Every small step/-

Funny how we sometimes expect things to change overnight and the next day - the sun rises as usual, we are our usual grumpy selves as we shuffle towards our morning coffee. Small steps.

What I've done this week so far:

Supervise a knee aspiration on a patient with septic arthritis.
Realise that I need to make more effort to chase patients up after they've been discharged under my care - just to see if I'm doing the right things.
Done a load of discharge summaries - felt good at the time but the cupboard will soon be full again.
Took my first look at the hospitals on offer in Melbourne.
Reminded that before resisting, I need to submit (James 4:7).
Bored out of my head prepping for Part 2 - though I do feel it IS making me more confident clinically.
Intermittently spending time on Battlefield Heroes - lvl 26 never seemed so far off before.
Spent an hour reading through the Junior Doctor's blog - and laughing about people mouthing off in the comments section (seriously Jon, get a life!)
First long distance landline call to Squeaks, wish Skype would work better.
KFC for lunch! Seriously tempted to eat the other 2 pieces (got a repeat order for free off a coupon) but decided not to have too much of a good thing.

Btw, if anyone is up for 15 mins to spare, have a gander at The Lost Thing. The trailer looks pretty good, and it won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the Oscars just gone.




Also, Bethany Dillon rocks.

A cOg in a well oiled machine

When the music starts playing and the playing field is silenced
Drum beats and the scrunch of newly mown grass underfeet
Palms slightly wet from equal halves nervous perspiration and acute anticipation
Gripping icy cold microphones waiting for the solo sequence


Eyes traversing passages of music, breathing in time echoing to either side
Raw numb fingers on steel strings, pick trembling ever so slightly
Blinding lights reminding us we're on display
An undertone beyond that swells and ebbs, a sign of the crowd awaiting

There have been moments when we skim effortlessly (it seems) through the opening strains, when the guitar riff heralds an anticipatory applause, when dancers weave in and out in perfect timing to the music, when the drum solos herald a faultless march and the formation square stays tight through a full rotation, expanding out into a 6 pointed star, when we don't even notice we're gliding through the most difficult passages because it all feels so natural and in tune with each other, when the stage turns from a living room into a busy bar in a heartbeat and the video transitions go off without a audio/video hitch, stage helpers running through with no wasted effort, people at their markers on time and anticipating the key change, when the baton is caught after a 20ft high throw and the ribbons and flags cut through the air, biting and weaving at exactly the same moment, when the last lilting woodwind passage melts into a perfect decrescendo, when your entire body trembles from being emotionally caught up in the song/dance/performance; a frisson of excitement from being in the zone, when the audience is forgotten and perfection suddenly moves from the realm of impossibility to being tantalisingly within reach.

Was listening to the OST of Wicked - and it brought back memories of being in musicals and military band performances, of being a cog in a well-oiled machine.

Malaysia 2010 - good times

On the ferry to Penang

Oyster omelette Penang style

The family photo that nearly never happened

Kampung Baru

Kompiang!

Vincent and Maureen and Brayden!

With Wima in Ayer Tawar

Claypot rice in Penang

With Wen Jen, Suet San and Hang Sheng @ Old Town Kopitiam

On Penang Ferry

Am I a gamer? Part 1

While SOME PEOPLE may find it hard to believe I didn't go in for all night DOTA and wake up at 3pm the next day, I definitely dabbled in my fair share of games growing up. Here's some that I'm looking forward to this year (if I get time to play them that is):

Video Games | Deus Ex: Human Revolution | CG Director's Cut Trailer HD

Xbox 360 | PlayStation 3 | Nintendo Wii | PC Games

Video Games | Mass Effect 3 | VGA 10: Exclusive Debut Trailer HD

Xbox 360 | PlayStation 3 | Nintendo Wii | PC Games

Video Games | Diablo III | Debut Gameplay Trailer HD

Xbox 360 | PlayStation 3 | Nintendo Wii | PC Games

Business Class @ Emirates

A number of really cool things happened over the course of the past week but today's really all about me flying one step up from cattle class with Emirates.

To begin with, checking in was a breeze - though the red carpet felt a bit contrived - perhaps they think while you're paying a few hundred quid more for your tickets you're entitled to possibly have slightly more cushioning for your feet?

The Emirates lounge at KLIA was something I'd almost forgotten I could access - just in time for a nice snooze away from the rush of the airport as it WAS midnight at the time. Also a good chance to grab a shave (see? taking your advice already squeaks!).

