A Few Updates

Amazingly, The Straits Times didn't use some unflattering statistics about the medical profession to their own advantage -- ie. flog a story in the wrong direction for the purposes of sensationalism, THEN refuse to accept any responsibility for the consequences.

Not that I see a point in publishing ER "waiting times", whatever those entail, since from all indications, these figures were garnered over the 2004 period, and have no meaningful breakdown in terms of peak periods of the day or year, detailed patient circumstances surrounding the discrepancies, the corresponding manpower differences, etc.

I mean C'MON, if ( and this is based on personal experience ) THREE of the A&E department's fastest doctors can't clear a Priority 3 queue even when they're on shift TOGETHER at 8am in the morning, it's obviously a PATIENT issue, right?!

The way I see it, if you (1) didn't come to the hospital via ambulance, (2) don't have an URGENT condition as specified by another qualified doctor ( GP or OPS ), (3) have stable vital signs, (4) are not in severe pain of any kind, and/or (5) can watch American Idol on the ER's television to the point of not hearing your name being called -- you can afford to wait, dammit.

We actually have people who register at the counter, leave the hospital to run errands, then return 2 hours later ( with the assumption that they'll have to wait that long for their turn anyhow ). Others stroll off somewhere to have hour-long dinners, despite presenting with complaints of "nausea and abdominal discomfort".

Singaporeans. You just can't beat 'em.

But why harp on something I have no control over? The past 3 days have been absolutely terrific, thanks to an Advanced HAZMAT Life Support Course conducted by 2 world-renowned American Disaster Medicine Specialists who came down with the specific purpose of conducting this inaugural event.

One of them, who hails from New York, even does consulting work for the long-running ( and IMHO, unbeatable ) TV series Law & Order. He's been on the set, met the stars, the works. Call me easily impressed, but WOW. :)

Also, great things are in store for Singapore's profile in the emergency medicine arena, as our country will be hosting the International Emergency Medicine Conference come 2010. Woohoo! :D

And if that weren't enough to send me into the stratosphere, I've managed to convince my usually reticent mother to let me do my HMDP in the USA, instead of the UK as previously discussed. Yes yes, I know I'm an adult and shouldn't have to get anyone's permission for anything, but I'm not the sort who relishes upsetting my mom, whom I respect and love. It just isn't my style.

But, back to the issue at hand. The choices are limitless. Mass Gen, the CDC, Connecticut, Georgia, or how about NYC ( consolation for not winning that trip on Class 95 )? :)

Of course, this also means I'll need to take another exam ( if I intend to do some clinical work ) -- the dreaded USMLE. Sigh. Back to the grind.

Norah Jones & The Handsome Band World Tour -- A review of her performance at the SUNTEC Convention Centre, 27th February 2005

Isn't it funny that there was no mention of this concert anywhere in the papers? ( No press conference either, hmm. )

Some inside info on that mystery later in the post.

Okay, I just want to state for the record that I AM NOT A NORAH JONES FAN. AT ALL.

I have her debut album, Come Away With Me, bought eons ago at the suggestion of a salesperson at That CD Shop. I listened to it maybe 5 times at most, before relegating it to the shelf to collect dust.

I didn't buy her subsequent albums / DVDs, etc, but did catch her on TV numerous times ( a bit of an overkill really )-- at the Grammys, a Ray Charles tribute, the American Music Awards, and so forth.

I realized a long time ago that even though I find her studio recordings rather dull ( who knows why she's picked up EIGHT Grammys so far ), she sounds a lot better "live". And this being her 2nd stop in Singapore in maybe 3 years ( plus the fact that I'm trying to "live it up" a little before my 30th birthday ), I thought what the heck, let's go see her. Just once.

Did I regret the decision? Initially, yes. I had very good seats -- 5th row slightly to the left, with excellent views of her at the piano -- and her voice was pitch-perfect and quite lovely despite the venue's icky acoustics. But... her musical style holds no appeal for me whatsoever.

Maybe I'm the sort who favours high-energy jazz, the sort only men can provide. The crazy creativity of Jamie Cullum, the adrenaline-pumping zest of Michael Buble, the cheekiness of Robbie Williams. Or maybe jazz is a genre where women HAVE to listen to men, and vice versa, in order to enjoy the experience. ( Although I do like Renee Olstead, Paula Cole and Barbra Streisand. )

In any case, I don't remember much of her performance, which featured the standards ( well-known pieces such as Don't Know Why, Sunrise, Come Away With Me ), some country songs and the smattering of obscure new compositions.

The good parts? Seeing her in a different light -- she actually stands up and dances quite a bit, her solo performance ( meaning just her and the piano ) on the mesmerizing The Nearness Of You ( the one truly magical moment of the evening ), and the encore, where she obliged with THREE songs, and allowed fans to run to the stage to snap pictures and gawk.

Where was I during the finale? Right up front with everybody else who had a brain. I mean, this is Norah Jones, never mind whether she's really that great or not. She's sung with a lot of famous people, and is probably going to win another 10 Grammys at some point in the future. I wasn't going to stay in my 5th row seat!

So I slinked through the throng and finally inched my way right up to the stage, where lo and behold, Norah was swaying right in front me, just an arm's length away. Other cameras were already flashing, but as I whipped mine out to snap a few photos, she suddenly noticed me, and smiled right into the lens. I couldn't believe it!

Before we knew it, the show was over, and she disappeared with her band to be whisked away to her hotel. I had her CD with me when I sneaked forward, but she isn't the sort to grant autographs ( unlike the very easygoing Michael Buble ).

And here's the "insider information" garnered from someone in the entertainment industry: when I told him about my failed attempts at getting her signature ( first during the encore, then later when I approached her stage crew with a request -- but was nicely turned down ), his reply was "It isn't management. It's HER." Seems she isn't too friendly off-stage, a far cry from her girlish giggling and cutesy comments during the performance ( e.g. "Wow, it's so dark here. It's like a black hole! And those lights in the back look like a spaceship!" ). Food for thought eh?

Well, that's it for now, folks. I've got another 2 days ahead spent attending the local emergency medicine Annual Scientific Meeting, interspersed with FULL Registrar shifts. Gulp. Stress of a different kind. Thank goodness for the ample Consultant cover. :)