We all know that I'm not even close to lying when I say I'm not a kid person. One summer as the children's church director was all it took for me to write kids off professionally. Now when you get to my age, your friends have kids old enough to talk and play and entertain. So when you're in town, some of your visits include your friends' kids.
Sunday, after an epic Cousins Night, driving Andrew home, and driving home myself, I finally went to bed around 4:45am. Set the alarm for 8am so that I could be a ND for the 9am service so that I could sit in the back row full of my friends and their kids. The sleep deprivation factored into being easily distracted by all the little tots climbing the chairs and walking among our legs. Also factored into not paying attention to the sermon. Couldn't even give you the cliff notes version. Something about Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego changing their names. Yup, that's all I got. It doesn't help that while you're in this daze and the service ends, you've got an endless number of people to talk to. I couldn't even tell you all whom I talked to, though judging from my parents, Pete Barrett was one of them as he had an appointment mid-week at the office. The only reason I was there was to live up to a "promise" I made to Pam involving her kids and Nerf guns. I bought Ben and Beth their first Nerf guns. Big responsibility. Surprisingly big power, as in the smallest guns I bought pack a mean punch. As soon as we let off a trial shot, we gave the safety talk "No aiming at the face". The good thing is that they're not strong enough to load the guns meaning mom and dad will know when they're playing with them.
Monday was my first day of my Canadian pediatric elective. The clinic is located close to VGH so I parked the car at Grandma's and walked to work which was wonderful. Gets me back into clinical mode and out of vacation mode. The clinic doesn't do primary care meaning no well-child exams, no vaccinations. They are consultants and they get some awesome cases. What I've seen in my first week is far more complex and interesting than what I saw in my 6 week core in NYC. I'm seeing chromosomal deletions, developmental regression, rare genetic disorders, recently discharged NICU babies, dysautonomia. This clinic is full of zebras, whereas NYC was a stable full of asthmatic horses. The staff are all wonderful and well regarded, and they're great teachers.
The only black mark on the day was that my wallet was stolen. With all the traveling I do and living in sketchy poorer areas, the irony of having my wallet stolen in a doctors' office in Vancouver is not lost on me. It sucks, but I can appreciate the (twisted) humour. Canceled the credit card, call the banks for new cards, got a paper license with the card to be mailed to NYC when it's ready. Other than being out a few bucks, down an old loaner phone, and less one wallet, I'm fine.
The week was great at the clinic and I'm learning all kinds of neat techniques to perform physical exams on kids without having them fight you. One doctor told me it's his goal to not have a kid cry on him in a day. We almost made it until the last patient.
Thursday as I was walking from the office, I crossed paths with an old childhood church friend, Sarah, who is in her last year of residency in radiation oncology. It was really good to see her and we made quick plans to catch up next week after work. After I got home and changed, I picked Meg up from her work (just a quick 15 min drive) and we headed to our usual, The Royal Tandoori, to pick up our usual order of Indian take-out. It was so good to see her again. Meg is Pam's younger cousin from New West. Pam was my mentor and so when she brought an individual to my attention, I knew it was for a reason and I would engage. Pam mentioned that she wanted her cousin to connect with our youth group in hopes that she'd come to youth once she was old enough, so I took note. It didn't take much effort at all. We clicked. Whether Meg's a bit of an old soul or I'm a bit young at heart or a bit of both, we leveled with each other in a way that I honestly didn't have with any youth other than Deen. It was effortless with her. She thought I was cool. I thought she was cool. Over the years we've supported each other in everything and regarded each other as a safe space. When her friend's younger brother passed away from cancer, I comforted her as she cried on the floor in the bathroom. When I thought there was something wrong with my heart (due to my doctor's initial impression which eventually let to my Grave's diagnosis), she comforted me as I cried in Boston Pizza. It didn't matter that we were both crying in a public setting. We were each others' safe space. We were quite the dynamic duo as youth leaders and talent show hosts. Definitely proud to have her in my life. To those who don't know her or lost touch 'cause you're such an easy victim of "out of sight, out of mind", you have no idea what you're missing out on.
Her and Patrick got engaged over the summer and their proposal story is one for the history books. Well done, Patrick, well done *slow clap*. I remember the first time I met Patrick. Meg brought him out to a summer youth outing. The outing literally consisted of taking the VBS stage decorations to White Rock beach and having a campfire. Court was the summer intern that year and had constructed an igloo with "bricks" made of white paper and tape. After VBS, we figured we'd use those bricks for fuel. It was a chill evening of enjoying company and the warmth of the fire. Meg and I walked away from the crew to chat and she asked me what I thought of Patrick. That was 7 years ago. He was a good guy back then and has done nothing to change my mind. Love those two and how awesome they are together and how amazing they are at being responsible young adults.
We spent the entire evening together even though were we both exhausted from work. Time flies with this one. It was an added bonus that her mom made cinnamon buns for us. Them Rainvilles, such a lovely bunch.
