Christmas & New Year

I thoroughly enjoyed my Christmas. Endless yummy food, family and no stress. The new year brings lots of demands. Elective planning, paeds and psych finals, end of year exams and probably others which I cannot remember.

Tonight I met up with some old school friends and we saw King Kong. Naomi Watts finally joins the Hollywood big girls club and deservedly so (see 21 grams if you need any proof). The CGI and special effects were awesome, particularly of note is King Kong himself. The scene where the skull islanders sacrifice Naomi Watts' character to King Kong is reminiscent of the Lava scene with Obi and Luke in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith whilst the dinosaur fight scenes brought memories of Jurassic Park. I found Jack Black's character very irritating, especially his cliched facial expressions during moments of tension. Adrian Brody was alright but his character didn't have many lines, not surprising for an action flick. We caught the late showing and the three hour length began to take its toll. I thought the ice skating scene on the lake would mark the end but another 20 minutes of action ensued. The heroine Anna was a tad gutsy, a refreshing change from the plastic side kicks we have come to expect in so many action films.

I am literarily having palpitations at the thought of seeing Memoirs of a Geisha. It will be awesome. Munich also looks good. Spielberg is back, maybe we can forgive him for War of the Worlds.

Cough and sore throat. That's what you get being cooped up with relatives for the holidays. The incessant wind and rain don't help matters either. I was awoken from a Lemsip-induced haze by the door bell. Our neighbours from the flat next door invited us to their New Year's eve party. It would be a good chance to actually meet them however it is highly likely I will keep to the yearly tradition of spending the occasion with my family. Happy new year!


and then I climb into bed before 1 a.m . I am interested in all your christmas and new year tales, post a comment.

Santa Claus is coming

I am really enjoying Paediatrics. The children are so friendly and regressing to childhood is part of the clinical examination. All the staff at the Hospital have been so welcoming, eager to teach and the parents happy to help us learn. It feels like 'proper medicine' and the last few rotations( bar GP) I have done are potential career options.


I made a Christmas list so I can brainstorm present ideas for all the members of my family. My week off next week and I am looking forward to some rest and relaxation after six straight months of lectures and clinical rotations. I dread the Christmas rush as Londoners search for gifts so most of my shopping or browsing has been done online. The positives of the holidays: eating too many courses, chocolates and desserts, sleeping, watching rubbish TV or dvds and having lie-ins. Bliss.............................. Oh and of course spending quality time with my family.

Negatives : I get a bit cranky being cooped up for a long period with rubbish TV. The endless visits or phone calls from distant relatives you haven't seen since you were 2, who still think you are 2.

Another storm brews

Today marks the end of a week of lectures. Some of them were very interesting and the majority were comm skills airy fairy ones. I went to a mate's gig in North London yesterday and the band were very good. I was a groupie for the first time and it is interesting seeing things from the other side of the fence as it were. The urge to learn bass guitar and start my own band has never been greater. One of the lectures today was cancelled and as a result we were left idle for almost 2 hours which was fun after getting out of bed early.

Check out the new ipod rival from Creative Labs. Summary of the specs:

• capacity: 30 gb
• Weight:163 g
• 262,144 colours display
• Up 10 15,000 songs and 120 hours of video
• up to 14 hours battery life
• Supported: JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF for photos and MP3, WAV and WMA for audio
• 32 Preset radio stations
• Voice recording capability

I fear this will be another 'iRiver H10 20gb' scenario where they don't release the product in the U.K till 3 months later. I am dreading the next few weeks in the build up to paeds finals, reminscent of Obs & Gynae. The tortue will ensue and somehow I must remain sane.

Photos http://www.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=213&subcategory=214&product=14331&nav=artwork

Sick Humour?

You all have to check out this blog I found online. The piece on Blu Cantrell is interesting to say the least.

Mini adults?

Today marked the beginning of my paediatrics rotation. Cue introductory talks whilst I was still half asleep, a nice rendez vous with most of my group and subway for lunch (meatball marinara is the only sandwich, come on). The waitress put olives in and I literally recoiled in horror. It was like watching a silent horror movie. Olives are just tasteless grapes. Anyway we practiced cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for children under 18 months. It was interesting and I am looking forward to paeds, apart from the exam at the end.

I spent the rest of the evening searching various branches of Zara for a black dress. In a moment of temporary insanity and an attempt to pretend I am a really cool medic, I agreed to attend the med school Christmas ball. I can hear the tuts of disapproval and I blame the festive spirit.




















Music I am loving at the moment:

1. Mary J Blige Be without you. I eagerly await Mary's 7th LP The Breakthrough.
2. Chris Brown Gimme That. Scott Storch has done it again.
3. Boyz II Men feat. LL Cool J Hey Lover. I've gone a little old school.
4. The Game The Documentary. East coast rapper + Dr.Dre = hot album.
5. Damien Marley Welcome to Jamrock
6. Keyshia Cole You've changed & Superstar
7. Lyfe Jennings 268-192
8. Leela James A Change is Gonna Come
9. Toni Braxton Take this Ring. The sample and production is 'off the chain'.
10. Don Omar Otra noche. I caught the reggaeton bug.
11. Shakira Oral Fixation Volume 2
12. Alicia Keys Alicia Keys Unplugged
13. Lucie Silvas Breathe in
14. Ray J One wish (Remix feat Jermaine Dupri and Bow Wow)

Jermaine Dupri is everywhere, maybe he felt Kanye eclipsed him. He is the new president of Virgin Records' urban division. I have to acknowledge he has produced great music including Kriss Kross, TLC's Crazysexycool, Mariah's Daydream, Da Brat, Usher, Xscape, Total and Aaliyah. If he's not on Bow wow or Mariah Carey's record, he's producing Jagged Edge, Donnell Jones et al. The term superproducer comes to mind.

