Ian's spot

The Turtle

2010-08-12T00:45:00.002-03:00

I've virtually given up on blogging, but then I noticed my ticker turtle. It began counting down in 2005 the number of days remaining til med school graduation. And then it automatically began doing a clever thing: it started counting the days since graduation. It's essentially saying to me, "Hey buddy, so you've met one milestone (big deal), what are you gonna do with the rest of your life now??" Good question, and it's one I do reflect on regularly, and I hope you do also!

The Turtle - also the name of my green '03 Jetta I picked up in Toronto and drove to Winnipeg. Here she is sitting on the edge of Lake Superior in NW Ontario.

Name The Quoted

2009-12-01T18:19:00.004-04:00

"Since we all came from a woman, got our name from a woman, and our game from a woman, I wonder why we take from our women, why we rape our women. Do we hate our women? I think it’s time we killed for our women, be real to our women, try to heal our women. And if we don’t we’ll have a race of babies that will hate the ladies, who make the babies. And since a man can’t make one he has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one."

Who penned this? (answer before asking Google)
(a) Michael Jackson
(b) Mike Tyson
(c) Eminem
(d) Tupac Shakur

Disclaimer: I don't wholly endorse his thoughts here.. I just pulled it off someone's FB page for fun.

The Ticker

2009-09-03T14:43:00.004-03:00

I've promoted my ticker from the footer of this page to the top. It's actually been tucked away at the bottom for the past 4 years - ever since I started in Ireland. The numbers on the scale use to be in YEARS but now we're down to MONTHS! It's been a long time coming. God willing, my little turtle shall realize its goal.

Cliffs of Insanity

2009-04-16T08:29:00.011-03:00

Bryan and I standing in front of the cliffs of insanity (see Princess Bride). See the brown streaky spots on the top of the cliff? ..just to the left of my head. We will get there shortly (next picture).

Here we are peering over the edge of the cliffs of insanity (aka Cliffs of Moher). It's about a 500ft drop beyond our eyebrows. The height of the cliffs along the coastline are between 400-700ft.

Location: Lady's View (along the Ring of Kerry)
Leprechauns: Ian & Kerwin

British University & College Championships

2009-04-01T04:50:00.003-03:00

Rep'n the Republic at UK Nationals.
We placed 9th out of 32 teams.
March, 2009

The Underwear Discussion

2009-01-24T15:16:00.005-04:00

My unexpected visit to the ER prompted me to revisit an issue that was discussed a while back. A few of us students were sitting around and someone asked, "Do you ever think about which underwear to put on in the morning in case you end up in hospital that day, and they have to undress you?"

Man, I escaped a close one the other day, good thing I was conscious when I arrived in the ER! I mean as much as we treat our patients with respect, I'd be lying if I said we don't comment when we spot Hello Kitty boxers or something else unexpected. But don't worry, it won't affect the quality of medical care one receives. In fact, the health care providers will probably remember you better and attend to you more often after gawking at your flaming undies!

My First Overnight In the ER

2009-01-17T19:42:00.011-04:00

Never did I expect my first overnight in the ER was to be spent as a patient!

Every time I walk through the ER (as a student) and see the poor patients without rooms, lying on their trolleys in the corridor, I feel terrible for them and thank heaven that I'm not in their situation. However, last night, I very much was in their place and felt every bit of the agony and loss of dignity that comes with spending a night in a hallway surrounded by other sick people. Meanwhile, healthcare workers hustle by you to attend their duties, trying not to take notice of your distressing billet brought on by governmental health service cutbacks.

Overall, the hospital staff treated me very well though. Every health professional I encountered was sincere and considerate in their care. Professional as well. The main thing that bothered me was how COLD it was in the ER. Add on top of that the cold hands touching and examining me made for a very chilly experience. The blankets provided at this hospital are also paper thin so I had to request for several more.

Investigations ordered: bloods, ECG (twice), glucose, CxR, CTbrain, and ECHO.

I won't say exactly what landed me there, else my enemies will discover my kryptonite, but it's amazing how fast one can move from the doctor's side of the bed to the patient's side.

It reminded me to not lose focus of the proper things in life because "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" -- Luke 12:20

PS
This was NOT a motorcycle-related event.

PPS
I should add that I'm fine now and no follow-up appointments were necessary.

Pictures from my summer adventures are finally up:
Angola pictures click here
Other summer fun pictures click here

Tip for breastfeeding

2008-12-10T06:55:00.005-04:00

We saw a patient today who was concerned that her child isn't gaining enough weight. She was also worried that her breasts aren't producing enough milk. So the doctor gave her advice on feeding that went something like this..

"Start with the first breast and when that's done give him the second breast."

And then the doctor meant to say: "after the second breast, you can go back to the first."

But instead she said: "after the second breast, you can offer the third breast."

When she realized what she had said, she turned to me and asked: "Ian, where can one find their third breast??"

I was in stitches laughing and couldn't contain myself for the next five minutes.

Mothers, don't forget there's always the third breast to offer.

November catchup, 2008

2008-11-19T03:35:00.008-04:00

Please excuse my blog-neglect. Here are some pics from recent outings in Nov and Oct (in reverse chronological order). This past weekend I went to Oxford to hangout with smart people and learn a few things. It was great engaging bright young minds in conversations of various topics including apologetics, economics, and medicine. Cool part was some of these chats took place in the pub where CS Lewis and JR Tolkien hung out.

Pic 1: Sunrise on Keble College, Oxford

Pic 2: Oxford at dusk

Pic 3: The text reads "Primary mirror for Newtonian reflecting telescope by William Herschel, 1795"

Pic 4: Bikes bikes and more bikes in Oxford. It reminds me of China!

Pic 5: Here's one for the PH crew. Why's there no handle on this water pump?? (I had to visit this location to pay homage to my public health ancestors.)

Pic 6: CMF Ireland retreat in Greystones, County Wicklow
Pic 7: CMF retreat prayer time

Pic 8: Interesting signage at the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin. This library contains New Testament manuscripts dated around 100AD, discovered in Egypt.

Pic 9: Day at the beach w/ Cork friends. My w810i cam/phone at its finest.

Standing On Guard | Snooty Surgeon

2008-10-01T17:41:00.005-03:00

Despite a frustrating experience recounted by my sis, and other horror stories I've heard of incompetent Canadian consular services abroad, I've been fairly impressed by our gov services the past couple of weeks..

I faxed in my application for a ballot to Elections Canada in Ottawa on Sep.23, and my ballot arrived in my Irish mailbox 6 days later. That's pretty quick considering processing time, transit time, postage time, weekends, etc. Now.. need to figure out who to vote for.

Story #2: I posted my passport up to the Canadian Embassy in Dublin on Sep.22 for renewal and I got my new passport in the mail today. 9 day turnover. Quite impressive. ..or maybe they're just doling out passports to whomever asks!

Anyway, yea I'll stand on guard for thee.

This week, I worked on a surgical team that's lead by a consultant who refuses to talk to medical students. The rest of the guys on his team are cool, very engaging and willing to teach.. but this boss man is a prick. Who the heck does he think he is?? There will come a day when he comes under my scalpel, and right before they put him to sleep, I'll whisper in his ear: "You're the doc who refused to teach me. I hope I know what I'm doing."

Next post: gouging patients.

2008-09-16T11:07:00.006-03:00

It's election time in North America. If you're a Canadian living abroad (like me), go mail your vote from here.

If you're a Canadian studying medicine abroad (like me), consider this - but NOT TOO strongly.

Irish Bus Services

2008-09-10T13:02:00.003-03:00

I was back in Cork for two weeks after my trip to Angola, and now I've been posted in Limerick for 2 weeks doing my ENT rotation. Not much going on out here but had a "shocking" (as in the Irish sense of the word) experience coming up from Cork.

Our bus stopped half way to Limerick to drop off some passengers but then the engine quit. The driver tried a few times but just couldn't start her up. It was only 3 yrs old so surprising that it would break down so soon. After 20min he gave up and called for another bus to come pick us up. The driver finally figured out what was wrong but was too ashamed to tell the passengers. A little while later, word got out that the bus ran out of gas!

fyi.. it was Bus Eireann. They gave us no compensation for having to wait 2hrs for the second bus to arrive. Travel with the competitors if you have the option.