A week that started with a playdate with kids, then working with kids, was wrapped up today by attending a kid's 1st birthday party. Nina, my BackCheck buddy and gummy bear (I'll tell you another time) invited me to her daughter, Emmi's birthday. The last time I saw Nina, she was due in a few weeks, and I spilled beer all over her pregnant self at our mini-BackCheck reunion dinner. We joke that I was trying to give Emmi her first beer and horribly failed. We've kept in touch via Instagram and messaging. Nina's a wonderful cook and baker, so I try to remember to take pictures of various meals I have in my travels to send to her. When I told her I might be in town for September, she asked if I could come to Emmi's birthday party and I didn't hesitate to accept the invite. Emmi's a cute baby with curly hair who embodies her mom's Iranian and her dad's African genes. Another genetic goldmine combination. I also got to catch up with other former BackCheckers and enjoy some delicious food (no surprise there).
While I may not be a kid person or your next pediatrician, I will be more than happy to be your family doctor and take care of you and your kids...so long as you're there...and they don't cry.
Sunday, 27 September 2015
Saturday, 19 September 2015
She doesn't nap anymore
The week started off with 12 standardized patient cases back-to-back. That's 2.5 uninterrupted hours of interacting with patients and then being asked questions by an examiner after. That is the NAC-OSCE. It is exhausting. The up side is that it doesn't take up your entire day like Step 2 CS where you're given 3 breaks (15, 30, 15 mins) between cases. The down side, I was fried by the end of the exam, and it was only noon. I picked up a birthday card for Bailey at Paper-Ya in Granville Island, then headed home to sit and stare. Called Caroline to confirm I would be coming to the birthday festivities and then continued to veg.
I said I'd be there at 5:30 and showed up at 5:45 (that's how tired I was, I was late). Greeted the gang, the grandparents, the significant others. Then we sat down for a wonderful meal followed by a surprise DQ ice cream cake with both our names on it. It would have really sucked if I decided I didn't have the energy to show up. Though, really, I'd have to be near death to miss out on my little sister's birthday. She turned 19, which gives me the luxury of being the big sis to take her out for drinks. It's happening and it will be glorious. Mom and Pop gave me a notebook "Music Listography" which has a bunch of preset lists to fill out:
List music from your high school years (Something Corporate, Yellowcard, Dashboard Confessional, etc)
List 20 albums you'd bring if you were leaving earth on a spaceship (The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place, In Quiet World, Sigh No More, etc)
List the best concerts you've been to (Explosions in the Sky, Swell Season, Peak Performance Finale - We Are the City, etc)
List bands you do NOT like (One Direction)
There's over 50 of these lists and I look forward to taking the time to fill them out. I'll probably have to change some things over time.
That day, Courtenay decided to inform me that she doesn't nap anymore. She broke it gently, but I was still a bit crushed. All that training in med school, and now she doesn't nap anymore! So many changes I'm going to have to get used to - her getting married, her not napping. I don't know which one affects me most. To make up for it, I tucked her into bed and "napped" until she twitched and elbowed my head. She has no problems sleeping, that one.
For my actual birthday, I woke up early to submit my US residency applications. Applying for residency for IMGs is akin to buying x # of darts and throwing them blindfolded hoping they hit x # of targets. Over the next month or so, if you hit a target/program, you'll be offered an interview. The interviews are like being given another dart to throw at the target you previously hit, but without the blindfold. After interview period (Oct-Jan), you submit your rank order list of the programs you interviewed at. Similarly programs will rank the students they interviewed. Those lists are then submitted into an algorithm called "the Match" and then by mid-March you learn if you've matched into a residency program and where you matched. Sticking with the dart metaphor, the residency programs tell the algorithm which targets to analyze and in which order. Where the second dart hits the target tells the algorithm how highly ranked the program is with the bullseye being #1. The algorithm looks at the targets and matches those nearest the bullseye to the program. It's a bit more complicated but I think that paints the picture enough. It's a bit of a depressing experience as you're forking out over $3000 to participate in a carnival game where the odds are against you. It sucks even more to know I'll be playing the same game next month when the Canadian residency applications open.
To take my mind off the dent I made in my loans, I headed to New West to see Melissa, who is due in a couple weeks. She's having a girl and I'm so excited. I'm hoping she delivers before I take off. The redhead-Asian combo has rarely been seen. Ever since a former coworker of mine had a baby girl, Melissa and I have become convinced that this combo is a genetic goldmine. My former coworker is just as red-headed and fair-skinned as Melissa, and her husband is as Asian as Peter. So we're very excited. It was great to see her (and she looks so good) and catch-up. We went for coffee and a walk and then carried on our conversation at their place. We got completely lost in conversation that when I asked what the time was, we both freaked out when we discovered it was 6pm. We had burned through 4.5 hours that felt like 2. It was a quick goodbye because I had to take off for dinner plans, but it was heart warming to know it was time well spent.
