Continental apple cake

*Procrastinating mode* Good news people! I feel really blessed and grateful to be given a longer than expected extension time for my assignment 3. Now the due date is 1st July instead of 10th June even though I only asked for a week extension. What's next? Since I can't do anything about my assignment till my patient comes back, I feel really slack given that today is supposed to be doing-work-day as the submission for my next documents is due on 15th July (My king's birthday!). I need to do 3 months of my monthly diary and fill in 3 months worth of prescription intervention and primary heath care evidence forms as well as April to June's achievement goal sheets. I enjoy writing the diary but definitely not filling in the forms. GAGAAGAA. The only thing I have done  is the compounding sheet with 5 compounds for 3 months. One thing out of the way already. Intern CPD Record sheet..hmm..I don't really like to fill in that one.

On top of that, I have piles of homework given by my preceptor but I don't want to do them yet. Okie, I will TRY to do some later if I am in the mood. I feel very lazy to go to the gym later but I know I need to =( Why am I forcing myself to do this? I wish that I can cancel my one year membership now in order to join zumba class instead! I just found out about zumba yesterday. However, it clashes with the time for body pump class at the gym. Since I have paid for it, i better make good use of it to build some muscles. HOHOHO

Anyway, today's blog will be about my continental apple cake from Edmond's cookery book. 2 days ago at about 10.30pm, I was looking at my friend's photos and I saw EGG TARTS which made me wanna bake so desperately. Since I have all the ingredients for an apple cake, I started slicing apples and cast some magic on it to become an apple cake! =)

 Nah, this is not the apple cake I am talking about. It is clearly brussel sprouts which I cook with some shrimps and chicken. I dislike peeling the leaves 

Okiedokes! here you go for some apple apple apple . . . 

 yeah, 250g of butter *fat*

Sprinkle some cinnamon powder and real vanilla essence on the apples!

 The dough - 4 eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, custard powder

In the oven . . . ~45mins later 

tadaaaa! 

 If only I have whipped cream to cover this ;P I am never good with presentation

Sorry for the mess. I was hungry so cut a small slice for myself ;D

*Feeling sleepy now*

-The End- 

Good and bad news in May

Have you ever heard of this sentence --> "Do you want me to break the good or bad news first?" I have both good and bad ones to share with my readers.

Good news is the date 23 May 2011 (Monday) has changed my life for the better. On this day, it was a critical night which had two different doors leading me to two different extreme paths. I just followed by instict aka gut feeling. Of course, I hope I have chosen the right entrance to the path of light. I am not saying darkness is on the other side of the door though. It just simply means that I could have missed this golden opportunity to  . . . *use your imagination*

Bad news is my perfectly planned assignment is ruined. Why? My patient is overseas currently! what's worse? Deadline is 10th June and I have no idea when she is coming back. Strange enough, I am not stressed but just a bit worried. Thank you God for this calmness inside me.

I believe that everything is planned perfectly for me whether it is good or bad. God, I put everything in your wonderful and miraculous hands. Whatever the result is going to be good or bad, I still glorify this in Your Almighty Name. Amen.

I found some recent photos on my desktop which I am going to upload here. Only 3 days to go before I get 10 gigs for internet again! Then, I can start downloading Glee again - last 2 episodes! *Weeeee*

Enough about all the news and let me take you through to a series of events that happened this month. I gotta admit that May is not a good month for me but it was on 23rd. =)

First, see the patch on the sole of my foot? That is called happyfeet sold in our pharmacy. Being a girl with high curiosity, I just wanted to try. All that I needed to do is stick it on and leave it overnight. If the sachet turns black, it means that detox is a success. I don't know how true this is as the content of the sachet itself is black in colour which I assume would have turned black when come in contact with moisture in an enclosed space. I did take photo of it the next day. It was black and gooey. Trust me, you would not want to see this and ruin your appetite! High curiosity kills the cat aye? This thing smells! My whole room stink and I had to wash all my bed sheet, blanket and duvet cover.

Again, out of curiosity, I  tried Ensure, Nutrini, Fortisip and Diasip. They are basically special food for those who can't take solid food or for those underweight. The best one I would say is Fortisip.

 All Vanilla flavour.

