GARGANTUAN steps
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
the games we've played till now are at an end
Been at hospital attachments at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for about two weeks now! I must say that it's really been quite interesting getting into the thick of things. Taking histories of patient, following the house officers and consultants on ward rounds, even going into the operating theatre (which I've done before in Singapore) is quite interesting. This time, I got to scrub up and assist in the surgery (which means holding threads and retractors) and I got to remove the carcinoma which was a huge tumour in the terminal ileum. Ward rounds begin extremely early at 8am in the morning, which means I have to leave home by 7am! We then check out the newly admitted patients followed by the old ones, taking down notes. Following that, doctors either have to attend clinics or do operations. Everyday is really extremely busy in the hospital! I feel tired by about 9 in the morning after seeing about 5-6 patients on the ward rounds!
Meanwhile, have some pictures of the recent Nottingham Games that I just went up to (actually about 3 weeks ago). We didn't really do that well as expected (coming in first is the only option actually) but still, we got 3rd. I shan't blame anyone but ourselves for our showing! Here are the team photos!
Imperial Floorball
The Back of the Team
Evidently we love our jerseys very much
Meanwhile, have some pictures of the recent Nottingham Games that I just went up to (actually about 3 weeks ago). We didn't really do that well as expected (coming in first is the only option actually) but still, we got 3rd. I shan't blame anyone but ourselves for our showing! Here are the team photos!
Imperial Floorball
The Back of the Team
Evidently we love our jerseys very much
The back of me
Labels: Floorball
Thursday, November 08, 2007
a night at anfield
Yesterday will be a day I will never forget. My first Liverpool home game at Anfield was not even a Premier League one, it was a European Champion's League one and I am still amazed how things just worked out the way they did. I was able to get tickets for the game really late (I only got mine last thursday, and I suspect, because people thought Liverpool were not going to make it to the next round and decided against going) and I totally had no school on the day itself. It would have seemed really silly to stay in London and try to do work (even though there are tonnes of reading to do which I am now crushed by) and probably regretting if I never went, seeing as how we thrashed Besiktas.
My day started out with doing some work in the morning before adjourning to Hock's place to dump my stuff for the next day's school. I wasn't going to come home till the next day evening. We than played a bit of floorball along his corridor before heading to Gloucester to eat our ever favourite KFC for lunch, not before collecting my ticket from Hock's rather grumpy neighbour/ex-housemate/course-mate. After meeting Yoke at the tube station, we went to Victoria to take an extremely long, pain-in-the-butt ride to Liverpool, which was slightly over five hours, thanks to the bus-driver getting lost in the dark.
Liverpool was extremely cold, especially with the wind endlessly blowing. We met a new Malaysian acquaintance, Ah-Long, who took an exceptionally friendly attitude towards Hocks. Ah-Long was also on his way to watch Liverpool in action, but he was only a Liverpool European League fan. He did not go for Premier League matches. Apparently, he worked part-time as a waiter at Anfield and he went up to Liverpool to study because he wanted to be near the team, laughing at us for going to study in London even though we supported Liverpool. Who goes to Liverpool to study so that they could watch football, if they really think rationally enough. He appeared to me rather queer.
After taking a bus to Stanley Park (Everton's home ground), we took a 10min walk to Anfield and the atmosphere just totally sunk in. Ah-Long helped us take some photos and he exchanged numbers with Hocks, saying how he would call him when he was down in London. I was feeling extremely psyched up and excited. I think I just couldn't stop grinning! Anyway, I shall let the photos tell the rest of the story! I was seated at Anfield Road Lower (opposite the Kop) on the right side of the goal post, meaning I was extremely extremely near to the loud and noisy Turkish fans! I was getting quite scared at one point when the locals were getting rather pissed off with them. Luckily, no hooliganistic stuff happened, and I'm back, safe and alive to tell the story!
My Match Ticket
My day started out with doing some work in the morning before adjourning to Hock's place to dump my stuff for the next day's school. I wasn't going to come home till the next day evening. We than played a bit of floorball along his corridor before heading to Gloucester to eat our ever favourite KFC for lunch, not before collecting my ticket from Hock's rather grumpy neighbour/ex-housemate/course-mate. After meeting Yoke at the tube station, we went to Victoria to take an extremely long, pain-in-the-butt ride to Liverpool, which was slightly over five hours, thanks to the bus-driver getting lost in the dark.
Liverpool was extremely cold, especially with the wind endlessly blowing. We met a new Malaysian acquaintance, Ah-Long, who took an exceptionally friendly attitude towards Hocks. Ah-Long was also on his way to watch Liverpool in action, but he was only a Liverpool European League fan. He did not go for Premier League matches. Apparently, he worked part-time as a waiter at Anfield and he went up to Liverpool to study because he wanted to be near the team, laughing at us for going to study in London even though we supported Liverpool. Who goes to Liverpool to study so that they could watch football, if they really think rationally enough. He appeared to me rather queer.
After taking a bus to Stanley Park (Everton's home ground), we took a 10min walk to Anfield and the atmosphere just totally sunk in. Ah-Long helped us take some photos and he exchanged numbers with Hocks, saying how he would call him when he was down in London. I was feeling extremely psyched up and excited. I think I just couldn't stop grinning! Anyway, I shall let the photos tell the rest of the story! I was seated at Anfield Road Lower (opposite the Kop) on the right side of the goal post, meaning I was extremely extremely near to the loud and noisy Turkish fans! I was getting quite scared at one point when the locals were getting rather pissed off with them. Luckily, no hooliganistic stuff happened, and I'm back, safe and alive to tell the story!