But of course the moment I'd been waiting for was when i presented my boarding pass (though the lady did ask me whether I was sure I wasn't in Economy - probably didn't dress the part enough). The usual bustle faded away as I entered the private section of the plane normally reserved for the suited and the booted.

Having secured an aisle seat, I briefly wished i'D actually put on a coat just so I could've asked the stewardess to take it away and hang it up for me. Turning my attention to the seats - my first worry was that the TV screen was way too far away for comfortable viewing however it was substantially larger than what I'd been used to. And my were the seats roomy.

Essentially you got two personal reading lights, a central console for controlling your chair's various positions which could be saved for future use (meals, sleep etc), tv controls and privacy controls. This last one meant raising up a screen that separated you from the guy/girl sitting right next to you. I spent quite a bit of time getting used to the chair's controls - not being very deft with the fingers and puzzling out techy stuff but before too long, paraphernalia started arriving to keep me busy elsewhere.

The first thing I was given was a sock and eyepatch combo - I suppose just in case peopl needed a change of socks? Stuffing them into the pouch underneath the screen with the complimentary blanket (which I never use), I contemplated the second item they gave me - a travel bag complete with everything a sophisticated traveler could need down to Bvlgari eau de cologne. Another stewardess then appeared with the menu and a wine list - by this time I'D Kicked my shoes off and was preparing to enjoy myself thoroughly - helped by a glass of juice and bottles of mineral water they offered even before we'd taken off.

After I was handed a noise-cancelling headset and was done watching a couple of episodes of Friends, the snacks arrived - none of your usual peanuts with a plastic cup - these were sandwiches of capsicum, feta, tandoori chicken and salmon with a slice of chocolate topped sponge to help it all go down. I'd been puzzling about where the table was - needn't have worried as she basically reached into the center console and pulled ou a huge foldable table overlaid with polished wood. Over this she placed a white cloth and then proceeded to set the cutlery and meal down. Huge salted nuts did get served later (still not sure why nuts are such a big deal on airlines in general) which were a bit much at that point.

THat led nicely on to a snooze (the most horizontal snooze I've ever had in the air) from which I was awoken by the stewardess tapping lightly on my knee to ask ever so quietly if I'd like some breakfast. This whole process started again with the folding table, upon which a tray with yoghurt and a plate of fruit was placed. The stewardess then brought out a hot tray of rolls, from which we made our selections - while we were making our way through these, the main bits of the meal (these came not in plastic packaging but in proper plates) were served separately. Though I think the quality of the main meal itself was pretty similar to what we'd normally have in Economy - which isn't bad at all.

On preparing to disembark - the stewardess noticed I'd left the eyepatch/sock combo and the travel bag behind and pointed out they were mine to take away which was nice - we left the plane on a separate exit and basically entered Dubai on a walkway above the main central floor away from the duty-free crowd where we proceeded to the business lounge to await our transits.

I'd definitely do it again!

Happy New Year all

Going to bed now. Wish I was home!

It's here.

Happy Christmas everyone!



Growing up Pa used to play this all the time (think he still has the cassette!) - to this day it isn't really Christmas until I hear this playing somewhere.



A MYF classic - we used to sing this to death every year - still remember the first time I heard it though.

Often quoted 1

And we know that in all things
God works
for the good
of those who love him,
who have been
called according to his purpose.

God works - not by accident or left to the vagaries of fate nor left to chance

but

a force with purpose and a will stronger than steel behind it, directing and guiding every movement, each action carefully gauged and measured to have maximum impact in every life involved.

For every time I've taken this verse to mean God blessing my efforts/attempts at various projects, I've failed to realise that it's God who's been working and using me

Hence when things don't go how I expected them to, its less of God not coming through, but more of God changing my poor and often wayward efforts into something worthwhile in the end.

3rd post in a day - record!

My car is a transformer!


If anyone still wants to get me a Christmas present....

Snow In Southport

The heaviest snowfall here so far.

It was fun for all of 15 seconds as I realised there was no way my car was getting out of the parking lot that day.

A Narnia moment. Anyone want to watch this before it closes?

Things I'm looking forward to 3

Something else I remember about Christmas back home was carolling around the homes and hotels in Sitiawan with the church youth group. The run up to Christmas would be filled with morning practices - normally preceded by a coffeeshop breakfast as school holidays had begun. Bass, tenor, alto and soprano singers would be magically discovered within each batch of secondary school students, many of us not having any musical knowledge haphazardly separated by a pianist trying out our individual pitches.