I headed to White Rock to see White Dad (now that they've moved to White Rock, it makes the names more convenient). Peter and Darlene are still in the renovation process, but the place still looks great and will look awesome when the work is done. While Peter's been hard at work on the renovations, Darlene's been in Edmonton with Ali. So dinner was a father-ornamental daughter/son outing. We headed to a local pub to eat, drink, and really talk. The conversations we have are always solid. It's always been that way with him and it's a consistency that I am so thankful for. Given my love for meaningful interactions, it can sometimes make me dissatisfied with encounters at times and leave me feeling like I just wasted my time, especially if I've had many good talks with the person before. Don't get me wrong, it's unfair of me to always expect a fulfilling dialogue with friends, I'm just being honest. So to have my birthday be filled with such incredible times with people I love was the best way I could celebrate. I'm not one to organize a party or outing for my birthday. I like treating it like any other day. I prefer to have a couple purposeful "dates" than multitudes of inconsequential fluff fill up my day. I will take the events of Sept 15, 2015 over an extravagant party with all those I know and love. It's not about who is there, but how we spend our time.
Thursday, I reunited with Ryan and Sarah Wilson, another pair of people who bring a deep joy in my life. Literally some of the warmest, kindest, and coolest individuals you'll ever meet. Ryan and I are both in a guitar withdrawal stage in our lives, for different reasons of course. As we've grown older and life changes, we've both had to part ways with a significant portion of our gear. What's great is that we know our equipment has gone to people who will use it (and hopefully take care of it). As much as it may hurt to not have Norman (my guitar), the happiness I get out of knowing he's being played for church, youth group, retreats, etc far surpasses any ache. Similarly with Ryan, it stings to not have an amp to play his electric, but he loves seeing it used on Sundays by others. Sarah is 20 weeks pregnant with #3. Paige and Luke are so cute and I have no doubt #3 will be no different.
Friday, I had pet-sitting duty with Winston, who I still haven't completely warmed up to. He's so needy and yet so lazy. Mac came over to hang out for a few hours which included a long walk with Winston. Shortly after getting home, he found Mac's lap, and promptly passed out. She didn't mind.
I see a lot of myself in Mac. Now that she's done nursing school, she's in this transition point in her young life and the uncertainty and discomfort of that period definitely resonates with me. I finished my B.Sc and worked in Human Resources for nearly 3 years until I was ready to really move on with life and pursue medicine. She finished nursing and is working at Starbucks and part-time at a hospital. Deen finished nursing and worked at a grocery store. I wouldn't say it's because we're scared of what's next, but it's a way to slow things down. Life was so hectic and to this day, I still beat myself up for rushing to finish my B.Sc within 4 years. You're so exhausted and sick of school after graduation and all you want to do is breathe and rest and live at a reasonable pace.
Mac asked if I've enjoyed med school and I had to separate my personal life from med school to be able to say that I appreciated my med school experience. Admittedly, my personal life has been shitty these past few years, but without being prideful, I think my experience is an exception to the average med student. Far too many ups and downs for my liking. It's fair to say I've had little stability in my personal life because it's been on pause and fast forward and play with my visits home. Without God as my rock, I'd be a wreck. You celebrate new relationships, you mourn broken relationships, you celebrate new life, you mourn lost life, and sometimes it takes too much out of me to deal with it all, to try to keep up, to be present when you haven't been most of the time. You appreciate so much more and more the things that stay the same, like the relationships I've talked about above. But on the flip side, there are relationships where you think to yourself "What happened? Where'd the meat go? What's sustaining this?" And again, I hope I'm the exception, but I feel like I've lost so much in the process of becoming a doctor. It's character-building, but it's still a painful process of having no footing in this world. You're hoping and praying for that time when you'll be able to settle anywhere and decide just how much straddling you're willing to do between the old life and new life. During this time at home, when people ask me "Seriously, how are you doing?", the truest answer I can come up with is "I'm tired" and at this point, napping doesn't really make a difference.
Through all the drifting for the past few years, I can always count on certain people and events to recharge me. The people have already been discussed. A notable event that never fails is taking place tonight - Cousins Night. Love that crew so much and I know it's going to be epic and ridiculously late, meaning I need to post this now because in the words of Virginia Mosby, "nothing good happens after 2am", which will likely be when I'd be able to post this after Cousins Night.
I said I'd be there at 5:30 and showed up at 5:45 (that's how tired I was, I was late). Greeted the gang, the grandparents, the significant others. Then we sat down for a wonderful meal followed by a surprise DQ ice cream cake with both our names on it. It would have really sucked if I decided I didn't have the energy to show up. Though, really, I'd have to be near death to miss out on my little sister's birthday. She turned 19, which gives me the luxury of being the big sis to take her out for drinks. It's happening and it will be glorious. Mom and Pop gave me a notebook "Music Listography" which has a bunch of preset lists to fill out:
List music from your high school years (Something Corporate, Yellowcard, Dashboard Confessional, etc)
List 20 albums you'd bring if you were leaving earth on a spaceship (The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place, In Quiet World, Sigh No More, etc)
List the best concerts you've been to (Explosions in the Sky, Swell Season, Peak Performance Finale - We Are the City, etc)
List bands you do NOT like (One Direction)
There's over 50 of these lists and I look forward to taking the time to fill them out. I'll probably have to change some things over time.
