tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57355112011-04-21T16:47:46.764-04:00~Bleary EyedLife is something that happens when you can't get to sleep (~Fran Lebowitz)Abinoreply@blogger.comBlogger2061100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-75406016559030854182007-07-17T01:03:00.001-04:002007-07-17T01:21:37.148-04:00Well it's back to my old blog, my year away is over and it's back to life as usual in Cleveland. I cant complain though, been rotating at the Free Clinic of Cleveland, have my weekends off, and plenty of spare time. The last year seems a blur...so many experiences, so many pictures :) but here are a few last ones (the remainder I've posted onto my flickr site). The first is of the spice shop Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1155390259903759302006-08-12T09:43:00.000-04:002006-08-12T09:54:22.986-04:00I'll be posting photos on http://rootednowhere.blogspot.comAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1154844575483825162006-08-06T02:00:00.000-04:002006-08-06T02:09:35.496-04:00Few weekends ago I drove down to Miami to visit dear deepa :) we had a great time and here are some photos from our evening out at Taverna Opa.Started the evening off with the butchering of chicpeas to make our own hummus at the restaurant :Pthe restaurant/pub was pretty nutty, I've never seen a place where ppl danced on their tables with their waiters after finishing their meals. It looked Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1154197425921312812006-07-29T14:09:00.000-04:002006-07-29T14:23:45.960-04:00Jordan is just a month away. As i sit in my room reading the news, it's disconcerting to think that in just a few weeks I will be smack in the middle of the region where there appears to be so much conflict. We in the west have such luxury in being able to sit in front of our tv's and laptops and to simply read about that world, I wonder how I 'll do when I actually start to meet people who've Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1151979333634512462006-07-03T22:09:00.000-04:002006-07-03T22:15:33.643-04:00A quarter of a century and still going, this is my first time in over 6 yrs to be home with my family for my birthday. It's quite nice and the food can't be beat :)I've been getting to know my brother this summer too. He's turned out to be a pretty great guy, hehehe. OF COURSE with a sister like moi.....lol. This photo was taken by my brother on one of our photo trips to the little pond in our Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1151618854656489102006-06-29T17:42:00.000-04:002006-06-29T18:17:49.946-04:00Hello!! Longtime no blog :) I haven't had much to write about for awhile. Mostly I've been in florida struggling to study for my boards when all i want to do is be LAZY. It's almost over though, I take step 2 this wednesday. Right now I'm at a 3 day conference in DC learning how to be "Fully Bright". It's been interesting hearing their talks about how to be "cultural diplomats" and to Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1148354518395753062006-05-22T23:20:00.001-04:002006-05-22T23:21:58.396-04:00Japanese CommercialAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1146901141186865652006-05-06T03:20:00.000-04:002006-05-06T03:39:01.220-04:00Well, it's that time of year again...the spring/summer transition has always been a busy time for me. I've moved every year i've been in the US and this year is no different. It's always a time of change and reflection with the school year ending and graduation ceremonies to attend I look back and think about the path I've taken and the decisions I've made. At the same time the summer brings Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1145767799545978042006-04-23T00:24:00.000-04:002006-04-23T00:53:59.896-04:00What a great night :) I cooked dinner tonight for my dearest friends in Cleveland. It's my last dinner night/get together at my house for the next year before I take off for Jordan. I had such a good time, I feel very loved. :) The dinner was a thank you to all the wonderful people who got me through my surgery months and who fed me on a regular basis :P Also I suppose to celebrate my fulbrightAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1145199756007974802006-04-16T10:58:00.000-04:002006-04-16T11:07:15.486-04:00So I'm just beside myself with my Fulbright results. I can't believe it's all going to happen! Camels, archaeological wonders, and a hookah cafe on every corner. :) Who's coming to visit me in this wonderful place? I can't wait to go back and wander through Petra once again, go to the capital city and wander around the streets and see the roman ampitheater, go trekking through Wadi rum on a camelAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1144963452053742752006-04-13T17:23:00.000-04:002006-04-13T17:24:12.063-04:00excerpt from email received today "Please know that a hard copy letter notifying you of the final decision reached on your application was printed and placed in the mail for you today (April 13). You should therefore learn about your final status relatively soon." AAHHH!!! THis is nerve wrenching :PAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1144460847758101312006-04-07T21:42:00.000-04:002006-04-07T21:48:36.973-04:00http://kevan.org/johari?name=Abilyn