I was reading up on Silicosis, an occupational lung disease caused by inhalation of crystalline silica dust. Anyway, blessed with an attention span of an ant, I got bored of the books and decided to WIKI the topic on silicosis, and from the entire article, this is the one pearl of knowledge that caught my attention :
The full name for this disease is Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.
Now try and let that roll off your tongue! This 45 lettered word is the longest word in the English dictionary and basically serves no other purpose than as a 'trophy word'!!!
So yes, these are the little perks that come with studying about weird and wonderful conditions. I have now acquired an ice-breaker for those moments when you're struggling for something to say:-
Karen: Hi..so how's it going..... (awkward silence) ...... sooooooo, did you know that the longest word in the English language has
45 letters!!!
The Other Person: Ohh!!! Cool! What would that word be???
Karen: Its Pneumo.... pneumono..... errr.....
You stand and stutter and stand and stutter,long enough that the person whom you're trying to talk to must be thinking to him/herself "Awwww.... she's one of the 'special' people!"
Suddenly the awkward silence is not so deafening after all!
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Saturday, November 11, 2006
60 minutes
These days, I find myself on hour long bus rides to get to my current rotation. During these 60 minutes or so, I often find myself watching the pedestrians scurrying to and fro, with everyone always looking like there's somewhere else that they have to be. So many nameless faces painted with expressions that betray their thoughts and feelings or perhaps expressions that strive to mask the truth.I look at them and wonder what's running through their minds as they bustle through the streets?? The woman in a pair of 5 inch heels walking past my bus might be thinking- "Gosh.... so many people on that bus... ...please don't trip or slip up... they might be watching... they might laugh! Common... look confident! Chin up!"
Then there are those with a big bold "FUCK OFF" sign on their forehead!! Maybe they had an argument with the spouse about being late for dinner.... yet again! Maybe the sex was bad last night.. or they didn't get any all together! Maybe they're just bitter and pissed off at the world.... but then aren't most grown-ups!!! Then again,maybe they've just got a real mother of a toothache!
Yesterday on my way back home in the evening, I saw this guy in a suit walk out of a florist with this gorgeous bouquet of flowers and into the car. It made me smile! Then I thought wait a minute,a bouquet of roses could be a good thing or a bad thing.... and next thing you know I had this little string of dramas going on in my head that....
He could be this wife beating ogre who was going home to ask for pardon for his violent transgressions and to tell the wife that he really really does love her....that he just loses control.....he doesn't mean anything when he leaves a bruise over her cheekbone, or when he thrashes and throws her around like a hackie sack! He does it out of 'love'. Of course when your husband who has mistaken you to be an animated punching bag for the past 5 years, comes home 'misty eyed', with flowers in one hand and the millionth apology in the other....you automatically forgive him right??? I mean after all she probably thinking "Awww... he brought me flowers!!"
We just loveeee our vicious cycles!!!
or
He might be going over to the mistress' for the evening, bringing her sexy red roses to seduce the pants off her and to apologize for not spending time with her over the weekend because his daughter had a piano recital and the wife's parent's were over from Dover for the weekend.
or
He was taking the flowers home to set it up in the bathroom with candles, along with a vanilla scented bath. His pregnant wife's been having abit of a stressfull time with work and all... so he thought he'd surprise her with the treat.
Who's to say what the fate of those flowers were.....if anything it gave me something to do for the time I was stuck in traffic.... on the bus!
Then there are those with a big bold "FUCK OFF" sign on their forehead!! Maybe they had an argument with the spouse about being late for dinner.... yet again! Maybe the sex was bad last night.. or they didn't get any all together! Maybe they're just bitter and pissed off at the world.... but then aren't most grown-ups!!! Then again,maybe they've just got a real mother of a toothache!
Yesterday on my way back home in the evening, I saw this guy in a suit walk out of a florist with this gorgeous bouquet of flowers and into the car. It made me smile! Then I thought wait a minute,a bouquet of roses could be a good thing or a bad thing.... and next thing you know I had this little string of dramas going on in my head that....
He could be this wife beating ogre who was going home to ask for pardon for his violent transgressions and to tell the wife that he really really does love her....that he just loses control.....he doesn't mean anything when he leaves a bruise over her cheekbone, or when he thrashes and throws her around like a hackie sack! He does it out of 'love'. Of course when your husband who has mistaken you to be an animated punching bag for the past 5 years, comes home 'misty eyed', with flowers in one hand and the millionth apology in the other....you automatically forgive him right??? I mean after all she probably thinking "Awww... he brought me flowers!!"
We just loveeee our vicious cycles!!!
or
He might be going over to the mistress' for the evening, bringing her sexy red roses to seduce the pants off her and to apologize for not spending time with her over the weekend because his daughter had a piano recital and the wife's parent's were over from Dover for the weekend.
or
He was taking the flowers home to set it up in the bathroom with candles, along with a vanilla scented bath. His pregnant wife's been having abit of a stressfull time with work and all... so he thought he'd surprise her with the treat.
Who's to say what the fate of those flowers were.....if anything it gave me something to do for the time I was stuck in traffic.... on the bus!
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