Once slotted into our groups, we'd break up and learn the parts from indivisual songsheets with either a pianist or guitarist showing each group the melody. It was an exercise in memory as we'd learn the bassline, for example, down by heart and try to exorcise all memory of the actual melody of the song. An exercise that invariably broke down when all the groups regathered to try out the 4-part harmony together as the soprano singers (who always seemed to be the most numerous) ended up dragging everyone into their melody.

There were the staples from the Methodist Hymnal: Joy To The World, Silent Night (both of whom had their distinctive guitar intros that were reused year after year), We Wish You A Merry Christmas, which would invariably be sung repeatedly in an ever-faster tempo, O Come All Ye Faithful, Hark The Herald Angels Sing and Angels We Have Heard On High. On occasion, someone would produce new songs and arrangements, which after a year or two, became staples of their own.

While the practices were going on, the youth group committee would be gathering invitations from homes (mainly church members) to which we would then go on the nights of the 24th and 25th. On the nights themselves, we'd start off at Pastor's manse - always as a dry run where mistakes would be giggled at. After a final prayer, we'd split into 2 groups to cover more ground. And as the night went on, the singing became more and more boisterous as people grew more tired. The climax would normally occur at a house where both groups planned to meet up at - the singing would then increase exponentially in volume as both the musicians and singers doubled in volume and soloists found themselves dueting instead.

The real challenge of course, was waking up for Christmas morning service in church after a late night carol session on the 24th!

Things I'm looking forward to 2

If you played computer games from the 1990s to early 2000 and enjoyed classics like Baldur's Gate, Planescape Torment, Jagged Alliance and Duke Nukem, chances are you'll have heard of GOG.com. If not, here's a good reason to check them out!

Things I'm looking forward to 1

Happy pre-Christmas to anyone still reading this sorry collection of words and disjointed sentences!

My 4th Christmas in the UK and due to work am getting caught up in the swing of things a bit later than usual. The perpetual cold, tree branches sticking bare at all angles, moving shopfront displays (nope not actually IN southport!), christmas markets and carol songs blaring from every shop all add a festive mood to the air. The hospital wards with christmas trees are the good ones i think.

I do miss Christmas at home though, the staple of the season was the big Christmas dinner at the grandparents house where for one day of the year the big sitting-room tablecloth would be whisked away to reveal a dark polished wood surface. The kitchen would be occupied from early afternoon to dinnertime while the tabletop would be covered with large bouquets of flowers/fruits and the fancy dinner service would be placed next to wineglasses.

The family would gather at dinnertime and presents would be put on the sideboard. Uncles and aunts would bustle in and out of the kitchen bearing plates loaded with cuts of meat, pots of steaming gravy and bowls of peas and potatoes. The uncle in charge of the main bird for the night would be standingby the oven, forehead brimming with sweat, checking to see if the meat was cooked through.

And when everything was ready - the first course began - with everyone eating except the uncle in charge of the food who had to be continuously entreated to sit down and have a bite instead of running to and fro from the kitchen. Dessert usually consisted of christmas pudding set alight with all the lights off, after which the presents were exchanged - always the best part of the evening for us small fry.

And then followed a nice sit-down time with drinks where the cooks would be congratulated on their cooking, and various family members would put aside their differences and recall memories of childhood pranks and the doings of family members and friends long-gone.

And after that the food distribution which would last everyone at least till the new year..ahh Christmas at home.

New post.

My first day on call back in acute medicine - though I haven't killed anyone that I know about, its been slightly nerve-wrecking. And the next day I get my own ward round. After my last job in which >2 inpatients was considered more than the average, to sort out 12 patients for the weekend without team support meant that I left an hour late.

How random

Met a person on Battlefield Heroes going by the nick of Mabthera - lo and behold, a doctor from Hungary. Sparked off a conversation which took place while we weaved in and out of the ruins of Midnight Mayhem where everyone chatted about where they were from while complaining about the lag.

I've been playing this for a while on and off - still nice to interact with players like this rather than the usual noob-jeering and player taunting and crass language that normally goes on.

Song of the Week

Can't believe I havent posted this before - possibly my favourite orchestral piece of all time haha. I like how everything's broken down and comes back together at the end. Still remember listening to this just before I went for my music exams - was really nervous but by the end, just felt privileged to be in my own small way able to produce music and to call myself a musician.

