August 2009
38 posts
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Second guessing
Another long day spent at home, trying to escape the warmth of my blankets. An amazing amount of things can be done these days from the seat of a lap - assignments, powerpoints, financial downfalls, social decline…In the end I had to pull out to try for the director of the Ritchie Centre in his office to ask about research next year/over summer. The lovely receptionist said he’d gone...
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Bitter Heart Zee Avi
I wish being bitter was...
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What’s The Drawback? The Silver Seas (via...
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Neonatology
So grey and blue in the city today. I woke up at 10am, missing postnatal rotation again. Thursdays are just not good days.
The last few days have been bizarre. Almost surreal - I feel like I’ve been drugged by the winds blowing the house down each night. I’m busy trying to readjust my expectations of life and focus myself back onto study.
I’ve been thinking about this research...
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Does anyone know?
Melissa: Question.
Adil: Hmm?
Melissa: Say you are annoyed at someone because they are asking you for a favour after being kinda rude. You do not know them well enough to express this annoyance. What is the least passive aggressive way to handle the situation?
Adil: Don't ask me, I love passive aggressive.
Melissa: Fudge.
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What Do I Do now? Sam and Ruby
What a nice night...
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“Standing near the window I looked out at the transparent twilight, whose descent...”
– Elie Wiesel, from ‘Dawn’
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Interval
Stayed at home all morning watching wind shake the house. Maybe my blanket has superpowers, but I’m never cold under it. Strange how central the bed is to my life: papers, books, files and boxes of food are arranged like a shrine by the head of it and to my side as I stare over the top of my glasses at the screen.
Another day gone, shuffling my feet until 2pm in the postnatal and neonatal...
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“In the depths of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible...”
– Albert Camus
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Rome Phoenix
Phoenix comparing the downfall of a...
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Strangely comforting
Lashi: Mel!
Melissa: Yo! How's it going?
Lashi: It's not bad. You?
Melissa: Not too bad. I'm kinda nervous about tomorrow
Lashi: Tomorrow?
Melissa: I'm catching up with the person who I was waiting to call me.
Lashi: Oh, nice! I hope it goes peachy.
Melissa: Thanks!
Lashi: Why are you nervous?
Melissa: Alright. Don't laugh, but I've always been self conscious about eating in front of people I really, really like. And being a catch-up, it's over dinner.
Lashi: You'll be fine! Just don't choke. ;)
Melissa: Easy for you to say. When I was at school with my first love, before I'd known that I liked them; we were having a sleepover with friends -- I ate nothing for dinner. Everyone thought I was the weirdest kid. I was just nervous.
Lashi: Maybe you should tell him that.
Melissa: No way, that's so embarrassing. Who doesn't like eating in front of others??
Lashi: You don't. But so what?
Melissa: You don't think it's weird?
Lashi: Nah. It's understandable.
Lashi: I wash my feet before I prove theorems.
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Sea Song Lisa Hannigan
Meng and I were talking...
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“I looked in all the places you aren’t. I just can’t find the places you are. I...”
– - A.A. Milne, from ‘Winnie the Pooh’ (via thoughtsdetained)
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Routine boredom
Another day in the big wide world, surrounded by concrete walls. Yes, day 5 of lecture week in Paediatrics and I am sufficiently over not just didactic teaching, but life.
You must think I’m exaggerating. You wouldn’t be wrong. Still though, something about this week has everyone in a pit of doom and gloom and I’m not the only one feeling it.
Between the boringest hour after...
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Friday night basement study
Melissa: It says here, "Men who kiss their wives in the morning live five years longer than those who don’t."
Josh: So true.
Melissa: Do you kiss your wife in the morning?
Josh: I do.
Josh: If you by wife you mean coffee.
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“This is you. Eyes closed, out in the rain.
You never thought you’d be...”
– from ‘My Life Without Me’, by Isabel Coixet
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It's a hard life for bacteria
Josh: You know the weirdest theory that someone told me about the 30 second rule?
Melissa: What was it?
Josh: According to this person, When you drop food, the bacteria are all like Ahh!! What's falling from the sky!? and run away to avoid being squashed. Then It lands and they realise it's food and are like Yay! and move back.
Melissa: : /
Josh: Supposedly this process takes them 30 seconds.
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For the last time, I was not the fat kid at school
LONGEST DAY EVER today.
Interactive group presentations at the end of the day. To muster the energy to be chipper and dramatic and follow a script in the context of childhood obesity statistics at 5pm after an 8am start should be classified under ‘superhuman’.
Whose idea was it to do a skit again?
Lol
I think we had fun with it. I guess that’s all that matters.
Worked out ok...
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Adrift or ashore?
Seeing J again at open day, I was more aware than ever of the need to fill a void in someone. I realise I think his life is high achieving, but empty. What a funny feeling, like seeing a shell walk around, albeit a very well loved shell and a very successful one.
The urge to want to be someone who is always there for him, who he doesn’t feel like he has to achieve for is overwhelming. I...
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Open day randomness
Melissa: *walking around and smiles at randoms*
47 year old man: *approaches from across the room*. Ah! What a sunny smile you have, my dear. You've brought me from all the way across the room. There you go, brightening my day.
Melissa: Do you have questions for me? :D
47 year old man: Not really, just having a look around. I'm a paramedic trainer. I train paramedics down at Queen St, with St Johns. I just wanted to have a look at these university things.
Melissa: Oh! What do you want to know about the MBBS course?
47 year old man: You know, I was first on site at the West Gate Bridge collapse in the 1970's?
Melissa: Oh! Really? (*confused as to why he is talking about this at a med school open day*)
47 year old man: *Story about how the other guy got the job and not him but then the bridge collapsed and the guy died and how he was called first on the scene as the backup* ....and that's my 10 minutes of fame. You know how everyone says 10 minutes of fame?
Melissa: Well it's certainly history making. Thank goodness you didn't get the job the first time round! I'll definitely look for the memorial plaque the next time I drive on it :)
47 year old man: Oh my, you are such a lovely girl! And such a beautiful smile and cheerful character. You'd light up a room. You brightened an old man's day. Really, you did. Thank you.
Melissa: Glad to be of help! Thanks for the story. What was your name again? It was nice to meet you.
47 year old: Graham. Nice to meet you...Melissa *holds hand and doesn't let go*.
Melissa: Likewise :D *tries to get hand back*
47 year old man: I'll love you forever in a day.
Melissa: ...What?
47 year old man: *pulls Melissa into a hug, kisses her cheek and walks off cheerfully*
July 2009
20 posts
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Best photographer find of the year →
I may have found one of the most beautiful people in the world; or at least one of the most beautiful photographers in the world.
Jacqueline Rivera, aged only 16, in most of her photos.
I want 1) her talent; 2) her camera 3) her bedroom furniture and 4) her face and figure 5) her love of life that comes through in her photos.
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