too much exercise, maybe?

i went to Zumba and BodyCombat today, my head is hurting a bit and my eyes are teary, my body has no energy, i am ready for bed.

But all in all it was a good day, i had a good dinner with my housemates, good laughs, good chat and most of all, good time playing with baby bella.. :)

Good night, world! See you tomorrow!

kenangan yang terindah

Songs that used to make me cry my heart out, i sing now with a smile on my face...
The feelings and emotions no longer well up uncontrollably when i stumble upon images that break my heart...

I remember the songs, i remember the lyrics, i remember the details, i remember how it feels. I remember how it used to be, but something must have attacked my limbic system. Those memories no longer come with emotions anymore, emotions that i have become so accustomed to.

When i see * holding on ever so tightly, afraid that a past unknown to her might catch up someday, my heart breaks. i feel so sorry for her..

When i see how ^ gave up on all the promises she once made with the truest of her heart, not out of selfishness but because it was never meant to be, i salute her for her courage. No one will understand her, but i do..

When i see how ~ struggles to keep her head straight yet her heart gets the better of her, i know too that sooner or later, she would have to make a choice and stop letting things tear her apart..

Lord, whenever i look back, whenever i think of things like that, i remember how you dragged me out of this crazy game. I wasn't the most grateful girl at that time but i am now. Thank you for every little thing that has happened and for every single person who has come into my life. I may not understand why but i am thankful because now i understand what others might never understand, or even ever seek to understand.

And because you came into the picture at just the right time, i have a special gratitude towards you too. =)

Bila yang tertulis untukku adalah yang terbaik untukmu,
Kan ku jadikan kau kenangan yang terindah dalam hidupku,
Namun takkan mudah bagiku meninggalkan jejak hidupku,
Yang t'lah terukir abadi sebagai kenangan yang terindah..

p/s: sorry if no one understands this! It's more for my own keepsake. ;)

finally, some relief..

Since i got back from Launceston i have been hiding in my room, figuring out (or trying to) what needs to be done, what is more urgent and getting the urgent things out of the way.

What was urgent from that time til now was my experiments for my honours project and ID. I was also working on my resume so that i can get them sent out as soon as possible.

Now that experiments are over, ID is over, there is just this relief that came, i don't know why. Maybe it's God's peace. I still have a thousand and one things to do but it doesn't feel that urgent anymore. I don't feel that things are banging on my door, and coming into my face every minute anymore.. =)

And finally, i can sit at the dining table and chat away with my housemates like i used to, over a cup of tea and some sour snakes..

Thank you Lord for reminding me that you had a plan for me even before i was born, and your plans for me are good plans, plans to prosper me, not harm me.. and thank you that you will make all things work together for my good..

i live among mountains

mountains of books, notes and clothes.

my room's in a big mess, i have one spot to sit, one trail to go from my wardrobe to my door and that's it.

i dunno what bugs are hiding under all that mess, nor do i know how thick a layer of dust is accumulating on my desk, printer, shelves. don't even ask me if there's mould on my window panes, i didn't dare to look.

6 weeks worth of cleaning up, tidying and laundry. and the clock's still ticking away. it's cos they're neither too important nor very urgent. sigh. life is demanding!

after a whole day of doing one single experiment in the lab, preparing 7 reagents just for one reaction using 3 samples, i am totally exhausted. thankfully i have my good friend yaya to accompany me during the boring 3 x 1hour breaks where we just sit and wait for the reaction to occur in the eppendorf tubes. not that i can see anything happening.

today's Zumba class was unusually exhausting as well. maybe it's just me.

i am so sleepy! need to be back in the lab again tomorrow but i reckon not for too long. so much to do, so little time!

my dear sis is now holding down a job in Singapore and will be staying there for a while. may God continue to light the way for you, che and may you continue to shine like a star wherever you are! love you lots! :)

and and, 米修, 米修! ;) [just to make you curious, yaya!]

my share of rainbow

woke up, got ready, gazed in awe at a beautiful rainbow while waiting for the bus (i wonder why buses on the other side of the road always comes first, no matter which side you're at), went to the city, got what i needed to get (and a lil something for myself as well), came home, had lunch.