Images:
http://shakira.web4000.net/uploads/images/foto%20de%20inicio.jpg
http://www.texassummermusicconference.com/images/recap/featured/chris%20brown.jpg
http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/photos/dupri_jermaine_cp_5660397.jpg
http://www.musicomh.com/singles2/mary-j-blige.jpg
http://www.musicomh.com/interviews/lucie-silvas.jpg

Start of the Christmas Season

The AIDs vigil provided a good opportunity to reflect and remember the millions of adults and families living with HIV and AIDS around the world. I like many, was ignorant of the facts but I have made an effort to educate myself on the issues surrounding HIV including stigma, orphans living in child headed households, anti-retroviral treatment and the eco-political implications. There is so much to be done and the first step is for governments of affected areas to accept HIV causes AIDs, a fact taken for granted in the West.

I attended my flatmate's carol service after the vigil. She sang like an angel and choir wore robed gowns. The cookies, wine and carols made it a very festive evening. Met other friends at pub in central London for the worst comedy night I have ever experienced. It is official, embarrassment is palpable. Thou shalt not go out the night before their end-of-attachment -presentation. Thou shalt not stay up till 2 a.m on the day of their presentation. One is advised to read the presentation thoroughly before giving it so that one does not confuse one's self in the middle.

Friend's birthday at bar in West London, very chilled and relaxed evening. BMJ Careers fair on Saturday afternoon. I breezed in for long enough to raid the Royal College of Physicians, Surgeons, Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, Medecins sans Frontieres and Medecin du Monde stands. I felt a bit out of place, mostly pre-registration (sorry F1 to be politically correct) house officers and SHOs (F2). I noticed how mush medics love freebies- pens, sweets, pads of paper, anything. I wonder why Pfizer had a stand? It's not like they need the publicity. Probably trying to schmooze some consultants.

01/12/05 Worls Aids Day

Zoonoses

Friday night was fun, ended up in a bar in Marylebone with some friends then soho later on. I had very little sleep because I got up early on Saturday to help at the conference. The AIDs conference was very good. I particularly enjoyed the lectures covering the treatment of HIV in adults and children.

What is it with people on mobile phones on the bus? Grrrrrrrr. We considerate passengers have to endure people shouting at the top of their voices about their lives/chatting to someone on speaker phone/ playing the latest 'tuunes' on speaker phone. I'm glad you all have mobile phones but I just want to travel in peace and quiet.


My trawl through pathology continues, currently microbiology, my favourite subject area. I think it's the fact that it is badly taught in the early years of med school. Zoonoses??? Had a tour of the microbiology lab at the hospital today. The consultant microbiologist was very funny and it was an eye opener seeing where the millions of path specimens end up. I saw herpes simplex infected cells under the microscope, gram stains, how they process blood cultures etc. I suppose I see the point of learning about the microbes. Did I mention the infectious diseases presentation I have to give on Friday?

Lots of elections for various medical associations and I fear many people are thinking of Foundation year 1 (F1) job applications next year or am I being cynical? Yes I am with good reason. BTW I need to hand in my elective application forms, get the ball rolling and all that. Most people in my year finish exams this week so there should be more going on. I saw my fresher son today and he actually thinks first year is hard work. I resisted the urge to remind him that it gets worse.

My flatmate is singing at her university Christmas carol service on Thursday and yours truly has been invited. Friend's birthday soiree on Friday. BMJ careers fair and university cultural show on Saturday. Should keep me sane..... just about.

Vital signs

Most wanted: All the James Patterson (too many) and Patricia Cornwell (two after blowfly) books I am yet to read. Lipstick jungle by Candace Bushnell. ABC network in the US bought the rights and it is being touted as the next sex and the city. The new Mary J Blige album The breakthrough , Floetry's Flo'Ology and Chris Brown's debut LP. Two weeks free holiday at some billionaire's Caribbean mansion. Back to earth.

Why is Jamie Foxx releasing an album? 50 cent's starring in a movie. Let's use the 8 mile concept, hire a model/actress Joy Bryant for the male vote, have lots of songs by guess who? 50 -I got shot a billion times-cent and we can make a completely original film lots of young kids will want to watch. I'd rather have my appendix taken out than watch anything 50 cent/Usher/Nelly act in. Acting is a talent, you either have it or you don't. Stage school is one way of nurturing the talent and I find it disrespectful to legendary actors such as Pacino, De Niro, Samuel L Jackson that these musicians think they can create talent from nothing. The only reason a lot of people watch the films is to see if these artistes are any good.

Got the Ray J song stuck in my head still and I actually like the Pussy Cat Dolls. In my opinion the Latin- African American girl, Melody is much prettier than the main girl, Nicole.

HIV/GUM ward round. Relaxed, funny staff and an all round change from some of the stuffy ward rounds I've been on/X-ray meeting I've fallen asleep during. I am attempting to crawl through the pathology course we did over the summer. That's over 100 lectures folks. Haematology is soooo interesting, do you know the WHO classification of myelodysplastic syndromes? No? Neither do I or anyone who isn't some haem professor. Presently, I occupied with the society stuff. Occupational Health informed me that they will have to 'bleed' me for measles, mumps and rubella antibody titres in lieu of elective health form filling. A few friends are going to roller disco this weekend but I am attending an AIDS conference. Rollerskating to music is so retro and I'm very jealous.

Fun

HIV and GUM is looking like an alternative career path for yours truly for today at least. Mainly because the staff seem more laid back than in most of the other specialties we have been attached to. HIV is one of the few infectious diseases I actually enjoy learning about. Sorry to the Legionella/ Schisto fans out there (all 2 of you). I got grilled by the Registrar today but in a nice way. If I didn't know it, he would give me mini tutorials in between patients. The consultant looked like she could be a med student, so young but a specialist in her field. Everyone is relaxed probably because of the high level of trust between the health professionals and the patients. I am going to stop now because I am sounding like a piece of coursework for general practice or communication skills.

