FY2 Begins

Welcome to FY2 (foundation year 2 training), the land of experimental e-portfolios, no study leave in some trusts whilst others take any exam known to man that may help at ST job interviews and getting bleeped because nurses are not allowed to get F1s out of bed at night. Take control of your own learning, arrange a taster week and write an a4 report on it (is anyone else thinking primary school or medical elective?). My first week consisted of the usual induction topics (fire safety, infection control, risk management lectures) with resus training (always useful). Sometimes I wonder why I do this job especially when a minority of patients are rude, aggressive or abuse the NHS. This is counterbalanced by the warm fuzzy feeling I get when I have made a diagnosis and initiated treatment which will benefit the patient (cliche alert). I still get a rush from the clinical experience and I hope to never loose that enthusiasm. However glancing at some of my more experienced colleagues, it may be inevitable. Doctors are less respected than before, medico legal is the buzz word and the internet makes self diagnosis a foregone conclusion. Despite all this, I honestly don't think I could do anything else. Enough talking shop.

Watch out for:

Jazmine Sullivan-they're calling her the new Alicia Keys (no comparison, vocally she wins hands down but I do love Alicia).
Little Jackie -eclectic genre defying artist.

10 things I have learnt:

1.I have a magazine addiction-glamour, elle, vogue, company etc
2.New Kids On The Block have a greatest hits album out in the States
3.Georgia is a State outside of the US
4.MMC (modernising medical careers) doesn't know what it is doing
5. Rock star kids have no common sense and are always named after fruit
6. You can be famous for no reason (Brooke Hogan, BB contestants, Jamie Winstone)
7. Sienna Miller is immensely talented (if anyone has any idea of which field other than dating 'separated men', please send answers in on a post card)
8. Everyone is scared of getting stabbed or gunned down especially by kids on public transport who play loud music (la la la, no no my ear drums aren't begging for respite)
9. London lite and London paper come out AFTER metro
10.Lily Allen gets more annoying as she gets older, release an album (pref somewhere else so we aren't subjected to singles on the radio), do something.

Hello It's Me Again

After a 6 month hiatus, one could be forgiven for thinking I'd given up writing. My new year's eve was spent doing an arterial blood gas on a sick patient as fireworks and noise filled the surroundings. I cannot complain at least I wasn't working around Christmas. Surgical firms brought their own nuances, with more politics than the US elections. Despite the less intense pace I craved medicine where we could be trusted to diagnose respiratory tract infections without the help of the respiratory team.

London fashion weekend was dire and a night out at Dolce broke my record for door- cloakroom -home time ( 15 minutes if I remember correctly). Electric Showrooms (shoreditch) is sublime if you can get over the teen vogue cover wannabes. I recommend the raspberry beer. Adele played Shepherd's bush (amazing voice, I forgot how young she is till she started speaking), vanity fair portraits came to my favourite space and pyscho designs blew my mind (top floor holds nice surprise). Sex and city movie was fabulous of course. I spent most of my time eyeing up the clothes and accessories. Indiana Jones- don't bother if you haven't bothered already,in which case it's too late. I was embarrassed on behalf of the cast and crew.

80's attire including neon legwarmers and head bands, stag and hen parties, a deserted warehouse in Vauxhall. Yes you guessed it....................Roller disco. I am half way through Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, doing things backwards (I read Da Vinci Code first) and behind the times. Belle Du Jour's Intimate Adventures Of A London Call Girl is an eye opener to say the least but hardly Pulitzer material. Her relationship with her exes is the real story as opposed to the obvious call girl fodder. Pedro Almodovar's box set sits on my top shelf, 1/3 of a DVD watched so I question my film and literary choices. Has my job left me with a penchant to switch off my brain outside of work or was the 3 for something pounds deal online the clincher?

New music:

Cherish The Truth - Rnb trio likened to destiny's child. Good production
Lil Wayne Tha Carter III- 2/5 at best
Usher Here I Stand- I like 3 songs- appetite, love you gently and best thing feat Jay-Z
Danity Kane Welcome to The Doll House- Excellent production and polished vocals
Kate Voegele & Sara Bareilles Little Voice-Excellent
Sam Sparro Black and Gold-Electro soul at its best. check out Santogold if you want something more left field.

Hidden gems:
Lodge Tavern, W5- Arguably best pub Sunday roast in London.
Chopstix High Street Ken W8- Cheap and cheerful oriental food. Try the bubble iced tea.
Fever, East castle St W1-Quirky boutique behind oxford street selling contemporary and vintage designs
Absolute Vintage, Hanbury Street E1 & Beyond Retro Cheshire St E1
Check out urban path for other Londoner's tips

Sponge

I am not saying I am trendy but I am a sponge. Every fashion ad campaign, new music, new haunts. I search and soak it all up. The music crisis has been alleviated after several days of negotiations.

Hot music:
Kat De Luna -9 Lives

Jonathan Clay - After All

Souljah Boy fest i15-Souljah Girl. Cheese galore but I like it.

Mario- Go. Oak production is sick on Why & Kryptonite. Also other host of producers including Polow the Don and Neptunes.

Mary J Blige-Growing Pains. There was a late night tube journey involved where the ballads near the end helped get some shut eye but the fast and mid tempo tracks are good.

Common - I Want You. Kerry Washington turns director and I am loving her, she is so stunning it's unreal.

A mish mash of The Dream, N Dubz, Young Nate (Mixed Messages) and Tamia are keeping me going.

Awana- is one restaurant that lives up to the hype. If this is London styley Malay food , I am so involved. The amount of food consumed actually splinted my diaphragm, making respiration a struggle.