thx to Mr. Guam and Ms. Hwang. I guess we all wonder how we seem to people vs. how we see ourselves :)ResultsAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1144287414954890312006-04-05T21:33:00.000-04:002006-04-05T21:36:54.966-04:00So surgery is going well...still sleep deprived but having a good time in the OR. I got to do laparoscopic surgery today. I drove the camera and one of the graspers. Got to navigate my way into the abdominal cavity, shove aside the liver and do an abdominal exploration. hehe...only catch wqas that my patient was no ordinary patient, but a big pink pig. YUP, a pig that we intubated after putting Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1142476186555632472006-03-15T21:28:00.000-05:002006-03-15T21:29:46.570-05:00my new baby bro..Gerald Patrick tan :) always wanted to call a family member Paddy....Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1142300069441427232006-03-13T20:33:00.001-05:002006-03-13T20:34:38.590-05:00strangest experience ever...sewing a button (yes an actual button, used for clothing normally) onto a scrotum to hold a testicle in place....Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1142197364291732422006-03-12T15:53:00.000-05:002006-03-12T16:02:54.003-05:00hello world :) It's been so long. THis week has been simply nuts, I think to count I've logged in >100 hrs from monday to sunday this week. I realized this in my fuzzy state of mind at the hospital in the wee hours of the morning last night. I actually dont feel too bad, a bit disoriented, but otherwise functioning. I never thought life could be this busy! I love my patients though :) they Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1140745673290219582006-02-23T20:45:00.000-05:002006-02-23T20:47:53.303-05:00Yay for Japan!!! I can't believe Arakawa took gold!Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1140048711370131092006-02-15T19:04:00.000-05:002006-02-15T19:11:51.383-05:00Today's noon conference topic: most embrassing or funniest experience in residency.It was an hour filled with horror stories from our fellow residents :) You know, watching these medical tv shows and dramas I often wonder wehther those sorts of things REALLY happen. lol well they do! we had stories that ranged from beepers flushed down teh toilet, pornography video store owners masturbating Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1139833688836797172006-02-13T07:18:00.000-05:002006-02-13T07:28:08.913-05:00AminaOn a whim I accepted an invitation yesterday to a concert- Amina and Sigur Ros. What a fantastic evening! :) Visually and accoustically stimulating. Both groups are from iceland, apparently they play together quite a bit, both groups are unique and distinctly different. Amina is a quartet of females playing their songs with rather unique instruments- customer service bells, water glasses, Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1139705197760358982006-02-11T19:42:00.000-05:002006-02-11T19:46:37.770-05:00GUAMANIAN BANKS and US geography knowledgeSo I went to the bank to deposit a check from my dad which was drawn from a bank in guam. The tellers wouldn't let me deposit it! They kept insisting that since it was a FOREIGN check they would have to send it to collections and in 2 mo i would get hte money from it and they wanted to charge me a 150 dollar fee. I argued for about a half hour with thisAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1139602322437195512006-02-10T15:08:00.000-05:002006-02-10T15:12:02.446-05:00TADA...this is my patient tracking sheet at the hospital. I live by these sheets...so...am I anal or am I anal?Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1139355946183174062006-02-07T18:40:00.000-05:002006-02-07T18:45:46.193-05:00So, things are going well :) My fulbright prospects are looking up, which has me excited and gives me a renewed energy for my work. Still wondering what it will all lead to...all these goals and ambitions that i have that drive me forward towards some unseen place. SO much that I want to do, so little time, so little energy. I wonder if someday my life will slow down to a pace where I can open Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1138940372918139112006-02-02T23:10:00.000-05:002006-02-02T23:19:32.930-05:00hey dear travel buddies :) You know who you are! Just an idea but how about for our next trip/reuinion we do something other than sightsee? Anyone up for a 2 to 4 week volunteer program this summer? :) I dont care where....here's one place http://www.cennepal.org.np/ Asia sounds like a good place to start though...what say you guys? Up for a trip to asia this summer?It's been one of those Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1138919782468556242006-02-02T17:35:00.000-05:002006-02-02T17:36:22.486-05:00ARGH!!I can't take the waiting anymore!Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1138584571532046282006-01-29T20:26:00.000-05:002006-01-29T20:29:31.543-05:00my "golden weekend" was spent in grand rapids. SIGH I had such a good time :) had so much good food too. Homecooked japanese meal on friday, a nice meal at a cafe the next day, bombay cuisine today :) yum. Thanks guys for the fun times, it's always great to go back to recharge. Hopefully I'll see y'all again soon...my next golden weekend perhaps? :)Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1137985896149457172006-01-22T21:26:00.000-05:002006-01-22T23:01:43.976-05:00Sunday night at home is always a time to reflect. :) So reflect I shall...mirror, mirror on the bedroom door where was my life at this time before :P heehee whatever... I was at the steiner house last night for their beginning of the semester bash and realized that with the exception of Alexey, the entire house had changed (turned over as they say). Everyone else that i had lived with in that Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1137950493757647862006-01-22T12:19:00.001-05:002006-01-22T12:47:22.536-05:00http://theunderweardrawer.homestead.com/obgyn1.html hahaha so true so true :) It's nice to know that the hell you go through sometimes as a med student is a fairly universal experience :) This ob/gyn comic strip is so accurate in so many ways that it's scary :)On a very different note....here's an interesting essay:Have peace activists ever stopped war?Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1137820561454074372006-01-21T00:10:00.000-05:002006-01-21T00:16:01.466-05:00Great ending to a long day. met up with some friends to watch a silly movie (shaolin soccer) and hangout. It's seems like ages since I'd last seen these guys. Turned my day around, so thanks guys. Hope I dream of yellow tulips tonight...I love yellow tulips.Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1137718184825419742006-01-19T19:41:00.000-05:002006-01-19T19:49:44.836-05:00ack it's such a crazy night. there's not a resident in sight and i'm left in the meantime to answer questions from the nursing staff, consulting docs, and deal with issues that come up with our patients on the floor on my own! this sucks...I have no clue what i'm doing...i put in random orders and make the best decisions that I can about what they throw at me and if i'm lucky my wandering aroundAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1136937351485814962006-01-10T18:51:00.000-05:002006-01-10T18:55:51.496-05:00hmm...so i was with my brother at the asian store a few weeks ago when we ran across this fish..it's been ages since I've seen it :). We used to have so many of them in the water back home...I remember stepping on one once, lol. Such an odd looking fish...kinda somewhere between a stingray and a flounder...with it's eyes both on top and to the side like a fish sliced in half, flattened, with it'sAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1136743100821951362006-01-08T12:45:00.000-05:002006-01-08T12:58:20.890-05:00hospitals are strange places late at night...rather quiet and eerie. Can't quite explain the feeling...everything that happens in teh wee hours of the morning seems strange...oddly enhanced. Maybe b/c I'm more involved w/direct pt care late at night since half the staff is gone. The rooms are all dark with coughing, snoring, restless pts...since I'm here at the VA there's always the occasional Abinoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1136461733197632022006-01-05T06:45:00.000-05:002006-01-05T06:50:20.686-05:00There are days when I get to the hospital and just hate to be there...usually it wears off with the first patient I see, but the baseline "i'm just so sick of going through this" remains somewhere just under the surface. Doesn't seem to be too uncommon judging from conversations I've had with fellow students. I know it's almost over "technically" seeing that I graduate in 2007, but residency Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1136289626288619822006-01-03T06:55:00.000-05:002006-01-03T07:00:26.306-05:00WEll I'm back in Cleveland, can't say it's great to be back, but I can't complain about the welcome I received either :P. funny story...I went over to the Steiner house last night to say "hello" to whoever may be left around for the holidays. I was greeted at the door very enthusiastically by 5 boys, lol. TUrns out they have been deprived of all female company since Dec. 29 when the last girl Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1136096736949481222006-01-01T01:25:00.000-05:002006-01-01T01:28:36.270-05:00Happy New year folks :) some photos from our Islands of Adventure/Universal Studios evening...Hello 2006...Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1135867646312765572005-12-29T09:44:00.000-05:002005-12-29T09:47:26.323-05:00well my dell laptop finally decided to up and die on me...never to be revived again possibly. So in a moment of absolute frustration with microsoft I went out and bought a new little baby:and I LOVE IT. At 4.9 lbs it's weighs half of that clunker they gave us at the med school and it's so much fun to play with :P so despite returning to the cold cleveland weather next week, I have a new toy toAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1133150874921799282005-11-27T23:05:00.000-05:002005-11-27T23:07:54.933-05:00Thanksgiving weekend activity: 20+ hrs spent watching "winter sonata" a Korean Drama. Lol, guess I still have a bit of asian in me. besides...he's just the "perfect" romantic lead.Film DescriptionAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1132284857982807622005-11-17T22:26:00.000-05:002005-11-17T22:34:17.993-05:00So, another "last day". I was so bummed to leave Tohatchi Clinic. It's been a great place to learn and I have loved every minute of my stay here. My preceptor has been one of the best that I've worked with and laughed with, he and his wife even came out to a narguila/hookah place with me this past Tuesday. I've been to gourd dances, pow-wows, learned to cut down trees, had a traditional dinner Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1131252675371879692005-11-05T23:35:00.000-05:002005-11-05T23:51:15.383-05:00I smell like corn. I've never smelled like this before, but everything from my skin and hair to my clothing smells like smoked corn. Probably b/c I just came back from 5 hrs of separating corn husks and sewing them into a circular 6 foot diameter platter. I just returned from a Kinaalda, a Navajo puberty ceremony. the first Kinaalda was done for Changing Woman, who was raised by First Man and Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1131066794641403242005-11-03T19:53:00.000-05:002005-11-03T20:13:14.700-05:00Today was a crazy day at the clinic. We had 1 practitioner sick, the other on leave, the other took off mid day, which left just Dr. Buffaloe and me to cover 3 pages of appointments and all the walk-ins. On top of the physicals, pile of ear aches, casts for busted ankles, and old ladies needing their feet checked, I found myself giving my first "you've got cancer" talk. It shook me far more Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1130726812888872502005-10-30T21:32:00.000-05:002005-10-30T21:46:55.290-05:00Some photos from my recent excursions here in the Southwest (from top to bottom)1. Panorama shot of the Blue Mesa in Petrified Forest National Park. It's part of hte painted desert...just a few miles away it looks the same but in reds and oranges.2. Mummy Cave at Canyon de Chelly in Arizona.3. The Navajo Rug room at Hubbel's Trading Post.4. My journaling rock5. Window Rock, capital of the NavajoAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1130466079459443042005-10-27T22:09:00.000-04:002005-10-27T22:21:19.486-04:00The Navajo certainly make interesting patients. A 50+ year old man comes in, rodeo belt bucle, suede cowboy hat, craggy brown face complaining of a sore knee. So, as I think through my differential i ask him about trauma to the knee, when it started, etc. I end up with a story about how he went down to mexico and got a pony for "his woman" and how it ran away yesterday so he spent the day Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1130292814834246822005-10-25T22:07:00.000-04:002005-10-25T22:17:39.240-04:00Day 1 at the Tohatchi clinic. Exciting times :) my first patient was a 16 year old boy with an ingrown toenail. hehe my preceptor was so excited at my first procedure. So i prepped the poor boy's toe, injected it full of lidocaine, used scissors to cut the toenail in half, grabbed and lifted the nail up with a clamp and YANKED it out! lol, i took off the medial half of this poor boy's big toe andAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1130195823319067712005-10-24T19:06:00.000-04:002005-10-24T19:17:03.403-04:00Gallup, NM. This a view from McGaffey's Point in a forest area beside a retired army base. It's across the ways from Red Rock State Park with I-40 and Historic 66 dividing the two areas. Such a pretty place :)the second photo was taken in red rock state park and it's called Church rock (looks more like a hand if you ask me...) Meghan (my host family's daughter) and I hiked up there yesterday. Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1129929669905243252005-10-21T16:57:00.000-04:002005-10-21T17:29:11.016-04:00Hello from the open road. Spent the last weekend driving through states and visiting old friends. DC and I had dinner with Momo and Yemi in Indiana then spent 2 days with miss Yuuka over in Illinois. The last 4 days I've been wandering around between boulder and denver, colorado. Boulder's an interesting city...noveau hippie with liberal pretentions(?) hehe, well there's organic food on everyAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1128568049002407082005-10-05T22:59:00.000-04:002005-10-05T23:07:29.023-04:001. What is your occupation? student2. What are you listening to right now? Pimsleur's Eastern Arabic3. What was your favorite vacation spot? ummm...tough call. Hedo Point, Okinawa4. What was the last thing you ate? a cookie5. Do you wish on stars? when i see them :)6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Yellow 7. How is the weather right now? high 60's8. Last person you spoke to on theAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1127290422438759282005-09-21T04:07:00.000-04:002005-09-21T04:13:42.443-04:00There is something about the wee hours of the morning that makes you want to share your thoughts, no matter the medium. Maybe its the foggy stupor floating before your eyes or the feeling that you are one of the few ppl in the city still awake and trying to be productive. :) so here's my two cents for the evening. My life as it is today seems to be fragmented into little pieces scattered across aAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1127111024766814482005-09-19T02:21:00.000-04:002005-09-19T02:23:44.770-04:00Well it's 230 am and I just delivered my 3rd baby ever :) Within an hour of arriving for my first day of labor and delivery I've gotten to delivery my first baby with some guidance of course. L&D is such a happy place to be full of moms with tears of joy as they see their babies, but the hours really do suck. I have had 3 cups of coffee so far, we'll see how long I can stay on my feet, I think Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1126897172851926002005-09-16T14:43:00.000-04:002005-09-16T14:59:32.856-04:00Connecting the DotsThat's the name of the game I've been playing lately as most of you know. Just talking to ppl who hopefully know ppl who know ppl..etc...all in the hopes of finding that one perfect contact person who will open the right door. I'm so tired of it. I think i'm just going to start writing the proposal with what I have and pray that it will miraculously produce a feasible and Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1125958699068576332005-09-05T18:09:00.000-04:002005-09-05T18:18:19.073-04:001. Number of books I [have] own[ed]:hmm who knows....on my shelves right now over 200, but i have stuff in boxes downstairs too.2. Last book I bought:Mastering Arabic3. Last book I completed:Blueprints: Pediatrics4. Ten books that mean a lot to me: (in no particular order)- the alchemist by coelho- covering islam by said- social transformation of medicine in america by starr- the Trotula- Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1125779621938161502005-09-03T16:12:00.000-04:002005-09-03T16:33:41.943-04:00The womb really does wander!! :) So my time spent studying medieval theories of the womb and its wanderings was not all in vain. hehe. Recently I scrubbed in on a vaginal hysterectomy perfromed on a woman with severe uterine prolapse and I almost believed that wombs are able of wandering :) I'd never seen anything like it, her uterus and several other structures were practically falling out Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1125284488403314412005-08-28T22:57:00.000-04:002005-08-28T23:02:06.530-04:00bird's eye view from my favorite market in cleveland :) I just discovered this spot saturday, ate a falafel sandwhich with a view. the other photo is from city hall where there are visiting tibetan monks creating a mandala. as soon as i see the end of the mandala creation i will post pictures. Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1124240565874862612005-08-16T20:59:00.000-04:002005-08-16T21:04:14.416-04:00new photos from my dad. My sisters are all grown up! Aren't they adorable? Alyssa (3) is the one to my dad's immediate left and the 5 yr old next to her is AshleyAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1123197487687069912005-08-04T19:17:00.000-04:002005-08-04T19:18:07.693-04:00Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1122858555784615902005-07-31T21:07:00.000-04:002005-07-31T21:09:15.793-04:00Summer break...Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1122341727823925612005-07-25T21:34:00.000-04:002005-07-25T21:35:27.830-04:00What I learned about today...Popsicle Panniculitis of the Cheeks. A Diagnostic Entity Caused by Sucking on Cold ObjectsAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1122067610491242702005-07-22T17:26:00.000-04:002005-07-22T17:26:50.496-04:00I PASSED! I PASSED! I PASSED!Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1121725332561116462005-07-18T18:20:00.000-04:002005-07-18T18:22:12.566-04:00Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1121582014865336212005-07-17T02:28:00.000-04:002005-07-17T02:33:34.873-04:00So we had an impromptu farewell party for Dancho tonight. Such a nice day. We started off with lunch at a Filipino restaurant followed by a short excursion to the beach b/f the thunderstorms hit, and ended with cake and vodka on the porch. I've forgotten how much I enjoy just sitting out on the porch with friends. I sat for the most part between two big groups (5 russian guys on my right and 6 Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1120608114893969752005-07-05T19:48:00.000-04:002005-07-05T20:01:54.900-04:00Day One at the bottom of the food chain.Well here I am, finally. I went to Metro Hospital today and saw my first patient. I think it went ok, he and his mom went out the door relatively unharmed after seeing me :) It's been such a chaotic day. Or schedules were all messed up (had to be redone 3x) and the orientation sessions were haphazard and disorganized. OH well. More of the same is to be Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1120264017748725922005-07-01T20:26:00.001-04:002005-07-01T20:26:57.753-04:00Antelope Canyon Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1120263983431749142005-07-01T20:26:00.000-04:002005-07-01T20:26:23.436-04:00Grand Canyon Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1120263861215036582005-07-01T20:20:00.000-04:002005-07-01T20:25:30.366-04:00Well folks here's what I've been up to the last few days. Just got back a few hours ago and am cooking dinner with dorcas and diana here in sacramento. tomorrow's it's back to reality...Tuesday: Old Sacramento Wednesday: San Francisco- Uncle’s