Waited for the bus again, went to uni, took money from Co-op for Ting, met a friend i just got to know in Launnie, helped her buy bus tickets cos she didn't have her student card, lied to the guy selling tickets when he asked whether i was with a friend :(, went to the lab, didn't do much cos i didn't bring my labcoat and i wasn't aware he wanted me to start preparing [as in preparing reagents], realised forgot to give the girl back her change, texted Kitty (her friend) and asked for her number but met Han Wei before Kitty could reply, got her number, found her and off i rushed back home.

Quickly changed and started a bit on my resume, rushed to Zumba, met Joyce on the way home and de-toured to pick baby up, quickly ran home, got changed, had quick snack, went off to Leader's meeting.

Came back, had dinner, read Mandy's amazing blog which is rich with heartwarming stories, talked with Joyce a bit, took a shower and now, blogging. Have to read up a bit for experiment tomorrow and get to bed early cos i want to be fresh and bright for tomorrow's experiment. Hopefully i won't finish too late.

The lil something i bought today was a book, "The Secrets Women Keep". I haven't read much yet but it's talks about how the secrets that we keep, or try to keep, can be damaging to us and our identity. Will share more when i get time to read. I just couldn't resist buying another book.

You know, sometimes, what is unsaid can be as or even more, impacting than what is said. Like how i collect containers, big or small, round or squarish. Like how i keep plastic bags just in case i need it when the moon turns blue. Like how i like to read books and keep one somewhere near for when i need a little break. Like how i have to cut up the fruits into pieces if i intend to share it with others. Like how i like to wrap presents in a particular way. My mum never taught me to collect containers like she does (few cupboard-fuls of them), nor did my dad ever tell me to read lots of books like him. Before the television got his attention, he used to read a lot. Be it lying on the couch or sitting at the dining table or even up in his room, he'd always be reading a book or have one nearby. It may be a new book he just got from Salvation or one that he has read for the umpteenth time with broken edges and extensively hightlighted pages. And i am quite sure there are more things than these that no one told me to do but i just learnt by watching. I had better start watching what i do myself, in case someone else is watching me. :D

Today, when i saw J paying for S's whopper meal cos S didn't have cash on her, it reminds me of that one Sunday we were having fish and chips for lunch by the docks, and i didn't have cash on me too. Fond memories. How sweet!

the way you make me smile

tells me what my heart wants to know

reminds me how i used to hold

onto what you have to show

so now let me just forgo

all that i used to know

and let us have a go

at finding our own pot of gold


:)

Help!

Did i mention i gained at least 3kg over the 7 weeks that i've not been exercising?

Exams and placements just make u fat! Seriously! My tummy is bulging out like i'm pregnant and it's so embarrassing!

i'm glad i'm finally getting back to Zumba and all the other exciting stuff going on in the gym! And i'll have to watch what i eat. Like, seeeeriously..

:S

The end of all placements

Yay! i got my chatbox back, but then the 'sign in' button on the top right hand corner is gone from my site. Haih.

So again, another 3 weeks have gone by swiftly and i am back in Hobart with no more placements to go for. What i have been looking forward to 7 weeks ago, has become history. And again, time has proven to me that it's got wings.

Although we have to walk 35 minutes (more or less depending on various factors like how much sleep we had, any obstacles along the way, left something at home, fog, stamina, etc) to and from the Launceston General Hospital 4 days a week, i quite like the fact that we get to exercise a little bit and i enjoyed the time walking. Sometimes it can be a bit tiring, sometimes the fog is so thick we can't even see what's 100m in front of us. Sometimes it cold, sometimes it's hot til we sweat. But at least, it wasn't a boring and lonely walk. I've got a friend! :) and i thank God that he answered our prayer to not rain while we need to walk outside. It rained during the weekends though, and we can't go out to explore much of Launnie due to the rain. But like Maria said "it's a blessing in disguise!" :)

During our time there, we were constantly kept on our toes because of the questions posed to us. The more i learn, the more i realise there's so much that i don't know. What i got most out of the placement at the hospital was courage and confidence to interview the patients, talk to them and get to know them. Of course, i learnt much more than that but it was a personal breakthrough to be able to do admission interviews on my own. Thank you Lord!