Denzel gives another Oscar-worthy performance in the lengthy American Gangster and Lions For Lambs left me irritated by Tom Cruise's overacting despite the sublime Meryl Streep. The Golden Compass made me all fuzzy inside. Dakota Blue Richards is very good and the bear is won me over.

I Wanna Dance

There is nothing like the adrenaline of real medicine. I am grateful that despite the multitude of mindless tasks that punctuate my working life, I can experience that buzz from time to time. I would love to talk frankly about my work but it isn't possible. Individuals differ in their work ethic and this job has added the desire to scream to my emotional repertoire.

Speed dating is an interesting experience, in some cases 3 minutes is not enough and you find the other person very interesting, in others the silence is grating as you pray for the break or someone, anyone else to rescue you. All in all, it's good fun.

I love the Keyshia Cole album Just Like You (Didn't I Tell You & Was It Worth It) and other music on repeat this week:
Bed J Holiday
Apologise Timbo
Like You'll Never See Me Again Alicia Keys- How hot does Common look in the video?

I find myself listening to my 90's music because most contemporary rnb has become repetitive. Same girl in the video, same video. Would love to see jazzy jeff live again, when he's in London and Snow patrol before I have grandchildren.

Fans of funky decor should check out Industry bar in Shoreditch, LVPO in Soho and Dion in Docklands.

After deciding against joining the mile long queue for the Terracotta Army at the British Museum, I returned to my 2nd home, the national portrait gallery for the photographic portrait exhibition. I hate to say it but I'm a fan of Starbucks sweets (ginger cake and yummy muffins galore). Gu also do great desserts. Convent garden is a great space, not taking itself too seriously.

Things I've Learnt

She leaves behind a week of nights. +++ Sleep deprivation, a minority of uncooperative patients and staff, nutella, proper medicine and being afraid. The important thing is she survived. The body clock must shift, not helped by celebratory outings. The mp3 hard drive data saga continues courtesy of a repair shop. Things I learnt this month:

• Flat shoes can hurt when you spend over 12 hours on your feet
• Heratbreak Kid is slapstick with a silly ending
• No matter how hard I try I will never find anything I like in Topshop
• Protein shakes taste disgusting
• Music is like a drug
• Zara is a bad bad place
• Thai restaurants rely on my business
• Larry David is a genius
• I loathe Kate Moss at Topshop and celebrity fragrances. Mariah Carey? Stop it please.
• Guest lists are archaic and plastic people do exist
• Don't say it, just keep it to yourself
• Jazzy Jeff isn't coming to the U.K for a while

Creative Deceased

In the past month I have eaten out lots (hello to the staff behind the counter at the fried chicken place). There has been refined cuisine too (dutch, chinese, italian -you get the jist). Danced to songs I have heard hundreds of times (fatman scoop should be banned in most places), drank coca cola, become obsessed with anything a certain colour and fed the dvd addiction.

• Little Miss Sunshine -excellent
• Mystic River -saw twist about 30 minutes in like Donnie Darko but Sean Penn is cool.
• Dreamgirls- I am embarrassed to admit to it but the songs are SO catchy
• Science Of Sleep -Gael Garcia stars. Haven't watched it yet.
• Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm Series 5 -every season has been classic so far so I am hopeful.

My Creative Is Deceased. As October brings new releases, I am left with the majority of my music collection in a cd format only and recent photos. I know I should backed everything up. This is a transition period (being a music buff) and with nights looming ahead so I will be in touch.

Hiatus

I return after a 2 month hiatus. My life can be described in the following way: sleep, eat, hospital, sleep, eat, hospital. I have survived three on calls, a bungled pay cheque, the wrath of relatives and registrar power struggles (the latter is still on going, we hope for a seize fire some time soon). There have been so many interesting moments especially the one where you really really want to cry and don't want to do this medicine thing anymore. Divulging any further details will threaten my anonymity. The weekend is when things really come to life. American crime season on Channel 5 anyone? The individual who said you don't get time to spend the money you earn was probably a scrooge.

To round up the last 2 months: Bourne Ultimatum- very good but not the best of the trilogy. The illusionist- quirky with the usual top notch performance from Edward Norton. I saw Shooter with Mark Walberg (last film of his I saw was the one with apes so you understand my scepticism) in a blurry eyed daze on the long haul flight. I re watched it on dvd bar the ending which I saw the first time and it is actually a decent film. Blood Diamond changed my negative view of the Di Caprio. Forest Whittaker and James McAvoy stole my heart in Last King of Scotland. As my creative takes it final dying breaths, the new generation of ipods including the ipod touch are released later this month. Creative also released a 16gb version of the zen. C-net Review. Amazon. Gone are the days of irritation with staff working in mobile phone and electrical retailers because I know more about their products than they do. I will not be sold a gadget because it is pink and cute!

On heavy rotation:
Mario- Kryptonite feat. Rich Boi
Trey Songz-Fly Together feat. Jim Jones
Kelly Rowland (Kelle with a southern twang as Yung Texus says) -Still in Love With My Ex
remix
Chris Brown-Kiss Kiss. For the record I love the production.
Nicole- Whatever You Like. Again sick beat.
Ne-Yo-Make Me Better. Timbo's beats are ridiculous.
New Talib Kweli-Ear Drum is alright but prefer earlier albums.

Look out for: new PCD (hopefully they will be more proactive on this record as opposed to doing covers), Mario's new LP, Keyshia Cole's Just Like You and As I Am from Alicia Keys.

After watching Nicole's pre show royale performance for the VMAs I give her my full respect. Not only is the choreography for the instrumental bit after Lil Wayne's ''verse'' (I could have done better and I can't rhyme) tight, she killed it.