Tomorrow involves searching for a birthday present for a toddler. Joy Joy .....

Yo sushi

I went round to a friend's flat last night and we made sushi. It was so much fun, like cooking with your mum when you're little. Today I saw Constant Gardener starring Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz. It was very good. Especially the moving camera angles. Debate on euthanasia in the evening (I'm on a roll with the talks). Extremey interesting issues raised. My main criticism is that the people who drafted the send bill on 'assisted dying' do not seem to have thought through the practicalities. The criteria patients have to fulfill (terminal illness, unbearable suffering, competence and the request must be made voluntarily by the patient), is subjective. I can understand the arguments for both sides but I think if the bill is introduced, we will be venturing down a slippery slope. Not everyone has good intentions as that GP bloke who killed his patients (Shipman) exemplified. Of course patients should be treated with dignity and reserve autonomy however providing assisted suicide as a potential therapeutic option makes me uncomfortable.

Off to bed soon, day of clinics tomorrow.

Photo from http://ro.altermedia.info/images/euthanasia.jpg

Sexual History

We survived the weekend. There was window shopping, dvd watching and a cinema trip. Surprisingly she didn't want to do anything crazy and I may have given her the false impression that I actually have a life. In her shoes was surprisingly good. Cameron Diaz probably played herself but I love Toni Collette. Ok I don't love her, I thought she was hilarious in Muriel's Wedding.

First day of my Infectious diseases/genito-urinary medicine rotation. Lectures with the main thread being the staff have heard it all in terms of sexual activities and we must get past our own embarrassment in order to ask questions relevant to the patient's presenting complaint. The health adviser clarified what 'fisting' and 'rimming' are. I must be the only one on earth who didn't know. Or am I? Write in folks......

This afternoon was spent finding a winter coat. The result of my labour-black, knee length, smart wool jacket from my old fave H&M. Whilst I'm here, the new Stella McCartney Collection is interesting. I won't be buying any of it 1. I can't be bothered to flog it to some poor sod on eBay (hang on...) 2. Every woman and her dog will be sporting something from the collection ala boho. I've realised some women are crazy because they will fight over clothes and shoes. Think January sales or Faith 20% off days.

I've got the Ray J song 'One wish' stuck in my head. Very loud girl talking on her mobile for 30 minutes on the bus and ignoring all the evil stares from the other passengers. We are all glad you're seeing Baz but we don't want to know your life story or what you got up to at the weekend.

Impending visit

I went to a lecture by Professor Emeritus Sir Gustav Nossal from the University of Melbourne, titled 'Global Health Advances in a Troubled World: 2005 A Turning Point?' It was interesting. He focused on the global vaccination programme made possible by funding from Bill Gates' foundation. Vaccinations readily accessible in the West are not available to children in the developing world. International Health is a rapidly advancing research area with lots of funding coming in. Prof. Nossal admitted that there is still much to be done but many advances have been made.

Friday night was the most fun I've had in ages. Met up with some friends I haven't seen for a bit. There was alcohol and music and the details shall remain with us till the grave. On saturday I got lost in Battersea/Clapham (they don't call it Clapham Junction for nothing). The bus to west London comes every hour apparently. Club/society meeting on Tuesday night. I'm helping with their publicity and it will involve using my creative talents (whatever they are) to produce work of a high standard in a short period of time. Also met my fresher child for the first time after a pregnancy I don't recall very well. It was an emotional meeting and reiterated the fact that I'm officially old. I tried to remember first year and the memories have merged into an indecipherable mass of thoughts. I probably depressed him with my musings on the years to come. I apologise in advance and will pick up the psychotherapy bills.

The rest of the week was the usual cycle of waking up, going into the hospital, eating and sleeping. Today marks the end of my neurology firm. The field really interests me and I am not ruling it out as a future option career-wise. Met up with my friend who just returned from his elective in New Zealand. He had a brilliant time and now I'm really looking forward to it.

My next task in between HIV/Genitourinary medicine, is to get all my elective paper work sorted out. For three months next summer, I will hopefully if they accept me, be gaining medical experience at a few establishments in North America. Need to sort out the health vaccination paperwork and book in for a Chest Xray as I'm told this carries more weight than a BCG scar as proof of the absence of current tuberculosis infection.

My cousin is coming to visit. She's 17 and starts university next year. I am tired from almost four months of the' first term'. Ideally I would like to sleep for a month but onwards and upwards. I'm trying to remember17............ obsessing over boys, clothes, gossip. partying and boys. Think the O.C without Daddy's credit card.

Mobile Phones

It's that time of year again. I have to decide whether to switch networks and or which phone to get. I am very indecisive so I've had to start thinking early. It's a toss up between the sony w800i (packed with multimedia features), Samsung D600 (sleek but hard to text with compared to nokia or sony) and the nokia N70 (looked a bit bulky in the shop).

My new discovery is the sony Ericsson w900 phone which is black (or white), sleek, 3G, has 2.2" 240x320 pixel display, rotary mechanism, 2 megapixel camera and 470 Mb of memory. I think it's safe to say this (see photo) and that ipod 30gb thingy (see previous post 13/10/05) will be top of everyone's Christmas lists this year. Santa if you're reading this.......................................

Signed up for the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Careers fair today. I decided to do something positive towards my future. Nothing to do with reading accounts of doctors graduating from Bristol and Leeds, moving back home and collecting job-seekers allowance as they cannot find senior house officer (SHO) posts. Some of those articles are so sensationalist.

David Blunkett resigned again. The media and the publics' obsession with 'celebrities' private lives is out of hand. They are human beings who make mistakes. As long as he does a good job and does not break the law, who cares? I can bet in 6 months time Kate Moss will be fronting even more campaigns, on the list for all the fashion events or telling her story on Oprah. Speaking of celebrities, what is Sienna Miller famous for again? Oh that's right she dated Jude Law. Liz Hurley comes to mind. It would be interesting to see what they put down for job description on forms- ''entertainer''?

