Today we went shopping in preparation for the New Year's celebration tomorrow. It was a chilly day, but it was good to be carefree for one day. Happy Chinese New Year! It's the year of the dog!
At this moment, I am leaning towards primary care, either family practice or internal medicine. I went over to Rocklin this past week and visited my previous preceptor. The conversation was very enlightening, but it all pretty much comes down to what I can see myself doing for a career. I love the outpatient setting. I do not mind the fast paced environment of 15 minute appointments, as long as I feel like I am doing something productive. However, someone once told me that internal medicine, or at least the rotation itself, does not provide much insight into how medicine is really like. The rotation only provides exposure to the wards, which is only a minute part of the spectrum of medicine. And speaking of perspective, Andy mentioned that he wants to do away rotations either at Vancouver or Australia. That got me thinking, next year will be an exciting year. I am planning on not only doing rotations at LA, but also at Taiwan and maybe take a month off to travel with Andy. Now, that's perspective. At any rate, speaking with my preceptor really helped me to start thinking about what field of medicine I want to pursue. I hope I'll be able to make up my mind soon!
Today was the first time this year that I had time to go to Paul Hom Asian Clinic. It's a lot of fun, bringing back memories of when I have the entire weekend off and can spend an entire day relaxing, hanging out with classmates and undergrads. The clinic will be closed next weekend for Chinese New Year, which falls on 1/29/06 this year. That also turns out to be the day for Tomio's baby shower! We'll be going to Bernette's place, hopefully she's a bit better at coordinating this event, because I have been slacking off recently. I'll get the entire weekend off next week, which will be a much needed break. One more week to go!
I remember the days back in junior high. The classes were just time fillers. But upon returning home, a group of my friends and I would just sit down in front of the TV. Everything is within reach in our carefree lives: cookies, milk, remote, video games. We could sit there and enjoy the times for hours on end until my mom calls me for dinner. These were some of my favorite childhood memories because they weren’t “important.” They were carefree and fun.
Now, it is hard to imagine that I could experience those kinds of days again. I constantly feel like there isn’t enough time in the day. There is always work to be done, friends to call, rooms to clean, laundry to wash. Where did the time go? I’m not sure at what point in my life I became busy. But even still, if life slows down, I feel like I am wasting my time, as if my days are useless and unproductive. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to just be able to sit on the couch or lie on the bed and ponder. Yet, I find myself thriving in the busy environment. I am learning, creating, and helping not only myself but others around me.
Sometimes I feel like I’m so focused on getting things accomplished that the things I want to appreciate are just passing by. I remember I used to compare myself to a turtle. It’s not the destination that mattered, but the path traveled. I did not mind being slow. As long as I have friends around me, I can enjoy the ride. I want to live a life where I can feel satisfied in what I have done, but also a life where I am able to appreciate and take in everything around me. Maybe that means I would have to give up part of the fast pace life, or I just need a summer break such as the one I have now. Perhaps that is why I am so eager to go off to the beach, where I could just sit … and sit.
Earlier this week was my dad's birthday, and yesterday was my younger brother's birthday. It sounds like they're having a great time eating out... wish I could be home too. Our two new dogs, Odie and Yoshi, should be a lot bigger this next time I return home, which will be at the end of February.
Today is the second day off for my rotation. I have a lot of errands to run, yet I have not had any time to read. So much to do and so little time to do it.
Happy New Year! I have decided to start a website. Maybe this will be something that I can keep updated on a weekly basis. I just started internal medicine rotation, and already a week has gone by. When they keep you busy, it seems like the time goes by a lot faster.
I just watched Citizen Dog, and I suddenly remember that life in the city goes by a lot faster than in the country. Maybe it is good to go out to the country once in a while, where time flows slower, so what normally takes a day to worry about now only takes half the day. It is a movie about dreams and where nothing is impossible. It reminds me of Bangkok, "the city that offers false dreams and real disillusionment."
Posts
All Comments