Flatulence in Angola

2008-08-08T15:07:00.004-03:00

Surgical building at CEML

Monday morning patients lining up

Jesus and follower

One that got away

Currently in Angola, connected to internet via satellite.
Weather is gorgeous here, seldom do we see a single cloud in the sky.
Seeing a lot of sad cases of cancers in the hospital where patients show up when the cancer is far beyond repair.
Going to pizza party tonight with MAF pilots and their fams.
Playing hospitalist, surgeon, anaesthetist, GP, nurse, etc.

Yesterday my buddy (Dave) and I were taking a break right outside the hospital (near the patient rooms) and this foul spell saturates the breezy air.

"Man.. did they just open a colostomy bag? That smells putrid!" I exclaim

Ühh, no mate, that was me" replies Dave.

I proceed to re-enter the hospital for "clean" air.

Telemarketers in TO

2008-06-27T00:59:00.007-03:00

I've been home for a few weeks now and between 4:30pm-8:00pm, the phone doesn't stop ringing with telemarketers fishing for sales. Real conversation from this afternoon:

[me] Hi
[marketguy] Hi is Mr. Lau there please?
Speaking
I'm calling from Bell Canada because you are one of our customers and I'm wondering if you're interested in subscribing to our Sympatico High Speed Internet?
We already have an internet plan thank you
Okay then, what do you use for cable TV?
We use rabbit ears
Rabbit Ears?? I've never heard of them (pause..) Are they new?
No, I'm pretty sure they've been around for some time now
Really.. I've never heard of that company. How much do you pay per month?
It's free
Oh yea?!
You bet
How many channels do you get with their service?
Let's see.. about 7 on a good day!

Conversation ends with an abrupt click. OH MAN.. the ways I amuse myself after a long day of studying..

Summer Travels

2008-05-28T23:51:00.004-03:00

I begin my summer adventures tomorrow with stops in Dublin, Belfast, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary, Toronto, Halifax, London, Johannesburg, Windhoek, Lubango, and finally back to Cork. If you're reading this, I hope to see you somewhere along the way!

Here's a glimpse of my niece..

Cork Prison

2008-05-11T14:06:00.003-03:00

The other day I was reading this patient's notes before calling him into the examination room, and I noticed his previous address was the Cork Prison. That immediately heightened my interest. Not that I'd treat him differently or anything (from a clinical perspective) but I was curious to see if I could pick him out of the ~20 people sitting outside in the waiting room. [I couldn't]

So the test for me was how I would treat this man in my heart.

Upon reflecting afterwards, I think I did very well in the sense that I did not think of him any lesser in God's eyes than the previous or following patients. The standard of care provided by the doc I was shadowing was very consistent as well, regardless of who came through the door. There were the good patients with diabetes who dutifully monitored their blood sugars, ate a healthy diet, and did regular exercise; and then there were the non-compliant morbidly obese patients who eat fry-ups for breaky, lunch, and dinner, don't keep track of their sugar levels, don't take their meds, and whose arms are so fat I can't even fit the blood pressure cuff on them.

But no matter who the client was, my doc was always courteous, patient, and performing at his best. That helped remind me that the standard of care and the expression of love I carry out for all situations needs to regularly reflect 1 John 4:7-8.

Spring Skiing

2008-04-10T16:44:00.005-03:00

Just got back from a week in Bourg St. Maurice, France. Here's a quick run down..

40.00 = return plane ticket from Dublin to Grenoble
19.00 = train ticket from Grenoble to Bourg
41.50 = 1 day lift pass at Les Arcs
24.00 = 1 day ski and boot rentals
1.50 = Cdn dollars to equal 1 euro
3456 = height in metres of highest skiable point at Tignes
-2 = avg temp in Celsius during the day on the mountain
+8 = avg temp in Celsius during the day in the valley
6 = number of days of sunshine
4 = number of days skied

Priceless experiences:

Skiing on powder that felt as soft as clouds
Actually skiing in the clouds (for 1 day)
Cloudless skies (for the other 6 days)
Sunburnt nose and goggle tan
Carving on the edges of my skis for kilometres on end
Only thing better than slipping out of ski boots is putting on Crocs afterwards
Jelly legs at the end of the day
Amazingly deep sleeps at night
Chocolate muesli for breakfast
Learning the French (greeting) kiss
Snowball fights with the Kay gang
Having such a relaxing time that I actually began looking forward to learning medicine again
Meeting fellow Christians and missionaries in Bourg
Discovering possibly the darkest place - spiritually - that I've ever been to. Only a handful of Christians in this valley of several thousand; up against stiff opposition
Hearing about the need for more Christian workers in this town.. anyone interested in skiing and ministering for a year?? (seriously, let me know)

More pictures HERE.

Housemate Horror Stories

2008-03-21T12:34:00.007-03:00

Here are a couple of stories to consider before ever thinking of moving in with me..

Scenario #1 (sometime last year)
I wake up at 4 in the morning to take a wee, and stumble into the bathroom, feeling blindly for the light switch. The lights come on and I instantly regret it is as the glare blinds my eyes back shut. Afterwards, as I'm reaching over to flush, I graze my housemate's comb that is precariously perched on the shelf next to me. Thankfully, it didn't fall. But its motion ever so slightly nudges the shaving cream next to it, which in turn hits his toothbrush that begins to teeter over the edge of the shelf.

I reach over to stop it but my reflexes are still in bed with the rest of me, and the toothbrush begins its tumble. It bounces off the sink as I grab at it, but it eludes me and ricochets off the radiator. Before I'm fully cognisant of what just happened, I'm watching the toothbrush swan dive STRAIGHT into the middle of the toilet - currently in mid-flush and I'm left speechless. *GASP!*

Standing in shock and awe, I stare at the toothbrush and pray it flushes away completely. Unfortunately, it doesn't so I'm left there to ponder my next move. Do I..

Try flushing again and hope it'll disappear?
Pretend I didn't witness the whole incident and just walk away? (Buddy will wake up though, come to the bathroom, pull down his pants, face the toilet, and be staring at his own toothbrush!)
Reach in and grab it? And then what? Throw it out or place it back on his shelf?? (Would he rather see his toothbrush in the trash can, in the toilet, on his shelf, or not at all?
WWJD?!

Scenario #2 (recently)
We've a bunch of stray cats that forage in our backyard, and there's a particular one who likes to come into our kitchen and hang out. She was in the other day while I was doing the dishes but when I finished and turned around, she disappeared! I searched the house unable to find her for a good 5 minutes but then I finally hear some noise in my buddy's bedroom.

I walk in and see her fatness sitting right in the middle of the (unmade) bed. "Get off!" I yell and she bolts off to run back to the kitchen. Meanwhile, my other housemate (Sam) walks in and asks, "What's going on?" My jaw drops and I point to the big wet spot left behind on the bed.

Me: "Is that water or urine?"
Sam: "Why are you asking me?"
Me: "OH man.."

No Sex For 3 Weeks

2008-02-21T14:34:00.007-04:00

There was a patient in today for a frenuloplasty and afterwards I gave my first prescription of "no sex or masturbating for 3 weeks [please]". His girlfriend was there with him so I made sure she understood the directives also. They wouldn't stop giggling so I had to explain that there have been men in this hospital before who didn't follow instructions and came back a few days later "in pieces". That shut'em up pretty quick, but what I should have really said was "no sex before marriage", if you're serious about a relationship.. however I'm still working on integrating the spiritual & social aspects of medicine into my consultations. It's a work in progress - as am I.

"Babe Puller"

2008-01-28T18:47:00.000-04:00

I'm back from living out Doc Hollywood meets Waking Ned Devine meets Canadian Bacon meets Kung-Fu Hustle (that's read my profession, the setting, my nationality, and my ethnicity). See pictures HERE. I had to rent a car for the last 2 weeks cuz it was raining most of the time and the motorcycle didn't suit very well. It's apparently not very professional to show up on a home visit soaking head to toe. Plus, my GP insists the car is a better "babe puller" -- his words, not mine. I beg to differ.

The rental company gave me a 2007 Nissan Micra for the first week, and it brought back fond memories of the '92 Micra I learned to drive in. These are tiny little cars, but the lanes on Irish country roads are barely wide enough to fit one yet the posted speed limit is 100km/h! The crazy thing is tractor-trailers also use these roads and they don't slow for nothing. There were several times when a semi would be hurtling towards me in the opposing lane and I'd just close my eyes and pray we didn't meet.

Back to the motorcycle.. time's come for me to renew my insurance on her and it's costing me a fortune - so much so, I'm thinking of selling her. Mind you, that's not the only reason I'd part with Eabhla (I seldom do things for just one reason). Besides financial reasons, there are also practical, familial, social, safety, recreational, environmental, and educational factors to consider.