Image from http://www.mobilegazette.com/sony-ericsson-w900-051017.htm

Rant

Apparently everyone is getting a knightshood from the Queen/ presenting their project at some conference/ doing their elective with the prime minister. That's all very well but is there any need to brag? It has taken me five years to realise that most people in my year are freaks in some way and I may not be a freak ( my psychiatric assessment not withstanding). I don't sleep in the library, suck up to consultants, live exclusively with medics or do everything with the purpose of getting a house job. I must be a weirdo. Perhaps I should start wearing belly tops and mini skirts on ward rounds. But will I be happy? Does it matter? Imagine doing a fun course at a non competitive uni where people actually have lives and nothing stuck up their butts. People say uni days are the best days of your lives. Not when its 6 years.

Could my irritation be due to the lengthy ward round just finished? Or the fact that I'm sick of a minority of self-centred medics who think the world revolves around them and take every oppurtunity to put others down. Perhaps it is the fear that one day my personality will evolve to become like theirs and there will be no cure. If this happens let me know and make me eat humble pie.

Kano Cancelled

I got an e-mail and telephone call from ticket web informing me that the Kano concert had been cancelled. On searching the internet, sources suggest the polics closed the venue in the interest of public safety based on intelligence regarding unsavoury characters ( I knew the restraining order would return to haunt me). My friend I met during my BSc left London today as she graduated and begins a new life abroad. I'm going to miss her so much and I feel like something is missing. She owns more pairs of jeans than I do for starters and is into her fashion. She's funnier, prettier and smarter than I could ever hope to be (Grrrr) but I love her anyway.

We went to NYT in leicester square on Friday night. The door man had the hugest chip on his shoulder ( the scientific term is 'bored twat with overinflated ego' syndrome). Anyway after giving the guy on the door some sob story as to why we arrived after the guestlist closed, he let us in for half price. My fake American accent works sometimes. A wise man once said If you ever want to get good treatment pretend you're from abroad and customer service for your Black American Express told you this was a good venue. Watch them fall over themselves to find you a table.

The music was the best I have heard bar Jazzy Jeff and for a year or so. There is somewhere that plays good music on a Friday night in London. Crowd was a strange mixture of university students, dancers from music videos and the usual array of scantily dressed girls. We had fun and mused over the fact that people aren't as friendly anymore. The funniest situations arise from chatting to random people. Had 2 hours sleep because I had to say goodbye to my friend before she left for the airport.

Gowns, hats and long speeches

Today was my BSc graduation. I sit here 6 hours after with the biggest headache ever, an empty stomach, the desire to crawl into bed in 15 minutes and no adrenaline left in my body. This morning started with a neurology tutorial where the lecturer could not access his slides on the computer, lots of faffing around but good teaching eventually. I ran around the town centre afterwards in a last ditch attempt to find smart black shoes, no luck but came home with a sparkly top (don't ask) and decided to wear an old favourite pair of shoes.

Met up with some friends who'd graduated in the morning ceremony. The queue for photographs was ridiculous so I decided to fill out my forms etc then to save time after the ceremony. To cut a long story short. The hall was magnificent and grand, long speech by the rector whom I love dearly ( he knows how much money all the drug companies give us offhead you know) , applause for prize winners, nods for everyone else. Envy of the doctors qualifying and incentive to be in that position in 2 years. Nice to see some of my friends get well deserved prizes. Short speech by vice chairman of something at the end was succint and poignant. 2.5 hours of glorious bliss. Facial spasm from smiling for so many photos, nice champagne reception with yukky canapes and yummy desserts. Ridiculous costs for gown hire, tickets, photos etc but nice euphoric feeling that you've achieved something and can share it with the ones you love. I think I need a moment.............................Sniff sniff.......

Anyway back to reality, I've got a tutorial early tomorrow morning, long day then Kano in evening. Congratulations to all the graduands and best of luck in the future.

New Beginning

I passed O & G! Relief doesn't quite cover it. GP has come to an end following a 4 hour debrief session which I thoroughly enjoyed. If one more tutor asks me how I feel I think I will scream. Start neurology next week. This weekend involved mainly sleeping and eating, no work just relaxing. There is the small matter of BSc graduation next week. It has turned into such a big deal and that is the exact reason I didn't want to go but it wasn't worth my family disowning me. I can't wait to sit through a ridiculously long ceremony so I can collect a blank scroll (received my degree in the post a month back). I would be slighlty more keen if it was my MBBS graduation. The drinks reception after might soften the blow and I was hoping to see all my friends on other courses but they've separated the medics from the rest of the graduates.

Music, my addiction, my soul. Faves this week in no order of preference:

1. Alicia Keys -Unplugged Album. Alicia surpasses herself.
2. Kano- Home sweet Home
3. Vivian Green-Vivian
4. Kray Twins feat. Twista- What we do. Excellent production=Club banger.
5. Ricky Martin- I won't desert you. In my humble opinion the only good track on the album Life apart from Que Mas Da (I don't Care) (Luny Tunes Regeaton Mix). I like the Asian influence.
6. Pussy Cat Dolls- Beep. Will I am on the track. Check out John Legend's She don't have to know which he also produced.
7. Chris Brown feat. Juelz Santana- Run it (Remix). Think Tevin Campbell with Scott Storch on production. He's gonna be huge! Probably only in USA as it takes a while for it to filter over here.
8. Mario- Turning Point. When it was first released I was skeptical but I've come round slightly. Scott Torch kills it again on Let me love you (remix) and other tracks worth a mention are Here I go again and Boom.
9. Keyshia Cole- The way it is. Kanye on production and a voice similar to Mary J. Blige. Loving it.
10. Sugababes- Taller in More Ways. Gotta be you is my stand out track (no.2) and I think Dallas Austin is responsible for the beats.