To those who say I don't bathe for long enough.

So I was thinking in the shower:

So who among us is good, really? The long-quoted phrase 'no-one is perfect' - how many of us would challenge this? Granted, being 'good' is different to being 'perfect' - we may be considered 'good' despite making mistakes. But even so, what is the definition of 'good'?

Oxford Dictionary lists the definitions (as an adjective) thus:
1. To be desired and approved of.
2. Having the required qualities; of a high standard
3. Possessing or displaying moral values
4. Giving pleasure; enjoyable or satisfying
5. Attributive; being thorough
6. Valid
7. Used in conjunction with the name of God or related expression as an expression of extreme surprise or anger

We can discard 4,5,6,7 from this discussion.

1. To be desired and approved of - whose desires/approval are we talking about? Each individual has different desires/ppl they seek approval from - therefore what is good differs from person to person. And this is where influence of people, for good or bad, is able to change the fate of nations eg apartheid in Africa, the Dalits in India, Nazism in WW2, 9/11 etc.

2. Again, whose standards are these? We may say we 'aspire to high standards' yet to others, our standards may be woefully low. What is impressive to me on the tennis court, is peanuts to Roger Federer for example.

3. Moral values, ah. This is the crux. To go back to Oxford, moral is defined as:

a.concerned with principles of right and wrong behaviour.
b.holding or manifesting high principles for proper conduct.

This is contentious; on one hand, everyone's right or wrong code is different. Someone may agree with cheating to get ahead as long as no one's hurt however others feel this is wrong. However we do consider some things that definitely are bad. eg. rape/murder/incest/abuse. Surely there can be no question of that? So, surely if we do not perform these 'morally condemnable' actions, we must be good, or at least, good-er than people who DID perform these actions.

But then again, is there a scale of goodness? Where we are ranked 6 above Hitler who is probably a minus something? And who decides this scale? Santa Claus?


Where am I going with this?

I put it to you, that the term 'good' is something relative, not absolute. And that all of us who compare ourselves to others do so on an individual code of morality (that is, unless you are of a faith that says differently, in whatever way).

And so the conclusion is, none of us are really 'good' or 'bad'. The closest we can come to deciding that (without outside help) is by judging each other, rather pointlessly in fact when we think about it (but which we are really, really good at). For good people do bad things, and vice-versa, despite the labels we give each other.

And I also put it to you, that this often-quoted question 'Why do bad things happen to good people?' is thus rendered inaccurate.

As in, bad things happen, there's no denying that. But the people that they happen to, are neither good, nor bad. Indeed (if I may be allowed to use an expression from what I believe), we are all sinners in need of grace.

What do you think?

Weekend in Southport

One of the most relaxing weekends in Southport since we started here 2 months ago. Got up at the fashionable hour of 930am after which headed into town to get errands sorted. Tried out the HTC Wildfire at a Vodafone store. And then spent a nice few hours at Waterstones picking out books from a gift card (thanks MeiFoong!).

Which way to the sea?

Persuaded Jack to come out for a drive (he's been poorly the past week) and so we traipsed off to Formby beach. A nice walk over the dunes led us to a wide open beach with pretty fine sand and packed just nicely for running/horse-riding/frisbee.

The dunes were 'under construction' whatever that means.

Emo Jack

Walking out to the ship.

Southport sunset

No beach trip complete without creamy ice!

Then decided as we were so close to Liverpool (Formby is about halfway btw Liverpool-Southport) might as well pop over for dinner, so met up with CherHan and Victor for dinner and a tong sui supper. Ah, good times.

All possible because of this baby.

And this is home for the year!

Southport Musical Fireworks Championship 2010

An enthusiastic Woei Lin with an even more enthusiastic Sasha

I had no idea this was on until Woei Lin my ex-housemate asked me if I was getting tickets. Apparently held annually, it's between a few ?fireworks companies who spend untold sums on getting fireworks timed to music.

Yes it rained

The whole thing kicked off at about 7pm with a demonstration of different types of firework(?s) eg what a Catherine wheel did as opposed to a Roman candle or a tourbillion. Being a fan of Paddington Bear, E.Nesbit's The Treasure Seekers etc, (all of whom described particularly memorable firework segments) it was actually pretty interesting.

No my camera doesn't do night shots well.