Whadaya think?? My buddy Thomas, 07 Ducati Monster S4R, gave me a tongue lashing when I told him I was selling. He told me to put her aside for 3 weeks and then reconsider when the rainy season ends. I'm open for persuasion.

In The Sticks

2008-01-12T14:52:00.000-04:00

I'm back from a week of living in the sticks and here are some stories to write home about (did not bring camera this week but hope to get some shots next wk):

I arrive at the clinic after a 2 hr ride on my motorcycle, thirsty as a cactus, so the staff tell me to go make myself a cup of coffee. I settle into the staff lounge but am not much of a caffeine junkie so I just grab a glass of water and go to work. Back at the reception desk our conversation goes something like this:
(them) "Did ya fix yourself a cup of coffee?"
(me) "No I'm not much of a coffee drinker so I just had some water."
(them) "You boiled the water first right?"
(me) ..hesitating w/ funny look starting to creep over my face
(them) "Well good luck bai"
STRIKE ONE!

On day 3 the GP leaves me in the treatment room alone with a patient to perform a relatively minor procedure. He returns to find *gasp* the patient's blood all over the floor, on my pants, and covering my shoes. This wasn't open heart surgery or anything dramatic like that.. I just goofed - big time. SSSTTEEEEEEEERRIKE TWO!!

I calmly clean up the mess and explain to the patient this happens sometimes when we do [this procedure]. Patient is reassured and the GP finishes up the job. After the patient left, the doc told me I was cool under fire. Phew - close one.

Thankfully I've got a fun doc to work with (he's a good instructor as well). We're out for lunch one day with his colleagues and once everyone's seated at the table, he introduces me: "Folks, this is Ian from the Medical Council of Ireland. He's here for a week to audit me practice. Please do all ye can to make sure he's well fed and content by the time he leaves."

For a while, everyone's intimidated by my presence at lunch and no one mentions a word to me for the next 20 minutes, until a brave soul questions, "are ye really from the medical council?" To which I reply, "Absolutely. And what are the guidelines for instrument disinfection and infectious disease control at your practice??" My GP chokes on his food and launches a half-digested potato wedge across the room at 90 mph. SSTRIKE THREE!

Smile 'n Nod

2008-01-05T09:49:00.000-04:00

Apologies for my blogdom absence. Excuses include exams, studying, travelling, facebook, holidays, etc. I returned to Cork on Jan 2 after spending a couple of weeks in TO for Christmas. Highlights include:

Surprising dad for his 60th bday
Quality home cooking and Chinese food
Snow storms! (and subsequent driving adventures w/out winter tires)
Shovelling snow
Pac Mall and its "unique" merchandise
Hanging, wii-ing, and prayin' w/ Wongs
Worship and bball in new SCBC bldg
Jog / runs in the snow
Two hr shinny @ Angus Glen (best 4 bucks ever spent!)
Hearing ‘bout AC’s new CHRISTIAN gf
Dinner and shenanigans w Shirley Street gang
Singing Silent Night w Grams on Christmas eve
Boxing day madness 7am @ Sporting Life
Skiing w Mok cousins
Catching up w friends and family
Meeting new and old friends from Hfx at WC
Mom's NY eve salmon, muscles, and lobster dinner
NY day hockey w SCBC crew until having to catch my plane

****

I'm now officially halfway through my medical program. Two and a half years to go (in case you haven't been following the ticker at the bottom ;-) We're into our clinical rotations full time now and for my first posting, I'm off to do a rural GP rotation! Small town medicine is something I've always wanted to do (watch Doc Hollywood) so we'll see how these next 4 weeks go. I'm gonna be in Mullinahone, County Tipperary (pop of 372). The receptionist at the clinic calls it a village, and there's no public transportation that'll take you there (you have to drive).

Hopefully the Irish accent isn't too thick in this area. I've seen patients before where I'd only understand about 60% of what they were telling me. I just smile 'n nod and hope it's not too serious!

Awkward Moment Of The Day

2007-11-02T04:11:00.000-03:00

On ward 3A this morning, I recognized the nurse putting away the Echo trolley so I mention to her:

"Hey, are we neighbours on Summerstown Road?"
"Maybe.. where do you live?"
"I'm #47, right across from the convenience store."
"Yes we are then. I live next to the store."
"Cool - my name is Ian."

She continues, "Are you the one that lives on the second floor?"
"Yes..."
"The one with the computer at the desk by the window, and the light on all the time?"
"Yea...."
"Ok then, we see you a lot!"

In my head: "Oh man, where did I see those blinds for sale last week??"

mid-October

2007-10-18T16:32:00.000-03:00

It's only mid-October and here in Cork they're already playing Christmas ads on the radio, and selling Christmas items in the stores. Did I mention it's only October??

Hockey Night in Cork

2007-10-13T21:33:00.001-03:00

I've had to make a few sacrifices along the way in order to come study medicine in Ireland. Some of them being quality time with family & friends, good Chinese food, sound Bible teaching, Jeopardy @ 19:30 on weekdays, and one of the biggest if not THE biggest: watching and playing hockey. However, my bro-in-law has come to the rescue, sending me a link to a p2p site that shows games from across the league. God bless you Hamilton.

After watching my first HNIC of the season, I feel..

Bob & Harry couldn't retire sooner
Ron MacLean deserves a raise
Cassie Campbell needs to hone her journalistic skills on a lesser show before going prime time
The new 2nd intermission show is an improvement
The new camera angles are a delight
Don Cherry for PM

You know you go to the gym too much when..

2007-09-30T20:41:00.000-03:00

You know you go to the gym too much when..

The guy at the front desk doesn't even bother checking your gym pass anymore.
Random people in the change room chat it up with you: "so, you come here often..."
You know the guy at the front desk is named David.

In my defence.. (I go to the gym ENOUGH, but not too much)

I'm 1 of 5 Asians in Cork.
I'm 1 of 5 guys in the gym who DON'T wear short-shorts.
I heard David get reamed out by his boss for not checking my gym pass.

Not so cool

2007-09-26T03:16:00.000-03:00

Jack arrested for DUI

My Hot Tamale Hostess

2007-09-02T19:34:00.000-03:00

Sun.2.Sep.07

Hey Ma,

Been back in Cork exactly a week now. Had a nice flight over ..a really pleasant hostess showed me her tattoo on her lower LOWER back (if ya know what I mean!). Well she didn't really intend to show it off (or maybe she did) but I ran head-on into it.

I turned over, looked in the aisle, and there she was picking something off the ground. Her shirt ran up her back and her pants inched down a little too low - exposing an orange and green butterfly. I could tell it continued further down her butt, but I'd seen enough and returned to my book.

She was cute though so what should I say to her?
"Your tattoo is HOT."
"I like your tattoo."
"Can you show me the rest of it?"

Do people get tats to show off to others? Keep to themselves? Keep to their intimate friends? Probably all of the above. But what about those sneaky locations like the chest or lower back / a$$ where it can creep up and expose itself? Are they trying to get attention? hmm..

Anyway, more on that later. How's dad? Is he eating healthy and exercising?? Our med school threw us into classes 9am the day after I got in. Been going hard ever since and it looks like we'll have some long and challenging days this term. Not sure if I'll have time to keep at the gym regularly. Trying hard to stay away from instant meals though.

Church was great today. We had communion and I noticed our congregation has grown since I left in May. We now have to set up overflow chairs outside in the hallway (reminds me of SCBC). Best part of worship though was being inspired by these 2 girls playing in front of me. They're 4 and 5 y.o. One Irish and the other African. Debbie (the African) showed up late with her mom and took Rebecca's seat while R was at the washroom. When R returned she was kinda befuddled and just stared at D blankly. So I introduced R&D and they got along great for the rest of service.. sharing the one seat between the two of 'em. It's amazing how children don't see colour (or judge superficially), and can hit it off with each other instantly. A great reminder to live as such.

I also got my bike started up this weekend. But no worries, I remember to ride safe and wear my gear. Say hi to Grams for me please. I'll call soon.

son

The Bettles and I at the CUC championships in Varsity Stadium.. sport'n the stripes.

Frank looking ecstatic in the nosebleeds @ Skydome (Jays lost).

Mahta (classmate) and I enjoying our on board entertainment with Ryan Air (during flight #2). I didn't even realize she was on flight #1 with me until I was getting off so I stopped to wait for her, and ended up standing right next to Tattoo Hostess for a minute.