Two weeks ago, it was one of my colleagues' birthday so she made all these. I love the way she presents her food. I wish that my presentation will be as good as hers one day

Another night in the pharmacy. I call this cabbage flower! Unfortunately, it's not mine but I was given the chance to take photo with this. Heee

 Will people use this bouquet of flowers for wedding? Haa! I think maybe those into green might use vegetables. A mixture of colourful veges. Say, it might turn out pretty. Just weird

 I have been eye-ing on this Mucinex monster for 2 days. Finally I could get hold and snap a photo of it. Mucinex is a new drug that is brought into the pharmaceutical market not long ago. The one that is sold in our pharmacy is Mucinex with guaifenesin 600mg in it. It is the only expectorant comes in tablet form and the good thing is it lasts 12 hours! I never try it myself. One day perhaps. . . 

 My flatmate is so pretty even at work =)

I am very lazy to put on make up even when it is just eye liner. Am glad that my contract does not have anything like "wear makeup and high heels to work" I find it such a hassle to remove the black eyeliners after work and hate it even more when they smudge. Hence, a plain face of me is what you will see unless I am in the mood for some magical day :P

The photo above marked the day Phoebe got her full licence! Yeah! This happy event definitely calls for a celebration! a' Deco is a restaurant across the road from our pharmacy. We have always wanted to try the food there as it is an award-winning restaurant. However, we should have worn something nicer to this classy restaurant. *paiseh*

 I think you guys know what I ordered 

 Errrgh working uniform. Oh, I lost my name badge! *clumsy*

 Complimentary from the restaurant

 Answer to any of you who has a hard time figuring out the food that I ordered

 This is definitely not from the restaurant. Haha! I felt very unhealthy so whipped up some green and a bit of meat of course for my dinner the following day

Last week, we went to Asahi, a Japanese restaurant in town after a conversation about Japanese food - sushi, udon, donburi etc in the pharmacy. I intended to get subway on that day but because of the trigger for Japanese food, we just changed our mind about subway and had Jap instead.

Fried Udon with . . . see photo below

My beef donburi (I was craving for flavourful stuff at that time)

There are still a few restaurants that I want to try. In this case, how on earth will I be able to lose weight?

-The End-

ASSIGNMENT 3

So, what has been the highlight of my life lately? Fun? Enjoyable? Excitement? Hell no! It has always been assignment assignment and again assignment since the middle of last month. It is not that I do them 24/7 everyday but only touch it when I feel like it during my off days. This is the biggest tasks amongst 4 that we have in our evolve intern manual folder. Due date for this is 10th June. Ga gaa gaaa . . . My life is not as miserable as it sounds but there are more of other stuffs that I need to deal with and this assignment is like a "STOP" sign

Okay, allow me to introduce you my "best friend" of the month! - Miss assignment 3!! *clap clap*

It incorporates Medicine Use Review (MUR) in it. Apart from a patient's medication, we have to look at his medical conditions, lifestyle, how he manages his medicines etc. It is a holistic  approach where we look at every relevant details of his life in order to improve his quality of life and hoping that he gets the most benefit out of his medication regime. Having said that, there's a number of processes that we need to go through for this "biggie"

Firstly, finding a suitable patient. I spent about 4-5 days looking for one. Sounds quite serious, isn't it? No kidding. Since I am interested in cardiology, I particularly look for one with heart condition so thought it might be easier for me. Okay, the one I have chosen only have 4 medications with 2 medical conditions according to her medication history on our file in the pharmacy and her compliance is good as well. Most importantly, she's an elderly. Yeah! I love talking to old people! I find them really cute and need extra care than other groups of the population! Hee. Nah, she's not that old.

One thing funny about myself. When I see an elderly in the pharmacy, I enjoy serving them! Don't misunderstand me, it is my pleasure to offer the best service I can in terms of pharmacy-related materials to everyone! Being emphatic and understanding with great attitude are 3 of the important qualities that a health care professional must possess if you genuinely want to help your client in the health sector. Yes! everything MUST be patient-focused as we are offering service to them. Anything that goes wrong, even if it is by accident, could put one's life at risk of danger. 

Opps..back to my assignment. Yeah, as I have mentioned, I found my patient! It was really daunting at first as every time I just picked up the phone and after pressing the first 4 number, I would just hang up. Please give me some propranolol. At last, I built up the courage to call her. I was so afraid she would say no but luck was on my side. So yeah! I was like... Sweet as! Could start the ball rolling now! *excited*

She was so lovely and bubbly that I chatted with her for almost an hour when I first visited her and that's the time I just wanted to pass her the consent form. In my mind and heart, I felt blessed to have her as my patient.