Greed, Gripes and Good movies

Have you ever been in one of those situations when you have to say something?. Take communication skills, after the simualted scenario, we have to give our colleagues constructive feedback. The tutor goes round the group asking for comments. We usually repeat what the previous people have said but phrase it differently. This time I thought I would do the unthinkable, say the truth. In response to ''So what do youuuu think?'', I replied, '' I don't really have anything to add as my comments have been mentioned by others''. The tutor gave me the weirdest look and after an uncomfortably long silence carried on. Jadefox 1, comm skillls 0 (so petty).


I finally booked my Kano tickets and I need to listen to the album before I go on 27th. The intelligent amongst you might ask why I booked tickets when I haven't even heard most of the album. I would redeem myself by saying many friends say he's very talented and I trust them. Plus I listened to sample tracks on his website and as a certain hip hop DJ would say ''it's gonna be BIG!''.


X-men 3 is released on 26 May 2006. According to rumours, The Beast (Kelsey Grammer?), Angel and Gambit will be starring in it and Halle Berry has asked that Storm's character be further developed (I can't imagine why). Memoirs of a Geisha is released in December 2005 and the trailer looks amazing. I loved the book and hope the film is as good. Other new releases can be found at http://movieweb.com/movies/releases/year.php?2006.


Went to Gourmet Burger Kitchen. We waited 10 minutes for a table is it was restaurant rush hour. The venue has gotten mixed reviews with some descre it as overpriced burger joint and others like your truly, think the food is yummy. When the food arrived I knew I wouldn't be able to finish it. I had the chorizo (spanish sausage with garnish and a ridiculous amount of foilage) and a chocolate milkshale (very primary school I know). Needless to say after eating I couldn't breathe, laugh or move in any direction without some sort of discomfort. Serves me right.

Harlem bar in Notting Hill after. The tiniest establishment bar some of the basement clubs in Convent Garden near the main square. The bar was eerily empty and even the bar staff looked bored. The last time I came it was so packed there wasn't room to even move. Had an elderflower martini despite feeling nauseous from the food. The music was a weird mix of motown, country pop and unclassifiable. I prefer Cargo, Medicine et al in Shoreditch. Shoreditch is trendy bendy but the atmosphere is quite relaxed.

Back to the flat. Watched Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon for the millionth time and the combination of overdistended stomach, Heineken and a long week in GP rendered me sleepy. I collect my pension next week.

Image from http://www.mywandsworth.co.uk/wandsworth/restaurants-reviews-gourmet-burger-kitchen.htm

New gadget

Ladies and Gentlemen I interrupt your daily proceedings to announce that Apple has released new 30 gigabyte (gb) and 60 gb 'video ipods' . They've broken the mould and created a black ipod that isn't a nano. I stumbled across it on the apple website and it's so new googling it in the U.K doesn't throw up much. New 30 gb ipod specifications:

• 7,500 songs
• 25,000 photos
• 75 hours of video playback
• 14 hours battery life (major sticking point)
• AAC, MP3, WAV & AIFF formats are all supported

All this for the sum of £220. It'll be interesting to read more of the reviews in the coming weeks.

http://www.cnet.com.au/mp3players/harddisk/0,39029146,40057546,00.htm

http://reviews.cnet.com/Apple_iPod__60GB__video__black_/4505-6490_7-31556110.html?tag=lst

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000617063064/

A Change has come

London Underground in their wisdom suspended the entire Northern line so getting home from Camden was very interesting. After running for the bus in 4 inch heels (more difficult than it sounds especially after Leela's had us doing a dance-a-thon), I had to wait 30 minutes for a train home. I pity the people opposite me on the tube home, as I discovered when I got in, my periodic bouts of sleep and random choice of mascara had given me lovely panda eyes. I should have realised when someone asked if I was ''o.k'', they probably thought I'd been in a fight.

Waiting for the train home, there were some street kids teasing some older less street kids. It made me wonder about the divide between rich and poor. The reason behind the taunts was probably jealousy of the teenagers who go to a good school, get a good education and have wider extracurricular activities (i.e don't need to hang on street corners). In an ideal world all children in London would have access to a good standard of education and I wonder if we would see a positive change in the behaviour of some of the troubled teens. School is obviously one aspect of things and home life is probably a more important an influence on childhood. It reminded me of the inner city school I attended and the tension we all felt. You knew that any moment a friendly situation could change into a situation of bullying and humiliation. I just tried to keep a low profile and just got on with it as it were. Violence doesn't solve anything. I suppose that's easy for me to say I'm not a child experiencing physical and mental abuse daily or feeling betrayed by my friends....

There was theatrics, dancing, flirting with the audience and of course wonderful music. The largest afro in the world on the most petite lady with a big big voice. As usual the Jazz Cafe crowd were tentative to start with, mustering half hearted cheers as Leela James came on. She quickly put a stop to that telling us ''she came to get funky'' and we needed to get with the plan. We all looked at each other bemused. I've never seen an artist with so much energy, she was bodypopping, dancing to ragga and jumping up and down in between belting out her songs. A member of the audience handed her a card and she got him up on stage to vibe with her, he bodypopped like his life depended on it. I kept thinking this woman is 'out there'. In another section of the show, she got the entire front row up on stage to dance with her. The crowd lapped it up. I should mention I was standing behind two men with the largest afros I have ever seen and Leela kept calling out to them. There was a singing standoff between the two sides of the audience, Leela's and that of her keyboardplayer as well as the obligatory solo for each member of her backing band. I particularly loved one of the bass players and the bands ability to switch between different styles namely ragga, rock and soul. She went off stage after an hour of playing and we had to scream at the top of our lungs to get her to return for another thirty minutes. I knew they were wrapping up the show and she had played most of the album but I was convinced she wouldn't leave without playing 'When you love somebody'. I guess she was saving that for tomorrow night. Upset and disappointment don't quite describe how I felt. The show was too short and she'd skipped mine and many others favourite song.

