so there Prof Kaur was trying to explain the contents of bone tissue, and i found myself spacing in and out every 5 minutes. is that even possible? for one to have an attention span of 5 minutes?

Prof Kaur: "so what we have here is the chondroblast...."

me: (nod, blink, nod)

Prof Kaur: "and right beside it here we can see the chondrocyte, which has a slightly...."

me: "wow i'd really like a waffle right now. hey, does anyone else want a waffle? you know the ones they sell in the canteen are pretty neat. those little squares of delectable pleasure... oh gosh i need my waffle. hmm? no i don't think the waffle goes well with coffee, then again the coffee..."

Prof Kaur: "take note of this for the exams, because ...(at this point i only seem to hear a weird amalgation of glottal noises) grunt grunt mumble spit"

me: "yeah i think i'll get a waffle. but the queue is always so long, and by the time i get there they'd be out of waffles. maybe i'll just settle with a donut, you know the ones they sell at the drinks stall. yeah i'll do that. a donut sounds great. hot damn i just ate a donut yesterday!! i can't eat another one now! you know what they say, one second on your lips, forever on your hips! ok ok no donut and no waffle"

Prof Kaur: "And that's all i have for you today. Thank you for your attention."


(In the anatomy hall, where im having my anatomy tutorials on the upper limb (the arm for the rest of us))

Prof WC Wong: "I beg your pardon? No, the axillary vein does not run through the axillary sheathe, most definitely not! Over here if we look at the humerus from the anterior aspect, we can clearly see the position of where the long head of the biceps attaches itself...."

me: "oh gross. i think i stepped on to some formalin!! (read: the stuff they use to preserve cadavers)"
note: formalin doesn't seem to evaporate, so it stays at the bottom of my shoe, forming a slimy, viscous coating which squelches everytime i drag my shoe across

Prof WC Wong: "Now, can someone tell me the 4 muscles associated with the rotator cuff?" ..... etc etc

Me: "hey XX (one of my classmates, can't remember who, there are just too many of them and they all wear spectacles and have chinese names, but so do i.) remember how the seniors always warned us about the smell of formalin, especially the first time we get to inspect cadavers? you know what? i was so prepared for something that would've knocked me out, but when i stepped into this hall, i realized it smelled exactly like the hospital ward! this doesn't bode well for anybody, because it means that hospitals carry a characteristic smell.... the smell of death!!", as i pull my face into a contorted shape.

XX: "..."


Well there you have it. something in the day of a medical student's life. note though, that most medical students aren't like me, oh actually i should rephrase that the other way around. no, no, no, its true, most medical students are really, really hardworking and pay attention in lectures and count calories at every meal, carry 2 textbooks everywhere they go and have common boyfriends/girlfriends by the name of Snell or Moore or some other generic textbook author. Therefore you should trust them when you're bleeding and vomitting and counting your fingertips after they've been separated from your fingers, because, well, they really know their stuff.

so most of my friends have left now. that's Francine, Daphne, Cynthia, Andrew and Serene today. As i was driving by the american embassy i caught sight of this poster advertising a US College fair on the 1st of October. When i saw it it drove really, really strong emotions down my spine. just last year i would've jumped at the opportunity to attend one of these fairs to get a glimpse of what life was going to be like overseas, and talk to the students who were studying the courses i would've loved to take, maybe relish a little of the life i thought i was going to lead in another 2 years. and here i go again bringing the whole university thing up. thomas you're such a dumb ass. but then, have i truly given up that dream?