The main event turned out to be better than expected, particularly the first performance which was themed around Britain's Got Talent. Favourite bits below.

Not my idea of fun.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

This gave me wet palms before the halfway mark.

What is the point of wearing hard hats if you're climbing that high?

Well that was worth waiting up for:-)

"I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills his purpose for me." Ps 57:2

Time to get crying, then.

Thank you Lord

For family and friends. Wish I'd brought my camera:-)

Song of The Week

Hall of Mirrors

Which is what my hospital accomodation should be called.

I've just realised that in my room alone there are 3 mirrors, 2 more full length ones in the hallway, one in the loo, and one more in the living room! I suppose Southport doctors have a reputation for being sharp dressers? Or just very vain in general?

Life of a CMT1 in Rheumatology 2

God I hate presentations.

Thanks for bringing me through this one though.

Southport 1

Southport Marine Lake

'Their portion is with the eternal'

Lord Street - where the fun happens

Visitors welcome:-)

Song of The Week

Life as a CMT1 in Rheumatology

Morning
A 40 minute drive to work along A and B roads with national speed limits. Weaving through roads where trees meet overhead and glimpses of farmland peek through the undergrowth, then bursting into sunshine with flat fields on either side. Over bridges with canal boats alongside, through little villages with mini roundabouts and small alleyways barely big enough for a car. Up a steep hill, past the pub at the top with a breathtaking view of the surrounding county spread out below, then a glorious rush down again letting the gears run free after the steep climb (am driving an automatic).

Another stunning trailer

Song of the Week

A random listen on Last.fm. Representative of what I like in the genre, first introduced to me by Nickelback.

Love watching people do what I can only dream of

The ultimate boys toy.

Wonder how many years of work would I need to be able to afford something like that.

Song of the Week

I do love a good cover!

Travel?

So, no holidays to Korea anytime soon then.

Song of the week

Considering the amount of random music I listen to nowadays, I'm going to put some of what I enjoy here - unfortunately its going to be mainly a mix of pop-rock, electronic and choir-based with a very light amount of jazz as that's what I tend to bend my ears to.



Sang this yesterday in church - with a set of sore lungs and throat, it was great nevertheless, which is one of the great things about singing in church/leading in church - voice quality is but a minor inconvenience and does not hinder in any way the whole business of worshipping.

Now, will I get to go to Brussels or not?

For the gamers

Saw this a few days ago - and decided to let anyone who reads this page into the secret!

If you're a gamer, or have a netbook and are wondering what to do in your spare time on the train/bus/plane, have a stab at this!

Offer ends in 2 more days!

And on a totally different topic - this one is for those who are disillusioned by Christians.

I've been here too long

Scene:
Sitting in the UK equivalent of a greasy spoon, minding my own business, that is to say, wolfing down a chicken fillet burger while chatting to Luke.

Dude from the table across us gets up and on his way out, puts his hand on Luke's bicycle as if to make off with it.

Sees me looking straight at him.

Grins sheepishly and says (in a Eastern European accent) "Of course, that's 'your' (emphasis with fingers) bicycle isn't it? It's definitely yours after you steal it."

Dude walks off.

I realise I'm wearing a hoody, with dark trousers that just might be mistaken for track bottoms and a pair of black shoes. If only I had a shiv sticking out, the picture would be complete.

While I think of something to write

Mass Effect 2. What a joy to play.

Video Games | Mass Effect 2 | Launch Trailer HD

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Video Games | Mass Effect 2 | Cinematic Trailer HD

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

So I've been offered a job

As a Core medical trainee for 2 years in Liverpool, essentially. That which seemed far off and distant has quite suddenly appeared at my doorstep and somehow, like I was saying to a friend, it seems as though I'm committing the next two years of my life away. This is probably the longest I've stayed in an area away from home. I mean, IMU was 3 years-ish, and Liverpool has been nearly 5 years now. And its somewhere which I still don't see myself settling down longterm in, quirky and familiar though it is. The question therefore being: where then? And the slightly unspoken question's semi-identical twin hangs in the air.

I really do not like

Electricians (however well-meaning) trampling in my room with bulky coats that look like they havent been washed in years, leaving clipboards and workboxes around which have been goodness knows where, then unscrewing sockets off the wall leaving dust everywhere sniffling rubbing their noses and then hands hands hands forgetting to take their shoes off after being told then stomping all over the house all after a A+E night when I just want to go to bed.

