POSTER

I'm not a natural when it comes to buses and bus stops. Well known places are alright but it's very ma fan if required to go to new placements by bus. For example, the bus stop for Newham GH is one of the most unexciting bus stops ever. If you miss the tiny blue sign 'H' for hospital, kena jalan la.

Which is probably good anyway since my stamina is non-existent.

I have been using the huge poster of Patrick Dempsey on the side of a building to tell when to get off the bus for my GP placement. Considering the fact that I absolutely hate Patrick Dempsey, I don't know why I chose him instead of the Iceland on the opposite right side of the road.

Then again I don't like keeping my head to the right in the morning. It's unnatural.

Patrick Dempsey has since been replaced by Natasha Kaplinsky the newsreader. It's just not the same looking at Kaplinsky who doesn't make me gag.

Hmm.

I'm babbling because I have a case commentary to write and I'm trying to... ah well.

NOUGHTS

The good thing about Paediatrics is that if you get bored while on the ward, you can always grab a storybook or a game from the playroom. Over the last few days, I've read about pink mermaids, anak ikan paus, bicycles, telling the time, tea and biscuits; and of course nursery rhymes and Blyton's The Faraway Tree.

You'd think I'd shoot myself in the head by now. But I love storybooks :P

I used to love reading The Faraway Tree series *blush*. It's about a huge magic tree right in the middle of an enchanted wood discovered by some children; and every week or so a magic land will appear at the top of the tree. Some examples are the Land of Topsy Turvy and the Land of Birthdays. They sound stupid now but I wanted to go to some of those lands then.

More than 15 years now, of course I wonder if books that encourage children to daydream are really good for them. Think Aladdin and his genie (I wish to have a thousand wishes). But then again, creativity can come from daydreaming. I wish they had good role models in children's storybooks though. Cinderella and Snow White are such stupid bimbos.

So anyway, I was in the playroom writing up my clerking when a 7-year-old girl and her slightly older brother came in to play. They were visiting their baby brother who was being investigated for Hirchsprung's. Unfortunately for me, the little girl was not the kinda shy girls who would stay away from strangers. She decided to sit next to me and invited me to play noughts and crosses with her.

For horrifying 3 seconds, I couldn't recall how to play the game. That's how long it's been. One of the dilemmas I had was whether to let the little girl win easy. Afterall she was already 7; big enough to know if people were being patronizing. I'm not an expert on 7-year-olds! But I discovered that I didn't know how to let little children win at noughts and crosses.

I so kicked her ass. 4 straight wins!

I don't know how to talk to children and I have no idea how other people do it. I hate paediatrics oh make no mistakes I honestly hate it, but I have a lot of respect for the paediatricians and they're absolutely amazing at communication. I can say my youngest brother is only 4 years away from me but we all know that's not an excuse. I just wasn't born with the talent.

She said people often told her she looked Chinese even though she was actually a Bangladeshi. Without thinking, I said while shrugging my shoulders: Nah, you look more like a Vietnamese, or a Thai.

If you were there, you would be rolling on the floor laughing at me. Let me tell you I was really embarrassed by the blank look she gave me. Budak kecik memang susah tau.

FLYYY

I've just started Paediatrics. Sigh. Sungguh tak seronok. I'm completely terrified of small children. I feel like everytime I'm holding one of them, I'm just gonna drop them on their head or something. Drop them and then trip over them.

Oooh the horror of it. Yeesh.

But one of the things I want to learn by the end of the rotation is whether children are really stupid. C'mon, there was this boy who came in with a broken elbow, and when asked what had happened, he proudly announced, 'I was trying to learn to fly!'

Adorable is cute but stupid, isn't it?

Geleng kepala. Yes, I am a bit ashamed of myself.

BOY

Sometimes I sit back and let Dennis make all the effort. I let him 'surprise' me from time to time with dinners or chocolates. I put the word 'surprise' in brackets because I can read his mind like it's written in neon colours above his head. And of course, like all girls, sometimes I make him feel guilty just to get my ways.

Before you geleng your kepala, guys do it too as I recently discovered.

It wasn't too bad being on the other end. Sure I had to turn off my bitching mode and switched on my giving in mode, but overall it was kinda okay. I was losing then, but I will win in the long run.

I'm changing the topic.

One of my friends is having a problem choosing between 3 girls. I did think a guy choosing between 3 girls only happens in dreams, but there you go. It does happen in real life *rolling my eyes*. He has gotten advice ranging from getting all 3 girls drunk and getting on from there; to just picking the hottest one.

Recently he's decided on one of them. Unfortunately, he's a bit late and the girl's gone on to dating another guy so he has to make a proper confession. He's convinced putting feelings out front is the hardest thing a guy has to do.

Pff sudah la. Budak2 kat Kenya are living in hell. Think about them.

Alright bad joke. But c'mon when a guy says digital rectal examination is more horrifying than a speculum examination, of course any girl will be pissed with all the male vs female issues.

No I don't have a point to make. Sometimes I just want to waste other people's time.

I've seen my brothers make effort to keep their girlfriends happy and they're good boys, they never complain about it. A part of me wants to be like them. I want to make the effort always.