Restaurant in China town > Fisherman’s Wharf > Japantown for Shabu Shabu > cruise around the city at night > sleep over in BerkeleyThursday: Presidio Park Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1119629667805716902005-06-24T12:12:00.000-04:002005-06-24T12:14:27.813-04:00Well it's been a whirlwind few days here in the bay area. We toured Sacramento on Tuesday, trekked and ate our way through SF on Wednesday and yesterday headed for a tour of presidio park and the Napa Valley wineries. Last night we also had a beautiful Persian meal courtesy of Shaghayegh's grandparents. Yum. :) So all in all it's been a lot of fun. tonight I head to Santa Monica for the Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1119629461768317002005-06-24T12:11:00.000-04:002005-06-24T12:11:01.776-04:00Golden Gate Bridge Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1119629422216914692005-06-24T12:10:00.000-04:002005-06-24T12:10:22.223-04:00Presidio Park by the Golden Gate Bridge Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1119629334364076892005-06-24T12:08:00.000-04:002005-06-24T12:08:54.406-04:00At Powell and Lombard near Fisherman's wharf. Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1119060667063484452005-06-17T22:06:00.000-04:002005-06-17T22:11:07.073-04:00**poof** Abi returns to the world of the living. :) I'm done!! HIP HIP HOORAH. thanks you guys for all the encouragement and faith that I'd get through. I seriously thought i wouldn't make it. 6 weeks will tell, so I haven't stopped praying yet. I have to make it right? How can i not with so many people to help me get through it (now if i could have brought just a few of you with me to help me Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1118459888698685712005-06-10T22:24:00.000-04:002005-06-10T23:18:08.736-04:00The clock is ticking. 4 days left to study 5 days til my exam. The edges of panic are starting to creep into my psyche. I've so far avoided major panic episodes by simply avoiding all calendars in the house :) I feel like I've gone through a mountain of information, retained only an anthill proportion of that information, and have yet another mountain to get through before 9:30 am wednesday Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1117905388385777932005-06-04T13:06:00.000-04:002005-06-04T13:16:28.390-04:00USMLE RainbowsRed man Syndrome: rapid infusion of vancomycinOrange body fluids: RifampinYellow: Jaundice from various liver and gallbladder disordersGreen Urine: eating asparagusBlue: Smurf skin caused by Amiodarone toxicityPurple/Indigo: port wine stain birthmarkwho knew our bodies could turn such funny colors...you can actually probably make a chart of just urine color changes (even pink!) and Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1117755948651564242005-06-02T19:29:00.000-04:002005-06-02T19:45:48.656-04:00hello world from sunny (as far as i can tell through the windows from my corner of the house)Florida. My studying is slowing down from the frantic pace I started at. It's been nice to have time to myself and to focus on a single task. It's strange to be back with my family. I've forgotten how high-energy my mother could be. It's like having a tornado whoosh in and out of the room. 8 am. Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1116720461856883302005-05-21T20:06:00.000-04:002005-05-21T20:07:41.863-04:00I was looking at MSNBC's report on BUsh's talk at Calvin and was struck by this quote:Some day you will appreciate the grammar and verbal skills you learned here,If any of you wonder how far a mastery of the English language can take you, just look what it did for me.”Although i'm sure it wasn't a completely serious statement, I still thought it was worthy of mentioning :)Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1115155094139352882005-05-03T17:12:00.000-04:002005-05-03T17:18:14.143-04:00Today was the memorial service for the families of the people who we used for anatomical dissection. It feels as if life has come full circle. The first day you enter lab you're hit by the humanity of the bodies in the room. Every slice and ever tug is into a human being, but gradually over days, weeks, and months the humanity seems to disappear. It pops up once in awhile to startle you, but Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1114922416429239392005-05-01T00:40:00.000-04:002005-05-01T00:40:16.430-04:00moi Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1114659939624738592005-04-27T23:42:00.000-04:002005-04-28T00:26:02.913-04:00i have to share this news. so i'm part of this group ACT UP that goes around and bird dogs (i.e. publically harass) politicians on key issues relating to HIV/AIDS. They're trying to get a group together to go to CAlvin's commencement to birddog bush! heehee. Should be interesting...if only i could make it, they're a colorful crowd. Look what they did to Gore back in sept 1999 [click here]. MIghtAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1114651668013731572005-04-27T21:23:00.000-04:002005-04-27T21:27:48.013-04:00So today has been a day of checking things off my list.1. financial aid paperwork crap- check 2. SIGNED UP FOR MY USMLE STEP 1 TEST!!