Well, after another 3 weeks of staying with Ya Ya, it feels a little different now, not to hear her gulping down her one litre of water, clicking away on her computer and seeing a blurry figure sitting beside the iron board and heater at 6.30am everyday. Thanks Ya Ya for making 6 weeks away from home so much more bearable! :)

Now i've still got so much to do, i don't even know where to start! HELP!

the little birdie template

i like this template better. hmm.

well, back from INCEPTION and totally exhausted, from both the long day and from the movie.

Now my chat box is gone! i'll fix it tomorrow cos i am quite sure i need no more than 30 secs to fall asleep now.

Good nite!

Good to be back!

hunting for templates

again.

Just got back from placement today, will be going out for a movie with a big gang later, organised by C3 international students.. ;)

i like the dandelions next to the title on every post but i don't really like the colour.

hmm, dilemma.

will blog more soon!

Praise the Lord!

Just a quick update that i have successfully passed all my subjects for 1st sem of 4th year, which indirectly implies that i will graduate end of the year!

Thank you so much Lord! Your goodness and grace, faithfulness and favour is limitless!

Greetings from foggy and cold Launceston!

much love and have a good weekend! :)

Blogposts from pebblepad: It's time to say goodbye!

It was my last day at Terry White Chemist Bairnsdale today. I walked into the pharmacy with a heavy heart and decided to continue packing Webster packs. Although the fumes make me feel dizzy and my fingers ache with cuts here and there, and my shoulders tighten up after packing for a while, I still like doing it. Epilim tablets 200mg and 500mg are enteric coated round purple tablets while the 100mg are crushable tablets. Lovan are bright green capsules. Ostelin capsules look like fish oil capsules but smaller with Ostelin written on it. Ditropan 5mg tablets are light blue in colour. Paxam 500mcg tablets are peach-coloured and they are scored with a cross in the middle, that makes it easy to half it or quarter it. However, they are really hard tablets to halve even with the tablet cutter. I had to use the tablet cutter a lot today because one patient has difficulty swallowing so the bigger tablets like Caltrate and Centrum tablets needed to be halved.

While I was making up this very complicated pack with some needing to be halved, some quartered, some taken two tablets in the morning and two at night, some four at once, I thought about drug-related problems that may occur with the concurrent administration of so many drugs. I wondered if the Caltrate is causing constipation problems resulting in the need for 2 x Coloxyl and Senna tablets every night. I wondered how serious can the patient’s epilepsy be to need 1400mg of Epilim (Sodium Valproate), 100mg of Topamax (Topiramate) and 250mcg of Clonazepam everyday. I wondered how a patient can take 4 x 500mg Diabex (Metformin) tablets which are so huge, all at the same time. I wondered how compliant would a patient be if he needs to take 8 tablets at breakfast, 1 during lunch, 5 during dinner and 2 ½ at bedtime. I wondered how effective is 2 x 5mg of Aricept (Donepezil) tablets in treating a patient’s Alzheimer’s disease.

They bought cake for tea break this afternoon because it was my last day. I felt so hesitant in my heart to say goodbye to all these people who have been so good to me this three weeks. The thought of not being able to walk into Terry White Bairnsdale as if I were part of it makes my heart ache a bit. Not only am I leaving the pharmacy, I am also leaving Bairnsdale. All I could say was “see you if I see you”, knowing very well that it will not be quite possible for me to come back to this lovely place. I made a card for them and bought some chocolates too. What made my day was when the pharmacy owner exclaimed loudly that it was the best present he has ever received in his pharmacy. Just as much as I hope to remember this place, I hope this place will not forget me.

