My blissful addiction to the tiny little beans

I'm a coffee addict, yes I am, since a long long time ago. It's amazing how such humble little beans can produce such intense, mysterious and delicious aroma. Nothing beats starting off a morning with a cup of strong blend. A smooth roast in the afternoon goes well with a light lunch, and a cappuccino after dinner is divine, and if the mood is right, I don't mind a cup of decaf in the middle of the night.

I appreciate a cup of good roast, especially when accompanied with a nice sofa, comfortable surrounding, some mood setting background music, and a street side window with handful of pretty faces to check out, or a good book to kill off a lazy afternoon. A cuppa of 3x strength is essential while burning midnight oil (I always do), and to ensure a nocturnal being like me gliding through the night effortlessly.

These tiny little beans have been an essential part of the world's civilisation for centuries. Without them, the Parisian cafe culture would not flourish, and Edith Piaf might not be such a timeless classic among the cafe fans. Coffee farmers may not earn as much as they do now when more coffee buyers adopt the fair trade concept. Rural coffee plantation in Africa, south america and south east Asia will not be developed to support the local economy, giving their younger generations a better future, and to upgrade their living condition.

Tiny little beans with a big significance. My beloved coffee, my justifiable addiction!





**Just about to finish off a night shift, and going to have my breakfast and nice cup of Americano.


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Don't wanna be a doctor yet...

5 days count down to graduation ball, 13 days to convocation, 30 days to first day on the job... I am considering this possibility - can I not postpone the day I put on the stethoscope and take over the ward? I don't wanna be a doctor yet! Don't think I am ready for that...


It's been months after finals, and a big chunk of knowledge I gained in the past few years seem to have been deleted from my memory. Besides, I am not entirely sure that I am prepared for the challenging life of a houseman. Being in charged of a ward in the day or the whole hospital during night shift? Doesn't sounds cool to me. Lives of patients depend on my decisions, of which my insufficient experience and immature skills might be their one way ticket to heaven. My license to heal could be the same one to kill!

I can no longer say 'sorry I'm just a student' and I am expected to know my stuffs well, and that is worrying. It is not just doing things to learn anymore, it's doing things to develop a career, to please my superior for a good feedback, so that I can get a nice step up the training ladder. Oh, and workplace politics too, another new subject to learn and master!

Once starting my job, I will have to abandon this carefree, spontaneous lifestyle I've been living for months now: I work as much as I want, I go anywhere under the sun I wanna be, I search around for the most exotic food, I stay indoor for days when I feel like doing so and I meet whoever I miss dearly. I haven't have enough of this, and am not ready to give this up yet.

Well, it's a new phase of life that I must go through and I shall adjust my mood to start it off with a blast! Here I am, standing at the shores of my student life, waiting for my boat to sail through the ocean of an interesting career. Praying for a safe, calm and peaceful journey until I reach my final destination. I am sailing, I am sailing...


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Devil D

Working in a healthcare setting, you can't help but constantly be reminded about your own mortality. Recently, a question rings in my head all the time... what is the worse disease that one could get?

The big scary HIV? Not really, with early detection and well developed anti-virals drugs and on-going research, the life-span of a HIV positive patient has been increase tremendously.

The nasty C - Cancer? Yes maybe - but there is still a bleak chance of surviving with the right treatment - Chemo or Radio or more the sophisticated you-name-it, and if a deadly one is diagnosed early you can have your remaining time predicted quite accurately so that you can plan your end-of-life issues.

An autoimmune disorder that doesn't kill but affects your quality of life e.g.: Crohn's or SLE? Well, it does cause major suffering during flare ups, but with optimum control the remission periods could be a blissful break.

So what is it then? Well, this is a very subjective question. What I personally think - the worst condition that could happen to me is something that would cause me to lose myself slowly. Nothing but the Devil D - Dementia. Imagine that losing yourself slowly, starting off by being forgetful, then you forget about things that happened in the past, forget about your loved ones, forgetting who you are... It's like the contents of your brain being digged out bits by bits, until nothing is left but an empty shell...

One day if I am diagnosed with dementia, dear friends, please bring me to Amsterdam or Switzerland for a legal Euthanasia. Please please please.

(This is merely my own opinion, those unfortunate souls out there with the Devil D, I express my deepest sympathy here, and please don't take any offence)

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