Only 5 more weeks left of this rotation, and all I can think about is that will I be able to improve in time? Sometimes I get lost on where I should start revising.  

I must admit, branded shoes are noticeably comfier, I guess that's why it comes with a bigger price tag, but the quality is better. 

Sneak peak of the main hall for Kids Fun Days

I don't think any church people read this, so it's not like I'm spoiling anything. Sort of sad I started uni early so can't help out with the kids program they run at church every year during the school holidays. I think I started helping out in the first year back in 2011...? Helped out every year since, even went I went on holidays the KFD would be like the week after I got back. I guess uni takes priority these days....This year's theme seems pretty cool since it's a more 'innovative' theme. 

My phone and laptop has been constantly telling me to update for the past few weeks, but I haven't had time to sort through things and update stuff...

Tennis is starting, and there is a possibility of Federer making it to the end! So many big/older players have injuries and can't play. Apart from Fed taking an extended time off, his injuries are less compared to others. I feel like this year will be the start where we see more teens/early 20s names coming up, as the well know top players who have dominated over the past 10 years are defs getting older and suffering more injuries. Too bad I have uni so can't really watch the tennis...

Rotation 1, Week 1

The first week has felt quite long for some reason. On Wednesday it already felt like a Friday, but I guess it feels long since I feel like I haven't done much or learnt as much as I wanted to this week. How to improve on doing everything within the time limit? That will forever remain the question. So much stuff to continue revising.

I am going to miss the smooth-ish traffic once more people start going back to work, then school kids, then uni kids. Catching the 7:20 bus can get me to uni at 8:45, normally it would be 9:30. If I wanted to get to uni before 9, then normal days I must catch the bus before 7am. The bus just after 7am gets me to uni just before 9 which is cutting it close. Apart from waiting for buses between city and uni, the m2 between home and city didn't have traffic during peak hour. First time catching a bus in Friday arvo with no traffic, normally it builds from 3pm and lasts until 6pm. 

I can't believe I survived a week of summer wearing long pants without dying from heat. Luckily it did cool down a tiny bit this week and spending your day in air con does help. Pants and fully enclosed shoes are just so much easier to run for the bus...Maybe I should just learn to miss the bus more so then I don't have to make a mad dash...Even though I run, it's still normal for me to see the bus drive off...

No one at work went to our regions Xmas party, but they allowed our store to have some 'credit' and use it for a belated Xmas dinner, and we also had some leftover money from a voucher we won over a year ago. Long gone are free work dinner tbh. With so many CEO changes, and so many pay cuts and different way everything is run, free food is pretty much not on the agenda. Went to a place opposite my church which we used to go often as kids before the afternoon service ever existed. Haven't been here for so long though.

lobster

chinese stuff: chicken, fish, pork, tofu

This isn't a proper food review so I'll keep it brief. It's actually not that cheap for around $50pp, like if I get some discount for 'modern Australian' food, I'll prefer spending $50 on that rather than this. Dishes are quite small, and lobster didn't have that sweet/fresh lobster taste, rather the lobster here just tasted like the sauce. It had ok chunks of meat, but so ceebs opening the claws (because normally dad does that for me and he's not supposed to eat that). Had some prawn crackers tonight though, it's been so long since I last had them. I'm not a big fan of eating Chinese stuff outside of home, unless it's fancy/modern Chinese style stuff.

Finally got a patient today, but when you haven't seen one in over a year, and the supervisor expects you to be super competent because you're in 5th yr, in my head, I'm just like 'ahhh, but my skills are probably the same as beginning of 4th yr because they didn't give us any time to practice with real px last yr when they decided to cut down the cohort end of 2016.' Then you also have to keep your composure in front of the patient and pretend know what you're doing whilst being professional. Doesn't help when the supervisor tells you a different method to what you're taught/other supervisors since it does through things off. Also missed opportunities to do other things and worrying about quotas in comparison to everyone else in the group...falling behind already in the first week...

