The Downfall

I had to admit, it was a little hard to believe when this picture greeted me this morning. Never in a million years had I imagined that it would be Andy Murray of all people that Djoker would be crushed by. 

Andy Murray....with all his whininess and the eye-rolling worthy hype by the British press. 

Yet, perhaps it is that pride always comes before a fall. Or rather, in Djoker's case: his racquet-smashing tendencies ended up with him being completely smashed by the Scotsman. 

It was one of the most frustrating matches of my entire life to absorb. First things first, I had been all but bubbling with excitement at the thought that I could finally catch a US Open match because it was actually early enough for my BST night time (9 pm instead of the usual 12 am). 

When Djoker was broken in the first game, I knew something was amiss. 

The first set suddenly was over with Andy Murray in the driving seat and me venting my anger out to Coco on Gtalk. 

How different things were from the year before, where my US Open 2011 experience comprised of blurry snippets from another TV via a Skype conversation and me declaring that things were over for Djokovic when Federer led 2 sets up, only to be told later on that "NOOOOO where is the faith? A World No.1 is a World No.1 for a reason!" 

This year, my little bit of faith left in my Djoker was hanging on a rapidly fraying string when he again was trashed in the second set. Yet, I still persevered and told myself that things could turn around like it had against Federer. Like the commentator said eventually, it was a battle of the forehands, and the obvious winner who emerged was Murray. 

In the end, a few points shone clearly from this match. I went to bed annoyed for perhaps more than just the sole reason that Djoker was crossing the fine line between stubborn and dumb. I was also, perhaps, annoyed that everything had changed in the span of 12 months. 

Oh well. Next year, Nole. 

Till then, I hope you are happy now, Andy and Team GB. 

New Beginnings

The end of one chapter, and the beginning of another. I think I have to be grateful for the fact that I am stressing out with 2389 things to do before starting work rather than have to sit on my ass and ponder about whether or not I will be nervous about not having the excuse of 'just being a medical student' to fall back on any longer. 

So, graduation came and went. After much fussing for months and months on end about what colour of an outfit to wear under the robe, what shoes to match them with, how high they should be and etc, we are finally holders of an MBBS degree (Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery). 

Could not have done it without the finances and undying support from my parents who have listened to me sigh, tear and stress my way through Medical School. Each time they have done nothing but give me anything under the sun that I desired and believe in my meager abilities. Kudos to Mummy and Daddy Sim! 

Onwards and forwards to new lives... and with them of course, comes the inevitable farewells. The three years spent with 'The Neneks' and 'The Cartoons' have served us all well, and I am positive that we will remain fast friends for a long time coming. Some bonds are just meant to be as such - unbreakable. 

Also, the biggest new beginning would be the huge move out of London down south to the sunny coasts of Dorset in South West England. Possibly 'the middle of nowhere', as Lynn's Persk Friend describes, but I get to play wannabe Cardio God for my first job, so hey, if anything I suppose there's always that to look forward to. It has always seemed strange to me that after all these years in the UK, I have not developed any sort of affinity towards it at all. Each time I prepare for another 13 hour flight back to the UK, the reluctance to leave home is truly overwhelming. As with most things in life however, I do appreciate that the grass is always greener on the other side. But the one thing I have been sure about each time people have queried me about my future plans was that there was no freaking way I would live in the UK for another ten years on end.

Then again, I suppose anything the one thing could happen. Perhaps my Cardio God aspirations will soon evaporate and be replaced with being an Investment Banker (IB)'s wife whose main concern would be which Balenciaga bag to wear each day. 

Actually, that sounds like a much better plan already rather than straining to hear Mid Diastolic Murmurs and picking up all the signs of Mitral Stenosis.

So Here's a toast to New Beginnings. Of surviving my experience as a Foundation Doctor and of making the most of my medical degree :)  (And my life as an IB's wife in the near future)

Singapore Spree

And I say that because it was every bit one heck of a shopping spree as it could possibly get!

Since I would be in Singapore being a Cardio enthusiast for two weeks in the middle of May for my electives, I had a brilliant idea to organise a sequel to the Tenerife holiday: a relaxing (SUPPOSEDLY!) weekend in Singapore, catching up with these girls, because the last time we all saw each other was as far back as April 2010!

