Garble

I am definitely in a writing mood now. It is a lovely weather out there with the blooming flowers of spring herald and constant breeze in the midst of sunshine rays - great temperature for windsurfing or jogging, no doubt. Yet here I am, holed up in my cosy cocoon, in a pensive mood, snacking and internet-surfing again, my usual boring pastime.

I had a lot reservations initially about setting up a blogsite. I have always been a private person, never a social animal. I have a few good friends, some of whom I had known since I was 13 ( I feel Jurassic sometimes), most of them non-medic. I have met wonderful colleagues as well during my 5 years' tour of duty in the hospitals, who have now become my close confidants, despite having to maintain long-distance contact via email nowadays ( Me, away from Singapore, and them, back to their own states). They are a small number ( it's never easy to make real life-long friendships at our age), but cherished and valued. And of course, how can I not mention my wonderful parents whom I love dearly, and who have walked the journey of life with me, holding my hand and guiding me through my trials and tribulations. I never needed to write, since my loved ones were always by my side, or just a phone call away. I never have to sit down down and think through my path of life because I was always occupied with them and blessed with their presence and warmth. The thought of publishing my innermost feelings sounded somewhat exhibitionist and pompous, and I was definitely not ready for any form of criticism that may come with my amaturish style of writing.

I started serious writing during my trip to United States 3 years ago. I was lodging at a friend's abode which was a stone's throw away from the University of Virginia. I had easy access to the computers and was very keen to share my excitement and trip there with my loved ones in Singapore. Hence the beginning of my onslaught of emails, bearing the details of my 3 -week expedition, my joys and challenges. I did the same for my subsequent trips, savouring every memory I could through my writings. My extensive collections of photos conveyed the smiles and the sceneries, but they were unable to record my train of thoughts and the memorable occurences I had during the journeys. I did not save the writings after emailing them, and thanks to the reminder and encouragement of a close friend, I decided to keep the drafts and share them with the significant others who cross my path later on.

This blog is not meant to be a medical blog. I absolutely believe that there is life out there other than just my work and the patients I meet. I like my career and believe that there is nothing else I would want to do in my next life other than medicine. I love the people contact despite the occasional crankiness I get, and bask in the triumph of having dealt with my difficulties in the course of my work. I would not say that I am capable of everything but I feel comforted about having made a good difference to someone else's life. It emcompasses not only my skills or knowledge or excelling in stressed situations, but it is about communication and empathy as well. And of course humility, which is sadly lacking in our modern society.

I would very much love to share my humble experiences, from my previous trips to China, US or Europe, as well as my new chapter of life in Australia. I hope the day would come when I can proudly proclaim that I have found my ocean and my purpose in life.