In summary Leela James is an excellent artist with incredible energy, passion and a voice that embodies soul and the blues. The change is here and I just hope everyone is prepared.

*Image from www.hiphoprnbsoul.com/ index2.php

Touchy feely

I detest Communication skills with a passion. It has taken over the medical curriculum like a virus infecting every area of importance. We will have spent six hours on communication skills by the end of this attachment, roughly the same amount of time covering upper and lower limb anatomy in the pre-clinical years. I was actually told that the aim of GP was communication skills and not the medical conditions. An absolute farce, what has medical training become? For anyone who hasn't had the pleasure of doing communication skills sessions, you have definitely missed out. It usually involves a a scenario with an actor playing the simulated patient. Afterwards we sit in a small group and analyse the event giving constructive feedback. The first and second year involved many of these sessions. Of course it is important to learn how to communicate with patients but what use is that if you don't know any anatomy or basic physiology.

I went to the Heroes of Hip-Hop night in South London on Friday. I had never seen Jazzy Jeff live and DJ Premier and Supremo (Boston dude) were supporting. His mixing was 'ridiculous' (very good). The crowd were hyped, lots of head nodding and jumping around. I've never seen so many people in such a limited space. Got in at 5 a.m after which I realised I don't enjoy clubbing as much as I used to. The crowdedness, the lack of ventilation, queing at the bar and the music is quite loud.

On Wednesday, Leela James will dazel us with her amazing vocals at Jazz Cafe. Kano plays The Scala on 27 October. Madeleine Peyroux has sold out her Barbican show on 30 October. It serves me right for wasting time. The Fugees have reconciled (about time) and will be playing at Carling Apollo in December. £40 including booking fee is steep considering they're not Michael Jackson. At least they are not playing Wembley so their fans might actually get to see their faces. I recall chaperoning my younger cousins to a Destiny's Child concert at Wembley a couple of years back. I was the oldest person in the auditorium bar Beyonce, Kelly and Michelle. It was like the entire fall line of gap kids had exploded in the building-never again! Brixton Academy (The Roots) is a good venue if you don't mind chocking on the thick stench of cannabis. By the end of the evening I felt sick and that wasn't just because of the opening act for the Roots (think Spice Girls crossed with Vanilla ice). If you think Justin Timberlake is the best beatboxer (lol), check out Questlove (?love) live. Jaquar Wright and Floetry play Jazz Cafe (13& 14 November, and 14-18 December respectively). The debut album, Floetic has been rinsed (overplayed) by yours truly. Floetry's follow-up, Flo’Ology is out on 8 November. So much music, so little time.

One step up from Knock Knock

A small orange neon sign above the door. Middle aged clientele skirt the entrance to what is one of the most famous jazz venues in the world. Our group were met at the door by the maitre de la ceremonie who escorted us to our seats. The room was lit with dim red lights and adorned with little tables, reminiscent of one of the clubs in 50's New York. The only jazz acts I am familiar with are Norah Jones (if you can call her jazz), Jamie Cullum and Madeleine Peyroux. The first act at Ronnie Scott's, a string quartet were very good. The lead musician insisted on filling the interludes with his jokes which were just one step up from knock knock but enough about that. I prefered the second act who were more adventurous with each member of the band showcasing their talents and lots of audience participation. Also their compositions had lyrics. I have this thing where even if I'm not a huge fan of a particular music genre e.g. house or drum and bass, if it has lyrics I tend to enjoy it more. The incessant shhhhing by the staff was unnecessary and the insistence of no coats above waist level and large bags was slighly tedious. I felt like I was at a school recital. Apart from that it was very good, perhaps not as good as everyone makes out but I think I will return when an act I am familiar with are playing, or alternatively expand my jazz base. People say I have high standards and they're probably right. The film Crash is the perfect example.

Crash was a very good film but the only 'ground breaking' aspect was that it dealt with racism (commendable I know). The writers of Amores Perros, 21 grams and Mystic River used the interwoven subplots to make a visual and emotional impact on the audience. Crash basically copied this technique used the racism theme because they knew people could relate to it , and it would provide an excuse for the lack of plot or character development. There were too many characters . With the limited running time, they had to satisfy the big name stars by giving equal screen time to Sandra Bullock and co and as a result the characters were underdeveloped and as someone watching I felt no emotion for the characters. Every character had to prove they were racist by uttering expletives and racial slurs. Surely this went against the underlying message, that racism is subtle. Everyone I knew who loved it hadn't seen 21 g or any other fims using the interwoven plot so they thought it was groundbreaking in that aspect.

Early start this morning- I was zombified. One of the District Line branches was suspended. After waiting 15 miutes for a train which we were told would arrive in 5 minutes and running from the tube station like a crazy lady, I got in on time.

Again the variety of ages from toddlers to the elderly presented. After three days of evading the inevitable question 'Any idea what you wnat to specialise in?', I gave the game up. I didn't want to say anything before because I thought the GPs would go on a recruitment drive to get me interested in general practice. They're all very nice and I think they are aware of the negatives of their job. However there are many positives and I catch myself thinking 'maybe I could do this'.

Caught up on some sleep, still technically asleep. Flatmates woke me up, the joys of cohabiting. Early start again tomorow, hello eye bags and drooling on the train.

Image from www.mknopfler.com/ body.php?name=galery15

The Wearer of Many Hats

The Lion and the Jewel production was brilliant. The book came to life with the wonderful choreography, rhythmic music and a vibrant set. Wole Soyinka at the age of 23, tackled issues we still face in 2005 with humour and brutal honesty. His use of words is nothing short of genius. Soyinka has reignited my love affair with Nigerian Literature and I begin by revisiting Chinua Achebe's African Trilogy.


