Interests:Photography...I love being surrounded by nature: hiking, biking, kayaking, snowboarding or just wandering around with my camera. Occupation:Student
I've really fallen out of the habit of posting my thoughts here, more than a couple months have passed since I took the time to write something.
I do miss the therapeutic release each blog entry provides. Sitting myself still for a period of time devoted to reflecting on the current issues occupying my brain space is a really good exercise. It can be helpful in sorting out uncertainties, and confirming personal values and opinions.
So since my last entry, I've managed to pass a trio of exams and enjoyed my first exploration of Western Australia (which is where all the photos are from). Going away for a holiday in a new place was lots of fun. I found myself especially enraptured by the natural surroundings of Pemberton, a town in the middle of the Karri Forest.
Boasting the tallest trees in the state, the forests were full of life from birds to flowers. I had wanted to climb the 60m high fire lookout in the tree above, but because of the on and off drizzly weather - being on my own - I decided to forgo the vertical adventure. If I return on a sunny day I will definitely take up the challenge for what must be a rewarding aerial view.
During my short trip, the incredible nature of water as a reflective surface caught my eye. Whether gathered thinly on man-made planks, pooled together in the middle of muddy paths, or collected in designated ponds, every body of water I came across seemed to be extensively expressive. Holding beauty for all curious eyes that take the time to search its depths.
Stepping back or moving closer, shuffling to the right or left, kneeling or tiptoeing to adjust the image displayed by the water, I was easily captivated by the visual images staring back at me. It reminds me of how there are items we come across in our lives that require further consideration before passing by. Sometimes items that appear unappealing or of average caliber can unveil a spectacular hidden side which is only discernible upon closer inspection or alternative angles. Moreover, a bit of effort may be necessary to visualize a specific subject of interest in the reflection, similar to the extra work that is needed to polish dusty or rusty items in our lives.
Thanksgiving has come and gone. It's easy to miss it when you aren't in a country where it's celebrated, or more importantly for some a public holiday.
The other day I was expressing how I miss the food that comes with a traditional Thanksgiving meal: turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie to name a few favorites. I do miss those annual dishes and meals with family and friends, but I find I miss the line of thought Thanksgiving encourages in all of us perhaps even more.
It's a holiday with meaning - not just a birthday of some royal figure for instance. I miss the yearly reminder it offers me to reflect on the wide ranging blessings in my life. Personally, I think a daily acknowledgment of all things from the mundane essentials (e.g. food, clothing and shelter) to exceedingly wonderful treats (e.g. unexpected kindness from a stranger or surprise sunset sighting) is an exercise that feeds the soul. Admittedly I often fail to provide this important nourishment to myself.
So although I often forget all that is marvelous, letting the less positive issues in my life and world bring clouds over my thoughts, I try to remember the truth in the title and lyrics from the song by Switchfoot: The Shadow Proves The Sunlight.
Why don't you keep your eyes on the lookout for some surprising puddles with me today?
"The soul would have no rainbow had the eyes no tears." John Vance Cheney
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead: his eyes are closed." Albert Einstein
Less than a week to go before the first anniversary; it will be one year for me without a restrictive upper body brace and no need for a shower chair! I’m definitely taking a moment to celebrate and express gratitude when I reach that unrequested milestone.
After what felt like a lengthy dependence on a walking stick (among other elaborate and basic equipment) to do what ordinarily comes without so much as a thought, I’m thankful to be free from reliance on these devices. Of course while requiring those aids, I was thankful for their existence which, at least allowed me to have some sense of normalcy instead of being desperately dysfunctional. As frustrating as orthopaedic equipment can be, I would concede the alternative to be worse: lying flat on my back for over three months.
Having been released from some obvious physical nuisances, I find a different sort of burden is quick to grab hold of me. No longer hindered by constant reminders of life’s fragility, I easily allow trivial concerns edge out a more vital spirit of ceaseless thanksgiving and living fully in the present. Just the other day a couple incidents demonstrated this perfectly.
Over the weekend, my friends and I made a special trip to purchase some popular tasty pies (not dessert pies but savory ones) in a town outside the city. After walking the length of the main street looking for the shop, and asking for directions from a local, we finally spotted it. To our disappointment a sign was hung on the door saying they were closed for the day due to previous commitments. The effort of the trip immediately felt wasted. In the same small town, I treated myself to a cup of chai latte. Before I had the chance to fully enjoy it, it was accidentally spilled which really put me in a sour mood.
Still, it was a beautiful afternoon. I was out with good friends. A spilt drink and failed pie expedition were really only minor items in the bigger picture.
Why do slight disturbances permeate and infect everything else so effortlessly?
