I never thought this day would come. It feels good. :)

Finally finished up 6 weeks of ENT, ending off with a big bang -- aka the Mother Of All My ENT Calls -- last night. Sure, I got roughly 3 hours of sleep, but factor in the crummy 10 hours I had prior to the actual call ( which officially starts at 5pm ), followed by another 10 hours of non-stop activity ( who would've thought an ENT patient would suddenly decide to stroke out, or that the anterior ethmoid artery of another would choose that very precise moment -- 1:15am, just as my head hit the pillow -- to bleed? ), and you've got one half-dead MO trolling the SGH corridors.

I used to HATE internal med clinics, but ENT takes the cake. 50 patients per MO session in the mornings, 30 in the afternoon. With medical patients, you can just talk to them, write prescriptions and order the necessary tests. Not so in ENT. Here, you have to do nasoendoscopic examinations for almost everybody, not to mention lengthy aural toileting, with the odd minor surgical procedure crammed in the middle of the whole mess ( care of a minor OT located at the back of the ENT Centre, hurray ). Another thing I'm not too happy about is how certain consultants have a habit of sending us their cases, even when we're hanging by a thread ourselves. "Language barrier"? What the heck are the nurses for?!

Anyway, why complain any further when freedom beckons? Ahhhh. 10 days of brain-rotting relaxation amidst the tranquil beauty of Tasmania. National parks, vineyards, good food and liquor, trips on the lake... just what I need after a year of absolute hell in the work department.

I've never spent Christmas overseas before, and am greatly looking forward to it. Was contemplating a trip to more temperate climates, but why suffer cold weather when I'll get plenty of that during HMDP? :P

January promises a new set of challenges. Will be posted to the Singapore National Eye Centre, with a few stints at the SGH ER here and there to re-acquaint myself with the new system ( and force me to revise a little, heh heh ). In the past week, my responsibilities have suddenly quadrupled, with assignments for the SMA News, Singhealth, and some webmaster thingy for the local and Asian Emergency Physician chapters. I said yes to all of them, even though in the back of my mind, I realize I may be piling too much on my already small plate. The reason? They're tasks which I know I'll definitely enjoy. One even provides opportunities for doctors to do a lot of good in the community, especially for those much less fortunate than ourselves. Funny thing is, this happened quite by chance. Almost as if by divine intervention, haha. I hope I won't let anyone down.

As 2004 nears its end, I can't help but look back on the past 12 months, and marvel at just how much has occurred. I don't think I've had such an eventful year in quite a while. Passing the Part 2, meeting celebrities ( and shaking their hands :)), being guest editor, writing for The Lingual Nerve, and now these additional responsibilities.

Not too long ago, I wondered if I SHOULD whack some unsuspecting guy on the head and embark on a relationship. But now, I understand that this isn't who I am, and isn't what my life is meant for. One of the lessons I've learnt from Christianity is how God leads you in every aspect, and how, despite the doubts and occasional loneliness, you have to trust in Him and thus discover your purpose.

All through medical school, I had a plan for my future: get married by 26, complete my family before I hit 30, everything else being pretty much secondary. As you know, none of that ever panned out. And only now does it all make perfect sense.

To my well-meaning friends, don't worry about me. And please don't ever try setting me up. :)
To my parents, whose love is infinite, and whom I travel with not because I have to, but because they're the only people I can hang out with constantly and not drive me completely insane, I only wish I could say how much I care for you both. But then, that's not our style is it? :D
To the readers who don't know me personally but who visit regularly, thank you for taking the time to plough through the whiny drivel I produce.

Apologies for long overdue reviews of books and other assorted things ( but I will tell you that National Treasure was DISAPPOINTING ). I can't promise an improvement come 2005. Work commitments will put a damper on the frequency of blog entries, while a growing yearning for anonymity may just prompt me to leave this site dormant, and post my opinions elsewhere ( close friends will of course receive that new address :)).

But that can be left for another day. In the meantime, a very Merry X'mas and Happy New Year to all. I'm off to get some R&R. :D