My rotation in General Practice (GP) began today. Some students in my group had negative views of GPs while I on the other hand prefer to remain open minded. How can you judge something you have never done? I was terrified of being flung in at the deep end, the Bachelor of Science (BSc) year does wonders for erasing knowledge of clinical medicine and O&G can only take you so far. The patients and practice staff were all really welcoming and my GP is brilliant so I needn't have worried. The scope of presenting complaints is very broad and it is quite interesting working out the diagnosis from the symptoms as opposed to knowing the clinical details before hand as in Hospital medicine. The GP wears many hats- doctor, friend, confidante and healer of the community. It is a tough act and one I am not entirely sure I would like to perform in the future. Never say never.

Ronnie Scott's this week. I have never been and judging by the rules and regulations they supply when you book the tickets it should be an interesting night....

The storm is over

The fear and nervousness was palpable as we waited to start the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). I was attempting to memorise the landmarks of the pelvis in between listening to the instructions for the exam. They let us into a smaller room, one step closer to the exam and we waited waited and waited. It was o.k and I am just relieved it is all over till Paeds in January.

Tonight is the medics Pubcrawl and I asume the Accident& Emergency Departments will be on satndby for floods of casualties suffering from alcohol poisoning. I am off to the Lion and the jewel production tomorrow and dinner on sunday. I would make a reference to growing old but that would be ageist.

The storm is almost over

I write this with the risk factors for obstetric conditions muddled in my head into some sort of incomprehensible list. If anyone ever asks you for a complication of any obstetric condition say intra-uterine growth retardation (IUGR), you have a high chance of being correct.

The tension of waiting outside the exam hall like cattle awaiting their fate, last minute panic as some smarty pants tells you some random fact apparently everybody knows. The written exam for MBBS O& G finals was today. It was o.k (vague medic term meaning the you don't know how you did). Afterwards we exchanged tales of disappointment and sceptism regarding our performance. Statuatory medic behaviour, I believe it is a primitive reflex that evolves with each generation. There is solidarity in uncertainty and it feels like the torture of exams will never end.

Alas tomorrow, following the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), a brief glimpse of freedom and relief before the next set of attachments begin on Monday.

Withdrawal symptoms

Our flat's broadband internet has been down for 4 days. During this time I realised how much I take the internet for granted. Checking emails, writing blogs, doing anything apart from revision. The curse of eBay-I joined a year and a half ago and sold quite a few items and never bid on anything until recently. It's very addictive I end up disappointed when someone outbids me in the last 3 seconds. I've advanced in my bidding technique, it was so obvious I should have thought of it earlier. I just enter the maximum amount I want to bid for an item and watch the amateurs scrambling to outbid each other. This only works if you have shares in an oil company otherwise because the max bid is so low, the bidding gets out of control before you've noticed you're out of the game. The cheek of some people, not everyone wants to buy their 30 year old jeans which are in 'good condition' or carrier bags from Burberry (or do they?). eBay can also be very dangerous with stories of buyers getting defrauded by sellers offering fake designer goods. Sometimes I think if someone is that desperate for the Chloe motorcycle bag they should just buy it from Chloe as its not worth the risk however the lure of bargain prices is very tempting.

As you can gather I'm in the midst of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (or Geneology as someone once said) revision. Six days to go till the exams Its all going very well apart from the fear that everyone knows more than you. Medicine is so competitive with everyone blurting out random facts they read in 'some textbook'. I just have to console myself with the realisation that I have made it this far so I do have some grasp of revision techniques and I will get through this.

After the exams, various attempts will be made to avoid mass medic gatherings. Why you ask? As our year is so big, there are people you know by appearance only. Attempts are made to have interesting and meaningful conversations without making it obvious 1. You don't know their name (or knew it and can't remember it) 2. You don't actually know when or where you met them. Then there are the awkward silences as you rack your brain for any topics of coversation that may enable you to bond. If that fails a quick exit can be made, 'I see Chris... over there, it was nice seeing you again'. Some people don't like medics because they think we are arrogant and don't integrate with non-medics. I can understand why people believe that, judging by the behaviour of a minority of my peers. However most medics I know are friendly and do have non-medic friends.

Everytime I go to dinner in mixed company people always say 'My second cousin on my mother's side/aunty/brother is a medic'. Apparently there's a network of all the medics in the world and I have Dr. Xavier-esque powers so I know all of them, can read their minds using cerbro and we all join together to save the world. I actually like the idea of this in theory anyway. Another popular question is , 'You're going to be doctor?'. The classic one is people int he hospital calling me nurse when I have the dreaded white coat on plus my name badge. Its bad enough that you have to wear the starched items in 3rd year making you the object of ridicule and amusement for the hospital staff. Strangers in bars, public places describe this headache/backache they have been getting wanting a diagnosis. Hypochondriacs become your best friend hoping you can cure their ailments. I realise not everyone gets into medicine but many people have the impression your whole life revolves around the library chained to the desk. We have lives sometimes..

I am not qualified to deliver babies unsupervised so all the people putting their names down on my waiting list, I am extremely flattered but you'll have to wait a while longer.

Events in the city

There are so many fun events happening in London. Leela James plays the Jazz Cafe in Camden on 12 and 13 October and the theatre adaptation of the classic book The Lion and the Jewel (Wole Soyinka) is on at the Barbican from 28 September till 8 October. Jamie Cullum's new album 'Catching tales' is released on 26 September and I hope it's as good or better than the first. If you are yet to see him live I would recommend it, he's so talented and very good at improvising musically. Columbia recording artist, Vivian Green who I saw at Jazz Cafe, releases her self titled follow up 'Vivian' on the same day. She looks absolutely stunning in her new video 'gotta go, gotta leave (tired) and the plot is quite funny.

One of my favourite sites for planning events in London is view london . It is billed as the Londoner's guide to London and has hilarious yet accurate reviews of venues mostly from disgruntled customers. The National Portrait Gallery is one of my favourite spaces in London because they change the collection often and always have interesting displays. You can learn so much about someone form their portrait. I never miss the BP Portrait Award showing till 25 September.

