jackson and a different five

......written with much love,for Cathy,Moe,Sheevan and Donovan.......


As with previous trips home,this time round was nothing short of awesome.... the "Man I really don't want this to end" kinda awesome. It was a Friday night, and a significant number of APM members had just attended the production of "The Phantom of the Opera",a valiant effort by the students of Beaconhouse school. The highlight of the evening was however undoubtedly Cathy and Gabriel's performance of the soundtrack ....friggin flawless!!!

Following that, a few of us adjourned to an old haunt,Asia Cafe for games of pool to be had. An hour passed, balls were being pocketed, or not (in my case), beers were being sipped, jokes were being made and then out of nowhere it happened...... 2 notes of music bolted across the pool hall that catapulted Cathy and me out of our seats. I say this without exaggeration- it really felt like a bolt of lightning when we heard it- DIRTY DIANA!!! And then the staff did the unthinkable and switched CDs halfway......to techno at that!!!! Who does something like that?????
MICHAEL JACKSON got dismissed for Techno.... again.... WHO DOES THAT???!!!!

Anyways,Cathy and I were not impressed... not at all..... and I very nicely requested that they please play that song.... let the WHOLE song play. Those who know me well enough know that I'm not one of those people who go up requesting for songs or demanding change of CDs.... but this had to be done....it was a knee-jerk reflex!!!

They eventually found the CD, and played the song.... and then next song came on and it was Billie Jean..... and the next was Smooth Criminal... and it went on and on hohohoh JACKPOT!!! Thank you Asia Cafe dude. All's forgiven:)

In the midst of this,I took a step back....and there we were, Cathy and me dancing in between shots, Sheevan,Moe and Donovan.
5 good friends..... catching up around the pool table,and
Michael Jackson electrifying the air.

...now that is PERFECTION!!!

time to say goodbye

Man,its been awhile.... and alot has happened in 'awhile'. Completed my second year of residency,got a hair cut, said goodbye to Glasgow, went home for abit,moved to Melbourne...... all in the space of 1 year.

So yes- I truly truly enjoyed my training in the UK.It was amazing and shitty and fun and difficult and manic and sad and everything in between.It was the ultimate love-hate relationship and IT ROCKED!!!! I went from a timid,not so confident,totally wet behind the ears junior doctor to a more out-spoken,comfortable in my own skin, confident senior house officer.... a rite of passage I think EVERYONE goes through... in any walk of life. As one of my consultants told me- "Now at the end of it all.. you've got some hair on your chest!!"

As for the colleagues,I was fortunate enough to work with some world class surgeons and physicians,eccentric perfectionists who inspire...... amazing nurses,too many to mention,some of whom were like mothers, some like sisters.....hospital porters-Malchie,George,Vinnie-legends,absolute legends... and of course fellow peers and seniors.....WE HAD SOME FUN!!
As cringingly cliche as this is going to sound, it is because of the bonds formed between these people that the job was never just a job!!


Saying goodbye to everyone in Glasgow was probably one of the hardest things I've had to do in a long long time. 5 years of friendships which will undoubtedly remain lifelong,5 years of laughter,tears,walks,talks,dancing,making snow angels,movie marathons....and most importantly-5 years of self discovery.

BUT...... paraphrasing the immortal words of George Harrison-
"All (good) things must pass."