DAY 740-745

Sept 12-17

1) Yet another week has passed, and with it we've accomplished a lot. For a start, Fresher's Week is well and truly underway. In actual fact, it's a fortnight of activity rather than a week's! So everyday is something new for the newcomers to RCSI, with each club/society taking turns to organise events to get to know everyone better.

2) The RCSI Cancer Society (in which I am fortunate enough to be Co-President) organised its own event as well - our very own Pink Party! Held at Opium (restaurant, bar, nightclub), all ticket sales go to charity (specifically Breast Cancer Ireland in aid of research). Before the event, we were given a chance to promote our society during the Clubs and Societies Sign-Up Day - which coincidentally was held on the same day.

3) Unfortunately, Sign-Up Day coincided with a majority of our lectures (for the IC2 students). This meant that the initial setting up and manning of the booth was done by the other committee members (who did an amazing job!). After our lessons at 5.30pm, I took the next bus to Eden Quay, got dinner, then took over the hour or so. There was a really vibrant atmosphere at the Sports Hall, with all the fresh new faces, and also the beautiful decor all around. Not to mention all the food and snacks in between!

4) We had over a hundred register interest in our societies - a fact that I'm really proud of. We also managed to sell a lot of tickets, and with everything else in place, there was only one thing left to do. The party would start at around 11pm, and the last bus home for me (from the city to Beaumont where I live) would be 11.30pm. There was literally no use going there for 15 minutes and then leaving; either I go the full monty or not go at all.

5) Now those who know me well will know that I'm not the party-type of person, but I decided to go regardless, because a) I didn't want to not go to a party organised by a society which I was committee of; b) it would most likely be the last time I would experience this type of atmosphere in Dublin (I don't expect to do this in Malaysia). So there was still the problem of what to do with the transport back - then I asked my friends if anyone was willing to let me spend the night at their place.

6) I was indeed fortunate that I had such kind friends who let me stay over at their house, so with that sorted, I went for the party with everyone. It was all great craig, although I abstained from any alcohol (hepatotoxicity is a real side effect of the medication that I'm currently on, secondary to my abysmal tolerance XD). At around half past one, we hired a six-seater back to my friends' house, where I spent the night.

7) Here's the thing - we had class the next day, at nine! Despite my best efforts, I made it at half past, only to find the attendance sheets being filled up. Thankfully, the sheets were left unattended even after the lectures, which allowed for some tempering with... As we were off Friday, the rest of the week has been mostly just me studying in the library, trying to catch up with the week's lectures as usual. That'll be it for this edition of my blog, thanks for visiting as always, and have a lovely week ahead. Cheers! :)

Clubs & Socs Sign-Up Day 2018!!!

Our lovely booth :))

All the sweet treats (plus laptop on the right for people to sign up!)

No sign up no food XD (jkjk)

If that spot of light were any closer I could star in a Colgate advert...

At Opium

Thanks so much guys for letting me spend the night over! <3

Lunch with my Trinidad & Tobago friends

(l-r: Myself, Joshua, Ishtar, Sarita)

If there's ever been a more clear cut case of psychotic tendency, I've yet to see it XD

Grilled salmon with roast potatoes and mixed vegetables - what a great combo :)

Vegetarian pie, with peas and chips - and a generous dollop of mayo :))

Pasta bolognese with a huge portion of corn - I simply love the colour contrast here ^^

DAY 378/379/380

Sept 13, 14 & 15

1) As Fresher's Week draws to a close, there were still two more events on my agenda - the RCSI Debate Society Inaugural Event, as well as the RCSI Cancer Society's Pink Party, at DTwo Club. But before that, I had a meeting with our Personal Tutor this morning. We usually meet up with our mentor twice a semester to discuss on any problems or issues we may have. For our first meeting this semester, Dr Natasha Rafter had a special surprise for us - a box of Rolling Donuts! It's fast becoming a tradition for us students - if it ain't pizza, it's probably doughnuts... Anyway, we talked about our summer experience, as well as our expectations for the following year.

2) This evening, I went for the Debate Society's Inaugural Event - 'The Devil's Advocate'. We were divided into "for" and "against" groups, and given various motions to debate on. It was really informal, to allow for debaters of various experiences to have a go. Some of the more interesting topics included a) tea: before milk or after?; b) RCSI is the best medical school in the world; c) live to eat, or eat to live?; d) pets should be allowed in class; and e) pineapple on pizzas should be banned. It was really challenging coming up with points in a mere 30 seconds, but we tried our best, and enjoyed a nice round of pizzas afterward.

3) Later tonight, it was time for Pink Party! Held at DTwo Club, this event takes place annually to raise money for charity - specifically for Breast Cancer Research. We arrived early to set up our props (mostly balloons), and to secure our spot to party. Loud music blared from the speakers above us, and there was a nice stage for people keen to strut their dancing skills. I spent some time taking photographs using Jeffrey's beautiful DSLR camera, and not long after people started trickling in. Soon the entire place was packed, while the line just grow longer and longer. I didn't want to arrive home too late, so I said goodbye to everybody and left. That brings to an end yet another memorable day for me, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks very much for visiting, and have a great weekend ahead. Cheers!

Awesome night out, and for a good cause too ^^

My friends and Dr. Natasha Rafter (centre),

ft the Rolling Donuts

Rolling Donutssss

With old and new members of the Debate Society!