For the clubbers out there you can find weekly events by clicking on the link.

Career choices, gadgets and music

Today I helped with the 3rd year OSCE resits. It took me back my 3rd year days with the nauseau and sheer dread at the prospect of 20 stations back to back. I felt nervous and this time I wasn't even taking the exam. It got me thinking about how naive I was entering medical school. We all quoted the cheesy line ' I want to help people and make a difference' in reply to the obvious question, 'why do you want to be Doctor?'. You don't think about the 6 long years and work load that comes with medical training and the worst thing is after we're registered with the General Medical Council (GMC), our post-graduate training begins. What were my other career options? I've always been interested in Law and medical ethics, maths, fashion and art. Maybe I could have done law but it can be quite competitive and some intellectual snobbery still exists (unlike medicine). Fashion designer? I don't think I'm wacky enough, sometimes I watch the Royal College of Arts students and admire their dress sense even though I probably wouldn't have the confidence to pull of some of the outfits. Also the fashion world can be very fickle, it's takes hard work as well as celebrity endorsement (thanks to the growing obsession with celebrity and self congratulatory award ceremonies) to get established. However once you've made it its unlikely you'll be down on sales that season or the next. The reality is I don't think I could do anyhting else career wise that would stimulate me intellectually and allow social interaction with members of the public.

Speaking of fashion, I detest the gypsy/boho trend. Thank you Sienna Miller for creating a monster. Walking down Oxford street at any one time, at least 50 fashionistas can be spotted all trying to make the trend their own. Gone are the days where people wear what they like or what enhances their attributes, it is more important to copy celebrities and be a clone of everyone else.

I love gadgets. There are so many mp3 players on the market- ipod (even the smallest tribe in the world probably has a cool kid with one), iriver H300 series (excellent sound quality and questionable aesthetics even with H10), sony HD5 (insistence on using atrac format, below standard software and poor ergonomics). People always ask why don't you just get a mini/micro/ whatever the cute one is. It's like buying a camera and keeping the rubbish memory card that comes 'free' with it when you can buy a 1GB XD card. Fine for some but music is my addiction. I get bored so easily and it would be a hassle transferring new songs on a 4 or 5 gb mp3 player every so often. The Playstation Portable (PSP) is the newest and most desirable gaming device however I eagerly await the relase of the PS3 in Spring 2006.

Albums I've been listening to this week:

1.Jodeci- Diary of a Mad Band. I know early 90's but the harmonies still sound fresh plus it brings back memories.

2.Bobby Valentino- Disturnin da peace presents... Excellent production and ok lyrics.

3.Green Day- American Idiot. Mainly 'wake me up when september ends and are we waiting?..'

4.Jack Johnson- Brushfire Fairytales, On& On and In between Dreams

5.Lyfe Jennings- 268 192. Soulful voice charting the modern trials and tribulations of a young man after he left prison, trying to cope in the urban jungle. Speaks a lot of truth, and uncomfortable listening for some.

6. Kelly Clarkson- Breakaway. I was sceptical and she silenced me and all her critics.

7. Madeleine Peyroux- Careless Love. Beautiful jazz.

8. Rob Thomas- Something to Be. Ex- Matchbox 20 lead singer and winner of countless songwriting acolades, does soul, country and pop very well. You could call him the rock/country Justin Timberlake or not for the less simple minded.

9. Rihanna- Music of the Sun. Reggaeton is it? Her voice has more range than I expected. Beats the Teairra Mari album hands down.

10. Kanye West- Late Registration. Some say arrogance is a virtue (probably his publicist) and others (me) think the first album was better. Winner of the hip hop album with the most interludes. This is like the Usher 'Confessions' situation all over again, millions of people love it and despite listening to the album many times thinking I must be missing something, I don't think its very good. Was I the only one thinking Michael Jackson? The production is great and I have to congratulate Kanye for making some good tracks on his own and resisiting the need to have too many guest artists on the second album.

John Legend if you're reading this, we the fans want another studio album. The white label stuff and Get lifted aren't enough. More, more! Wouldn't it be nice if destiny's child split up after a better album (Destiny fulfilled). I think once artists have reached a certain level, they rest on their laurels because they know most people will buy the album anyway or bow to record company pressure. It's a shame but I think the girls are great.

Future Jobs

I am currently doing a 9-week Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) attachment at one of the London Hospitals. We have two weeks will O&G finals and the panic is starting to set in. I have really enjoyed O&G, it's so different from the general medical specialties in that most of the pregnant patients are healthy women. The doctors involve us in the consultation and give us more responsibilty. It was a bit awkward at the start because we had to ask the patients intimate questions regarding their sexual health but it became easier with time.

I attended a talk on applying for pre-registration house (PRHO or foundation) jobs. The result, I feel confused and disheartened. My general view is that the medical schools and government decided to increase the med school intake without thinking of the consequences e.g there are now more jobs than applicants. We will be 'ranked' using criteria we are not currently aware of (and may never be) using personal statements and the Consultants have no say in who recieves their house post. I understand the need to make medical job applications fair and transparent. However we have moved to the other end of the spectrum where the job allocations are made based on an electronic scoring system without actually meeting the candidates in question. I think most people would agree that being good at exams doesn't make you a brilliant doctor. It may help but it's not a pre-requisite.

Many of us look back to 3rd year when we chose our BScs with hindsight and agree it would have been beneficial to do a BSc where we felt confident of securing a high 2.1 or 1st. The days spent mowing Consultants lawns/ walking their dogs are long gone. This news comes as I contemplated joing the rugby/ hockey/rowing team and or wearing mini skirts on ward rounds. Damn political correctness.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to the Jadefox show. I am a 22-year-old female medical student living in London. The main purpose of this blog is so you can read about the daily events of my life and share my thoughts and experiences.