My Match Ticket
]Yoke Pean, Me and Hocks on the bus to Liverpool
Hocks, Yoke and Me outside Anfield
(picture courtesy of Ah-Long)
(picture courtesy of Ah-Long)
Me wearing my Liverpool T-shirt
It was just too cold to wear it alone for more than a few minutes (how do the players play in this sort of weather?)
It was just too cold to wear it alone for more than a few minutes (how do the players play in this sort of weather?)
Yoke and Hocks came over to where I was seated!
Me and the Kop Grandstand behind
Second half and Liverpool defending a corner
Wasn't too use to singing along at my first time there. Think those around me would have laughed hearing some China-man singing so softly. They were just shouting and belting out songs. Even then, I still ended up with a slightly hoarse voice. There were eight goals to cheer for!
It was rather sad that the match ended. Seemed more like a training session. I had a good look at the first two goals, but the next six were scored on the Kop end and it was a bit hard to make out anything. I was always some how waiting for a video replay (watching too much ESPN/StarSports/SkySports) mentally and it felt odd that time just went by instead. And watching football without commentary is really interesting! You become unbiased!
Meanwhile, it was time to head back to London after the match. Ah-Long met us after the match, calling Hocks. And on the horrendously long, cold and muscle-cramping bus-ride back, he told Hocks to give him a call when we were back in London safely. It really was a memorable trip!
It was rather sad that the match ended. Seemed more like a training session. I had a good look at the first two goals, but the next six were scored on the Kop end and it was a bit hard to make out anything. I was always some how waiting for a video replay (watching too much ESPN/StarSports/SkySports) mentally and it felt odd that time just went by instead. And watching football without commentary is really interesting! You become unbiased!
Meanwhile, it was time to head back to London after the match. Ah-Long met us after the match, calling Hocks. And on the horrendously long, cold and muscle-cramping bus-ride back, he told Hocks to give him a call when we were back in London safely. It really was a memorable trip!
Liverpool FC
You'll Never Walk Alone
You'll Never Walk Alone
Labels: Friends, Liverpool, Liverpool Football Club
Thursday, November 01, 2007
all saint's day and a happy birthday~
Happy All Saint's day to everyone, and it's my brother's 26th birthday too! Unfortunately, he's spending it on the other side of the hemisphere in Queensland on an all important military exercise. I think he's been there for about one and a half weeks, and still about three more weeks to go! And when he's back, it'll be time for him to come over to Greece where we can meet up!
Life has been EXTREMELY hectic recently. School work is absolutely crushing, and the way the course for Neuroscience and Mental Health is being conducted is really depressing. They seem to be rushing through everything without much thought and explanation and I think it'll be much better to stay at home and read a text book than coming to school. I am really struggling with this course and I think I need a few days off from school to sit down and get my act together. All I need is time, since the lecturers aren't really doing much to help us. So much for paying over-exhorbitant school fees.
On top of that, I am busy with sorting out the floorball teams for the upcoming Nottingham Games next Saturday. A recent major withdrawal by a player has left me with a rather difficult task of finding a decent replacement. This is really causing me a lot of distress. On another note, I must say that my fitness, skill levels and game-play have gone up another level and I am playing rather comfortably. I think it must be all the training sessions at London Vikings that I have been going for. Hope to keep that going.
I have also been busy helping Fon with her upcoming charity concert in January. It's called Rainbow of Sound, in aid of all the children at Rainbow Centre in Singapore to receive Music Therapy. I have been given the title "Ticketing Officer" and I have been busy coming up with a design for the ticket. Think I've finally managed to come up with something decent and acceptable.
On a final note, I am finally going to fulfil my dream of going to Anfield to watch a match! My friend managed to get tickets for me to watch the Liverpool Besiktas Champion's League match which is happening next Tuesday! Amazingly, I have no school on that day too! I think it must be a sign. So, I am off on my journey to Anfield next week and I am going to take loads of photos! But it's going to cost me a bomb. Possibly my last time going there for now - it's just too expensive.
Life has been EXTREMELY hectic recently. School work is absolutely crushing, and the way the course for Neuroscience and Mental Health is being conducted is really depressing. They seem to be rushing through everything without much thought and explanation and I think it'll be much better to stay at home and read a text book than coming to school. I am really struggling with this course and I think I need a few days off from school to sit down and get my act together. All I need is time, since the lecturers aren't really doing much to help us. So much for paying over-exhorbitant school fees.
On top of that, I am busy with sorting out the floorball teams for the upcoming Nottingham Games next Saturday. A recent major withdrawal by a player has left me with a rather difficult task of finding a decent replacement. This is really causing me a lot of distress. On another note, I must say that my fitness, skill levels and game-play have gone up another level and I am playing rather comfortably. I think it must be all the training sessions at London Vikings that I have been going for. Hope to keep that going.
I have also been busy helping Fon with her upcoming charity concert in January. It's called Rainbow of Sound, in aid of all the children at Rainbow Centre in Singapore to receive Music Therapy. I have been given the title "Ticketing Officer" and I have been busy coming up with a design for the ticket. Think I've finally managed to come up with something decent and acceptable.
On a final note, I am finally going to fulfil my dream of going to Anfield to watch a match! My friend managed to get tickets for me to watch the Liverpool Besiktas Champion's League match which is happening next Tuesday! Amazingly, I have no school on that day too! I think it must be a sign. So, I am off on my journey to Anfield next week and I am going to take loads of photos! But it's going to cost me a bomb. Possibly my last time going there for now - it's just too expensive.