Tenerife - Easter 2010

Unfortunately, we were missing a member of the 'Tenerife Gang' as Noemi was busy being a hotshot architect in London this time, so the three of us made do. 

We hit the ground running! As soon as Hanna arrived, we kicked-started by hopping off to the much talked-about Universal Studios in Sentosa. 

The place was small, but didn't disappoint. The last time I had been to a theme park was 6 years ago, and the Alton Towers trip in CC with me and Jenn screaming our heads off on the 'Nemesis' rollercoaster lives in my mind. So this outing to check out Universal Studios was much welcomed indeed. Amongst the Marilyn Monroe lookalikes, Kung-Fu Panda 'Po' and Woody the Woodpecker, we even managed to pull a 'Gossip Girl' moment on the steps of this library. Not the Metropolitan, but in this case, the New York Public Library.

Priceless Moment of Note: Sitting on the Battlestar Galactica, 90-second rollercoaster, and me being really pleased to be seated in the last row, only to find out later that the scariest point of a rollercoaster IS being in the last row, because it picks up speed as it zooms down with gravity. Congrats, Shing.

After a tiring day gallivanting around Universal Studios, being soaked wet on a ride amongst other things, we even managed to trek it back in time for dinner and catching up with the CC buds and then drinking wine till almost 2 am, where the boys proceeded to order bottle after bottle of wine even when we had dropped a zillion hints that it was time to head back. Perceptive much?

But nothing would stand in the way of our shopping plans. The girls had big plans to shop down the entire GSS (Great Singapore Sale), so up we were before 9 am the next day and off to brunch at Wild Honey

The rest of our remaining two days were pretty standard despite our big plans to shop down the entire Orchard Road each day.

It seemed our brunches were never enough to provide enough fuel for shopping because we ran out of energy so quickly each day that it became a bit of a joke eventually how absolutely shattered we were after just a couple of hours of shopping.

Towards the end, I concluded that the one blessing in disguise that does well for curbing my borderline shopaholic tendencies is the fact that I lack the stamina to squeeze all the shopping malls dry despite the amount of caffeine or food I consume for the day. In fact, Post Prandial Stupor struck so often that by the time Sunday afternoon swung around, all I really wanted to do was to get on the first plane and head home.

I kid. But we did leave Singapore feeling like we needed another day to recuperate before heading back to work (for them) and off to my new ObGyn placement in Kch.

Nevertheless, even Rex's friend from Med School was wildly impressed that we had managed to remain such close friends after almost a decade of friendship, and the amount of effort we have put into meeting up as often as possible. In this case, almost once-yearly holidays.

The girls say that they can't possibly be up for more shopping sprees for the next trip. I concur wholly.

Till we meet again next year (hopefully in Penang!) 

Soulmate. Check, Mate.

This lovely lady turned 26 years old yesterday. Truly the nicest, prettiest, most efficient, kick-ass Doctor I have had the pleasure of knowing this lifetime :) And don't let anyone convince you otherwise, Dr. L X Wong. 

Fortunately the events of our last birthday bash from January in Balham (read: mine) didn't prevail. No drunkard lapse of memory, no massive hangover, no incessant vomiting. Thankfully. 

We had a very fun-filled rest of the evening catching up on matters close to the heart, with responsible drinking. And in the end, one or two revelations struck me in the early hours of that morning as I was trudging home (my first late night in FOREVER!)

It occurred to me that the last time I went to bed at 5 am (or even 6 am) was almost ages ago. That was when I discovered I could speak to someone for a record 8 or 9 hours on end without feeling like a minute had passed. 

Last night, I discovered that the record was very much breakable. I could execute the same feat perfectly well with a group of my close friends, and for the first time, I realised that it was equally AS enjoyable. And that blurry image of a scene of cheap beer and incessant laughter was really all in the mind. 

After a whole night of exchanging tales, of priceless advice and of convincing each other that it never pays to be 'too nice', we are left with the one tag line everyone has been telling me since the beginning of time, that when you meet 'THE ONE', you just know. It's as simple as that. There is this thing called 'indescribable chemistry'. And there is also this thing called 'Timing'. Timing can be a bitch, but hey, sometimes she lets up and things actually do work out. 

To which I obstinately thought, I have been increasingly cynical over the years, but I have no doubts about that statement. 