Saw the most ridiculous thing today. An 8 seater car with a person literally sitting in the boot. I don't mean to be racist, but Asians tsk tsk...shoving as many people into the car as possible. They probs had a 10th person under someone's legs that I didn't see from the bus. 

3 scoops: Yuzu Crazy, Caramel Tiramisu, Coconut and lychee-$8.80

Mini detour to try the yuzu and matcha flavour. Green tea was more subtle, yuzu could have been stronger, and mandarin cake in it could be more citrusy. The tiramisu in the other special wasn't too strong either. Can't go wrong with coconut and lychee.

My photos on my laptop are all in a mess, and haven't had time to sort them out properly. Really want to write up more food posts, but maybe on the weekend after I finish other notes...My laptop has also been bugging me to update my OS, but also haven't had time to back up everything and update. Again, maybe on the weekend.

Myopia Control

Took me 2 days to get through a 30 page document, although really there was only around 20 pages of text. It was actually quite interesting reading a summary of multiple studies on potential ways to control myopia. Finally saw a patient today after an anti climatic first 2 days of seeing no px. It was good to see someone as this clinic isn't marked, and you only have it once per rotation. Who knew getting drops in a 7yo was so difficult? Took a good 10mins, but eventually got them in. 7yo and also already a -5, you really hope it doesn't progress heaps in the future...

When I see my relatives kids i.e. my nieces and nephews, and they're like only 2 and already have access to smartphones/iPads, in my head, I'm like gg...pls be the lucky ones who don't develop myopia. Studies have shown kids should spend more time outdoors, and the sunlight may help in preventing it from the first place, but once it starts it's too late...It's not all due to genetics....My first phone was in yr6 with super pixelated screen and no games at all, literally just a phone with a 1.3mp camera. Kids these days just have so many portable games/videos, and all that near work isn't good either. I think as a future optom, you don't want people to get glasses, but it you're a shareholder/CEO, you will know more people will buy glasses in the future cause of more kids becoming myopic, or adults becoming presbyopic...

Tl;dr, spend more times outdoors and do less near work for kids

New Snapchat update...whyyy, I feel so technologically disadvantaged. It's defs the most un user friendly update, and filled with a million more ads. So hard to navigate through stuff and more buttons to press or things to swipe to view more stuff. It's become a more chaotic user interface, and makes Instastories more user friendly. I think I'll still use Snapchat more since I sometimes don't want the whole world to know what I'm up to, as Snapchat is more limited compared to Instastories.

Gold

First day back and I think overwhelmed is an understatement. Last year they had a week or so to settle back in, but we don't have enough time so we start straight away. So many tabs, folders within folders or stuff to read, learn and re-study. Grateful that I finally made it into 5th year, but the amount of chances and places to slip up has increased exponentially. How did previous years keep up with the amount of reports and random bits to write up? So glad research is over, since it would feel impossible to do everything within the time limit. Course outlines too long and to many assessments to keep track of, and too many assessments overlap into too many subjects. Only checked when supps are, so I have an idea of when I can go on a potential grad trip.

I actually prefer silver over gold, since silver is a lot easier to match with clothing compared to gold. Not that it matters for clinic groups, since when they colour code stuff, silver becomes a light blur/grey, gold becomes yellow, and red just stays as red. They only used to have red and silver groups last year. Time to make new friends since I'll be spending most of the year with this group. With the bigger cohort, we get less time at the uni clinic, and only 2 rotations instead of 3. 1st rotation not marked, but 2nd rotation is all marked. So if you stuff up a few times in the 2nd rotation, it's pretty much a fail, compared to stuffing up over 2 rotations...I should try to stop worrying about this and actually start to get my skills back up to scratch. I was hoping to have externals before internals, but I guess I'll have to make do the group and timetable I'm placed in. Still keen to learn and see new things. It's been so long since I've seen a patient...