With Suzanne and Claire :D

On the Dance Floor

Breast Cancer Ireland

With Jeffrey and Claire ^^

DTwo as the night progressed :D

Pink Party Tickets to Dtwo

DAY 372/373

Sept 7 & 8

1) For the longest time, I thought that meiosis (germline division) consisted of meiosis I and II, and that meiosis I was just prophase I, metaphase I, anaphase I, telophase I and subsequently cytokinesis. Today I learnt that prophase I could be further subdivided into five phases; namely Leptotene, Zygotene, Pachytene, Diplotene, and Diakinesis. I find this really intriguing since we've learnt this chapter of cell division since secondary school, but never once have I come across these terms. The other reason I'm writing on this is so that I can remember the lectures better. That's the ulterior motive actually... ^^

2) Lectures at 8.00am are a real pain for me, seeing as I'm now living at Dundrum. Worse still, oftentimes the LUAS Tram is full, so we have to wait for the next tram before boarding. That means I have to allocate upwards of an hour to arrive in time. And worse still, our lecturer for that specific 8.00am slot yesterday couldn't make it either... It was a bit of a letdown as I really missed Mr. Koenig's lectures. That being said, I had at least more time to prepare for the following lectures...

3) Back-to-school week is over. So a week has passed since our return to RCSI, and a couple of things have changed. Firstly, we've had many lectures at the new "Desmond Auditorium", and they've been great thus far. One downside is many of us have not received locker allocations yet, which means we can't store our stuff e.g. lab coats, change of clothes etc. This is a touch inconvenient as many of us would not want to keep our lab coats (filled with the lingering odour of preservatives and preserved tissue) in our bags.

4) Also, they are currently doing work on the Anatomy Room roofs, which means anatomy practicals have shifted to the Exam Hall, temporarily. To be honest, I prefer the layout in the Exam Hall as it is much larger, hence more space to move about. On the bright side, we've had loads of activities planned for Fresher's Week. Some of them include the Pink Party (RCSI Cancer Soc - get your tickets from me, Raveena, or Claire please ^^), the Amazing Race (PMC Student Association), White Party, Ballad Session and Pub Crawl. The Pink Party this year will be held at DTwo Club/Bar/Garden, and tickets cost only €5, with the proceeds going to charity (most likely Breast Cancer Ireland). There's free entry to DTwo till late, so make sure to come and join in the fun! :D

That's all for my blog updates, and I hope you enjoyed reading. Thanks for popping by, and have a great weekend. Cheers!

2nd Med (the cover makes a great colouring page XD)

The relocated Anatomy Practicals

(in the Exam Hall)

Arancini (stuffed rice balls) with fries and peas,

 at AK Henry's

Lasagna from Dunnes for dinner, while I contemplate life...

DAY 369/370/371

Sept 4,5 & 6

1) The past few days have been chalk full of activity! School officially began on the 5th for us, while the 1st years had orientation on the 4th, followed by the customary White Coat Ceremony on the 5th. It's the first time anyone of us had been in the "Desmond Auditorium" for lessons, and it was, in a word, terrific! The larger seating space, coupled with the powerful audio system, two projected screens on either side, as well as the ever enthusiastic lecturers - ensured that our lessons were never boring. Which is just as well, seeing as our 8-5 lesson woes begin as early into the semester as tomorrow... Can't wait for the pain to begin then.

2) With the influx of old and new students, the new academic building is now operating at maximum capacity. Even waiting for the lift can take a while, so I have just resorted to using the stairs. On an unrelated note, in between lessons today (actually it was lunch break), some of us had signed up for a quick photo-shoot at the new building. We all met at the third floor, and the photographer took us to some really fancy rooms, to pose for photos. We modelled various procedures, including venipunctures (drawing blood from a patient's vein for a blood sample), delivering babies, performing CPR in a state-of-the-art operating theatre, among others. It was really fun doing stuff we haven't learnt yet, especially since we got a first hand look at the latest gadgets and gizmos in the National Surgical Training Centre (Levels 4 and 5 of the New Academic Building).

3) Today was also Club and Societies Sign-Up Day! Lots of clubs and societies, not to mention various tidbits for those who stopped by to sign up. As a committee member of the RCSI Cancer Society, I was promoting our society's first event - the Pink Party! We had loads of people come by to sign up, and quite a few bought tickets for the Pink Party, which is next Thursday (9pm onwards) at DTwo. The Sports Complex (the venue of the event) was buzzing with activity; all the committee members were doing their best to attract the others over to their booth. I did my best too, but after well over an hour, I needed some rest. So I returned to the library (2nd floor is my territory), and had a short nap. It feels odd sleeping in the library especially when there are no dividers (there were dividers in the old Mercer library), but if you're tired enough... XD

4) Anyway, I woke up reenergised, but still not mentally prepared for an 8-5 session tomorrow. I suppose that's one of the challenges of any university student - just waking up in time for lessons. That's the gist of the past few days, and I hope you enjoyed reading about them. Thanks very much for visiting, and have a great day. Cheers!

 Yeap, that's a dummy not a real person...

Seniors and juniors bonding session at the new building :D 

 Celebratory/reunion lunch at Dicey's Garden

(I'm reminded of the huge portion sizes ^^)

Our first lecture at the Desmond Auditorium

The cameraman at the back is taking a picture of me taking a picture of him XD

Such a great experience using all the latest tech and equipment

(even if only for modelling haha)

 Clubs & Societies Sign Up Day

 RCSI Badminton Club

(it's been a while...)

 Photographic proof that they opened the box of doughnuts!

(the fancy one on the left I mean...)

 At the PMCSA Booth Melvin and Esther, and Faiz as cameraman ^^

Manning the RCSI Cancer Society Stand

(pardon the obscured sign at the back)

CU Cupcakes!!

With Joshua at the Christian Union Booth

Still with Joshua at the Christian Union Booth XD

Miniature ping pong (table tennis) was soooooo much fun!!

Look at the plagues at the back! 0.0