So I comment on the tat to the hostess.

She blushes.

And the remainder of that conversation will remain undisclosed =+)

Cool Factor

2007-08-13T12:34:00.000-03:00

I need to take more pictures. This past weekend, I drove over 700km (in less than 36hrs) to various events around Ontario and I didn't once pull out my camera. I competed in the Ontario softball provincials in London where our team didn't do so hot, but I got a chance to see KELLEY M. and MARK B. We hung out and went swimming at Kelley's and had a great time reminiscing, catching up, and encouraging each other in our upcoming years at our respective campuses.

I also got a chance to meet up with TOM & AMANDA as Amanda was in Toronto competing in the Canadian Ultimate Championships. We watched the finals together and got to see Vancouver's FURIOUS GEORGE -- arguably the best club in the world ..they were hot stuff.

This may not be news to some, but I was flipping through a magazine while lounging at Kelley's and learned that Jack Bauer (who plays Kiefer Sutherland in real life) is the grandson of Tommy Douglas - the father of Canadian medicare. How awesome is that. Jack's cool factor just went up by 10.

A Day Around Toronto

2007-07-23T14:59:00.000-03:00

Sunday 22 July 2007
07:00 --
Wake up to an intense sunshine as it burns off the dew on our tent. We'd camped at McRae Point on the northern edge of Lake Simcoe - just a one nighter as it is my cousins' first time camping (pictures). Fry up some eggs for breaky, pack up camp, and book it back to town in time to catch some sound Sunday School teaching by Mrs. R. Choy.
12:30 --
Gobble up lunch, deal with some car troubles, and head downtown for an afternoon at Matthew House.
16:00 --
Caught up in the excitement of U-20 FIFA finals w/ MH residents.
21:00 --
Get off work and reconnect with some Toronto classics:

Ball hockey at a local outdoor city rink w/ random guys
Cruising home on the Gardiner catching the sights and lights of downtown TO, the CN Tower, ACC, and SkyDome (that pic above is a shot of the Gardiner not by me though)
Burning up the twisty and underrated DVP (it's a real thrill to drive if there's the right amount of traffic to force you to weave but not to slow you down)
While cranking out 102.1 Spirit of the Edge (formerly known as Retro Nite)

Home in 25min and off to bed.
-- 23:30
Toronto - it has its moments.

New Photos

2007-07-09T17:54:00.000-03:00

Stories and pictures from my latest travels are available HERE.

Summer in TO

2007-06-10T20:38:00.000-03:00

I'm back in Toronto now and working at Matthew House for the summer. Here's a brief outline of my job description. And here's a rundown of the pros / cons for being home..

Pros for being back in TO:

Able to watch Stanley Cup finals
Vector cereal
Friday night ice hockey
Late night shopping @ T&T
Ulti without the lashing wind & rain
An affordable dentist
Chill'n with my cousins
Beer league softball

Cons for being back in TO:

Traffic
Humidity
Familial demands
GST & PST

What I'm missing in Ireland:

My bike
Tesco value products
Free gym membership
Cheap cell phone rates
The Malay gang

Sleeping Styles

2007-05-03T15:48:00.000-03:00

The Globe recently published the results from a survey on sleep positions. Here are the 5 most popular choices among Canadians:

1) The Arrow - (pictured) Sleeping on your side with legs straight.
2) Tummy Tuck - On your side in the foetal position.
3) Goodnight Frankenstein - Sleeping on your back with arms straight down by your side, aka the "Zombie" position.
4) Freefalling - Sleeping on your stomach, face down into your pillow.
5) Hands-up - On your back with your arms up beside your head in the "I surrender" position.

What's your style?? Mine varies depending on what surface I'm sleeping on. If it's a hard surface - aka the ground or a wooden plank in China, I go with the Frankenstein. If it's a soft comfy bed, I do the foetal with a pillow stuck between my legs. (The pillow btw legs is key to reducing back and hip pain)

Another "secret" I have for a comfortable sleep is placing my hand on my stomach - better yet, rubbing my stomach as I doze off. Some people don't believe me but it's soothing! and it puts me to sleep fast. Try it.

This pic is for Stephen..
taken outside our Health Sci bldg. (I'll try to get some nice scenic shots on the road next time)

Picture Update

2007-04-20T11:17:00.000-03:00

In an attempt to free myself from the Barrett's blogger doghouse, here's a quick picture update on where I've been the past month..

This is the kinda weather we've been getting for ALL OF APRIL so far. Can you blame me for not sitting in front of a computer blogging?? Are you seeing the palm trees? Yup.. that's Ireland. Seemed strange to me at first, but we get no frost on this island, so tropical trees thrive. This park is along the water in Cobh (pronounced Cove).

Big cathedral in Cobh. There are some nice twisty's along the waterway for biking.

Multi-coloured buildings in Cobh.

UCC Ultimate at Intervarsities in Limerick (Mar.24-25)

Marking up on the line and trying to look menacing. We ended up winning fourth place - a commendable finish considering we lost our best player for the final day of play. It was also cool to see how far our "newbies" have come since they started playing in Sept.

Dinnertime at our Ulti team's weekend away. Someone piped up it's impossible for a human to eat 8 bananas in 60min and survive cuz they'd die of K+ overdose. I didn't think so and Steve was willing to bet his life on it. Much to our amazement, he finished the 8 bananas in 15 minutes. And of course, he didn't die, but he did do this...

(vomit on the grate)

Spent a weekend on my buddy's farm developing the virtue of hard manual labour. We had to clear a 17 acre field by picking up stones, chucking them in the loader, and dumping them. Got to go to the beach afterwards to catch the sunset.

Inchydoney beach in West Cork.

I also moved into a new house a couple of weeks ago. There's 4 of us in our unit: a Buddhist, an atheist, and a couple of Christians (sounds like the start of a joke). There's a driveway for my bike, the place is 5min from our main teaching hospital, 5min from a 24hrs grocery store, and rent is ~40% less than what I paid at my old place!

Number 1 or Number 2 ??

2007-03-06T16:42:00.000-04:00

Our med school is housed in a spanking new building that opened just last year (which conveniently coincided with my first year here). We've got spacious, well-lit, high-tech, and "clean" looking classrooms; nicely stocked mock wards; an ever growing library; an overpriced cafeteria; and always fresh smelling yet interesting bathrooms. Check out the toilet below..

It's got 2 buttons above it and I suspect it's for either a BIG flush or a little flush, to accompany your #2 or your #1. I've never experimented to see if there is indeed a difference in flush force, but it does remind me of this one time when I was in China (no not band camp)..

We were walking the streets of Taiyuan and I had to "go". So my colleague (Ginger), who graciously helped me adjust to Chinese culture, brought me to a public toilet, which in China are just randomly placed huts on the sidewalks. They vary in size, shape, smell, cleanliness, lighting, features, and what not, but one thing they all have in common, is the man (or woman) sitting up front that collects your money for use of the facility.

I didn't speak much Mandarin at the time so when Ginger brought me to use the washroom, she asked the man up front which stall is for men and which is for women. He gave her a reply, but apparently didn't answer her question because she was stumped and just stood there staring at me with a puzzled smirk on her face.

Slightly embarrassed, she confesses: "I don't know how to translate what he just said"

So I turn to the elderly gentleman and ask: "What's up?"

And in a sharp and punctuated voice, he replies: "Da bian, Xiao bian ah??"
(translated to English literally means "Large convenience or Small convenience?")

..and it sounds close enough to the Cantonese pronunciation that I understood what he was yelling at me.

I'm not sure if he charged different prices for #1 or #2, or if it was to determine which stall I used, but the poor guy... imagine having to spend all day asking people, "Are you poo-en or peein'??"!

(Yes, I did bring a camera into the men's room to take the pic above =+)

test post..

2007-03-01T17:26:00.001-04:00

globalrichlist.com

2007-02-18T20:26:00.000-04:00

At the Overseas Missions seminar I went to during the CMF conference, we were discussing the monetary sacrifice some missionary doctors make when they decide to work abroad. But in reality, when you view things from a global perspective, a $300,000 and a $30,000 annual salary really ain't that far off.
Where do you fit in? ..check it out:

www.globalrichlist.com

(it ranks your salary compared to everyone else on the planet)

Voices in my head

2007-02-05T08:02:00.000-04:00

Have you ever had someone or something speak a clear, audible, and intelligible message to you in your dreams? Well around the time I decided to come study medicine in Ireland, I had a dream..... (seriously, I dreamt this)

I was at some sort of gathering either at church or a friend's house, and I was catching up with a friend of mine (whom I'd also consider an older "sister"). We went to the same high school, church, youth group, univ, and now she's the proud mother of Carter Justice.