Didn't end up seeing a patient today so actually didn't really do anything. Let's see how this week goes. I guess Happy Apple and other med kids are also back to uni, so I know I shouldn't complain of holidays being cut short. Good thing with starting early is that the diff clinics are all spread out rather than crammed. So rather than 8.30-6 or 9-6 or 9-8 for 5 days per week from March-Nov, starting in Jan means some days only have 1-4 or 1-5. Still have to trek it to uni, but day is less jam packed. If only they would reactivate my opal card since I'm starting early rather than waiting until Census date for it to hopefully work again...

Traffic was still moving in the morning, and no traffic on the motorway in the arvo. The bus was still filled this morning with most people going back to work, and the city was crowded with office workers, compared to the tourists/families who filled the city in the last 2 weeks. There still aren't any school zones, so I can only dread once school starts again, back to clogged up motorways and heaps more traffic. The city already was clogged up during peak hour, and buses were already running late, even in the 'first' working week of the year. Sydney transport and infrastructure really doesn't cut it. Here's to timetables which change every week and 2 hourly bus rides.

2018-Blackout

Another year of facing new challenges. I already know it's going to be a hectic year, I mean, it's already been a hectic week to begin with, since everyday I have had something on. Haven't even had time to blog about food places from last year, and uni is starting this week...back to 8/9ams. So week 1 life update-where to begin?

It's currently 3:30pm on a Sunday and I'm hot spotting from my phone to my laptop downstairs in my room because upstairs is too hot and I'm too cheap to turn on air con. This is actually a first, being at home at this time. Apart from Sundays I take off for holidays, the only Sundays I have off are Easter Sunday or if Christmas falls on a Sunday, other public holidays we still open at work.

Another reason to hate summer-blackouts, especially on 40+ degree days. I actually don't mind working on hot days cause free air con at work. Although I may complain I don't want to work and just want to be a couch potato at home, because I can (for now), I still am grateful for being able to work so close to home, and on Sundays I get my own parking spot, and pays better on Sunday. Well, the whole shopping centre went into a blackout just after 2 (luckily finished some big sales earlier in the morning).

It's funny how when you don't have something you realise how dependent you are on it. Every time there's a blackout, nothing can work. Retail literally dies. If you saw my snap, it literally looked like a ghost town since inside is all dark, with stores all shut and not many people. Ended up leaving an hour earlier than normal. I know Woolies have back up generators, so they have some more lights which switch on, and lights to power their computers and eftpos machines/barcode readers, just all the displays are on minimal brightness. All stores also have emergency back up lights which come on if the main power is switched off or during black outs.

I actually don't really get too sad over anything that often, but do you know what's really morbid? Putting plastic over the open fridges at Woolies to prevent the cold from escaping too much. It sort of reminded me when people put a piece of tarp over a dead body. All that food and money potentially wasted if things aren't stored at that certain temp. What a waste of the farmers effort/people who made that stuff and then of course store loss as well if stuff goes off. It was too sad to take a photo off it. Doesn't help that the dim lighting matched those weird feels when they put massive pieces of plastic to cover their fridges. Goodbye wasted milk and melted ice cream...Their back up generators aren't powerful enough to power the fridges/freezers. They had people outside telling them they can't sell cold stuff only non perishables, baked goods and some fruit. Too many people turning on their air cons and blackout in the area around the shops. Even the petrol station closed. 

My house is only going through brief periods of 1min black outs, not a long black out yet...But internet not working cause it's connected to some central place underground which is under a blackout. The shopping centre blackout ended up being fixed 2 hrs later (well after 4pm when most shops close). So I guess Woolies really needed to use plastic to retain the coolness from cold products for 2 hours. This happened last year on another 40+ degree day. On a hot day like this, I feel like a lot of stuff would go off, but maybe they have use some special cold insulating plastic...Hence another reason to not like summer because people overusing electricity→ blackouts→ no electricity→ fridges not working→ wasted meat/seafood/dairy products/food/melted ice cream→ wasting money and people's efforts.