That day, Courtenay decided to inform me that she doesn't nap anymore. She broke it gently, but I was still a bit crushed. All that training in med school, and now she doesn't nap anymore! So many changes I'm going to have to get used to - her getting married, her not napping. I don't know which one affects me most. To make up for it, I tucked her into bed and "napped" until she twitched and elbowed my head. She has no problems sleeping, that one.
For my actual birthday, I woke up early to submit my US residency applications. Applying for residency for IMGs is akin to buying x # of darts and throwing them blindfolded hoping they hit x # of targets. Over the next month or so, if you hit a target/program, you'll be offered an interview. The interviews are like being given another dart to throw at the target you previously hit, but without the blindfold. After interview period (Oct-Jan), you submit your rank order list of the programs you interviewed at. Similarly programs will rank the students they interviewed. Those lists are then submitted into an algorithm called "the Match" and then by mid-March you learn if you've matched into a residency program and where you matched. Sticking with the dart metaphor, the residency programs tell the algorithm which targets to analyze and in which order. Where the second dart hits the target tells the algorithm how highly ranked the program is with the bullseye being #1. The algorithm looks at the targets and matches those nearest the bullseye to the program. It's a bit more complicated but I think that paints the picture enough. It's a bit of a depressing experience as you're forking out over $3000 to participate in a carnival game where the odds are against you. It sucks even more to know I'll be playing the same game next month when the Canadian residency applications open.
To take my mind off the dent I made in my loans, I headed to New West to see Melissa, who is due in a couple weeks. She's having a girl and I'm so excited. I'm hoping she delivers before I take off. The redhead-Asian combo has rarely been seen. Ever since a former coworker of mine had a baby girl, Melissa and I have become convinced that this combo is a genetic goldmine. My former coworker is just as red-headed and fair-skinned as Melissa, and her husband is as Asian as Peter. So we're very excited. It was great to see her (and she looks so good) and catch-up. We went for coffee and a walk and then carried on our conversation at their place. We got completely lost in conversation that when I asked what the time was, we both freaked out when we discovered it was 6pm. We had burned through 4.5 hours that felt like 2. It was a quick goodbye because I had to take off for dinner plans, but it was heart warming to know it was time well spent.
I headed to White Rock to see White Dad (now that they've moved to White Rock, it makes the names more convenient). Peter and Darlene are still in the renovation process, but the place still looks great and will look awesome when the work is done. While Peter's been hard at work on the renovations, Darlene's been in Edmonton with Ali. So dinner was a father-ornamental daughter/son outing. We headed to a local pub to eat, drink, and really talk. The conversations we have are always solid. It's always been that way with him and it's a consistency that I am so thankful for. Given my love for meaningful interactions, it can sometimes make me dissatisfied with encounters at times and leave me feeling like I just wasted my time, especially if I've had many good talks with the person before. Don't get me wrong, it's unfair of me to always expect a fulfilling dialogue with friends, I'm just being honest. So to have my birthday be filled with such incredible times with people I love was the best way I could celebrate. I'm not one to organize a party or outing for my birthday. I like treating it like any other day. I prefer to have a couple purposeful "dates" than multitudes of inconsequential fluff fill up my day. I will take the events of Sept 15, 2015 over an extravagant party with all those I know and love. It's not about who is there, but how we spend our time.
Thursday, I reunited with Ryan and Sarah Wilson, another pair of people who bring a deep joy in my life. Literally some of the warmest, kindest, and coolest individuals you'll ever meet. Ryan and I are both in a guitar withdrawal stage in our lives, for different reasons of course. As we've grown older and life changes, we've both had to part ways with a significant portion of our gear. What's great is that we know our equipment has gone to people who will use it (and hopefully take care of it). As much as it may hurt to not have Norman (my guitar), the happiness I get out of knowing he's being played for church, youth group, retreats, etc far surpasses any ache. Similarly with Ryan, it stings to not have an amp to play his electric, but he loves seeing it used on Sundays by others. Sarah is 20 weeks pregnant with #3. Paige and Luke are so cute and I have no doubt #3 will be no different.
Friday, I had pet-sitting duty with Winston, who I still haven't completely warmed up to. He's so needy and yet so lazy. Mac came over to hang out for a few hours which included a long walk with Winston. Shortly after getting home, he found Mac's lap, and promptly passed out. She didn't mind.
I see a lot of myself in Mac. Now that she's done nursing school, she's in this transition point in her young life and the uncertainty and discomfort of that period definitely resonates with me. I finished my B.Sc and worked in Human Resources for nearly 3 years until I was ready to really move on with life and pursue medicine. She finished nursing and is working at Starbucks and part-time at a hospital. Deen finished nursing and worked at a grocery store. I wouldn't say it's because we're scared of what's next, but it's a way to slow things down. Life was so hectic and to this day, I still beat myself up for rushing to finish my B.Sc within 4 years. You're so exhausted and sick of school after graduation and all you want to do is breathe and rest and live at a reasonable pace.
