Week Long

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ESTHER!!!
And condolences to Mr Jameson (ex-principal of Rangeview Intermediate) upon the passing of his wife

It's been a week, so here's a look back at that week:

Last Thursday I had my first MEDSCI lab at the Grafton campus, and guess what? My access card was working, so you could picture me standing there swiping my card just for the fun of it! Anyway time caught up and I had to go to the lab. Not knowing anyone in my lab, I was hoping I'd be able to make a new friend (preferably a girl hahaha nah boy or girl I don't mind!). I caught up with Sheena, the girl I met on the bus the week before, and so I sat next to her and became her lab partner.

We had to pick the rat we wanted to dissect. I picked this large male rat with his face covered in blood (due to the CO2 - they died in a 'humane' fashion). We were shown how to open up the rat on the TV screens. At first everyone felt really bad about cutting open the rats as they looked so innocent! Once we got into it though playing with the guts, lungs, stomach and other bits and pieces inside, we soon forgot what we were playing around with! The smell was horrible though. Fortunately no one popped a caecum or else the whole lab would've stunk!

The following Friday I had one lecture in the morning and then spent the rest of the day sleeping in the library (I was trying to study!), before Hamish and I went to the Dessert Club's movie night in the engineering building later that night. Of course dessert was available before the movie!  We watched a Cantonese movie 'Infernal Affairs' which is supposed to be the movie that 'The Departed' is based on. The movie was pretty cool, and I was able to pick up a bit of the Cantonese which was an added bonus! (NB please please please Cantonese-speaking people speak to me in Cantonese!!!)

The weekend was just the usual music lessons and church. Boring boring boring...

I had a meeting with my scholarship mentor Aritra on Monday. We had a discussion on what my future should be and what I should aim for this semester. Pretty much I've got to aim for the very very very best! Not too sure if that's possible for me!

On Tuesday we had a VERY interesting health psychology lecture in which the lecturer spoke for 15 minutes and then put on a BBC documentary which was really fascinating! The following health psychology tutorial was very short because the DVD we were supposed to watch didn't get delivered. This meant I got back into the city earlier. I caught up with Melissa at the KiwiAsian Club tent trying to type her assignment. It's been a while since I last talked to Melissa! I've also been a little behind on what the KiwiAsian Club have been getting up to (actually I haven't done anything with that club or the Hong Kong Students Society!!!), and I discovered the reason for this was because their emails were being delivered to my junk mail folder! Anyway I found out that the KAC (KiwiAsian Club) ball is in September, and so I'm definitely going to try attend that!

Following that, I had a dental check-up at Middlemore Hospital. I now have green braces! :D

My dad later dropped me off in Mt Roskill to watch Rutherford vs St Peters in the Soccer Knockout Cup with Patrick, Niven and another guy. Unfortunately Rutherford weren't at the top of their game and lost 5-0. Then again, Rutherford are in the B grade while the St Peters team are in the premier grade (despite being one of the weakest in their grade!).
Mr Moore (Rutherford's principal) joked that I might've been their bad luck charm!

Another major achievement last Wednesday - I didn't fall asleep during population health for the very first time this semester! I kept myself awake making notes this time! I was hoping to make some new friends in my tutorial class as once again I knew no one in my tutorial class. There didn't seem to be too many girls in my class! I sat next to this Asian guy called Oliver. It didn't exactly start off too well! Because he didn't say too much, I asked him

"Oh so you been in New Zealand for long?"

He replied:

"I've been here for nine years....is that long enough?"


OK not a good way to start off but it got better towards the end! I don't know why I always seem to make friends with the less talkative people! There I am constantly struggling to find something to break the silence!

I sat there in the Tamaki cafeteria by myself (all my friends went back to the city without me!) waiting for the Health Science afternoon tea, so I would hopefully be able to get a better idea of where Health Science could lead me. Weeeellll....I can't say I'm any wiser. The lecturers kept telling us that Health Science students were in hot demand, and most people employed in the health promotion area at the moment didn't have qualifications, so if we graduated with one, we would get a job with almost no problem. They also said they were developing an honours programme for Health Science, which would mean you would only study the normal three years for the degree, plus one extra year for honours, and then you'd be able to go straight to PhD! That would mean if I got into honours, I'd be able to start my PhD by the time I'm 22! I guess that's not too bad, but would I want to have a PhD in Health Science? We'll have to see....

Yesterday I had two classes in the morning and then I hung out with my friend Henry for a little while before deciding to catch the bus home from the city. I caught up with George on the bus and had a good chat!

Today I've got the day off so I can spend it on starting (and hopefully completing!) my 2000 word essay on the evolution of the Biopsychosocial Model and its impact on the practice of medicine :S