So we were chatting about life, work, school, and when I told her I was going to study medicine, I vividly remember her asking "Do they have a CMDS you can attend?" (Christian Medical and Dental Society). And up to that point in all my preparations for coming over to Ireland, I had not even considered looking into this. When I woke up, I was thinking.. wow, that was a poignant reminder to check out this group. It was neat cuz the reminder came from someone I respect and someone who'd actually say something like that to me in real life.

My Response:
The CMDS exists in the UK as CMF (Christian Medical Fellowship) and unfortunately they're not as active in Ireland as they are in England. So thus far, I've only been receiving their publications and not much else. However, this year I've decided to attend their annual student conference coming up this weekend (Feb 9-11) in Derbyshire, and I'm excited to see why God's called me to check out these guys and what exciting life-changing lessons he has in store!

Shiny New Bike

2007-01-23T03:48:00.000-04:00

I picked her up on Sunday and proceeded to take her on a 250 km journey from Dublin back home to Cork (not the wisest thing to do on your first day). But by the grace of God, I made it home alive.

The day started off sunny but then clouds came over and it got COLD. I've lived in Winterpeg before but this was a different bone chilling wind in your face freeze. I'd ride for 20min, then have to pull into a bar and drink tea for the next 45min before setting off again. In the end, the 3.5hr journey took me 8hrs to complete.

She runs smoothly and purrs like a tiger. Overtaking on the highway is a joy w/ this v-twin. However, she is still nameless so any suggestions are welcome!

One Sweet Ride (and disappointment w/ Season 6)

2007-01-14T19:48:00.000-04:00

I'm hoping to get a new bike next week but before doing so, I must give recognition to this fine piece of machinery that's faithfully served me so well over the past year. She's called the Falcon as a tribute to H.Solo's rebel vessel. I paid all of 12 euro to get her up and running after "picking her up at my friend's backyard party." That's my bedroom in the background. Perhaps I'll post some picks of inside my house shortly.

24 SEASON 6..
What's up with the story line? It's like Season 4 all over again. Have they run out of ideas or something? I'm tired of Islamic fundamentalists - they're not the only terrorists in the world - give them a break! I was all psyched up after Season 5 to see the Chinese get involved, but that didn't last long. Bu hao. Not sure if I'll watch anymore of Season 6 but let me know if it improves, especially YU, stef.

Why I Workout (and more 24 rankings)

2006-12-27T23:18:00.000-04:00

I've been home in TO now for 1.5 weeks indulging in food and sleep - not a particularly healthy combo - but hey, I'm on holiday. I've also been playing as much hockey as possible so hopefully that's offsetting the ill effects of said combination. I do miss the day-in day-out consistency of attending the gym at school though so here's how my story goes on why I workout. I workout because:

My body belongs to God and should be cared for accordingly. Regular exercise is known to prevent the onset of many disorders (both physical and psychological). I also see working out as an extension of why I don't smoke or drink excessively.. 1 Cor 3 reminds us that God's Spirit lives in us and that our bodies are sacred. I'm working to preserve mine.
Injury prevention - weight training helps strengthen bones, joints, and muscle. Rolled ankles and broken bones suck.
Sports - I'd like to think some of the time I put in at the gym gives me an edge at the sports I play.. faster, higher, stronger!
Missionary life - it can be physically gruelling and I want to prepare the best I can for it (read Jim Elliot).
Self discipline - it's not easy getting up before the sun, but self-control is a Fruit of the Spirit.
I didn't consciously come up with this next reason and I can't say it's my primary reason for hitting the gym regularly, but after my buddy brought it up one time, I must confess it does indeed motivate me. Let me paraphrase him: "I workout so my future wife can have the pleasure of enjoying this magnificent specimen of refined and chiselled..." OK, you get the point. He's doing it for his future wife, and he's right. How can I expect my future wife to be fit and attractive if I do a sloppy job and present her with a fat, decrepit, outta shape body??
Last but not least - I wanna look like the fella above. AARRRGGGHH!!

Seasons 2-4 of 24 have become a blur for me so here are my rankings through season 4:

Top Five

Chloe O'Brian
David Palmer
Jack Bauer
Tony Almeida
Lynne Kreske

Bottom Five

Ryan Chappelle
Erin Driscoll
Audrey Raines
Wayne Palmer
Sherry Palmer

24 S1 - rankings

2006-11-24T17:46:00.000-04:00

ok, the workout post is gonna have to wait.

In an attempt to catch up on 24 before season 6 starts (yes I'm a little behind), I've just completed watching the 24hrs of season 1. As the true colours of the characters are revealed, I am beginning to develop a liking for some and disdain for others. This list is probably dated for most readers, but it's where I stand at the moment, and I'm curious to see how the rankings will change as "time" passes on.

Here's my top 4 and bottom 3 for now. The list will fill as the episodes wear on..

01. David Palmer (man of integrity)
02. Jack Bauer (hero)
03. Tony Almeida (astute)
04. Andre Drazen (ruthless)
05.
.
..
...
95.
96.
97. Alberta Green (just a bad actor)
98. Keith Palmer (the spawn of satan)
99. Sherry Palmer (the devil herself)

Cork Open '06

2006-11-15T10:33:00.000-04:00

If you ever want to visit Cork, it appears Cork Ulti Open weekends (first weekend of Nov) are the days to do it cuz we're ALWAYS blessed with good weather year after year. No matter if it's torrential rains the days before or after the Open, it's always sunny and warm topless weather on the days of. I would post more pics but blogger keeps messing up the images so maybe later.

We had teams at the Open from the UK, Northern Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and of course Dublin. There were both club teams as well as univ teams in attendance with sixteen teams in total. We finished 3rd, which is worth celebrating cuz it's our best finish ever at our own tourney, AND we were the only team to beat the eventual winners. Good on ya UCC.

Next post: Why I go to the gym.
(I've had this conversation w/ a few ppl before and someone asked me again recently)

Schmooze Fest

2006-10-25T07:14:00.000-03:00

I went to my first schmooze fest in Cork yesterday. It was brought to us by...... the generous taxpayers of Ontario! That's right folks, not Pfizer, Apotex, or some other bloodsucking pharmaceutical, but by the government of Ontario. It was held at the 5-star Hayfield Manor and they pampered us with fancy hors d'oeuvres, free alcohol (incl Cdn beer), and door prizes, all the while trying to highlight the perks of working in the lovely province of Ontario.

They wooed us with their high salaries, array of available residency specialties, relatively low tax rates, and did their best to downplay the drawbacks of working in Ontario. These include (among other things): a mandatory 4-month "cultural readjustment" term to acclimatize us back to the country we grew up in and a 5-year return of service contract that puts us up in Timbuktu, ON.

So how well did they sell the opportunity to work back in my home province? Time will tell as this is the first year they're heavily recruiting foreign trained Canadian doctors, but for now I'll take whatever free food and drinks they throw at us, and the chance to hang w/ my fellow Canadians in Cork. eez..

Soppy Laundry

2006-09-30T16:16:00.000-03:00

CORK - I arrived back at school on a warm and sunny Irish afternoon (see pic below). Our first week of classes was relatively light, but people keep telling me it only gets tougher as the years progress. Bring it I say.

The air in Ireland seems to be damper than I remember. Dishes take 2 days to air dry, my facecloth is perpetually wet, and the laundry has no hope. It costs a fortune to run the dryers here so my buddy and I resolved that the best way to dry our clothes is simply to wear them!

(Suggestions are welcome)

Aerial view of somewhere close to Cork airport..

Delivering babies

2006-09-24T08:05:00.000-03:00

HALIFAX - I helped deliver my first babies this past week. Strangely enough, they each had 4 legs.

Under cloudy skies on a warm but damp Wednesday, Cliff, Sarah, and I went biking in Gore with a friend (Mike) whose family owns a whole whack of land in that area. Afterwards, Mike showed us around his farm (the silage, the wood doctor, the milking parlour, etc.), while I (the city boy) caught up in the excitement of being on a REAL and functioning farm peppered Mike with questions. And then.. we came upon 2 cows - both of whose water just broke.