Mac asked if I've enjoyed med school and I had to separate my personal life from med school to be able to say that I appreciated my med school experience. Admittedly, my personal life has been shitty these past few years, but without being prideful, I think my experience is an exception to the average med student. Far too many ups and downs for my liking. It's fair to say I've had little stability in my personal life because it's been on pause and fast forward and play with my visits home. Without God as my rock, I'd be a wreck. You celebrate new relationships, you mourn broken relationships, you celebrate new life, you mourn lost life, and sometimes it takes too much out of me to deal with it all, to try to keep up, to be present when you haven't been most of the time. You appreciate so much more and more the things that stay the same, like the relationships I've talked about above. But on the flip side, there are relationships where you think to yourself "What happened? Where'd the meat go? What's sustaining this?" And again, I hope I'm the exception, but I feel like I've lost so much in the process of becoming a doctor. It's character-building, but it's still a painful process of having no footing in this world. You're hoping and praying for that time when you'll be able to settle anywhere and decide just how much straddling you're willing to do between the old life and new life. During this time at home, when people ask me "Seriously, how are you doing?", the truest answer I can come up with is "I'm tired" and at this point, napping doesn't really make a difference.
Through all the drifting for the past few years, I can always count on certain people and events to recharge me. The people have already been discussed. A notable event that never fails is taking place tonight - Cousins Night. Love that crew so much and I know it's going to be epic and ridiculously late, meaning I need to post this now because in the words of Virginia Mosby, "nothing good happens after 2am", which will likely be when I'd be able to post this after Cousins Night.
Saturday, 12 September 2015
Socializing and Studying
Before I forget again, allow me to present my bedroom in LA...
Med school has taught me to appreciate the little things in life, like shelter.
The week started on Sunday for a different kind of Cousins Night. Andrew's step sister, Meghan, was in town for a quick visit. It's the first time I've met her. I've known of her for the majority of my life. I've met her brothers before and slept in her room when I visited my aunt and uncle in Calgary, but she was away that time. So this was a long overdue introduction. We all had dinner and drinks at Portland Craft on Main St. Drew and I both ordered chicken and waffles. It was delicious. Once or twice a year, I get a crazy craving for good fried chicken. I had that craving in Chicago, Pontiac, and LA and wasn't able to act on it. So when I saw it on the menu, I jumped on it and I was not disappointed. After dinner, we walked to the Shameful Tiki Room and were presented with a 2 hour wait. We left our number and walked 20 minutes to the nearest DQ because the Yip family loves their DQ. Got our Blizzards, then walked back and decided to lounge in Chaise which coincidentally had perogies on special. It was a winning kind of night. We ordered drinks and perogies and continued to chat the night away until we got seats at the Tiki Room where we drank a Volcano Bowl followed by a Mystery Bowl. The Volcano Bowl tasted like a bunch of alcohol mixed together. The Mystery Bowl was fruity. A very merry group we were. Safe to say Meg got the full Cousins Night experience (minus the Rock Band).
Tuesday, Deen and I caught up. We headed to the UBC Farmer's Market, then walked around and ended up looking at new developments. The real estate agent may have thought we were a lesbian couple. Coincidentally, we were talking about appreciating the female form more now that it's harder to keep our fine physiques. Deen's body has always been rockin', but my appreciation for her curves has grown with age and I'll never pass up an opportunity to express that. Make no mistake though, we maintain our bodies through proper diet and exercise. We may not hit the gym like others, but we're active. You know my commutes (lots of walking with public transit or cycling) and med student diet. Deen's got her yoga, walking, and hiking and a better diet. I'd guess I eat >2x protein and carbs than she does and she eats >2x fruits and veggies than I do. She's lean with great curves. I'm muscular with great tone. She'd beat me in flexibility. I'd beat her in lifting. I get cardio with commutes and do various push-ups, planks, and squats at my differing abodes. She's got everything BC offers for activities, but admittedly neglects strengthening muscle groups (outside of her core). In each other, we see areas of improvement for ourselves in a healthy way. We're both aesthetically pleasing, that's for damn sure. Her and Jeff are tackling the West Coast Trail in a week. Kurtis is in the middle of the trail right now. We'll have our playoff beers when he returns.
It's $750,000 for a 2 bedroom apartment just off campus. The fridge and stove (and price tag) were not to my baby's liking. After that we headed to Granville Island (our go-to spot) to walk around, grab a donut from Lee's, and sit on the wooden benches while appreciating False Creek. It wasn't until after a solid hour of talking that we discovered our butts were soaked. We were impressed neither of us had shifted our bodies within that hour to sense the dampness. We were of course embarrassed. Shortly after laughing over the obvious wet marks on our jeans, we got into the car, stopped by her place so she could change, then my place to do the same and then headed out for Japanese.