Because I am sure that I have experienced that chemistry, and I have met that person. I might not have been his, but he sure was mine. I know how it feels when everything just seems so right, even if the brutal truth is that it only remains that way in your head. But as with most circumstances that I have come to realise the hard way over the years, it isn't enough for just love to bind two people together anymore. Sometimes, reality sucks. 

But I'm not into making sweeping declarations or premature dramatic gestures. That just isn't me. So as with everything in life these days, we shall wait and see. And I'm hopeful that one day, I will be able to tick it off as one of the things on my list and go:

Soulmate?

Check. 

Yes. Check, mate. 

Birthday Buddies

The hype surrounding birthdays has never really been there for me. This year however, was the last time we (Daisy, Coco, Nenek and I) would get to celebrate a birthday together, hence I decided to at least settle for dinner over the weekend.

The morning started off horrendous. There was a massive 4 and a half hour surgical ward round that lasted from 8 am till way past lunchtime, and it didn't help that my nose was dripping like a leaky tap the entire morning as well due to unknown reasons, or the fact that they kept making me carry stacks of notes to scribe on at lightning speed as we rushed from one end of the hospital to another.

The rest of the weekend was pretty much standard protocol of replying messages and catching up with those whom I had lost touch with. It's funny because Zhin and I use the word 'Birthday Buddies' alot to describe people whom we speak to only on an annual basis, but this year the term managed to take on a much more hilarious turn.

These, however, are my birthday buddies, and definitely some of the greatest friends I have had the pleasure of meeting:

The 'Neneks', and definitely one of the best parts of Med School

Thanks Daisy for the awesome cake :)

And then the night took a turn from mild to insane. So...Enough said. Pictures speak a thousand times louder than words.

All pictures courtesy of Daisy and her fabulous camera! Much thanks!

Definitely one HUGE moment to remember, and totally blog entry-deserving. Much thanks to all the awesome people who made my day and to the many wishes and thoughts that came my way. I felt the love :)

On top of turning a year more worldly and wiser, I also learnt a lesson at the expense of an 'almost' 'thunderclap headache'.

Here's to sobriety for another few months at least, to my fabulous 'Neneks' whom I could not imagine life in London without, and to all the other important people in my life who have shown me much love and support every step of the way.

And to those who were never deserving of my time and effort, as I have been flippantly saying these days, "Throw them away lah!"

And finally, here's to an awesome Lunar New Year as well, roaring ahead dragon-style. Finish Line, I DO see you! :)

More Walking and More Remembering

As yet another year draws to a close, I feel pressured to write a customary year-end post reflecting on the good and bad times of the year gone by.

It's difficult to focus properly at this moment when my mind is not really on track considering how my holidays have come to an end and I pack up tomorrow to head to Chertsey for my next placement. But I will say that I am eternally grateful for all my friends and family for making 2011 one giant of a year, and I have never embarked on the beginning of another year as optimistic as I am now.

They say that with the grey moments, there is a silver lining folded inside every raining cloud.

And with the good moments, even if they pass on eventually, I am one who believes in actively savouring moments and MAKING things happen :) Hence my excitement to hit the ground running this year. I have a life list to pursue, and I will take on every downfall that tries to barrage my way.

Manda and I share inside jokes and fond memories of our 'infamous' (i.e. fun in characteristic ways) NYE celebrations in Kch. This year was a first for me spending it on Greenwich Meridian Time (GMT).

Coco and I 'co-hosted' (I use the term loosely, because it was at her place) a NYE Dinner Party / make-shift karaoke (SingStar) party / failed attempt at watching fireworks on TV, that turned out to be heaps of fun and a personal achievement (i.e. our meagre culinary skills produced quite good results in the end)

And all in all, this was definitely one celebration to remember. Although I miss the wishy washy plans usually made with the Kch people before each 31st December night arrives, mostly ending with an 'I dunno lah' or 'See how lah'. Well, hey....new year, new beginnings right??

So 2012, BRING IT!!

Five Girls, One Heart

As cliched as it seems, I cannot help but wonder aloud, over and over again.

Where has all the time gone???

It seemed like just yesterday that we were attending play dates, which progressed to Princess-themed birthday parties, slumber parties and then suddenly, we find ourselves at the next phase of life: Hen Do's.

