DAY 686 & 687

July 19 & 20

1) On this day, Niamh and I were scheduled for a hospital visit to the Children's Hospital of Soochow University. So we walked to the campus together, to be greeted by Dr. Teng - our host for this visit. She hired a taxi (via Didi) to the hospital, which we reached in about half an hour. As per the other hospital visits, we were greeted by some pharmacists and doctors, who gave us a comprehensive tour of the hospital.

2) First, we were given a quick tour of the pharmacy and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) departments, before getting a chance to "scrub in" to enter the drug handling room. There, we had the opportunity to observe highly regulated medicine i.e. chemotherapy drugs etc. being synthesised and packaged for consumption. The practice of something called "PIVAS" intrigues me - it stands for Pharmacy Intravenous Mixture.

3) Essentially, in hospitals, the majority of the reconstitution of injectable drugs are carried out right before the administration to the patient by the nursing staff. The risks and errors associated with this are numerous. The standardisation and centralisation of these preparations by the hospital pharmacy, so-called "PIVAS", makes it possible to reduce these various risks and errors. In China, the first PIVAS was established in Shanghai Jing'an Center Hospital, and now 30% of tertiary referral hospitals own PIVAS.

4) All of that was in the outpatient department... now we would be shown into the inpatient department. Simply put, we were taken to the wards where families were watching over their hospitalised children. I found out that this hospital specialises in treating blood cancers i.e. leukemias, hence explaining the large number of patients who come from various provinces far and abroad. We cycled through ER, neurology, hematology, and cardiology ICU in quick succession, meeting so many children with varying degrees of illness. For me, it was not easy looking at a seven-day-old newborn, hands restrained to the sides of the cot (for their own safety, lest they tug at the numerous lines and intubations strapped to their chest and mouth), and face covered with an oxygen hood, desperately clutching at life due to a birth defect (ventral septal defect - VSD). We saw loads of other children too, some with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia), others with a subdural haemorrhage etc...

5) After all that, we returned to the staff room, where we had a short rest sipping mild tea. Then we were invited downstairs to an elaborate dining room, where we had an unexpected surprise - lunch! This was the last thing we were expecting, as in both the previous hospital visits we had always gone back to the campus before having lunch. Also, the fact that the lunch was served in such an elaborate fashion - complete with box set, herbal soup, cucumber, and yogurt for dessert - really touched our hearts! It almost felt as though everyone here treated us extra nice because they were used to working with children and their families. Just a theory of course ^^

6) After the marvellous lunch (in which we were bombarded with questions about our research here in China as well as our studies in Ireland), it was time to head back. Dr. Teng booked us a taxi, and dropped us right at the Pharmaceutical Sciences building. It has been back to experiments since, and nothing else worth noting other than the usual daily routine. That has been a gist of my day today (Thursday), and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks very much for visiting, and have a nice weekend ahead. Cheers! :D

Dr. Teng Xinchen (third from right), along with all the doctors and pharmacists who very kindly accompanied us for the duration of our visit :))

All scrubbed in and nowhere to go...

(just joking we had just came back from PIVAS :)

The very impressive outpatient department of the hospital

(Behind the front building is the inpatient department)

Entrance to the hospital

Beautiful artistic drawing spotted, at the PIVAS room

They make chemotherapy drugs inside this chamber...

"Look at me!" Niamh's body language would seem to indicate.

"Kindly avert your gaze,' would be mine. XD

A busy environment at the children's wards, with doctors, pharmacists, and nurses shuffling about checking on their young patients, as their parents comfort their children

ENAS Cancer Center for Children

The Haematology Department

I could hardly believe this was meant for us

(to be fair, I could hardly believe when we were told that lunch was waiting for us downstairs...

I expected cafeteria food... XD)

Group pic with everyone! Bon appetit :D

Everything looks sooooooooo good! :DD

Quick snap before we had to board the taxi back...

DAY 682-685

July 15-18

1) These past few days have been much of the same, so I shall instead talk about something else I find intriguing. How time flies, I often wonder to myself. In two weeks, I will be heading back to Dublin, for what would be my final semester here in Ireland (before I go back home of course!) I know one thing for sure - I will not be used to the cold weather once I return to Ireland. Unless the heat wave magically persists throughout summer...

2) This year has been one of change for me. Some changes are good and some not so much. Coming to Beaumont was a change, intermediate cycle was a change, my parents visiting me in the summer was a *HUGE* change, going to China was a change, and finally, it's my last semester in Dublin before yet another change. If it's proven anything it's that I have gone through thick and thin and have survived (thus far).

3) This has got me thinking. In my opinion, people in general dislike change. Especially when they've gotten comfortable with their current lifestyle. We dislike changing school (for fear of losing our old friends); we dislike a change in management (because we now have to re-learn and follow a new style of how to do our job); we dislike moving house (because we are now in an unfamiliar environment and need to adapt to it). Basically, we want the status quo to remain, assuming we are agreeable with our current quality of life.

