Keep 'Em Coming

Have received a few emails to the Google address ( spaceyfan@gmail.com ). Thanks for the feedback! Hope to hear from more of you in the future.


Trip #2

Tokyo, to be exact. It's my first overseas medical conference, and just received notification that my abstract submission has been accepted.

Which leaves about a month to organize the presentation from scratch, yikes.

On top of studying for the exit, arranging tutorials in between crazy shifts, revamping our MO training programme, teaching ACLS, helping with an upcoming Annual Scientific Meeting, writing / editing for the SMA News ( frantically fending off writer's block after finally coming out of a major slump ), attending multiple committee meetings, fulfilling church duties, spending time with family and friends, finding opportunities to relax with my swimming, novels and TV shows AND finish my household chores.

Help...

I guess it's always easier to do this in stages instead of going cold turkey. First, cut down on TV consumption ( have sworn off Lost, Criminal Minds, Commander In Chief, Desperate Housewives ). However, I've also become hooked on Entourage, Inside The Actors Studio and The Office. Upcoming new series Prison Break and the next season of The Amazing Race do not bode well for my post-dinner schedule either. ARGH!

No cinema-going until I exit -- that's one resolution I'm finding suprisingly easy to adhere to.
But I also have a fistful of free DVD rental vouchers to redeem from Video Ezy. Need to catch up with Superman Returns, Pirates of the Caribbean 2, Miami Vice, Nacho Libre, The Host, etc.


The one thing I won't compromise on, though, is time spent with family and friends.

Just went to the zoo a week ago with my cousin's wife and 2 beautiful girls, aged 10 and 6. Had an absolute blast! It's been 5 long years since my last foray to the place but my favourites -- the polar bear and penguins -- have remained the same.
However, this outing was significantly more enjoyable, because I got to share it with the 6-year-old, who couldn't remember squat from a zoo visit when she was 2, and was essentially seeing everything for the very first time. We camped out at the polar bear enclosure for close to a half hour, plastering our faces to the glass window so we could watch him dive to the surface again and again. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then I highly recommend that you haul yourself down and take a look for yourself. An article in the paper appeared the day after, reporting on high stress levels in the bears. Our zoo may not be allowed to import any more Arctic creatures from now on, so don't miss this chance ( unless you'd rather visit zoos overseas ).

Another attraction you shouldn't miss is the Fragile Forest, which didn't even exist 5 years ago. The map is deceptively vague, offering only descriptions of its inhabitants when, in fact, visitors can get swamped by 4 extremely friendly and inquisitive lemurs all at once!
Imagine our delight when we were greeted by these gorgeous creatures, which bounded up from behind then leapt onto the railings we were leaning on, allowing us to pet and feed them, even striking poses for the cameras! I've seen lemurs loads of times on nature programmes on cable, but getting up close like this was truly awesome. ( These animals apparently don't smell, even though I fully expected them to. They do, however, pee at will, so beware! )

We've got a Night Safari trip planned this December. Recently discovered that it's only 20 minutes by car from my home. Excellent. :)


If you're wondering if this is yet another night shift, you're absolutely right. Quiet so far. Hope nothing happens for the next 3 hours.

Enjoy the weekend.