Seems like negativity spreads faster and further than positivity. Or maybe not. Good news can travel impressively too. Still, there appears to be a far greater awareness and focus on problems in the world than solutions. Need you look further than the daily headlines?
Why are we not more inclined to a discourse of hope and transforming our world even a small step closer to peace and equality?
The theme of death has been lingering over the past couple weeks. I don`t think I`ve experienced the loss of more than one friend or relative in such a short span of time.
The first was more of a shock. A classmate was found dead the e-mail read. Unable to provide any details on the event, the administration unit encouraged students to talk to one another about this tragic news.
You can imagine the various thoughts that ran through everyone`s mind upon seeing this unexpected notice. A few days later a second e-mail followed informing us that the cause of his death was determined as a heart attack due to an underlying heart disease. While that allowed closure on the mysterious tone of the first e-mail, it was nevertheless challenging to comprehend how such a young – and in all appearances healthy – guy could suddenly die. He was only about one year older than me. It`s still hard to believe I won`t be seeing him in the hallways anymore.
It`s heartbreaking.
After reading the e-mail notification, I immediately was taken back to last year when an e-mail was sent out to my classmates announcing my accident and hospitalization. Truly, it could have contained similar content to the one we received about my classmate.
But it didn`t. I`m reminded how I have everything to be thankful for.
More recently, I learned my last living grandparent passed away at home. Even though I knew she was unwell, the news is still difficult to process. Home will be different the next time I return.
"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference." Elie Wiesel
"Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem to be more afraid of life than death." James F Bymes
A couple weekends ago was my first experience of the Greater Green Triangle (GGT). The GGT refers to an area extending from south-east South Australia to south-west Victoria and possesses the name due to its large forestry industry. As we entered the region, it was evident that the industry is based on plantations (mainly of pine) and not native forests. Row after row of skinny pine trees flew past the car window, standing with little breathing space between themself and their neighbour. If that wasn't enough to imply their unnatural origins, there was the occasional sign placed in front of the trees stating the species and year of planting. Some going back more than 40 years I think. That's planning ahead.
It hadn't occurred to me until recently the enormous potential of planning ahead- be it hours, days and even more so years, like seen in plantations. Incredible projects can be accomplished through taking the time to formulate a simple strategy, and carrying out easy steps over a long period of time. A small example could be planting one rose shrub (or perhaps herb) a year, and create a beautiful (edible) garden after continuing the tradition for a few years.
Last week everyone in my class had to rank their preferences for third year placement. There are 10 possible sites students can spend next year, although international students are limited to just half this year due to government funding issues. The placements range from staying the whole year where we are now, going up north to Darwin for a year (with increased exposure to aboriginal health and tropical medicine), going on an exchange with students from a medical school in London and ofcourse a handful of spots in rural locations across the state. At first, it felt like fewer choices was seriously detrimental to my opportunities, but after the initial disappointment, I came to see it as making my decision less complicated. Truly, the more options people are given, the more confused and often indecisive they become. Or maybe that's just me...
So, having a shortened list to put in order of most to least desirable can be seen as a blessing. I was having enough trouble figuring out how to rank my possible placements, I definitely would have unnecessarily spent an extended time pondering more possibilities if all ten sites were open to me. Entering our choices in the computer last Friday, we were sent the results after the software program churned all the data and produced the best outcome for the most of people. The idea is to arrange as many people as possible in their first preference, and the fewest in their lower ranked preferences. Usually, the majority of people get their first or second choice, with an unlucky few getting their third, fourth or fifth pick.
Returning to the GGT trip, the purpose of this visit was to gain further facts and knowledge on the Parallel Rural Community Curriculum (PRCC) program my university offers for our third year of studies. Several of the placements are located in rural communities, where the students are based in medical practices, gaining greater exposure to the daily cases seen by general practitioners (family doctors). I'm very much drawn to the chance to study rurally as a way to determine whether it's the kind of environment I will want to work in the future. Better to try and decide it's not for me now, than dive into it later when I will have more invested in the outcome.
Aiming to come away with a clearer idea of where I wanted to rank the rural option, I left capable of contentedly picturing myself spending a year in one of the three towns that are part of the GGT.
The biggest of the three towns is Mt. Gambier with a population of 24,494. Will you believe this is the second largest city in South Australia? The smallest of the lot is Millicent boasting only 5,500. The last town is actually across the border in neighbouring Victoria; with just 10,750 in population Hamilton manages to have the largest local hospital.
After the wait, I was more than pleasantly surprised to find out I will be going down to the GGT! I will find out later which of the towns I'll be calling home in 2010. For now, I'm looking forward to life in a rural town for the first time in my life.