I can’t put down in words how much I have learnt during my 3-week placement in Bairnsdale. Just when I am starting to get used to the routine of waking up, washing up, having breakfast, having lunch packed by Maria, walking a thousand steps to the pharmacy, parting with Maria 2 minutes before I reach my destination, walking into the pharmacy knowing who will be working on that day and wondering what interesting things I may encounter, it’s already time to say goodbye.

Besides all the knowledge and skills I’ve gained, I’ve also truly experienced the ‘community’ in a community pharmacy. Although I have never really seen many of the customers but my heart leaps when I hear a familiar name, be it someone I’ve dispensed meds for or someone I’ve packed a Webster pack for. The staff at the pharmacy are a community by itself but when I see pharmacy assistants calling the customers by name as they walk in, asking them about the latest updates, it just makes me understand what really, is a community pharmacy. One customer may be the pharmacist’s neighbour, another the technician’s grandma. Everybody knows everybody. What impresses me the most is, if the deliveries have gone out at 3pm and some more deliveries need to be made that day, the owner himself will deliver them. Otherwise, another staff will deliver it if it is near his/ her home. This, I guess, is what I truly love about a small place like Bairnsdale.

We will have to take a 4-hour train ride to Melbourne and then fly back to Hobart tomorrow! Goodbye Bairnsdale, goodbye Terry White Chemist Bairnsdale. Goodbye to the beautiful hills and rivers, goodbye to everyone who have been so nice to us. Thank you for the beautiful memories!

Blogposts from pebblepad: Webster packs, Metung Depot and a little tour around East Gippsland

I finally got the chance to pack Webster packs today! It was so fun and I like doing it so much! I packed about 5 simple ones and 2 very complicated ones! By packing the Webster packs, I get to know something else about the medications. Besides the use, the side effects, the dosage requirements, I now also know how they look like! Coversyl are green round tablets with a little heart printed on it, and the bottle’s really good. There’s a little opening that allows only one tablet to come out at one time. Marevan 3mg are blue, 1mg are brown. Karvezide tablets are pink and longish tablets that also have heart shapes printed on them. Somac 40mg are tiny, flat oval-shaped tablets that are yellowish in colour and has a P40 printed on it. Creon comes in capsules of half red and half transparent, with brown beads inside. The Zyprexa wafers can not be removed from the packaging so we tear a little piece of the blister strip with the wafer inside, fold the ends and insert it into the Webster pack. When I was still learning how to make them up, I accidentally crushed an aspirin tablet, and melted the sides of one of the packs. After that, I try and tear the foil a little before pushing the tablet out so that I don’t break the tablet while trying to push it out from the blister packaging.

They usually do 4 Webster packs at one go, for one patient and that allows for one month’s supply. I am not confident enough to handle four at a time, so I just do 2 at the same time. The simplest one I did today had 14 tablets in a pack while the most complicated one had 133 tablets. That means that the patient has to take 19 tablets in a day! Like any other tasks, this also requires one’s full attention. Due to lack of experience, I had to count the tablets again and again just to make sure I’ve got all of them in there, neither more nor less. Some tablets can be so tiny they can easily hide themselves amongst the other tablets.

The other interesting thing I did today was to go to the depot at Metung. It is about 30 minutes drive from Bairnsdale. The depot has only one staff managing it from 9am to 4pm. The staff receives scripts and couriers them to Bairnsdale in the morning, the pharmacy makes them up and delivers them to Metung at midday. The depot has unscheduled medicines, as well as Schedule 2 medicines which are locked up in a cupboard. If the pharmacist needs to talk to the patient about their medication or if the patient needs to talk to the pharmacist, the staff at the depot will make a phone call to the pharmacy at Bairnsdale. We were told that they can do video conferencing as well but they do not use that very often. Metung has no pharmacy and only one doctor looking after patients 2 days a week from 9am to 12pm. However, another doctor is going to start seeing patients on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays as well now.

Metung is a very beautiful place, Maria and I couldn’t have enough of it. The water was still and calm and the sky was so blue. There were black swans swimming in the water and parrots on the trees. The person who drove us there told us sometimes even the dolphins come and play too.

I can’t believe tomorrow is my last day!