4) But change never lasts too long. After a while, this becomes the current style of living, and the past is all but forgotten (at least temporarily). We make new friends, we learn how to make our new boss happy, we've met the neighbours and made friends with them etc. We are now comfortable with this lifestyle, until another change occurs forcing us to adapt. So people who are more successful are those who can adapt easily to any sort of change.

5) So how do you mould yourself to be someone who can change according to the situation? Well, first you need to familiarise yourself with the situation you're in, and what type of change it is. Then, you need to think of how to obtain the same results for this situation (that you are in), as compared to the previous situation. If you used to get praised by your old boss for doing a good job at work, then what do you need to do now in order to get praised by your new boss? Similarly, if you had loads of friends in your old school, what do you need to do now to make loads of new friends?

6) After analysing the situation and determining what needs to be done to achieve the desired goal, you also need to work hard towards this goal. This can be done by inculcating a desire of self-betterment. Essentially, you work everyday trying to better yourself, and not by comparing with other people, but with yourself. Only envy and jealousy can result if you insist on comparing yourself with others (as you'll inevitably compare the best of them vs. the worst of yourself), so stick to comparing with your previous self.

7) Soon after you adhere by this, you will notice that positive results are starting to show. They may not be as poignant as the previous results you had, but these things take time. You need to adapt, and the more you do, the easier life becomes - until finally you've back to your old threshold of good quality of life. Until the next cycle repeats itself...

8) And that's about it for my blog today. I have no idea why I decided to write on this topic of change, but I thought it'd be fun to express what I think (I usually never do so) and see if anyone agrees or disagrees. Anyway, that's all for today's blog, and thanks very much for visiting. Have a great day, cheers! :D

The crescent moon visible from my apartment building :)

 Getting economy rice (热干菜) for lunch today...

Followed by a LARGE cup of "双拼巧克力" - ice chocolate with pudding and taro balls :D

The tool for ejecting the SIM tray of my phone has now been sadly lost forever under the cupboard...

DAY 680 & 681

July 13 & 14

1) Today was an intriguing day for me. Right after dinner, Chris came to me and asked if I was interested in joining him for a tour of the church and surrounding lake. Always eager for an adventure, I instantly agreed. The plan was to reach the area before the sunset, which according to Chris is phenomenal! Unfortunately, as luck would have it, we were a tad late and the sun had set by the time we got there ):

2) Still, it was not a wasted trip as the evening glow of the skyline, contrasted with the deep blue sky made for some amazing pictures. Chris promised to show me some photos of the sunset if we ever visited again. Meanwhile, we were walking along the pier, where rows of citizens were having a dip in the shallow waters (although a sign saying "No Swimming" was clearly visible XD). While walking along the pier, Chris recounted his adventures during his "youth", including his many trials and tribulations. It was very touching to hear someone recount their entire life story, and it really made me reflect on my choices in life thus far.

3) Soon, we reached the Church near Dushu Lake. I wish I knew the proper name, but it should basically be the Dushu Lake Church. There were loads of couples getting their wedding shots here, in the gleam of the evening sun. The giant cross in the waters, bathed by the golden rays of the evening sun, truly made it seem like a divine experience altogether. We went into the church for a bit, before coming out and sitting on the grass. After some chit-chatting, the mosquitoes made their presence felt. So we decided to make a move to our next destination - another spot by the lake!

4) It was very dark when we reached, as the sun had completely set by now. We walked along the wooden pier where families and couples were congregated at, and took a slow stroll to the other side. All this time, I was snapping away at some truly surreal photos. Soon, it was time to head back, so Chris dropped me off at the pharmaceutical building. It was a short and nice trip, and it took away from the hours of being holed up in the labs doing experiments. It also reminded me to be appreciative of the little things in life, as sometimes they could mean the most.

5) That is the gist of my day today, and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thanks for tuning in as always, and have a great week ahead. Cheers! :D

Chris and I at the pier (with a row of swimmers behind us :)

Brilliant view of the sunset, very graciously supplied to me by Chris (after he came back another day)

The majestic Sun in all it's glory ^^

What a contrast between the above picture and this!

Statue of Jesus Christ at the Dushu Lake Church

How beautiful the view, how surreal the image :)

A couple getting their wedding photos taken in front of the church :)

Inside the church

Fishing by the lake

The huge cross greets viewers from across the lake

DAY 679

July 12

1) Last Thursday was our second hospital visit, this time to the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. A three star hospital (the highest rank in China), this hospital was founded in 1883. For five years in a row, it ranked among the top 50 hospitals in China. It has almost 3,000 beds and 706 senior chief and deputy specialists. The hospital includes multiple provincial and ministerial-level key disciplines and key disciplines in clinical medicine. It has 42 master’s, doctoral, and postdoctoral research stations.