After collecting the consent form from her on another day, I was supposed to get all her medical notes and lab results from her GP but in the end, I did that after my interview with my patient, A. The interview was conducted at her house which gave me a general idea of her lifestyle. For example, as I went up the stairs, the wall was full of old photos including a family tree. As I have guessed it correctly, she is a person who cherishes cultural, personal and family values. She told me a lot of things about her ups and downs which I felt empathy for the latter. The supposedly 1.5 to 2 hours interview became 4 hours! I love her sense of humour and optimism. The best part was she and her husband were such a lovely couple just like the newly weds! *touched and melted away*

Now come the hard part. During the interview, I identified a few problems and concerns she had. Therefore, my so-called "simple" case become rather complicated. I spent days doing research for her medications and recommendation. It sounded fairly easy but trust me, it's not. There are a lot of pages that I need to fill in and it feels like writing essay instead of just "fill in the blank" When there's renal problem,even if it is mild, it makes my review harder. However, I reckon even if the prescribing guideline does not agree with the the medications that were prescribed for my patient , I still strongly believe that the doctor has her own reason which is beyond my professional scope of practice, no matter how much research I have done.

---I am only up till this part at the moment ---

Next, meeting up with preceptor to discuss about my work. Only when she agrees, I could proceed with my second and last interview - to explain and provide adequate information for A including lifestyle recommendation. Since she has poor eyesight due to a genetic condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa which I found out during the interview and medical note later on, I make sure that the prints in the information leaflet that I made for her are all big enough to allow her to read easily. 

Final parts - a total of 5 "essays" to write - 3 self-reflections, letter to GP about my recommendation (Arghhhh) and a short composition about the reason for choosing A.  Arghh I don't like English! It is so hard to express in words especially in self-reflection.

There are 3 assessors - my preceptor, my patient and the staff who mark my paper at Evolve in Wellington. I must finalise this assignment at least 3 days before the due date to make sure that it reaches the organisation before the due date. I just wish that I don't need to resubmit =( Anyhow, . . .

GOOD LUCK to all the interns 2011! 

Let me take you through to see the mess I have created while doing this  . . . 

Even my bed seems like a tornado just passes through here

 On the floor now . . . 

Arghh.. I could not stand the mess any longer so I tidied everything up. Oh yes, I particularly like cleaning and tidying up everything in my room when I have to do assignments. You would also realise that I blog more during this time which explains the numerous amount of posts that I wrote back in university

I still prefer my colourful bedsheet

 Look better now. 

Okidokes, I am going to watch anime now - Conan! If only I don't need to go to work tomorrow. The only thing that I look forward to is church on Sunday. 

-The End-

Truth sets us free and lie sets us bound

Still - Hillsong

Hide me now
Under Your wings
Cover me
Within Your mighty hand

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm
Father you are King over the flood
I will be still and know You are God
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/h/hillsong_united/still.html ]
Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know His power
In quietness and trust

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm
Father You are king over the flood
I will be still and know You are God

While writing this, I play this song again and again . . .

Feel so much better after playing the piano on my keyboard. LOL!

Leave a big gap for you to contemplate after listening to the song :)

Sometimes, I feel frustrated with things that are happening around me. I feel that I couldn't breathe at times. I feel that the earth is going to crash down on me. This month is definitely not a good one for me.
Sunday is a day I used to love a lot but not anymore due to certain reasons. The only thing I am looking forward to on that day is church. Jesus is my strength to move forward. He is my everything. Without Him, I am really nothing but a small piece of worthless dust. However, he has molded this using His own hands into His unique, beautiful and wonderful creation. All of us are wonderfully made by God.
I believe that He has a plan for me - a GREAT plan.
I used to feel very empty inside but not anymore because I have Him in my heart. He is the main reason that keeps me going in my life.
Even though I kept on putting on smiles on my face, deep down inside I have lots and lots of things that I keep. Actually, I am a very deep thinker. I can't not just think about the present. I think about the future too. Nevertheless, I want to live my life to the fullest at present. I want to use my whole life to serve God. I already sort of know my purpose in life - to help others. Giving is a form of happiness.

On a side note, I love old people to the core. Not those grumpy ones! When I see them in the pharmacy, on the street or across the road, my heart melts. When I saw my grandma's photo on facebook recently, I shed tears seeing her grey hairs and wrinkles. She is old now and I really miss her! *oppsie tears are slowly flowing over my cheeks now. I am such a cry baby! Sometimes, I wish that I don't cry easily. Despite this, I consider myself quite strong so do not be deceived by my tears* Only one person in my circle of friends always manage to spot myself crying silently in my room. Actually, I reckon crying is good because after a mountain of problems, I feel lots better when I just let it out through tears.