This was the star of the day: Blushing Bride To Be and definitely the first close friend of mine to be walking down the aisle.

And this was the Bridal Party:

All decked out in the same theme of horizontal stripes (which was planned for) and the same COLOUR theme of black and white (which was completely coincidental, and brought about much laughter).

Possibly one of the most intimate and tame Hen Do's in the history of London, but as we always say, it is the company that matters most. And the day wasn't short of laughs, even if they started off as exasperated ones.

Our 'Do' kicked off in the late morning with an activity of designing and making our own 1920s Flapper-style Headbands, which did not fare too well considering none of us could sew competently, but triumph was to be ours in the end :)

After much stressing out and our stomachs threatening to digest themselves, we then headed off to Sloane Street for bubbly and afternoon tea.

What's a celebration without champagne? :)

Looking forward to the wedding reception (which we can hopefully all attend) where we can look back and reminisce these moments where we were all single, young and painting Londontown red (well, not really, but again it's the company that matters right?).

And as they say, the most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.

(Credits to Lynn for the pictures)

Sensory Lab

So much has happened since the last post.

For one, the dreaded farewells and customary bidding of Goodbye to Kch came and left, with less drama than anticipated. At that moment, it did seem apt when my own words rang true, that things were only as drama as you made them out to be.

Then the inevitable embracing of a new academic year came and went as well, amidst suffering from bouts of drowsiness and jetlag between Prescribing, Handovers and Case Histories.

And on the first weekend of all of us being reunited back in Londontown, what else was there to do but continue with the coffee-hunting adventures.

This time, our destination was Sensory Lab:

The latest Australian cafe to take London by storm. Or, as 'Time-Out' would put it, 'Great Coffee finally hitting Oxford Circus by way of Melbourne'.

Much thanks to Jane again (my Coffee-Hunting partner in crime - in spirit of course) for introducing us to this second Melbourne-based brand name. The first being St. ALi which we had visited and absolutely adored.

The ambience was slightly less appealing than it's sister branch in Clerkenwell, but later, Daisy and I came to love the countertops and window seats overlooking Wigmore Street, which allowed us much entertainment in way of people-watching on a rainy, windy afternoon in Londontown.

And of course, not forgetting the main point: The Coffee.

My Latte was awesome enough. And as Lynn pointed out, so was her Flat White, and YL's Cappuccino. Slightly stronger, I might add, than St. ALi's brews, from what my uncultured taste buds could recall, but definitely a gem of a place to add to our Coffee-Hunting adventures.

And with the string of Melbourne-based cafes that are jetting over the miles to land on this part of the world, it seems that life can only get better from here. Here's hoping that this final year will be filled with more laughs, wonderful memories and perfectly crafted espressos amidst coffee beans from over the world.....besides the best company in the world, of course.

Sensory Lab

75 Wigmore Street

London W1U 1QD

Coffee-Hunting....

....Aussie Style.

It seems that these days, the BIG thing in London is Coffee Houses, Brunch Places, Breakfast Bars....popping up all over the place, and everything so far has been synonymous with the words 'Australian Style'.

Due to my large contact base in Melbourne, I have been reminded time and time again how trendy the 'Coffee Culture' is over there, so much so that it is much less of a past-time than a distinct feature of the city itself.

London, on the other hand, perhaps owing to its vastness and our lack of insight, falters behind in the quaint coffee places that a city like Melbourne has to offer. Sad, really....seeing how vibrant and colourful a place this city is in terms of gastronomy, trendy eateries and the likes.

And then we discovered that St. ALi had spread its wings to this part of the world....much thanks to Jane.

Of course, with an opening like St. ALi, it was pretty hard for us to ignore. The fact that I had received nothing but the highest of praises from every single Melbournian I had asked after, and that the owners had chosen to open their second branch 10,000 miles away from the first, definitely warranted a mention....and naturally a visit.

So off we went on our coffee hunt:

Being greeted by a myriad of Australian accents when we entered was truly heart-warming. It was as though we had just crossed over from East London to Melbourne in an instant.