"Sometimes it is more important to discover what one cannot do, than what one can do." Lin Yuta
"Change your thoughts and change your world." Norman Vincent Peal
I’ve been back at uni (Australian for university) for nearly a month now.Some things were quick to become routine once again, like grocery shopping and cooking for myself. If only studying were similarly easy to pick up again. To be honest, it didn’t take long to start studying as much as necessary again; the hard part about studying overseas is getting used to not having people around.
It’s not as though I’m alone here. Well, actually, I was living alone for the first little while when I moved into my new home, but one of my housemate has come home from holidays and another will arrive in a couple days. Looking forward to welcoming my friend back, as we can keep each distracted from missing home, hehe.
Naturally, living with family for over half a year had made me quite comfortable with the idea of being surrounded by those who know you best. Leaving home I’ve returned to a place where there aren’t people I have the same connection with. No friends with more than a two and half year history at most.
That’s not to say I’m not content to be here. More importantly, new friends are a brilliant blessing. I can’t help but feel full of hopeful anticipation of what will be unravelled over the rest of my year.
Already I’ve had the opportunity to visit a new part of the state. From the photographs you can picture the rural town I spent my last weekend getting acquainted with. Along with a group of med students, I was given a look into both the rewarding and hardships encountered in rural medicine. Our guides in Quorn were two experienced rural general practitioners (family doctors). In addition to a 4WD excursion and a hike up Devil's Peak, we had practical clinical skills sessions like suturing shown above.
Not sugar coating their chosen field in the medical profession, they gave an honest and insightful account of what we could expect if we decided to work in a rural or remote community. A couple of the most appealing aspects of practising rurally as opposed to in a big city is the strong sense of community that exists in rural towns, and the opportunity to be involved in the continuity of care for people.
The breathtaking beauty is also a bonus.
Of course not everything about rural medicine is ideal. Isolation – both professionally and personally - and stepping into a fishbowl environment where everyone is aware of your every move are two definite drawbacks we identified over the weekend. Facing a lifetime of many daily challenges, I can't help but admire the GPs who do take the often less recognized path of rural medicine. It's especially refreshing and inspiring to see examples of physicians doing so contentedly and passionately.
You can create a list of pros and cons for everything in life. I think it`s all about making the most of the benefits and not dwelling on any inconveniences. If you can look at the apparent hindrances from an alternate perspective, it`s likely they can even be transformed into invaluable gains. Too often I lock my gaze through a narrow slit where all I consider is the present. Forgetting to contemplate how everything fits into a bigger scheme I can misinterpret exasperating events (both small and big) as worthy of worry, instead of occasions to develop a worthy character.
"Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate." J.R.R. Tolkien
"A human being is a part of the whole, called by us 'Universe,' a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thought and feelings as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security." Albert Einstein
So I've missed the actual anniversary date, but close enough...
It's amazing how fast the year has gone by, and my recovery from the unexpected trauma just as miraculous (at least it is to me). Before leaving the country, I was lucky enough to fit in some things I'll miss while away: poutine and hockey! And I'm definitely missing the playoffs now; despite the distance still very excited.
I was truly blessed with not only a smooth flight, but a rather empty one. That of course meant I was able to lie down on my side and sleep the hours away (relatively) comfortably.You can tell I rested well, as I only watched one movie the whole way across the Pacific!
On the day I arrived, I went for a walk out my friend's front door, and this is what greeted my eyes.
It's autumn here in the southern hemisphere, but it sure felt closer to a northwest summer the first few days, reaching above 20 Celsius. Now it has become more like fall, and it's even been raining here, which is lovely - not just because I love rain and it makes me feel at home - but since there is such a lack of water here. It makes no sense to complain about weather that prevents you from doing certain outdoor activities or creates the hassle of needing an umbrella when in actual fact it's vital for your survival. I need to work on stopping myself from making complaints (not just about the weather) too easily.
Being in town for almost three weeks now, I'm pretty well settled in my new home. A cozy shared unit on campus. It's super convenient and close to class. What's more, the housemates are lovely people so I've got no complaints...actually that's not quite true- I can't stand that there's no recycling collected here. Only rubbish bins to throw stuff out in which I find strange (it's not as though the city doesn't collect recycling, but I suppose it's privately done on the university campus). I'm collecting my recyclables nonetheless, and am determined to find a way to do my little part in an environmentally friendly practice.
Getting back into student mode hasn't been as difficult as I thought it might be. That's not to say I haven't felt overwhelmed at times with everything thrown on my plate. Still, I seem to have a peace about things now...
"Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one." Malcolm Forbes, in Forbes Magazine
"An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't. " Anatole France
