SHE.HER.

Friday, August 24, 2007

I think I have a form of expressive dysphasia.

[note: Expressive dysphasia = Non-fluent speech; Patient fully understands what was being said to him/her but could not answer appropriately; they usually have difficulty finding words and there's a reduced rate of word production. Caused by damage(s) to a specific area in the brain called the Broca's Area]

Why? It's because I can NEVER describe things coherently every single time I get quizzed by lecturers/doctors alike. Oh sure, I can fire short responses quite easily (provided I have an inkling of what the topic is first), but give me a long question, say, "tell me more about the neuronal pathway of the light pupillary reflex" [incidently, I've been asked the same question TWICE (or was it thrice?) already] - my mind raced and immediately sought the answer, BUT I CANNOT ANSWER THE FREAKING GODDAMN QUESTION IN COMPLETE SENTENCES!!!

I CAN ENVISION, HECK NO, EVEN DRAW THOSE BLASTED PATHWAYS WITH MY EYES CLOSED, SINCE I'VE DRAWN THEM AT LEAST 5 TIMES ALREADY, OK!!!

BUT TELL ME TO DESCRIBE THEM IN WORDS, AND WHAT DID I DO IN THE END? MUMBLED, STUMBLED AND STUFFED-UP THE WHOLE THING!!!

BLERARRGH!!!!

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It's fine with me stumbling around when I don't know the answers, but the fact that I actually knew....

...IS JUST UNACCEPTABLE.

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Perhaps I should get my brain scanned for any possible lesions in my language centres (especially the Broca's speech area)

Or maybe....

I should just kick myself in the @$$ for being such a complete dope. ><"

Labels: Medicine/Hospitals/Medics, Random thoughts

Sunday, August 12, 2007

They're back! XD

Since I'm running out of time, I shall keep this entry short and (hopefully) sweet.

Got the opportunity to watch the Eminence Quintet at the BMW Edge Atrium, Federation Square, last night.

(The interior of the BMW Edge Atrium, Federation Square. Picture taken from www.lightmoves.com)

Despite it being held on a smaller scale (well what do you expect from a quintet? =P), it was nevertheless an experience worth remembering - from the breathtaking interior of the glass atrium, to the wonderfully gifted musicians and 18 amazing pieces they performed, excluding two encores. XD

Just a quick rundown of the musicians and the pieces they performed last night:

The Destiny Reunion Quintet:

1. Piano: Kumiko Ito - The veteran XD

2. Violin: Hiroaki Yura - Founder of Eminence

3. Violin: Kenny Kao - The poor kiwi who was incessantly "insulted" by the emcee (almost) throughout the 2-hour program =(

4. Viola: Andrew Marciniak - He was so fired-up by the Japanese culture after the Tokyo tour that he enroled himself into a Japanese language course!

5. Cello: Minah Choe - The debutante XD

Pieces played:

1. Kakki; Romeo x Juliet

2. Canta Per Me; Noir

3. Hako no Niwa; Ragukaki Oukoku 2 Game

4. Oshyaberi; Romeo x Juliet

5. Odin Sphere Main Theme; Odin Sphere

6. Grandpa's Violin; .hack//Liminality

7. Princess Mononoke; Princess Mononoke

8. Laputa Theme; Laputa: Castle in the Sky

9. Totoro Theme; My Neighbour Totoro

10. Kanransha (Ferris Wheel)

11. The Song; Gundam Seed

12. Theme- Beyond the Clouds; Kumo no Muko, Yakusoku no Basho

13. Main Theme; Romeo x Juliet

14. Sailing to the World; The Seventh Seal

15. The Hill overlooking the Windmill; Ragukaki Oukoku 2 Game

16. Pain; Xenosaga Episode I

17. Thanatos; Neon Genesis Evangelion

18. Radical Dreamers; Chrono Cross

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During the 15-minute interval, we were requested to fill up the Eminence questionaire - on what we thought of the program, whether we would like to be part of their mailing list (or not), feedback, so on and so forth. The one question that struck me most in that short survey was:

"Do you prefer a large scale performance (eg: orchestra), smaller scale ones (eg: quintet) or both? State your reason(s)."

Frankly speaking, I couldn't give you an exact answer. I guess it somewhat depends on the pieces they play - some are pretty complex and thus an eclectic mix of intruments would be ideal; others are better suited with just a few instruments. (Just take a look at the video clips I've put up on the side! Compare, say, the Canta Per Me and Metal Gear Solid Theme music pieces). But then again, that may be true only to a certain extent. Take, for example, the Super Mario Bros Theme, which has musical arrangements suited for both ochestras and quintets alike. ^^

[In case you're interested, YouTube has some awesome Eminence Super Mario Bros Theme pieces XD]

Which one do you prefer - an orchestra or a quintet? =P

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Did a "medical specialty aptitude test" after I read Man Keat's entry, and.... surprise, surprise, my top five were apparently:

1 : Neurology
2 : Endocrinology
3 : Allergy and Immunology
4 : Nuclear Medicine
5 : Dermatology

(note: they rank some 36 specialties altogether, so the actual list is long)

Neuro's definitely my weakest system of all, so chances of me becoming a neurologist are.....erm, nil. LOL.

As for the others...well, we shall just wait and see, alright? =)

It was a pretty long test, with 130 questions altogether. I was kinda annoyed at the end of it though, as the questions were somehow very repetitive to me.

I actually got the impression that they ran out of questions halfway through, simply decided from then on to churn out the remainder by rephrasing questions they had previously asked, and later pass them off as new ones!! (-_-")

Well, if you still like to have a go at it, here's the link:

Medical Specialty Aptitude Test

Have fun! XD

PS: People with non-medical backgrounds could also do this test. No medical knowledge required. =)

Labels: Just for fun/Meme

Monday, August 06, 2007

Was browsing Shakirah's blog the other day when I came upon this quote:

"If I died, would anyone notice that I'm gone?"

In case you're wondering, let me assure you that I neither have any physical ailment which warrants a death certificate at present, nor do I currently suffer from depression. =P

It's just that....I don't know if I've made an impact on another person's life before.

Ever.

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I contradict myself (a lot) these days.

I, for one, do not like attention.... and yet couldn't bear the thought of leaving this world behind - alone, unnoticed.

Labels: Random thoughts

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Another week has passed. *sighs in relief*

It amazes me somewhat, watching time slipping away like fine sand in an hourglass.

18 more weeks to go before I return.

18 weeks.

*sigh*

I miss home...

Labels: Random thoughts