2) That being said, it was Dr. Deng Yibin who came to greet us in his car. It was a quick half an hour ride, and we were greeted by a team of pharmacists and doctors. First off, we were brought to a room to watch a quick introduction video of the formation of the hospital. Turns out this hospital has three separate sites, making it by far the largest hospital in Suzhou. 

3) Next, we were shown into the pharmaceutical department, where we got a behind-the-scenes look at how medicine is automatically transported (via a rails system) to the patients' bedrooms! We also had a chance to visit the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) department, same as the hospital we went to last week. Lastly, we spent some time with an Obs and Gyn specialist - who recounted her daily routine. This way, we could draw comparisons with the medical system in both China and Ireland - a fascinating opportunity! 

4) At around 11.00am, it was time to go back, and we had a nice walk around the campus surroundings on our way back. The Sun was really out in full force this time, so it was a great relief to enter the air-conditioned building. Pretty much the rest of the day has been spent in the labs, learning more and improving our research skills. That is basically it for today's edition of the blog, and thanks very much for visiting. Have a nice day, cheers! :D 

Fabulous group pic in front of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) department of the hospital

Having lunch together at Cafeteria No. 6

(Most of the other cafeterias have shut down due to the school holiday, and will only reopen when the new term begins ):

The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University

(Yes, I pilfered this image from Google...)

Beautiful decorations where we listened to the introductory video

Rails where new boxes are automatically transported to the dispensary, where they are filled with the required medicines

Group pic in front of the TCM dispensary :)

The platforms raise or lower so that there are three levels altogether - top, ground, and underground :)

And there is the car underneath ^^

T'was a hot day, a very hot day

Niamh reclaiming a piece of land for her very own "Phoenix Park" in China XD

I couldn't resist - the sky was so blue!

Lunch today - long beans with minced pork, fried lotus root, and the all-too-famous "狮子头" "shi zi tou" ('lion's head meatball)!

Almost everybody's left for holiday except the graduate students... (and us, of course! XD)

"大排面" literally means what it says in Chinese - a huge pork chop with soup noodles :)

DAY 677 & 678

Jul 10 & 11

1) Back at it with the lab experiments. Honestly I'm not sure there's much more to write about that I haven't written about before, as it's basically the same rigmarole over and over again. Not that I'm complaining - I've learnt so much ever since coming here! So maybe instead of writing about the things I did these two days, I will write about how my perception of China (and Suzhou!) has changed drastically ever since coming here.

2) I have been welcomed with open arms ever since arriving in China. I've made tonnes of new friends, some of which are my lab mates, and others from various labs etc. As an outsider, my initial expectation of China was that of a country which is an economic superpower, at the expense of the sociability of the locals. I was (to my own detriment) perhaps expecting a pressure cooker system - one in which the citizens were caught up in, hence their social development and demeanour would take a back seat. How wrong I was.

3) I also expected a lot of pollution, and for many people to be wearing masks. My vision was of large industrial plants, with chimneys bellowing thick plumes of black tarry smoke, and the cityscape devoid of any greenery whatsoever. Again, I could not be more wrong about this. Meticulously planted rows of trees, shrubs, and bushes adorn the streets of Suzhou. Literally everyone uses electric vehicles for commute, with the rest opting for public transport. I recently learnt from Chris that even open barbecues are not permitted due to the environmental impact they may have.

4) All this just goes to show one thing - you can never trust what you see or read in the news. The best way is to decide for yourself. By travelling there and physically experiencing everything first hand, you will have an unbiased view of the life and culture of the netizens, and you can make up your own mind once and for all. For this reason, I encourage everyone to travel often, and travel far. Widen your horizons and become a well travelled individual. Then you will gain a better appreciation of the myriad of customs and variety that each country has to offer. And variety, as they say, is the spice of life! :)

5) And that's about it for today's blog. I hope you enjoyed it, and hope to see you in the next one. Thanks very much for visiting, and have a great week ahead. Cheers! :D

Look - you can have fun with chemistry - just look at that huge balloon! :)

Shi Zi Tou (Lion's Head) is very common.  The poetic name of this dish results from its appearance: large meatballs in a bed of cooked cabbage suggests, with a little imagination, a lion's head surrounded by his mane!

Claypot rice - so effing good! ^^

Too much goodness in one pic - the soup was heavenly as well in case you were wondering...

It's been a while since I've been back in the "教工食堂" (Teaching Staff Dining Hall), but one staff member card and five hungry stomachs later, and here we are! :)

Some sweet treats from my lab friends in the biology lab! Thanks again yo :))

I couldn't resist another pic XD