- check. JUNE 15 IS THE BIG DAY PEOPLES. let's see if i survive. May I ask my dear inner circle of friends to check on my sanity on the 14th in case i blow up from extremely high stress levels and anxiety3. taught the last ochem course for the year (ever I hope)- Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1114188023015072462005-04-22T12:32:00.000-04:002005-04-22T13:25:10.286-04:00I've been reminiscing lately...thinking about those moments in time that I wish I had photos of.1. Taking my puppy yuki in my backpack to school after dying her ears and tail hot pink.2. the all-nighter after high school graduation. Food, karaoke, and friends. 3. Dancing at a truck stop in texas 4. Making a Huge Japanese flag to hang in our dorm room. 5. A frog, momo, dC, the beatles, and lots Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1114139568430502482005-04-21T23:10:00.000-04:002005-04-21T23:21:28.223-04:00Yellow pepper on the road, squashed and blackened. that be me. I must be burnt out. I cant deal with stress anymore. Even the little things give me such anxiety these days. Missed phone call, classes, tests, everything just seems to be too much and so overwhelming. A friend of mine emailed me today to tell me that I need a fireplace, wine, and a man with a solid chest. haha. too complicated. i Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1113963282146493332005-04-19T22:14:00.000-04:002005-04-19T22:14:42.146-04:00An ODE to the Banana. Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1113632269573868392005-04-16T02:07:00.000-04:002005-04-16T02:23:09.080-04:00I drive to Grand Rapids tomorrow + 1 bulgarian. It's strange to see just how much it has become a home port for me here in the United States. I remember how much I wanted to leave and live anywhere but Grand Rapids that first year. Yet I stayed for my full 4 yrs and even stayed an extra year after graduation to work. Even though I am now in Cleveland, I still return every few months for a Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1113170533130056882005-04-10T18:02:00.000-04:002005-04-10T18:04:18.066-04:00Battle of the religions. A little something for you Foosball fans. I took this photo in Finland at an exhibit....strange what ppl come up with. *not shown: Ganesha the goalie* Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1112932098237434672005-04-07T23:45:00.000-04:002005-04-08T00:21:45.890-04:00Per request from an dear old friend I'll shift to some things medical. Not that there is really much to write about the medical school these days. I doubt a public post of my experiences with the male and female genitourinary exam would be appropriate (or welcomed) by most. So, let's just say that things have been going...Just Going. Nothing shocking. Nothing more profound then learning to Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1112671053089393762005-04-04T23:10:00.000-04:002005-04-04T23:19:27.460-04:00So....I seem to sit here and twiddle my thumbs quite a bit these days. i keep thinking i should be more productive. Things are just flying by. It's april again, dont know where the time between last april and this april went. Still fluctuating in that strange place between frustration and contentment...ambition and laziness...dreams and life. Not sure what to do about it but keep swinging. 2 Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1112559651528990562005-04-03T16:03:00.001-04:002005-04-03T16:20:51.530-04:00Aftermath It's always a strange thing to spend an evening out with people you only know within a limited context. Last night was our annual Doc Opera performance- Med students acting, singing, dancing, and playing music to make fun of and highlight the life of med students and doctors. Songs such as "DISSECT" (to the tune of "RESPECT") and I believe in a thing called GLOVES (I believe in a Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1112484396711219832005-04-02T18:10:00.000-05:002005-04-02T18:26:36.713-05:00It's been one of those weeks. Long and relatively uneventful, but the things that have happened have only served to leave me an angry, bitter, frustrated, and irritated human being. I guess things add up and it's the time of the year where things come to a boiling point. I dont know what it is, but I find my self snapping at people around me. I cant remember ever been quite this irate at the Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1112241325450169122005-03-30T22:55:00.000-05:002005-03-30T22:55:25.450-05:00the girls Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1111707211548699572005-03-24T18:01:00.000-05:002005-03-24T22:30:15.106-05:00The LibraryOnce upon a time there lived a librarian with great dreams of a new society. He lived in an evil kingdom full of monotonous drones that worked day and night protecting the kingdom's greatest treasure, its beautiful books. Everything in this society worked in perfect order- all its divisions in frightening mechanical precision and symmetry. The books were all kept in cold austere Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1111511354295692602005-03-22T11:59:00.000-05:002005-03-22T12:10:29.173-05:00SItting at my desk post-exam once again. I'm back from my 5 day conference in Washington DC and completely exhausted from the frantic studying of the last 48 hrs before this