Wednesday night in the ER, and I'm glad to report that I haven't been tired out by the shift -- yet! There were a few spurts earlier, with an elderly Caucasian man brought in from Changi Airport after collapsing at the ticket counter. We managed to get some transient return of spontaneous circulation, but it couldn't be sustained, and he sadly passed away. He was travelling alone, and we haven't managed to get hold of his family yet. I can't imagine how they'll react when they receive the news.
Just saw a young man with 3 deep left forearm lacerations, all self-inflicted. He gave me a really long and winding story about what happened, and frankly, I didn't understand any of it. He says he has a wife, but called his girlfriend when we told him he needed admission. Strange fellow. Can't wait to get him upstairs.

Exam revision is under way, but I'm feeling quite stressed out. Have commenced tutorials with my chief, covering trauma topics, but it's in viva form ( ie. oral exam style ), and although I can write like nobody's business, I suck at speaking. Especially under exam conditions. And my incompetence at vivas is freaking me out! :( Less than 3 months to go till D-day. I was given the option of aiming for the Part 2 in Edinburgh in November, but my mother asked me to avoid it at all costs. Not just because of the additional travel and accomodation expenses, but because I've got an underlying sinus problem, thanks to a horrible episode in 1999 after getting a simple cold in Perth, which then escalated into full-blown sinusitis and tonsillitis. Now, my nose clogs up during extremely cold weather, or in air-conditioned rooms. The N95 mask doesn't help either.

I've got few days off this month, but thank goodness I managed to acquire some leave for late August -- 2 whole weeks off, yes! It isn't that near the exam, but it's better than nothing, and should provide valuable revision time and a good break. Wish me luck.

Okay, here's a list of reviews of recent shows I rented. Got them the day before my Part 2 was confirmed for September, so I had no choice but to watch them (though I did enjoy it :)). Will be my last review for a long time to come.

The Hot Chick -- I'm a big fan of Rob Schneider, who made me laugh my guts out in The Waterboy, The Animal and, his best one so far, Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo. Here, he gets to act like a blond bimbo, and does a good job of it too. It's one of those Clueless tributes, infused with some mubo-jumbo from the Dark Ages. Totally nonsensical, but I liked it. Good for some brainless relaxation. :)

Die Another Day -- Okay, I hated this one. James Bond or not, I didn't know what the heck was happening, and with all the explosions going off, I started to develop a headache halfway through the movie. Pierce Brosnan is my favourite Bond so far, and Halle Berry and Rosamund Pike are gorgeous, but the male villains are boring, and the action sequences uninspired. Enough with the sexual innuendoes too. "Big Bang theory" my eye. This film fizzled.
P.S. Someone needs to tell Bond he should wear a disguise or go for plastic surgery, 'cos an international spy wouldn't last a minute if he goes around introducing himself to everyone.

Now, on to the good ones.

Maid In Manhattan -- I didn't expect to like this movie, so I was very surprised that I did. I rented it for only 2 reasons: Jennifer Lopez and Ralph Fiennes. So what if it's another Pretty Woman ripoff? J. Lo is sassy and likable, and Fiennes is handsome and smiles for a change (really didn't enjoy his dour facies and violent tendencies in Red Dragon ). Here, we see the 2 leads generate some understated but palpable chemistry on-screen, and the little guy who plays Lopez's son is super-cute.

Two Weeks Notice -- I liked this even more than Maid In Manhattan, again because of strong acting, this time from Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant, two of my favourites. This film reminds me a lot of Keeping The Faith ( Ed Norton, Ben Stiller, Jenna Elfman ) because it's another smart romantic comedy that puts a twist in the storyline. They've got terrific dynamics as a comedic couple, not to mention the fact that they both age extremely well. The scriptwriter deserves most of the credit, though. Wonder if he/she has any other credits on other films? Highly recommended. :)

The Pianist --Missed this during its run in the cinemas, but watching it at home is equally compelling. After winning Oscars for Best Director and Best Actor, I can tell you that it should've won Best Picture as well. (Chicago? Are they crazy? ) Adrien Brody is breath-taking in his breakout role, and I approve of the fact that he plays the piano convincingly when the scene calls for it. Other actors who was/are also good pianists include River Phoenix ( Running On Empty ), Richard Gere ( Pretty Woman ), Matt Damon ( The Talented Mr. Ripley ) and Geoffrey Rush ( Shine ). Okay, Tom Cruise played a little in Interview With The Vampire, but I don't think he plays off the movie set.
Roman Polanski has done an amazing job with this masterpiece, and surpasses even Schindler's List in depicting the horrors of the Holocaust. Steven Spielberg chose to focus on the atrocities within the concentration camps, but Polanski instead capitalizes on the shock value of unspeakable acts occurring under ordinary, everyday circumstances.
Spoilers beware
For example, there're scenes where Polish Jews walking in the street are randomly stopped by German soldiers and forced to make fools of themselves. Other less fortunate ones get picked to get a bullet in the head. One Jew even had to wait for the soldier to reload his gun after it ran out of ammo. A raid on a Jewish household resulted in an elderly wheelchair bound man being thrown off the balcony ( with his wheelchair ) when he couldn't stand up to show respect. A starving old man knelt down and ate food off the muddy ground after accidentally spilling a pot of stew. Depressing stuff.

Yet, this film can be renamed "Nine Lives", considering how lucky Brody's character, Szpilman, is. He manages to be yanked out of a line for a train to a concentration camp, evades the many soldiers who love to shoot people, later escapes and survives in a German-infested apartment block with the help of some kind non-Jewish friends, and in the last weeks of the war, bumps into a stern Nazi officer who turns out to be a good person. This is all based on a true story, so no matter how impossible it may sound, it happened.

I greatly enjoyed The Pianist, though it's 2 1/2 hours long. Not sure if anyone else agrees, but I would definitely ask others to watch it.

I've got a day off tomorrow, which I'm happy about! :) Have to run a lot of errands in town with my mom, but I've reserved my copy of Rolling Stone -- finally! Will of course have to study later in the day, but I'm taking it one step at a time, and the fun part comes first. :D

2 more hours to go. Hope it'll remain quiet.