I especially liked the open-plan counter where the baristas worked their magic

Flat White

Filter Coffee

Lynn obviously found the miniature milk bottle very entertaining

Overall, it was an experience worth two thumbs up! I was fondly reminded of my many dapples with excellent coffee experiences in Perth over last summer, and although many a Melbournian has vehemently reminded me that it is not a shadow of the REAL stuff they serve down in Melbourne, I still maintain that the coffee culture in the land Down Under is one thing that trumps England hands down. So much so that I almost forgive them for all being such Coffee Snobs. Gasp! (I kid, I kid!)

Also, Psssstttt.....you didn't hear it from me, but as a little birdie told me, St. ALi will soon be acquiring an Alcohol license and extending its opening hours to dinner times, so you'll be seeing me chilling there more often after I am rid of something called dreary finals.

And as for the Australian invasion to the slowly growing coffee map on this side of the waters, I am welcoming it all indeed....with open arms:

St. ALi

27 Clerkenwell Road

EC1M 5RN

London

Picnic Royale

Picnicking - London style.

Or perhaps, even Royal style, because we had ours one very sunny Saturday morning at Regent's Park, which happens to be one of the Royal Parks in London.

The last time we had been on a picnic was back in Sept '09, which was a pretty impromptu thing in Hyde Park, also planned by Daisy Hoo, but with much less 'grandeur' and preparation, i.e. alot less food, no picnic mats to sit on and no frisbee.

This Easter weekend, however, we upped our picnic standards a couple of notches with MORE food than the 6 of us could finish:

The HUGE spread - credits to Lynn who painstakingly prepared most of it

The Girls, who happen to be 2 sets of BFF's :)

T'was a lovely day!!

With lovely flowers in bloom as well

And because Jody had been eyeing the frisbee Bao donated to me last year from the start of the picnic, Lynn and I got roped into a pathetic game of frisbee with the guys, partly because much of my movement was restricted by my VERY LONG skirt, and partly because we girls were just lousy athletes.

(Pictures from Lynn's amazing Canon G11. Much thanks.)

The weather was picture perfect that day, perhaps a tad too sunny for April, as though it was already summer, but as usual, my efforts at trying to be a hero and going out bare-shouldered with no cover-up left me with red imprints on my back the following day, and two pale streaks where my spaghetti straps were.

What happened to the lesson learnt at Wimbledon, ey Shing?

Have been embracing the Easter break to the fullest this year, a very different, relaxing, other end of the spectrum from my super hectic 2-holidays-crammed-in-one-break last year.

And on Wednesday, we head to the hometown of William Shakespeare.

More pictures to come. Watch this space :)

Navigating Notting Hill

And what else in that trendy area of West London, if not the renown market along Portobello Road.

Growing up as a teenager, I had swooned over the 'Boy Meets Girl, and despite the most different of circumstances, Boy Falls in Love with Girl' concept depicted in the movie 'Notting Hill'. I had been smitten with Hugh Grant's easy charm and British accent, and had loved the chemistry he and Julia Roberts put across on screen.

I had daydreamed about this scene on the park bench, and remembered it till this day. Unfortunate (or perhaps fortunate??) to say, it has yet to happen.

And who could forget their eventful encounter in that famous Travel Bookshop along Portobello Road that had sparked the start of all this.

So it was customary that Lynn, YL and I decided to pay a visit to the Road that had made such a distinct mark on my girly daydreams.

No blue door (if you remember in the movie, the blue door on the house belonging to Hugh Grant), but who can resist this brilliant shade of a pink!!! Beats the blue door any day!

Definitely one of the trendier areas of London I had seen so far. The shops were quirky, and so were the little bits and bops that were on sale.

One of the BIGGEST crowds I had ever seen as well, and that is saying something because I live in London and crowds are almost as common to me as pigeons. In fact, I am so used to overcrowded streets that leave pigeons no where to stand on the ground. But the crowd at Portobello Road.....that was possibly in a league of its own.

Obviously we didn't hold out very long amongst the excited antique / trinket- shoppers.

So we ended up here:

A good old cup of Latte and amazing Gelato. Nothing like a caffeine dose and a sugar high to end the day :)

Dri Dri - the gelato bar we were at. Thanks to Rex's recommendation and a prior visit there last year with her.

It's true what they say. London has such personality, such character. Two streets on, and you can find something that surprises you altogether.

And now that Spring is around the corner, hopefully there will be more exploring of these cobbled pathways of Londontown to come.