exam. i'm just glad it's done. Now my life moves on. As usual i left my conference with a renewed sense of purpose in medicine. Although I have to say that the highlight of my conference was meeting Linda Costanzo, author Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1110728380220696002005-03-13T10:39:00.000-05:002005-03-13T10:50:44.646-05:00DC is here and I had some old friends and some new ones come over to learn how to make sushi from an amateur :P Hope they got their time's worth. Here are some of our results though...all in all a great evening. We made sushi, listened to Arab, indian, japanese, and caribbean music. Everyone took a turn center stage to dance...hopefully i'll have the videos of these daring folk dancing up on Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1110655059536802992005-03-12T14:17:00.000-05:002005-03-12T19:22:04.433-05:00Pics from Brazilian Carnaval. Guess I'm tired of text these days. Here are more photos :) THese are from the Brazilian carnaval a few weeks ago. Someone from the community posted them so i thought i'd share. Click HereAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1110483839363956352005-03-10T14:43:00.000-05:002005-03-10T14:43:59.363-05:00Photo Slideshow from Texas...Finally got it loaded up :)Click HereAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1110233531539590852005-03-07T17:12:00.000-05:002005-03-07T17:12:11.540-05:00At Sultan in San Antonio. Old habits die hard....;) Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1109960015489825332005-03-04T13:13:00.000-05:002005-03-04T13:13:35.490-05:00Sarah and Abi at the Riverwalk. San Antonio, Tx Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1109453439475673372005-02-26T16:30:00.000-05:002005-02-26T16:50:45.330-05:00Diana and me post-carnaval Had a lovely evening last night at Club Moda. Perfect post-exam event. Music, dancing, colorful costumes, a live band, and some good friends. I attended a Brazilian Carnaval in downtown Cleveland. It was AWESOME! The place was packed, we have some great performances by a band called Pimenta Malagueta (type of hot pepper from brazil), capoeira performers, Batucada Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1108527388414992252005-02-15T23:12:00.000-05:002005-02-15T23:28:24.523-05:00THERE was a roaring in the wind all night; The rain came heavily and fell in floods; But now the sun is rising calm and bright; The birds are singing in the distant woods; Over his own sweet voice the Stock-dove broods; The Jay makes answer as the Magpie chatters; And all the air is filled with pleasant noise of waters. All things that love the sun are out of Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1108412420553125292005-02-14T15:19:00.000-05:002005-02-14T15:20:20.556-05:00From Class today: Nipples appear on Chest X-rays. Who knew? Guess you do learn something new everyday...Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1108242467773236492005-02-12T16:03:00.000-05:002005-02-12T16:09:50.626-05:00the sun is shining once again in the city of cleveland. I need to get out of here. 2 weeks and counting down the days to warm and sunny san antonio, Tx. Those cowpokes wont know what hit 'em when I arrive :P sitting at home, another busy weekend ahead. Never as productive as I'd like, but always suprisingly more productive than I expected. I'm off to see an indian movie tonight and afterwardsAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1107905381946555902005-02-08T18:12:00.000-05:002005-02-08T18:29:41.946-05:00Another wet and rainy day and another medical school exam squeaked by. Lately I've been trying to stabilize my life. Feel like one of those street performers on Venice Beach in Cali, juggling fruits, riding a unicycle, and trying to keep a smile on my face. I've been extremely fortunate in having many wonderful people support my juggling act. I haven't fallen yet. To all of you who've held meAbinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1107375412107813902005-02-02T15:16:00.000-05:002005-02-02T15:17:25.516-05:00Flat Bull of Seville. You know that life is still good when they still make toys like this Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1107065303458126052005-01-30T01:06:00.000-05:002005-02-02T15:19:33.003-05:00Early morning sunday....rolling on the carpet and laughing at this cookbook diary entry from a mock cookbook by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre....excerpt from Oct 10:
I find myself trying ever more radical interpretations of traditional dishes, in an effort to somehow express the void I feel so acutely. Today I tried this recipe:
Tuna Casserole
Ingredients: 1 large casserole dish
Place the Abinoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735511.post-1106495640461507902005-01-23T10:47:00.000-05:002005-01-23T10:54:00.460-05:00Much of my weekend was spent looking through old photo albums. Reminiscing good times and old friends. Sometimes I wonder if myth and superstition are right and that photos capture a part of you, and if so, do the people you learn to love and to laugh with capture a part of you too by creating memories with you. So what has happened to my soul? Has its parts been captured and taken across the Abinoreply@blogger.com0