Name me a job which doesn't require electricity. Retail literally dies. Like even if you're a farmer, you still need a phone or computer to keep track of stuff. Health related jobs still use computers to record stuff or equipment which needs to be charged. Toilets don't work, like at my local shops they have fancy Dyson taps and hand dryers, so water comes out using an electronic sensor. Luckily we have old school school/mechanical/normal taps at work so the optom had to go back to work to wash her hands. If you had an electric door at your house then you'll be locked out. Technology is good, but that depends on electricity. Everything depends on electricity in some way.

I love the week before Christmas, the week between Xmas and NYE, and week after new years. THE TRAFFIC IS SO GOOD. There are cars, but everything is moving and there's no traffic. The bus normally which is packed out is only less than a quarter full, buses arrive on time, less cars on the motorway, and where've I drive there is no traffic. Why can't everyone just continue going on holidays and kids not go to school? I think most people in corporate world would start work again this week if their companies have the whole forced leave thing. Back to uni this week and I know I'll definitely see the traffic literally build up.

The pre clinic quiz on Friday was pretty bad, but it's probably the first and last test you can fail without any 'life changing' consequences. Although I forgot to rebook it early and only 8am slots were left...

Ended up spending most of my last week of holidays not studying but going out or working. I am so, so rusty in all my techniques. This past month after research finished has gone by way too quickly. So much stuff to restudy or revise, and should stop being so yolo about it. Time to lug all my equipment to uni tmr.

Watched Coco the other day, and I love how it gives those nice happy feels at the end. Although it was more unpredictable for a Disney movie, but I like how their storylines are more complicated these days. They emailed saying there was a lecture after I booked movie tickets...so obviously wasn't going to waste money not watching a movie (but tickets for Coco are so cheap cause of school holidays!) Although I already feel behind on uni and it hasn't started...so many tabs within tabs, folders within folders of documents. I see what friends meant by something you write can be part of any of the three subjects...Maybe figure it out tmr morning on the bus.

Some food from the past week.

Home cooking from BW (greatly appreciated)

New Year lunch feast

Kit Kats! 

Over 5 years, I've had a lot of different flavoured Kit Kats from generous friends who are willing to share one, or relatives who over buy for me. First time having Azuki (red bean) sandwich kit kats! 

Japanese food

 I went Japan last year, but even I didn't buy this much stuff for myself 😂 Thanks BW!

Chai Latte and Honey-first outside home ice cream of the year

Mum bought some collectable mint coins because it's my year (no where near as much as UK lunar mint coins)

Passage today at church was quite interesting, about how a group of children/youths were mocking a priest cause he was bold, there were 42 bears who ate the children...Never came across that passage before. Long story short, the punishment for sin is death, but we have Jesus who already died for us/takes our punishment (this is a super brief sentence summary).

The fireworks were pretty good this year, and they didn't stuff up the countdown on the ABC broadcast. So many colours, and different shade of colours, with more saturation. More different patterns as well, and I liked how the bridge was lit with rainbow colours. I think it would've looked good live, but I feel too old trying to go through crowds or even wait all day. Although you can get ticketed vantage viewing points so you don't have to stick with crowds or wait the whole time, I feel like that defeats the purpose of free fireworks. Sydney does do a pretty good display of fireworks.

Yesterday I thought I was the last one home at around 12:30am, turns out I was the first one home. I thought it was strange all the lights were off, turns out no one was home. Bro came back at 1:30am, and parents at 1:45am...It's so rare my dad can join and have fancy drinks at other people's homes, so I'm glad he could before he starts work again.

Time to put away my 2017 diary. Here's to less than 7 hours of sleep on weekdays, and study on weekends, and being stuck on buses.

2017 Reflection

I was looking through my old blog posts to see if I did do an end of year reflection, and turns out I did do one for 2016, and a dodgy one in 2015, and 2014 didn't exist cause I wasn't in Aus. Didn't check past that.

I love planning and routine, so I knew straight off 2017 would be completely different. Somehow even with a relatively emptier timetable, my time was filled up. Flicking through my diary, after the first few weeks of being a couch potato end of 2016 to early 2017, I actually was quite busy.