Another Farmer (Paul) came by and after he put on his shoulder-length gloves to reach in the cow and pull out the calves' hoofs, he tied ropes to their hoofs and got us to start heaving. The first one came out no problem but the second cow's baby was inverted (hind legs first). We had to use a pulley to help her out, and she must've been pushing pretty hard cuz half way through the delivery, she started defecating all over the place. Her huge a$$ all of a sudden started spraying crap everywhere with firehose ferocity. Paul ended up with a pile of $hit on his head, but the rest of us fortunately got away unscathed.

I then looked down at my hands and saw a streak of blood across my palm. Shucks.. I must've torn my skin while pulling on the rope. But then, I wiped it off and realized it wasn't my blood! Even better.

An hour later, I was at an Ethiopian restaurant eating and sucking on dinner with my hands. Yuum yuummm.

Tour de Cape Breton

2006-09-07T22:24:00.000-03:00

Back in T.O. now but before leaving NS, we hit up Cape Breton for some good times. Highlights include:

Freedom of not wearing a watch for 6 days
Jumping off a 60 ft cliff into the Atlantic
Kent & Giselle's wedding
Natural water slide at Three Iron
Camp food
Playing Mad Gab w/ Donald and his Dutch + Maritimer + farmer accent
3 day bike trip around the Cabot Trail, which involved..
- 300km total distance
- 15:20 hrs total riding time
- 60km biked in the rain (4hrs)
- 5 Mountains climbed (North, MacKenzie, French, Hunters, Smokey)
- 9 Powerbars
- 7 Powergels
- 5 Tylenols
- 21 Advils
- 27 pee stops
- 0 flats
- 2 casualties (1 human + 1 bat)
- 2 moose sightings
- 6/6 starry nights
- 4 weird dreams
- 77.5km/h max speed
- countless muscle cramps
- Worst segment = coming off the Englishtown ferry and almost getting blown over by the wind while crossing the waterway during torrential rains
- Best segment = flying down North Mtn and smelling burnt rubber (my brakes)

Mark B jumping / falling / flying into the Atlantic

We climbed it!

Joe's Scarecrows

Catching a breather half way up MacKenzie

Full Frontal Nudity

2006-08-24T13:39:00.000-03:00

I went to do some laps in the pool the other day, and I must've been churning pretty hard, cuz when I came out of the water I was a little tipsy and groggy. So I stumble towards the changerooms, not looking forward to the 5 gruelling flights of stairs I need to climb to reach the showers.

I start up the stairs slowly, grasping desperately at the banister and at every breath.. trying very hard not to fall over. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally reach the top. But to my surprise, the changeroom looked different. Could I be dreaming? Am I really this disoriented??

The lockers were in different places, the hairdryer was on a different wall, the mirror was somewhere else, and the walls were **gasp** PINK!!

I U-turn as fast I can without tripping over my flip-flops and boot it down the stairs at mach 2 -- praying that I don't fall and plaster my face on the concrete walls.

"Please God.... don't let anyone see me......." running, running, 2 steps at a time. "Don't trip.. don't trip"

"oooh.. slippery spot"

"WAATch the puddle!" .... "get me outta here!!"

I'm not sure if the climb up or the dash down took longer, but they both seemed to take forever. I finally get back to the pool deck and emerge from ...... yes, the Ladies Room.

I peek around the corner to make sure no one's watching and wondering why I'm coming out of the women's room, and of course, I run into the *useless* lifeguards. They look at me, I look at them. "Umm,.. why didn't you stop me when I walked in??" (You have to walk past the men's room AND past the guarding station to get to the women's room). They were dumbfounded. And so was I.

Thank goodness I didn't run into or see anyone in the changeroom cuz there'd be lawsuits flying left, right, and centre .. but I thought it'd make a catchy title.

The Galchenkos

2006-08-15T15:09:00.000-03:00

Crazy bro/sis tandem from Russia, Vova (18) and Olga (15).
First video is ~8min. Second is 1.5min.

I met my wife this summer.

2006-08-03T14:45:00.000-03:00

I asked my buddy yesterday how his summer's been going and this was his opening line:

"I met my wife this summer."

Very direct - and with a tone of certainty; I think we need more men like that. He continues,

"We're getting engaged this December and getting married next summer. Then she's coming to live in Ireland with me for the 4th and 5th years [of school]."

WOW.. he's got it all figured out already. That was fast. So how'd you meet? (I ask with intrigue)

"I feel embarrassed telling you. I joined match.com this summer for 1 month. She emailed me without a picture and I was blown away by what she said. We met in the foothills and spent the rest of the summer together. And when I think about it, there is no other way we would've ever been able to meet. It isn't something that I could control - it's really all God."

Interesting.. I like how he didn't try justifying the means (match.com) or make any excuses for joining it, but rather jumped right to the end and said, "heck, we met and that's all that matters". But if it was indeed all God, then would they have met eventually? Is joining a dating service considered not placing your trust in God?

Regardless, I'm excited for you bro. Can't wait to meet her .. she's been described as "the domestic diva"!

Thursday Nights

2006-07-22T00:02:00.000-03:00

It's been my privilege this summer to have the chance to hang out w/ some of my close Christian friends every Thursday night. We spend time chatting, studying the Bible, and most importantly, praying for each other. After some quality time in prayer last night, we transitioned to another one of our intense relationship-building activities - foosball.

I'm no expert at this game, but the husband & wife who hosts our Thrs night meetings are a couple of hotshots. They've got their pull, snap, drag, and push shots all down pat (nothing aerial yet but they're working on it). To protect their identity and reputation in the following story, I will simply call them Samin and Jarah.

Now Samin is the man of the house and the master of his foosball table. No one in our Thrs night group can beat him one-on-one, and seldom does he lose when playing on a team. His wife, Jarah, is no slouch either. And to make things always exciting, both of them are highly competitive individuals who hate to lose.

During one of our first games last night, my buddy Tom & I somehow managed to pull off an incredibly rare victory against Samin and another fella, Andrew. Samin was astounded and had to sit down for a while, take a break, clear his head, and collect himself.

After celebrating our surprise upset against Samin & Andrew, we played around some more, and then Andrew had to head home. When he had left, Samin & Jarah challenged Tom & I to a game b/c Jarah thought she could do better than Andrew. ..little did they know what they had coming.

Tom & I came flying out of the gates to a 3-1 lead. But we awoke the beast and Samin & Jarah stormed back to take the half first at 4-5. But before you could say "blog this!", Tom & I had Samin & Jarah on the ropes at 9-7 (game point).

This forced Jarah to call a timeout as she had to step back from the heat and do some quiet meditating and stretching to re-focus. As Samin stood there shaking his head at his wife and what was transpiring on the table before him, Tom & I (the most surprised people in the room) jumped with excitement in anticipation of besting the steepest odds ever piled against us.

After returning from her crazy Shaolin meets Cape Breton stretch routine, Jarah pops in a quick one to bring the game within 1 point at 9-8. If Tom & I surrender another goal at this point, it would even the score at 9's and require us to score TWO more for the win (win by 2).

However, after some frenzied end-to-end, edge-of-your-seat, non-stop action, Tom & I managed to squeak one past Samin, and the celebration was on. We popped open the champagne, blast the music, woke the neighbours, and danced on the patio as the stars from the Foosball Gods shone down on us.

During all the partying, Samin & Jarah were dumbfounded. They could not believe what just happened to them. What humiliation. So they began to plot and strategize for a rematch. And when Tom & I returned from our revelry, Samin & Jarah demanded another game. We considered it for a moment, but when we declined due to inclement weather and an early start at work the next morning, Samin & Jarah **BEGGED** for a rematch .. I believe Jarah's exact words were:

"oh come on... how about only to 5?"

"ok ok fine.. how about to 3?"

"oh you guys, come on.. PPUUHLLEEEEEAAAASSSSSEEE???"

In the end, this was the night Samin & Jarah had to taste defeat and rest with it. On our way out though, these proud ballers insisted Tom & I keep our mouths shut. They vowed that if we spoke of our victory, they would DENY EVERYTHING and BANISH US FOREVER from their foosball table.

Deny?.. yea they might cuz there were no witnesses.

Banish?.. I highly doubt it cuz how then could they exact revenge??!

MMUUAAAHH HAAHAAHAA... did I EVER stoke the Barrett Foosball Fire!!

Until next week!
iLau

My Life Story

2006-07-11T12:04:00.000-03:00

A Chinese Canadian moment brought to you by your local Tim Horton's. I wasn't in Canada when this aired back in Feb during the Olympics so I only saw it for the first time recently. I wonder what "studying harder and not just hockey all the time" did for the life of Tommy's father..

