Harder than it looks

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God."

- Matthew 5:9-

How, especially when everybody's tired and mad at each other?

:'(

I hate when this happens.

Herpes Zoster - the Shingles!

2nd day back at uni! i have to say: compared to last semester, this semester is looking a lot less hectic. mainly because Pathology is outta the way. on most days I only have afternoon classes - i even have half day fridays now! :) woot.

also, good to know that everybody passed both our Podiatry exams..despite some completely off the tangent, horribly answered questions. lol. i quote my lecturer: "OH MY GODDD you guys!" But at least we all passed.

On a sidenote: How interesting, I now know of someone else who's had shingles! (Bit of a Bio lesson for you: It's caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox, but it has to be re-activated for it to become shingles. Otherwise, the virus remains dormant in your body's nervous system.) I remember getting it when I was young. Both Sta and I - it's contagious. I don't remember anything much from it, except feeling a pain across my tummy which turned into a rash within a couple of days and then into a blistery rash after that. It was pretty disgusting because it sort of became pus-filled. =/

My parents thought it was a rash - and they were right, but my grandparents, they knew better. They took Sta and I to this house, where a Chinese old couple lived. I remember them exchanging a few Chinese words, possibly Foochow, and the word 'snake' kept coming up. And then, without any warning (except for not to look, but there was no way I could look anyway), they stuck this lighted piece of ..something (wood? herb? Sta reckons it was a golden feather o.0) near my ears and my back. And in these 3 spots, everytime they did it, there was a 'Pop!' sound. It hurt really bad, I remember crying after the first one!

Later on they explained that Chinese tradition attributed the rash to some 'snakey' thingey. I don't think it meant there was some sort of snake living in me (impossible, right? o.0), they just believed it had something to do with a snake. So where they burnt me - my ears and my back - those spots were meant to represent snake eyes and the back of its head. And because shingles typically spreads in a ring-like fashion around your body, the Chinese believe that when the rash makes a complete round, the person may die. =/ At the time my rash was already halfway round my body.

It's strange because the rash stopped spreading after that. I don't remember taking any anti-virals. All i had was some cream to dry out the area. It scabbed up and completely healed after a few days..so that's the story of shingles and me.

Funny, isn't it? Chinese tradition vs. modern medicine. Call it old-fashioned and non-scientific and whatever you will, but it works! :P I wonder what Western doctors would have to say about that.

Heavy wings grow lighter

*croak*

My throat is not getting any better. Maccas' Ogre Burger and Frozen Apple Drink Thingy, Bundy's Ginger Beer, Picnic Bars, Coffee, Hot Chocolate, Chips and BubbleTea over the weekend has finally taken its toll, I think.

On the brightside, had a lovely weekend of catching up, poker, and expanding my vocabulary (thanks to kimsamgreg) Actually, I'm not even sure if that's a good thing. :S I have learnt words that I shall not mention here. Lol. Oh, and I've finished my Essay! :) 3 down, 2 to go.

I've created an exclusive travel-blog solely for the purposes of preserving my expedition memories, knowing how short-term my memory can get. Sad, but true. It was also created based on the assumption that I would have travelled quite a substantial bit by the time I reach the age of 50. Lol. Far-fetched, but one can always hope.. =P (And yes, that's where my Melbourne posts have disappeared to, if you're wondering)

It's back to uni for me today, first lecture of the semester starts at 1.30 pm later on. :(

Two songs have been stuck in my head for a while now - Vanilla Twilight by Owl City and this one. Can't think of a better way to kill time, so here you go..brought to you by Uncle Kracker:

SMILE :)

You´re better than the best

I´m lucky just to linger in your life

Cooler then the flip side of my pillow, that´s right :)

Completely unaware

Nothing can compare to where you send me

Lets me know that it´s okay, yeah it´s okay

And the moments when my good times start to fade

You make me smile like the sun

Fall out of bed

Sing like a bird

Dizzy in my head

Spin like a record

Crazy on a Sunday night

You make me dance like a fool

Forget how to breathe

Shine like gold

Buzz like a bee

Just the thought of you can drive me wild

Ohh you make me smile :)

Even when you´re gone

Somehow you come along

Just like a flower poking through the sidewalk crack and just like that

You steal away the rain and just like that

You make me smile like the sun

Fall out of bed

Sing like a bird

Dizzy in my head

Spin like a record

Crazy on a Sunday night

You make me dance like a fool

Forget how to breathe

Shine like gold

Buzz like a bee

Just the thought of you can drive me wild

Ohh you make me smile :)

Don´t know how I lived without you

Coz everytime that I get around you

I see the best of me inside your eyes

You make me smile

You make me dance like a fool

Forget how to breathe

Shine like gold

Buzz like a bee

Just the thought of you can drive me wild

You make me smile like the sun

Fall out of bed

Sing like bird

Dizzy in my head

Spin like a record

Crazy on a Sunday night

You make me dance like a fool

Forget how to breathe

Shine like gold

Buzz like a bee

Just the thought of you can drive me wild

Ohh you make me smile

Ohh you make me smile

Ohh you make me smile :)

Newest (and cutest) additions to the family of cuddlies in my bedroom:

Mr. Moshy Breadou and Maloo the Moose, all the way from Finland :)

(the moose, I mean, not the bread..I don't think. lol)

I can't believe myself

*sighs* i'm feeling abit blue because

...i haven't gotten around to writing my two assignment essays (will the dude who wrote the assignment topic hurry up and reply my email?!)

...i got honked at for no apparent reason today.

...i just found out that despite passing my exam, i have to write a 400 word essay to ‘Describe the appropriate treatment of an inadvertent intravascular injection of a larger dose of lignocaine’ because apparently, the answer i gave in my Pharmacology exam 'seriously threatened patient safety'. gosh, i don't even rmbr what i wrote. =/

...only 1/10 patients turned up for my placement on Monday, so with nothing better to do, the podiatrist at Derbarl Yerrigan blasted me with heaps and heaps of questions, and he made me realize that there are soooo many things i'm supposed to know but don't. Don't get me wrong though, I'm really grateful he did that. At least now I have some direction, I know what I have to concentrate on. I just really hate my short term memory.

...it's been raining craploads, it's been soooooo gloomy everyday.

...my holidays are coming to an end.

And while i'm here whinging my head off, I have just found out that my fellow Pod mate's sister died recently. Backpacking trip in Banos, Equador. 25 years old.

Crap.

I'm gonna shut up now. And have a think about what truly matters.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances,

for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Ow,

it's starting to hurt.

I've forgotten how physical heartaches can feel.

Always look at the bigger picture

HEADS UP, GUYS!

Welcome to..Paradise?

Whoa whoa, hold your horses!

Take a step back...look again.

:)

EXCITED

Melbourne

Friends

Holiday

Friends

MELBOURNEEE :D