Funny how 2017 is sort of the opposite to 2016 which went from good to bad, and this year went from bad to good. It did start off pretty bad, hence booking a spontaneous trip to Europe to 'cure my heart' at the beginning of the year, and managed booking 3 weeks worth of holidays in countries I've never visited in around 2 weeks before departing, whilst still making it a 'budget trip.' Thank goodness for some friends who are well travelled and been on exchange to give me recommendations in my limited researching time and the limited time I was there.

Highlights this year:
- Meeting my s/o
- Countries and places visited:
England, Iceland, Netherlands, Belgium, France
Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan
Tasmania (Hobart/Launceston and in between), Melbourne, Brisbane
- So many food places

I don't know how you count plane trips, does getting off the plane then back on the same plane whilst it's in transit/refuelling count as one or 2 plane trips? Hmm...might count that as 1...Or what if you're in transit and you switch to a different plane? I'll count that as 2 since changing plane companies...

If I counted correctly, 15 different plane trips, and new pb. Hope to have even more next year (goodbye money), but so many good memories so worth.

With the extra time, definitely went to a lot more food places than in previous years (around 40 ice creams I had outside of home). Still behind on blog posts for food, but that'll continue on next year. I know I won't have the time to go out to eat as often during 5th yr.

Apart from the whole feeling of people judging you but not saying it in your face directly, which I still sort of try to avoid conversations with people (apart from optoms, they understand all the struggles of studying)...this year has been a learning curve.

- I definitely learnt how to try and not be stressed. I still stress, just nowhere near as much as I used to. Learning on how to chill
- 'Fear of failure' was always (maybe is still) my biggest fear, and I wouldn't say I have 100% overcome that fear, but I know the world won't end if I do fail again, which is still possible in 5th yr.  - Life does go on, and indeed, there is more to life than just studying. Even though people told me this before, you actually don't really understand the whole process and feels until you experience it yourself.
- Actually more to life than just uni
- Worked more than I wanted to this year without really asking for extra shifts (although I did find another temporary job this year for extra money which I ended up spending anyway in my mid year trip), but also learnt more on how to say no to work
- Keeping yourself preoccupied/busy does help to take away some of the sulkiness (which is also the year I got eye bags from just sulking/crying way too much initially from all the injustice, and that is something which is irreversible...)
- Learning what a research project entails, and probs not gonna do research anytime soon. In hindsight, it was defs a good experience
- Time management and priorities. Learning how to prioritise uni work, meet ups, exercising, work etc
- Never, ever thought I would be the type of person to join a gym. It was a fun learning experience doing some of the classes. I think once uni starts next year, probs not gonna have time to go, since for me, going there is around a 15-20min drive, and it's an 'outing' in itself, time which I won't have if I have 9-6 days, then get back home at 8pm, it's too late to go...the tiny, tiny bit of muscle which I have hoped I gained (so I can carry my luggage around easily for hopefully a grad trip) would probs all be gone by then...
- Learning that time with relatives is precious, especially as they are all getting older
- Learning to be even more thoughtful
- Really learning to trust in God more, as hard as it is to believe part of His plan for me was to not pass last year. I guess part of the reason why I think why that was His plan is included throughout this post

Things on my 'list to do' when I thought I had all the free time in the world, but really ended up preoccupying myself with other stuff to do:
- Learn how to cook, or bake more
- Go hiking in Sydney + Blue Mountains
- Go running (if my cardio ever improves, which hasn't after a year)
- Swim more or get back into dancing
- Piano still remains untouched for another year
- Volunteer for more stuff
- Read more (who had time to read fiction, when you have readings to find and read for research)
- Clean, should start chucking out non sentimental stuff, but haven't had the time to touch my cupboards yet

I am hopeful for an even better 2018, although I know I'll still face another set of challenges. Mainly somehow brushing up on skills which I haven't used in over a year, and restudying everything from previous years, and trying not to worry too much about future plans.

Although I don't really know who reads my blog apart from those people who have mentioned it to me/know of it's existence, happy new year to all my readers!