Thursday, Katelyn and I went for an adventure. After Jen and I ended up in White Rock last week, I learned that if "adventure" is in store, you ought to have your passport. So I told Katelyn to bring her passport just in case. We ended up in the States. After getting cheap gas, we drove along I-5 and took the first exit that said "state park", which happened to be Birch Bay. We stopped by a little convenience store where we got some cheese, guacamole and veggie chips, an apple, two bananas, and a couple drinks, and then we headed for the coast. We found a log (thoroughly dry, I checked) along the beach where we sat and had our "picnic" talking about anything and everything. Our visits for the last few years have always had somebody about to take off or recently returning from an extended time away. She started it in Fall 2010 by taking off to Germany for 8 months, then we had a visit, I took off to Haiti (almost died), immediately went to the island upon return (to re-evaluate life) for a month, we had a visit, I went to med school, she went to Quebec, I came home for Courtenay then left again, came home to study for Step 2 CK when Kate joined me on the island for a visit, I took off once again, now I'm back and we have a solid visit, and then she's off to France for 8 months. By the time she comes back, I'll be done med school waiting for our next visit. This isn't a case of two peoples' journeys frequently missing each other, but rather a case of two people committed to making time for each other despite their separate journeys. Conversation with Katelyn is always worthwhile.
Thursday night, my aunt Dana and uncle Wayne took Andrew and I out to celebrate our September birthdays at Chewies. I caved again and got fried chicken and don't regret it one bit. Friggin delicious. And of course, we ended up at DQ for dessert. It's safe to say I've put on a couple pounds this week and it's definitely not all muscle.
Amidst all these social moments, I've been waking up at 7am to prepare my mind and body for my NAC-OSCE exam tomorrow. I obviously studied during free time. I'm also prepping my residency applications including getting a headshot done by my sister-in-law. I'm keeping busy, but also having a lot of fun. A healthy balance.
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| The entrance to my room |
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| The rest of the room. Yes, those are my clothes on top of my suitcase |
The week started on Sunday for a different kind of Cousins Night. Andrew's step sister, Meghan, was in town for a quick visit. It's the first time I've met her. I've known of her for the majority of my life. I've met her brothers before and slept in her room when I visited my aunt and uncle in Calgary, but she was away that time. So this was a long overdue introduction. We all had dinner and drinks at Portland Craft on Main St. Drew and I both ordered chicken and waffles. It was delicious. Once or twice a year, I get a crazy craving for good fried chicken. I had that craving in Chicago, Pontiac, and LA and wasn't able to act on it. So when I saw it on the menu, I jumped on it and I was not disappointed. After dinner, we walked to the Shameful Tiki Room and were presented with a 2 hour wait. We left our number and walked 20 minutes to the nearest DQ because the Yip family loves their DQ. Got our Blizzards, then walked back and decided to lounge in Chaise which coincidentally had perogies on special. It was a winning kind of night. We ordered drinks and perogies and continued to chat the night away until we got seats at the Tiki Room where we drank a Volcano Bowl followed by a Mystery Bowl. The Volcano Bowl tasted like a bunch of alcohol mixed together. The Mystery Bowl was fruity. A very merry group we were. Safe to say Meg got the full Cousins Night experience (minus the Rock Band).
Tuesday, Deen and I caught up. We headed to the UBC Farmer's Market, then walked around and ended up looking at new developments. The real estate agent may have thought we were a lesbian couple. Coincidentally, we were talking about appreciating the female form more now that it's harder to keep our fine physiques. Deen's body has always been rockin', but my appreciation for her curves has grown with age and I'll never pass up an opportunity to express that. Make no mistake though, we maintain our bodies through proper diet and exercise. We may not hit the gym like others, but we're active. You know my commutes (lots of walking with public transit or cycling) and med student diet. Deen's got her yoga, walking, and hiking and a better diet. I'd guess I eat >2x protein and carbs than she does and she eats >2x fruits and veggies than I do. She's lean with great curves. I'm muscular with great tone. She'd beat me in flexibility. I'd beat her in lifting. I get cardio with commutes and do various push-ups, planks, and squats at my differing abodes. She's got everything BC offers for activities, but admittedly neglects strengthening muscle groups (outside of her core). In each other, we see areas of improvement for ourselves in a healthy way. We're both aesthetically pleasing, that's for damn sure. Her and Jeff are tackling the West Coast Trail in a week. Kurtis is in the middle of the trail right now. We'll have our playoff beers when he returns.
It's $750,000 for a 2 bedroom apartment just off campus. The fridge and stove (and price tag) were not to my baby's liking. After that we headed to Granville Island (our go-to spot) to walk around, grab a donut from Lee's, and sit on the wooden benches while appreciating False Creek. It wasn't until after a solid hour of talking that we discovered our butts were soaked. We were impressed neither of us had shifted our bodies within that hour to sense the dampness. We were of course embarrassed. Shortly after laughing over the obvious wet marks on our jeans, we got into the car, stopped by her place so she could change, then my place to do the same and then headed out for Japanese.
