Intermission #22

1. Today was...I don't what how to describe it. Surreal, yes, but I've used the word before in the same setting so...ah, screw it. Yes, it was surreal, but it's good that it's finally over. The last end block exam before Final Pro ended for me this morning.

And it was...meh. There's no other word for it, so it should do for now. Or maybe my brain is too lazy to think right now. Brainfreeze much?

2. There's always something to be thankful for, no matter what - I need to remind myself of this obvious fact every now and then. Also, there's always something that we can count on...

Life will be much easier if I could actually stop over-analysing stuff. I think my imagination is too active for my own good. Channel some of those energy to the Memory section, will you? Pfft.

3. As a side note...zOMG WHY is my knowledge on neurology so MEH!?

Current Music: More - Usher

Giving the Lie

A poem by Sir Walter Raleigh. Oh, he's just the fellow who introduced tobacco to the world England, and while I am unhappy with him for that, it is still tragic how he fell victim to the circumstances and how he met his end.

Perhaps this life, to some extent, is still full of lies.

"The Lie" - Sir Walter Raleigh

Go, soul, the body's guest,
….Upon a thankless arrant;
Fear not to touch the best;
….The truth shall be thy warrant:
….….Go, since I needs must die,
….….And give the world the lie.

Say to the court it glows
….And shines like rotten wood,
Say to the church it shows
….What's good, and doth no good:
….….If church and court reply,
….….Then give them both the lie.

Tell potentates, they live
….Acting, by others' action;
Not lov'd unless they give;
….Not strong, but by affection.
….….If potentates reply,
….….Give potentates the lie.

Tell men of high condition,
….That manage the estate,
Their purpose is ambition;
….Their practice only hate.
….….And if they once reply,
….….Then give them all the lie.

Tell them that brave it most,
….They beg for more by spending,
Who in their greatest cost
….Like nothing but commending.
….….And if they make reply,
….….Then give them all the lie.

Tell zeal it wants devotion;
….Tell love it is but lust;
Tell time it meets but motion;
….Tell flesh it is but dust:
….….And wish them not reply,
….….For thou must give the lie.

Tell age it daily wasteth;
….Tell honour how it alters;
Tell beauty how she blasteth;
….Tell favour how it falters:
….….And as they shall reply,
….….Give every one the lie.

Tell wit how much it wrangles
….In tickle points of niceness;
Tell wisdom she entangles
….Herself in over-wiseness:
….….And when they do reply,
….….Straight give them both the lie.

Tell physic of her boldness;
….Tell skill it is prevention;
Tell charity of coldness;
….Tell law it is contention:
….….And as they do reply,
….….So give them still the lie.

Tell fortune of her blindness;
….Tell nature of decay;
Tell friendship of unkindness;
….Tell justice of delay:
….….And if they will reply,
….….Then give them all the lie.

Tell arts they have no soundness,
….But vary by esteeming;
Tell schools they want profoundness,
….And stand too much on seeming.
….….If arts and schools reply,
….….Give arts and schools the lie.

Tell faith it's fled the city;
….Tell how the country erreth;
Tell manhood, shakes off pity;
….Tell virtue, least preferreth.
….….And if they do reply,
….….Spare not to give the lie.

So when thou hast, as I
….Commanded thee, done blabbing;
Because to give the lie
….Deserves no less than stabbing:
….….Stab at thee, he that will,
….….No stab thy soul can kill!


Current Music: How to Save A Life - The Fray

Even When All Seems Lost...

Even when the nights seem darkest,
even when everything else fails,
even when doubt consumes all...

Image from here; Poster generated from Keepcalm-O-Matic

Current Music: Made for You - OneRepublic

(No) Boundaries

"Responsibility is the price of greatness" ~ Winston Churchill

Perhaps you'd agree with me if I say that childhood ends when life ceases to appear as straightforward. Teenage years commence when one tends to exaggerate the level of such entanglements - "Nobody understands me! Screw you, world!" or "Look at me, the rebel without a cause!" - oftentimes due to seeing oneself as more adult than one truly is; some sort of an identity crisis, being caught between two phases.

As for adulthood, that's when you surrender to the fact that no, the world wouldn't stop being so difficult just because you told her to...and so you resolve to make the most out of it - press on despite the raging currents, rise above even when everything seems to bring you down.