06-06-06

2006-06-06T21:32:00.000-03:00

Today I played my first softball game in a couple of years, and it felt good to round the bases again and have flies circle my head while fielding in left. oh yes.. the familiar sights and sounds of summer.

Speaking of familiarity.. Actually, I'd call this a certainty - the 3rd certainty of life: Death, Taxes, and large women will ALWAYS crush the ball down the left-field line. They just luuuuuvvv to hug that line. Mark my words next time you get burned. ..good thing they don't run so fast =+O

Strange coincidence.. the score was tied tonight 6-6 in the 6th.

YHZ

2006-06-02T08:40:00.000-03:00

Well here I am.. house-sitting for my friends in Halifax 'til the end of August. The first thing I noticed was their backyard lawn, which is almost up to my knees. I resolved to cut it at once. But when I opened their shed, all I found was a push mower! If I start now, I just might finish by the end of August.

Home..

2006-05-29T08:54:00.000-03:00

..sweet home. Arrived home in TO yesterday, on a warm sunny Sunday afternoon. Greeted by my sister and the lovely family wagon. Will be here a few days before heading out to Halifax for another summer filled with camping, Ulti, biking, softball, fellowship, and more. If you're reading this, I hope to see you soon.

Dingle road trip

2006-05-26T22:44:00.000-03:00

I finished exams 2 weeks ago and since then I've been catching up on sleep, catching up with friends, and bumming around like a student on summer vacation should. A few of us took a 3-day road trip around the Ring of Kerry, Dingle peninsula, and the Cliffs of Moher. Here are some pics and a video of a sheep dog at work in Dingle.

House Hunting

2006-05-04T18:42:00.000-03:00

For all you MLS.CA junkies.. here's a good bargain (it comes with a baseball diamond!)

MLS# = W884885

Cork Street Performers

2006-04-23T08:36:00.000-03:00

If you wander the streets of downtown Cork on the weekends, you'll usually come across these guys. Here's one of their many routines.. (video shot by my classmate - with our laughs and gawks in the background)

Easter Break

2006-04-05T17:58:00.000-03:00

I completed classes and assignments on Mar.24 and I've since been floating around Ireland playing Ultimate, visiting friends, and playing tourist. Exams start May 2nd so it's time to bear down and get feisty with the books. Forgive me if you don't hear from me in a while. eez

UCC Ultimate pre-game warmup, consisting of huddling up against a tree. That looks like a disc flying by but it's actually just a water drop.

Tadhg (Irish for Timothy) on the pull

Post-game meal: Beef Stroganoff (Irish style) served on a bed of fries ..or "chips" as the Irish like to call them.

Three Pint Challenge: 3 pints of beer / disc.
Two per team. Suck your lungs out with a straw.
I hear it can be done in <20sec.

..loading up the 3rd pint.

Irish Ulti parties always have a "theme" ..and this time it was Alice in Wonderland. So here we have Alice and the Queen of Hearts.

Spotted this outside a hotel in Dublin. 25euro is the equivalent of 35cdn. Tea anyone?

A lot of Irish buildings (pubs, restaurants, schools, etc.) are painted bright strange colours. Here's the backside of Dublin castle.

Biking in Limerick

Paris & Paddy pics

2006-04-05T17:45:00.000-03:00

La Tour Eiffle avec mes parents

Arc de Triomphe

St. Paddy's Day celebrations in Cork

Paris & Paddy

2006-03-19T12:54:00.000-04:00

Here are a few pics from the week I spent in Paris - a nice short break from school and a chance to catch up with the folks. We checked out most of the touristy things incl the Eiffel, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, the WWII deportation memorial (a must see), M d'Orsey, Louvre (currently re-reading daVinci Code now), Versaille, and of course we ate lots. If there's one thing I must blog about ..it's the CREPES.

They've got vendors on every street corner making all sorts of crepes and I was buying one per day. On day 3 though, I realized I had to up my consumption rate in order to try all the different kinds before I left, so I started eating two - sometimes three - per day. They ranged from sweet nutella & banana crepes to sumptuous cheese and mushroom crepes, made fresh and served hot. Simply marvellous.

umm... okay, pictures on hold for now. Blogger is giving me problems.

My first ST. PATTY'S DAY in Ireland was a bit of a bust. Cold , rainy, windy, and clouded by a looming exam. It's quite an event though with festivities starting Friday morning and going on all through the weekend. It was finally warm and sunny today but as I said ..impending exam has got me tied down. Studying medicine can have strange effects on ya, and it's really not meant for everybody.

Today a good friend of mine in 2nd yr med told me he's dropping out. He's a brilliant guy, but just didn't have his heart set on it. He's also one of the few Christian brothers I've really connected with here in Cork. I'm gonna need a new wingman. God speed Chris.

Uxorious

2006-03-14T14:12:00.000-04:00

Didn't know there is actually a term for this..

uxorious \uk-SOR-ee-us; ug-ZOR-\, adjective:
Excessively fond of or submissive to a wife.

How to fold a shirt

2006-02-21T13:22:00.000-04:00

This looks cool 'cause she pulls a perfectly folded shirt out of apparent confusion. Place the shirt face up, reach for the side away from you, and then start folding. ..it really works!

Thursday AM ride

2006-02-09T13:29:00.000-04:00

Here ya go G.. We had Thrs morning off so a few of us went for a ride just outside the city - not quite countryside yet. I've also yet to go check out the coast. From what I've seen so far though, there are far less trees here than on CB. The rolling hills aren't as elevated as the ones in CB. On the ride: Dayne, Martin, myself.

My digs

2006-02-07T05:36:00.000-04:00

Victoria Lodge; apartment style complex with 3-5 rooms per unit. Building is only 2 yrs old. 10 minute walk from campus. 30mins from downtown. There's a bit of sunshine peeking in from the left.

The common area in my unit that I share with 2.5 other guys. I took this pic 2 minutes after the one above, and it went from sunshine to rain already.

Our messy kitchen

My room

..and 10 mins after the living room photo, it's sunny again!

My ensuite (every room has its own)

5 for fighting

2006-02-05T10:10:00.000-04:00

I got an email this morning informing me that because of a fighting incident last night, I've been suspended for 3 games from an inter-church hockey league in Toronto. Interesting (considering I'm overseas at the moment). The commish obviously got me mixed up with this other Ian Lau that's been running amuck in their rec league.

First off, I think 3 games is very light considering the nature of the league. I've played a few games with them before and it's a laugher! If you're looking for hockey you couldn't take less seriously (from an emotional standpoint), this is it. I mean there's nothing on the line worth losing your cool over, and I hear he was going after people without much provocation.

Buddy needs to chill.. cuz if he doesn't get it under control, his barbaric behaviour will soon have him beating on (or beat up by) girls in the streets of Toronto. (Check out The Star to see which loser I'm referring to. Or if that article isn't up anymore, the original is at citynoise.org)

2005: Trials, triumphs, and highlights

2006-01-22T20:00:00.000-04:00

A little late, but it's good practice to reflect. So here it is in approximate chronological order..

Ringing in 2005 @ Max Bell w/ Wpg crew
Meeting Cyn (& subsequent adventures)
Newsboys w/ Kent & Giselle
Shinny w/ Hau on 78th Ave.
Visiting Jay & Amy in NYC
Tony Campolo @ Missionfest
Acceptance to UCC Med
RCMP memorial service
Hiking the Rockies w/ Yusen (pic)
Easter dinner w/ Grams
Seeing our family rally around Grams after her stroke
Finishing MPH course work @ UA
Adieu 161 Kingslake
Visiting Hfx and staying w/ Wongs
DYCLC reunion @ The Great Wall
Camping w/ the boys @ Crystal Crescent (pic)
Beijing w/ Yusen, Laura, Mary (pic)
Returning to Shanxi
Fun times @ Yuci Old City
Endless fun @ Yuci Cultural Centre
8am breakfasts w/ KIA
Seeing ah-Bang believe in the power of Christ
Xian w/ KIA & Guo couple (pic)
Monday nights @ Velasquez's
Wednesday mornings @ Strands
Talking baptism w/ MJ
Completing MPH internship
Visiting HK
Macau w/ U3 family (pic)
Returning to Cdn soil and seeing the Rockies again (pic)
Visiting Vcr (& Abby) and staying w/ the Tsang clan
Grams recognizing me w/ my coloured hair
Getting booked on Van Horne
Bondi cottage w/ fam
Beating Hamilton at Scrabble (pic)
Air show w/ Jer & Dad
Splurging on Matilda
Visiting Hfx in Sept
Stopping over in Nfld (first time on the isle!)
Starting Med 1 @ UCC
My 1st Irish Ulti tourney (Cork Open)
Graduating from UA (in absentia)
Visits to Dublin
Becoming 1/10th a doctor
Chilln' w/ Jer & Mich over the holidays
Praying for the Kwongs
Baptism service @ SCBC

"But whatever was to my profit, I consider a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord" - Phlp 3:7-8

Hiking the Rockies w/ Yusen..