Thursday, Katelyn and I went for an adventure. After Jen and I ended up in White Rock last week, I learned that if "adventure" is in store, you ought to have your passport. So I told Katelyn to bring her passport just in case. We ended up in the States. After getting cheap gas, we drove along I-5 and took the first exit that said "state park", which happened to be Birch Bay. We stopped by a little convenience store where we got some cheese, guacamole and veggie chips, an apple, two bananas, and a couple drinks, and then we headed for the coast. We found a log (thoroughly dry, I checked) along the beach where we sat and had our "picnic" talking about anything and everything. Our visits for the last few years have always had somebody about to take off or recently returning from an extended time away. She started it in Fall 2010 by taking off to Germany for 8 months, then we had a visit, I took off to Haiti (almost died), immediately went to the island upon return (to re-evaluate life) for a month, we had a visit, I went to med school, she went to Quebec, I came home for Courtenay then left again, came home to study for Step 2 CK when Kate joined me on the island for a visit, I took off once again, now I'm back and we have a solid visit, and then she's off to France for 8 months. By the time she comes back, I'll be done med school waiting for our next visit. This isn't a case of two peoples' journeys frequently missing each other, but rather a case of two people committed to making time for each other despite their separate journeys. Conversation with Katelyn is always worthwhile.
Thursday night, my aunt Dana and uncle Wayne took Andrew and I out to celebrate our September birthdays at Chewies. I caved again and got fried chicken and don't regret it one bit. Friggin delicious. And of course, we ended up at DQ for dessert. It's safe to say I've put on a couple pounds this week and it's definitely not all muscle.
Amidst all these social moments, I've been waking up at 7am to prepare my mind and body for my NAC-OSCE exam tomorrow. I obviously studied during free time. I'm also prepping my residency applications including getting a headshot done by my sister-in-law. I'm keeping busy, but also having a lot of fun. A healthy balance.
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| Taken outside their apartment. I'm wearing skinny jeans and TOMs |
Saturday, 5 September 2015
A little surprise
Knowing that my mother is a regular visitor of the blog, I played it a little coy last week so that she wouldn't know I was coming home. I got conditional approval of my pediatric elective in BC. So I contacted my dad and figured it'd be awesome if I could come home to surprise mom for her birthday. It was all very short notice but executed perfectly. I flew in Sunday afternoon. Justin picked me up from the airport, I picked up flowers, and then we headed home. Dad and mom were out and came home 30 minutes later. I hid all my stuff upstairs and then quietly walked down the stairs and stood mere feet from her while she was talking to Justin and then she turned around.
The day was full. I had started early in the morning in LA involving walking the roommate's dog, picking up its poop, packing up the rest of my things, Ubering to the airport, and flying home. There was a family dinner already planned, so I got to see my grandma Yip, aunt and uncle to surprise a few more people. I was definitely exhausted by the end of the day.
The rest of the week was about letting others know I was in town, studying for the NAC OSCE (the Canadian equivalent of Step 2 CS), and putting time into prepping residency applications. I emailed Katelyn to coordinate a time to get a guitar off her because the musician in me has been neglected for far too long. Wednesday, I headed into Delta to pick up the guitar. I met her at the church where the youth were prepping for a "camping" trip which due to the inclement weather, turned into camping inside the church. Bailey was doing food prep in the kitchen so I surprised her with a solid squeeze. Mac came in shortly after and we enjoyed a long classic champions hug. I got to hang out with the youth a bit, who have all changed and made me feel ridiculously old, but it was nice and refreshing to be around them. Great to meet some new kids and see lots of familiar faces. After a quick visit, I took Grandma Mah out for traditional Wednesday night dinner. Thursday I dropped mom and dad off at the airport as they were heading out for a week-long trip, leaving me with an empty house. I have not lived completely on my own for over a week since Ohio which was practically a year ago. There is a certain kind of relief and joy in the freedom experienced when you can play your guitar and sing at the top of your lungs without fear of disturbing housemates or neighbouring units. There's a different kind of satisfaction in being able to walk around naked too.
Thursday night, I called up Yan and asked "You up for an adventure?" which was met with an enthusiastic "YES!!!". On the radio earlier that day, I heard that "Violent" was having its last screening that night. So I figured I'd check it out. The movie was made by the guys from We Are The City and Amazing Factory which includes my favourite local band and a stand-up guy I graduated high school with. The movie was filmed in Norway and is partially in Norwegian with subtitles. It has rocked in the film festivals and is now up for consideration to be Canada's Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film. Kind of amazing. The film definitely has a Scandinavian style (you'll find those indie films slower paced with lingering shots), but the plot and concepts are well fleshed out. It leaves you with something to think and talk about afterward. Good work boys! After the movie, Yan and I headed to Duffin's which is our go-to place to grab a bite and hang. Solid catch-up session.