When I used to tell my friend that I think I was depressed, he din believe me. Well, I self diagnosed myself. My root of so-called depression is for having low self-confidence. This is because no matter what I do, I never get the things that I want or desire. I reckon no one could tell from my outer self. When I say something, sometimes it means something else. meaning hidden under a word. I always just have to let stuff go even though I don't want to. I always think the best for others but not for myself. Don't get me wrong here. I do love myself.

Yesterday, a pharmacist told me that I am on the right track as in I am doing a good job in the world of pharmacy. I said noo and blahblah blah..she just said "yun, shut up..you will be" Another said to me that I think like a pharmacist . . . whereas another colleague said he can see me being a successful pharmacist. . . My preceptor really groom me well but I am very afraid I might disappoint all of them. Please don't put your hopes too high. I still feel very incompetent. I really wish that I am a pharmacist now and don't need to go through this intern year. I don't mind if there's no need for exam to get my registration at the end of the year. I feel this is really unfair cos' everything is based on that mere one hour. All your efforts and performance in the pharmacy throughout the whole year doesn't count. This is just silly.

Back to what I started off just now . . . I certainly cherish my life more now because of God. The reason I am writing this is the powerful message that was delivered across by a pastor at church last Sunday - "Truth sets us free and Lie sets us bound"

The truth is I am very complicated and the lie is I am simple =) Simple on the outside but complicated on the inside =) 

Lie #1 - Winning is everything. You will become slave to winning by just doing anything you want to get to the top especially dirty methods! If you want to win, you need to place yourself at the last position before gaining victory. Life is about what you can give to others in this world, how you can give someone to flourish the place, how you can provide unconditional love. Do not become a slave to sin of selfishness.

Lie #2 - Money will bring you happiness. Be generous always especially in tithe. It is easier to let it go rather than keep on thinking about money which makes you become a slave to money. Money makes us bound! you caer too much and forgot the purpose of God. Happiness = internal ; not external. Internal = joy+ fulfillment + peace. Nothing external can make you happy including money.

Lie #3 - Revenge is sweet - WRONG cos' holding grudge just damages our mental health, spiritual health and the others don't even know it. We want redemption in life so need to forgive others then God will forgive you in return. Only forgiveness can set us free.

Jesus has paid a very high price to set us free - his life. We are his children, adopted into His family and not a slave for anything.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made by God. We are his masterpiece. Do not believe that your life has nothing.

Love always,
yun

Easter break in Auckland

My last day in Hamilton and first day in Auckland. This morning at around 11-ish, we went to Auckland!! YOOHOOO!!!! I just couldn't wait to see the others! First stop is . . . 

 Last photo at Hamilton. Anyone wanna hire a maid? I am NOT cheap tho *giggle*

 Answer: Text Jo we almost reach her house! and see these two 正妹 taking photo with persimmon tree in front of Jo's flat

"Hello Raymond! WAKE UP! Let's go yumchar!"
And hence, we ended up yamchar-ing!!! *Raymond was sleeping when we called him ;P *

 A MUST TO ORDER! EGG TART!

 Juicy Xiao Long Bao! I want more pls!

 The empty seat is reserved for Miss Juang. . . Oh no! She's gonna point her middle finger at me again ;(

 Jeanne looks like 大姐大 or 格格 while Jo and I are the 奴婢..Heee

 Mr cookie monster . . . He does look like one aye... Heee

Very impressed that he followed us girls shopped for the whole afternoon! Bravo *clap*clap*clap*

 Look fun!

We had a potluck to attend at Northshore which was the first place in Auckland I passed by when I drive down from Whangarei. It started at 7 pm and we felt like resting so went to J's tea!

 Takoyaki! love it! High cholesterol tho...

 I was really exhausted

Okie! . . . . . . . we reached mr Khoo's residence!

 So so so good to see them again!

 Hey Hey! I asked you to take photo of us! Not u two! VAIN!!!

Got to make some new friends

 Arthur, u feel really proud and good about urself after winning Mr muscle man in arm wrestling aye?

 Food! Food! I liket he pan fried dumplings the most! yeahyeah! i really love dumplings!

 Don't u feel yourself in heaven?

 Forced Leo to take photo with us!

 Camwhores!

Okay Mafia Time!! We played Mafia 2 which is the version with vigilante and bad santa in it. I explained this in one of my posts before which I will provide a link once I found it.

 "I am NOT the mafia!!"

 Arthur! trying to lose that belly of yours? *joking!!*

 communicated with Sam thru skype!

 He is such a sweetie!

 Jeanne is truly an artist!

 Well, I can only write

 Weeee...

 At Sky City

Tell you what! parking is NZD$11.00 per hour! Si beh gui!

All in all, I really enjoyed my short easter hol!
-The End-