I seriously think I'm getting too old to do calls. I really don't know how some of my friends, and especially my seniors, can find the energy to even go out or play with their kids after a 36-hour shift. Kudos to them! Things were tolerable in surgical postings, where rounds last an hour at most, and the rest of the morning is spent clearing cases or, if you're lucky, sitting around having breakfast. :) Medical rounds, through no fault of their own, typically last 3 - 4 hours, and sometimes you have a load of patients with 10 or more concomitant problems that all need to be solved in 10 minutes. Today, for example, I faced an elderly gentleman with severe cardiomyopathy ( ie. a failed pump ), sepsis and possible liver failure. At the end of all the running around taking urgent bloods, arranging urgent consults and scans, I felt like I was 80 -- no kidding. For me, emergency medicine will always be the right choice. Regular shift hours, and like Prof. Peter Manning ( chief of the ER at NUH ) once said, " You'll be able to sit at a cafe in Orchard Road on a Tuesday morning, sipping coffee and watching the world pass you by." I did that once, but at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf at Takashimaya, on a Thursday afternoon -- and it felt great!

Some other good news. Josh Groban, my 2nd favourite singer ( after Robbie Williams ) has confirmed he will be coming to Asia, and Singapore, in the next few months. For those of you who haven't read about him yet, look through my earlier entries for the full story, or just go to his website.. The best thing about Josh is that he regularly posts on the discussion group, and this little bit came directly from him. His song, "To Where You Are" is now #1 on the adult contemporary chart in the U.S., and he will appear this September 11th for a tribute concert. He's only released one album so far, but I predict his next one will shoot through the roof in terms of sales -- he's sold over 15,000 copies in Singapore alone, unheard of for someone who sings semi-operatic numbers and is really decent. :) Looking forward to seeing him soon.

The Life! reporter I mentioned is none other than Helmi Yusof. And to my pleasant surprise, he was very gracious in his reply, thanking me for my input and agreeing that some of my views were "cogent", despite my huffing and puffing in my email. His response is markedly different from that of his colleague's, Tommy Wee, who once sent me a irate and sarcastic email when I criticized his put-down of boy bands. ( I pointed out his own obsession with blonde, leggy female singers, but I suppose he believes he's only interested in their music ). Bravo, Mr. Yusof. You've gained a fan. :)

Just going to add a link before I sign off. If you're interested in Josh Groban, then you will definitely like Michael Ball, a wonderful singer who made his mark on Broadway, and whose trademark song is "Love Changes Everything" from "Aspects of Love". His website is a veritable treasure including sound clips from his numerous CD recordings. I own 3 of his albums, but only because I couldn't find more at the music stores here. Here's a guy who can sing "The Phantom of the Opera" as well as "Millenium" ( that cool number by Robbie Williams ).

Will end off with a portion of "Love Changes Everything". A truly beautiful song that celebrates all that is good, and bad, about this thing called love.

"Love, love changes everything/
Hands and faces, earth and sky/
Love, love changes everything/
how you live and how you die/
Love can make the summer fly/
Or a night seem like a lifetime/
Yes, love, love changes everything/
Now I tremble at your name/
Love will never never let you be the same

Love, love changes everything/
Days are longer, words mean more/
Love, love changes everything/
Pain is deeper than before/
Love will turn your world around/
And that world will last forever/
Yes, love, love changes everything/
Brings you glory, brings you shame/
Love will never never let you be the same.

Off into the world we go/
Planning futures, shaping years/
Love bursts in and suddenly/
All our wisdom disappears/
Love makes fools of everyone/
All the rules we make are broken/
Yes, love, love changes everything/
Live or perish in its flame/
Nothing in the world will ever be the same."