Friday night I hung out with Jen. We headed to Crescent Beach which is our go-to place (you'll notice I have those in many of my relationships). Good walk and talk time. We felt like we wanted more time so we hopped in the car and played the "Should I turn left or right?" game and that inevitably landed us in White Rock where we walked and talked more, got ice cream, then went back to the car for more adventure time. We ended up driving around looking for a dark clear space so we could look up at the stars. I pulled into the driveway of a house up for sale. It was surrounded by trees, so once I turned the car off it was silent and pitch black, save for the stars. Jen giggled and said "I feel so rebellious". It was cute, but I could also tell she felt nervous about us pulling onto private property. So I drove us off looking for a different spot. I took her to Crescent Park, opened the moon roof on the car, and then we sat in awe-filled silence. It was a peaceful healing time.
Saturday I had brunch with Candice at our old-school go-to spot, De Dutch, a throw back to our high school and early college days when we both lived in North Delta. It's now middle ground for us as she's from the South Surrey area and I'm in Vancouver. We walked around after a hearty meal and then I headed to the Deutschs unannounced since I was already in the area. Ended up spending the entire day there catching up with Mom and Pop and getting the standard lingering and 3-sec with back pat finish hugs. Court wasn't home and Mac took off for a wedding, but Bai and I had the day to ourselves and that's always time well spent. Court came home for a bit in the afternoon and we got some precious alone time to talk life and wedding plans. All in all, it was a good recharging time.
A week home has been wonderful and I'm definitely liking the idea of being here for a few more.
The day was full. I had started early in the morning in LA involving walking the roommate's dog, picking up its poop, packing up the rest of my things, Ubering to the airport, and flying home. There was a family dinner already planned, so I got to see my grandma Yip, aunt and uncle to surprise a few more people. I was definitely exhausted by the end of the day.
The rest of the week was about letting others know I was in town, studying for the NAC OSCE (the Canadian equivalent of Step 2 CS), and putting time into prepping residency applications. I emailed Katelyn to coordinate a time to get a guitar off her because the musician in me has been neglected for far too long. Wednesday, I headed into Delta to pick up the guitar. I met her at the church where the youth were prepping for a "camping" trip which due to the inclement weather, turned into camping inside the church. Bailey was doing food prep in the kitchen so I surprised her with a solid squeeze. Mac came in shortly after and we enjoyed a long classic champions hug. I got to hang out with the youth a bit, who have all changed and made me feel ridiculously old, but it was nice and refreshing to be around them. Great to meet some new kids and see lots of familiar faces. After a quick visit, I took Grandma Mah out for traditional Wednesday night dinner. Thursday I dropped mom and dad off at the airport as they were heading out for a week-long trip, leaving me with an empty house. I have not lived completely on my own for over a week since Ohio which was practically a year ago. There is a certain kind of relief and joy in the freedom experienced when you can play your guitar and sing at the top of your lungs without fear of disturbing housemates or neighbouring units. There's a different kind of satisfaction in being able to walk around naked too.
Thursday night, I called up Yan and asked "You up for an adventure?" which was met with an enthusiastic "YES!!!". On the radio earlier that day, I heard that "Violent" was having its last screening that night. So I figured I'd check it out. The movie was made by the guys from We Are The City and Amazing Factory which includes my favourite local band and a stand-up guy I graduated high school with. The movie was filmed in Norway and is partially in Norwegian with subtitles. It has rocked in the film festivals and is now up for consideration to be Canada's Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film. Kind of amazing. The film definitely has a Scandinavian style (you'll find those indie films slower paced with lingering shots), but the plot and concepts are well fleshed out. It leaves you with something to think and talk about afterward. Good work boys! After the movie, Yan and I headed to Duffin's which is our go-to place to grab a bite and hang. Solid catch-up session.
Friday night I hung out with Jen. We headed to Crescent Beach which is our go-to place (you'll notice I have those in many of my relationships). Good walk and talk time. We felt like we wanted more time so we hopped in the car and played the "Should I turn left or right?" game and that inevitably landed us in White Rock where we walked and talked more, got ice cream, then went back to the car for more adventure time. We ended up driving around looking for a dark clear space so we could look up at the stars. I pulled into the driveway of a house up for sale. It was surrounded by trees, so once I turned the car off it was silent and pitch black, save for the stars. Jen giggled and said "I feel so rebellious". It was cute, but I could also tell she felt nervous about us pulling onto private property. So I drove us off looking for a different spot. I took her to Crescent Park, opened the moon roof on the car, and then we sat in awe-filled silence. It was a peaceful healing time.
Saturday I had brunch with Candice at our old-school go-to spot, De Dutch, a throw back to our high school and early college days when we both lived in North Delta. It's now middle ground for us as she's from the South Surrey area and I'm in Vancouver. We walked around after a hearty meal and then I headed to the Deutschs unannounced since I was already in the area. Ended up spending the entire day there catching up with Mom and Pop and getting the standard lingering and 3-sec with back pat finish hugs. Court wasn't home and Mac took off for a wedding, but Bai and I had the day to ourselves and that's always time well spent. Court came home for a bit in the afternoon and we got some precious alone time to talk life and wedding plans. All in all, it was a good recharging time.
A week home has been wonderful and I'm definitely liking the idea of being here for a few more.
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