Crystal Crescent.. (me, Stephen, Mark, Cliff)

BJ.. (me, Mary, Laura, Yusen)

Xian.. (L-R: Kristin, Ginger, Pan-pan, me, Alex)

Macau.. (me, A3, Cindy, U3)

Mt. Seymour in BC..

Hamilton is a force to be reckoned w/ on the Scrabble board, so his (gracious) loss to me was a significant event. I hit him early and hit him hard with "STRANDED", but then he fought back, hustling me with "XU", took the lead and kept it, until I sneaked off at the very last moment with "_CONE".

go VOTE

2006-01-18T13:31:00.000-04:00

In response to Margaret and Bryan's posts, I couldn't agree more w/ Mr. Slauenwhite. Canadians (both the people and Elections Canada) indeed spend a lot of time, effort, and tax dollars on ensuring a democratic voting process. Here's what I went through to cast my vote: When I was home for the holidays, I had to print out, fill out, and send in a registration form to Ottawa (along with having to go get a photocopy of my driver's license and send in as well). Two days ago (Monday), I received my mail-in ballot (here in Ireland) to fill out and send back to Ottawa. It came with THREE additional envelopes inside for me to send back to ensure confidentiality in my vote. I then had to go online to see who the candidates are in my riding. When I realized I only had a week to get the ballot back to Ottawa, I called the embassy in Dublin to see if it'd be faster if I sent it to them. Of course, as all Irish offices do, the embassy was closed for their 2 hour lunch break. In the end, I decided to go ahead to the post office and see how much it'd cost to rush the envelope back by the 23rd. And when I was going through all the trouble of stuffing one envelope in the other, and then bolting to the post office to get the ballot sent off and make it back to class on time, I was wondering if all my efforts (and postage) were really worth my one vote. But after reflecting on what Slauenwhite wrote, my troubles certainly pale in comparison to what some people have to go through in order to even obtain the right to cast a vote that counts. So all you slackers out there - go vote! Enjoy our freedom, and "be joyful always". Go Canada.

Hood Sledding

2006-01-13T05:32:00.000-04:00

..or was it Sleddn' in da 'Hood? Nope - not enough homeys in Sask. We're actually talking car hoods here. After a massive snow dump, my cousins rip off the hoods from big 'ol cars, flip them over, and use them as sleds. Their dad throws them a tow rope from his truck, and down the streets and ov'r the fields they go "laughing all the way". The eldest kid, Nelson, has perfected navigating the mailboxes and telephone poles so he works in little jumps out from the ditch. If you ever wondered what the COOOOooool kids in Saskatchewan do for fun.. now you know! (awaiting pictures from their next ride-by)

Xpresspost

2006-01-08T21:52:00.000-04:00

Back on the island now from Christmas in TO.

Here's a tribute to my fav gift I got this year. It was sent to me from Fort Qu'appelle, Sask (45 min drive east of Regina). It was sent on a Tuesday and arrived Thursday - still fresh and soft. Kudos to Canada Post. So what is it? Well.. each year my cousins have a mad Christmas bake off to produce enough cookies to send 12 santas into diabetic comas. And for the very last cookie, they pile on all the remaining icing and toppings to make a killer sweet one. I spent last Christmas with them but did not make the trip out west this year, so they Xpresspost the cookie to me wrapped in plastic, packaged in newspaper, and boxed in a Callaway carton. I had to open it before Christmas though cuz I wanted to experience the knockout sweetness while it was still fresh. ..and fresh she was! Thanks Lagasses and here's to wishin' you a hood-sledding-filled winter!!

What's hood-sledding you ask? Stay tuned.

A Chinese-Canadian in Ireland

2005-12-11T10:44:00.000-04:00

There's been a request for more Irish content in my blogs so here's Ireland with a twist. Walking around Dublin a couple of weeks ago, I came across a couple of interesting sites that pay homage to my ancestral and patriotic roots as a Chinese-Canadian. The first is a cafe called Mao that I'd never heard of before but just happened to come across. We didn't have time to go in, but from the outside it seemed like at least 70% of the staff was Asian - wasn't expecting that in Ireland! (I waited 'til some random Asian walked by and asked her to pose in my picture)

(..j/k, that's Rebecca. Friend from Hfx studying in Dublin)

You can't tell from the next picture that I'm in Ie unless you look closely and see the 2.29euro for a box of Timbits at the top of the pic. Or.. if you think about it carefully, have you ever seen a Timmy's where you walk right up to the donut rack and serve yourself? No. Neither have I. So when I went into this Spar (the equivalent of a 7-Eleven in Can.) that has a Timmy's counter at the back, I waited for 5 minutes for someone to come serve me - while grumbling at how slow Irish service is - until it finally dawned on my one-track-mind that it's a self-serve counter!

Israel

2005-12-02T09:58:00.000-04:00

This is a picture of Izzy and I after the 2001 Vanier Cup at the Skydome (UM Bisons vs. SMU Huskies). Although Izzy played an amazing game and terrorized SMU's QB all day, the Bisons eventually lost to a very talented (and well coached) Huskies' squad. Not sure what I was staring at when the pic was snapped, but anyway.. Izzy is now a DT on the best defensive corps in the NFL - Chicago Bears with fewest pts allowed to date this season.

I remember playing basketball w/ Izzy back at UM, and the way this guy dribbled the ball, you wouldn't think he was 6'6, 275lbs. He controlled that ball like it was on a string. But the best part about being on his team was when he set screens for me. I'd run around him and lose my check for the next 5 minutes. Amazing all-around athlete.

He's also a really down-to-earth and cool guy to chill with. We would hang out in rez together and once in a while get some studying done. I remember we were prepping late one night for an anthropology exam, and when we were returning to our dorm rooms, we passed by this vending machine in the college. (Okay, confession time here) We were hungry. We stared at it for a second. And then I went down the hall to keep watch, while Izzy absolutely manhandled this thing. He flipped the WHOLE vending machine over and we cleared that sucker out. Needless to say, we were wired on chocolate during our exam the next day. Not one of my proudest moments, but I hope it's safe to say that we've both progressed quite well since then. Go Bears!

go BUCK

2005-11-26T04:46:00.000-04:00

(no I'm not advocating nudism)

Now that I'm living in the EU and paying exorbitant amounts of tuition in euro, I monitor the daily performance of our Cdn Buck against the EU coin. ..and I'm proud to say that yesterday the euro was the lowest it's been against the Cdn dollar in the past 3 years (1.37cdn = 1euro).

Every morning before class, my Canadian buddy and I hold pep rallies to cheer on the Buck. Whenever there's an election, terrorist / bird flu threat, or any other type of political instability in the EU, the euro takes a dive - and we cheer. And on the days when the Buck ain't so hot, we devise plans on how to spread avian flu into the EU or bomb something important that would drive the EU into chaos. Call us what you want, but it's a source of entertainment!

snow!

2005-11-25T09:06:00.000-04:00

Check out what I woke up to this morning.. It didn't last long (maybe 20min), but it was indeed a pleasant surprise. Who woulda thunk it snows in Ireland?? Twas a nice reminder that there's just 1 month and 2 exams between now and Christmas.
(This is the view outside my 5th floor apt.)

A true Canadian hero..

2005-11-24T13:54:00.000-04:00

A few of you have been encouraging me to update this blog so here's a 'lil sut'n sut'n..

This plaque is posted on the Sports Wall of Fame at my alma matter (Univ of Alberta). Reading his story made me wonder if such heroes still exist in our great nation. I mean this guy volunteered for D-Day. Some of you may know of the late Pat Tillman who quit his NFL career to serve (and ultimately lose his life) with the American forces in Afghanistan, but could you find such a character in Canada today? What motivates these men to "stand on guard for thee"? Would you go to war for your country if you were called upon? Would you want your brother to? Your husband?
(click on picture to enlarge and read)

Post #1

2005-11-11T17:05:00.000-04:00

Outside the main gates @ UCC..