Again I had pizza today, but tomorrow I will be having the rice I cooked the previous night. Just after lunch, I had a nice long conversation with my parents, as we would be spending our first Chinese New Year away from each other. Ah well, they may not be physically near me, but they will always remain close to my heart.

3) Took a short nap after that, and woke up feeling refreshed. Gained a second wind to continue studying, again stopping for a rest during which I had my chicken korma dinner. Came back to my desk, to continue studying for the third and last time for today. Took a breather to have my supper, and that was it for the day. Packed my stuff and headed back home, to cap a rather monotonous, yet productive day. That's all for now, and I hope you enjoyed reading. Thanks as always, and have a great day. Cheers!

Batch cooked for the next six meals ^^

That's my next set of meals (chicken tikka masala with rice)

Dunnes Pizza for lunch

Chicken korma with rice, mixed veggies and roast potatoes for dinner :D

DAY 139

Jan 18

1) Today has been a really long day for me. Woke up with a sore throat, which I absolutely dread because it usually comes with bouts of flu and fits of cough for days afterward. Still, I don't have a choice but to continue enduring... Gargled lots of saltwater after breakfast, before going to the library.

2) The upside was that I have two days off, which should give me enough time to sort things out. I studied for pretty much the entire morning, and my friends Nee Kee and Stephanie came to study too. I had my usual rice with sausages and mixed veggies for lunch; that being the last of my cooked meals. That means I have to cook again tonight.

3) In the afternoon, I continued studying for a while, before taking a short nap and then surfing the Internet. Later, I went to Dunnes to buy the groceries I needed to cook for the next couple of days. Came back to the library and had my dinner - just some sandwiches I made for myself in the morning. I really don't feel like eating whenever my throat hurts haha.

4) For the rest of the night, I tried to study but just couldn't find the strength to do so. Instead, I spent some time typing out this blog post, while listening to some relaxing music. I will probably leave the library earlier tonight, so I can cook afterwards and also because I want to get a good rest before lectures starts again. That's all for today, and thanks as always for reading. Cheers!

Two slices of bread for breakfast today

My usual lunch :)

More bread for dinner, followed by an orange XD