lottery

In less then a few weeks, hundreds of registrars will be sitting the written FRACP paper. Most would have spend hours and hours of study on this post grad exam. Relationships ruined, old friendships broken and new ones made. It is, for some, a life changing experience, for better or for worst. It is however, a highly dissatisfing exam. Why don't you get to know what you got wrong??? It is not an ideal learning experience, at all.

Medicine is full of this sort of nonsense. The selection process is biased enough. Ha, it's all about 'traditions' isn't it. For what evidence can you show me to suggest an interview process select better doctors?

To those who got in this year, congrats. You may not save lives when you finish medical school, but you certainly bought yourself a "life insurance", a guaranteed income for the years to come.

To those who didn't, well, join me on my 7th night shift in a row and you'll be enrolling in anything but medicine.


Andrew Norton

Entry test for medical program

The use of lottery system in school admission

blue chip

with a name like BlueChip, offices in the middle of Remuera, a website that looks pretty good, it's hard to imagine it's afterall a scam.

As my good mortgage broker friend said, it's all greed. Well, there's nothing new under the sun really.

spot the smallest turtle

Thanks Margaret and mum, the Superturtle family just keep on expanding.

you are my sunshine

To dani,



love

phil

Cute Stuff

Worked 10 days in a row so far, I'm not sure whether I'm as sharp in my head anymore. Time for some "cute stuff". Stuff so cute that I'm not gonna put a photo here. ^_^

emotions

I can't seem to get away by not talking about emotions.

The film Juno is full of it, emotions of different kinds. Kevin Rudd's apology to the "first Australians" tomorrow is quite emotional. Dr Rowan Williams's ideas were not (I haven't read it but I presumed it is not) emotional but the media played with the emotions of the public.

Without emotions, the world will be rather dull.

Nissan Lucino

It's been busy lately. Home alone means:

1. Discovering all these bills, associated with running a small business
2. Washings that need to be done, otherwise no clean underpants
3. Pots of plants that needed watering..

the list goes on really. Yes, I might be a spoiled 20 something year old who still lives at home, and of course I have been by myself, away from home for weeks or even months. But this time is different, I'm manning the family home.

When the family returns, we're officially a 4 car household. How my parents can even imagine having 4 cars parked around the house when we first arrived here 16 years ago is beyond me. Somehow we can manage to secure them all behind the gate. We started with a crimson Renault 25, now we have a range of cars. The latest one, of course is the cheapest of them all, 7500 bucks, you get the drift by looking at the number plate holder - i need to change that really. Yet I've sort of evolved to the state that, I just need something to take me from A to B. It'll be different once I have a household of my own, of course.

boston legal S04E02

Yes, Boston Legal can be crazy. But, some lines are just brilliant.

Jerry: .. and the idea that an innocent man losing his life for something that he did not do, we have such an innocent man here today. Many of us went to law school for this very privilege; to at least once stand up in court for the innocent man. It is my heartfelt privilege to be representing Joseph Washington today.

It remains me of how some old fashioned physician respond to their patient when gratitude is offered : It's my privilege to be your doctor.

In fact, it is a privilege to be in any profession.

--------------------------------

Danny: Love is an ugly business my friend, ugly business. Yet we live for it.

Alan: Well as you say, may be it is the only thing that really matters.

my first car

Since I'll be giving away my much loved Swift to my sister soon, I've been hunting for a car for myself. This process of second-hand car shopping reminds me of my first car.

It can be considered as a "major life event", similar to marriage, moving house... etc. It got to drive it to school the next day, the first day of my Form 7 year. I remember angonising where I should park that lovely car of mine. Will it be stolen? Will it be scratched? I even got myself one of those old fashioned steering wheel-brake lock from K-mart, cars were expensive then.

It was a silver Galant, similar to the one above. New Zealand-new (at that time I was told don't get a cheap second hand Jap import, for they are just troublesome to repair.. blah blah blah) with around 50,000kms on the clock. Bought it for $20,000. My only criteria was I wanted a car with climate air, a luxury item at the time.

It lasted a few good years until it ended rather miserably; after I lost a corner in Whitford, the car had to be written off. I was speeding of course. It's my belief that it's only after having a "major" accident that any boy will learn to drive sensibly. In fact, we all learn from our own lessons, not others. Right?

Since then, I've driven..

A Jap import 4 door Mirage (looks like a Lancer). After I stuffed up the tiptronic gear box...

Mum's Renault 21. After 1 year of working full-time...

A new Honda Integra. Yes, it's the mid 20s crisis, wanted to drive a 2 door "sports" car. Just like in one's 40s, one would like a Porsche. After getting tired of pretending to be a boy racer (afterall, it wasn't even a Type-R!)...

Leased a current model Honda Civic. After figuring out paying monthly lease are actually quite expensive for a private individual, not to say I'm clocking up the mileage like mad...

A Jap-import Swift.

What I'm looking for now? A $7000 bucks Nissan pulsar wagon.

A few observation:

Throughout all these years, I love my climate-air.
I was quite influenced by "brand-loyalty"

So why such a cheap car? I don't know, can't be bothered spending any more money then I need to for a car anymore? True to the reputation that Kiwis love their cars, everyone in my household has a car now. Different kinds serving different needs. For me, I just want something that move!