Because our survival instincts know that we essentially don't have any other choice.

But we sometimes stop and wonder - "What if everything I've done so far was a mistake?"

Am I just complicating things, by questioning the validity of the status quo?

Some things in life need to be changed by one’s own hands. Others need to be accepted and tolerated as they are, and the remaining deserves no attention whatsoever.

Some things need to be done, others are optional, and the rest…they don’t matter, whatever their outcome may be.

Sometimes the demarcation is easy, other times difficult. But perhaps, the only thing more difficult than the latter is the initiative to truly act as what is needed of you. Treating unimportant matters as important, and vice versa, is akin to putting things not in their proper place. Yes, it is injustice.

Easier said than done, I confess.

We will falter at times, when the situation is most dire, or when we are simply exhausted beyond imagination. It is then that we just have to remember – there are always prayers, and there will always be Him, Who would Listen in His Own Way…even when the rest of the world turns a deaf ear and walks out on you.

Source

Current Music: Signal (Acoustic Version) - Kelun

With Eyes Wide Open and Closed Shut

"The eyes are not responsible when the mind does the seeing" ~ Publilius Syrus

1. Tomorrow will be the day for Ophthalmology's OSCE, whose end would effectively signal the beginning of revision week and hence the advent of end of block exam for us in the Specialised posting. Which means the time to leave Fourth Year would be around the corner. Inevitable, surely, but most definitely nigh.
Better start studying for real, then.

2. E-logbook is nearly complete. Fundus book is almost there. Now it just leaves studying, hmm...

3. Because it's exam season, here's a link to a collection of humorous answers students gave in several exam questions. They managed to give me a well-deserving LOL, even when I should be miserable with my own soon-to-come exams...

4. One weakness of mine is that I can't seem to let it go. It's already way back in the past, so why can't I just turn away as if it has never happened? Or, as if it's too insignificant to be brought along to the present much less the future?
I don't like it one bit.

5. ...I think I need a break. I may not deserve one, but at this point, necessity overrules qualification.

6. Some decisions don't have to be done on the spot. Sometimes it's best to wait and see before making the next move...


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Now playing: Savage Garden - I Want You
via FoxyTunes

P/s: In conjunction with Ophthalmology, here's a link listing some hadiths on lacrimation and some, err, secular quotes pertaining to eyes.
It just goes to show that I can look for religious sayings too.

Compilations #6

1. With the first week of Ophthalmology in the past, things are heating up. Clinic day on Monday, and already I'm anticipating the worst. Best thing to prevent this would be to prepare myself with facts and knowledge...
Good thing that yesterday's presentations were over with. Now to get down to proper studying...

2. Call me unwise, but I've managed to procure yet another novel - David Hewson's Dante's Numbers - to satisfy my thirst for fiction. At the rate I'm going, I would be able to establish some sort of a library or something...
And The Alienist is beautiful. I'm not even halfway done, but God, it's so worth the money I put into!

3. I do read something else than mystery/murder novels, of course. Motivational books I like as well (Never mind that I was somewhat offended when a salesperson suggested that I checked out another rack of motivational books, but that is irrelevant), although quite few of them are well-written enough for me to appreciate - or for them to give an impact that it'd actually manage to change my life in some way. But I do like Dale Carnegie's works.
In summary of what I've read so far: We worry because we are confused. We are confused because we don't have enough facts. We don't have enough facts because those that we have collected are inadequate, influenced perhaps by emotions and our own biases.
As said by Thomas Edison, "There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the labour of thinking".
And, by Andre Maurois, "Everything that is in agreement with our personal desires seems true. Everything that is not puts us into a rage".

Beautiful, and true.

The lesson? If I want to survive in this challenging world of medicine, for God's sake be objective.

Current Music: So Beautiful - Darren Hayes

P/s: ...Perhaps being busy in Ophthalmology has one advantage. I quote: The worried person must lose himself in action, lest he wither in despair.
Anyhow, here's a link for anyone who's up for online Ophthalmology reading. Or even this, I guess.

P/p/s: If I'm not updating this blog regularly, it's because I'm busy with another pseudoblog, i.e. Ophthalmology's e-logbook.

P/p/p/s: What is this sudden infatuation with Savage Garden!? Not too long ago it was with OneRepublic...Tsk tsk.