The price of living in the living room of the house-converted into a bedroom I guess. Man I'm whiny.

How some things never change.

It can mean a couple of things:

a comfort post about how some things are stable and unchanging, veritable rocks to cling on to while the sands of life continue shifting.

Or a whine post where unshakeable (as far as we can see) circumstances remain firmly in place, bad habits continue to grate, and the past looms out of the shadows at every turn.

Or maybe, its neither of the above.

Maybe some things don't change because thats the way they are meant to be. Forever.
And maybe that's alright.

Sorry just thinking aloud and decided to articulate.

So how's everyone doing?

Hi blog, long time no see!

Dinner last night - a nice change from venison sausages with pasta.

It's been a while.

Fresh out of a week of nights. Mass Effect 2. Book to review. Bliss.

Woken up at 0938 by A+E Consultant. Can I do a locum shift tonight as colleague is sick. To sleepy to come up with a good excuse, and too me to say No.

Have loads to do but for some reason feel like trying a new eatery during the next couple of days off. Anyone reading this blog, and in Liverpool, let me know if you want to come with!

Random

Alma - is an excellent short on Vimeo! I want to watch a movie by the people who made this!

Also found The Meatrix quite well made.

Quickie

Interrupting the work to say:

There are 11,000 free eBooks up for download at The Book Depository, so have a look and pick up those you like, or those you haven't heard of before!

A+E, contrary to my facebook, isn't that bad. So far..

It's Been Ages

and I've not got much to say:-)

Suffice to say I've been on a busy set of nights, am girding up my loins (still no idea why and how that phrase came into use) for MRCP Part 1 (wish me luck, and more importantly , keep me in prayer!), planning for my trip back home and Down South, all the while wondering what God's plans are for the next few months, especially after June next year.

I suppose the only other thing is that XBox with Jack and Woei Lin has brought back fond memories of playing on the Amiga when I was in primary school. Back then my cousin would come over every so often on a weekend (he's a medic now as well...whats the world coming to) and we'd take turns playing the games my far-sighted dad bought (presumably for our entertainment since he never played himself) - Double Dragon was one game I remember playing together with him.

Not much has changed, except the graphics haha! Gears of War 2 looks brilliant on our new 32 inch TV, another perk we allowed ourselves this year as 2nd year doctors:-)

Am loving most of the songs on Imogen Heap's new album!

Up is definitely the BEST Pixar film ever to date, eclipsing Wall-E any day.

Better pop to bed, music practice tmrw morning for Sunday. And then a baby dedication after that. Everyone seems to either be getting married or having baies nowadays:-)

The Lost Generation

Liverpool Food Festival

Well its actually mainly about my comeback to the baking scene, after years (literally!) of failed trifles, bread-and-butter pudding and crumbles, I finally managed to bake something that people finished eating! hooray for me!

They say the proof of the pudding is in the eating...well, I'm just happy it looked like how a cake should look.
It was chocolate fudge cake (apparently), the original recipe is taken wholesale from my cousin's blog, somewhere I go to to dream about good eating now and again.

Also had a pretty good dinner at 60 Hope Street, somewhere I'd never be able to afford normally as mains go for about mid-20's, however as this week was the Liverpool Food Festival, they had a pretty good deal going on their website (its running till the 26th of Sept so any Liverpudlians want in, head to their site!)


3 courses for GBP18.95 plus a bottle of Rose for 2, sounded like a pretty fair deal, so 5 of us went to try it out. Esther and her sister, Naomi are good foodie people, and Asyikin (an M202!) and Frank made up the party.

Spent a good while discussing what these berries were, and found that the staff didn't know either!

I think my order of starter (Cumbrian ham tart), mains (fillet of Goosnargh chicken) and sweet (Ms Kirkham's cheese with beetroot cake) was probably the weakest of the combinations available - Esther's hake main dish, with Asykin's smoked salmon starter and the mousse dessert were pretty strong options. Even so, the meal was probably one of the best I've had out in Liverpool in terms of English dining. Can't remember much about the wine except that it was Spanish, and there was a lot of it - slept well that night!


Then come Sunday, it was the end of the Food Festival, culminating in a Farmer's Market all along Hope Street. Something like a pasar malam back home, a farmer's market is how UK farmers have a chance to sell directly to the customer, thereby cutting out the middle man and resulting in a higher profit margin.

Looking pretty bare in the morning before it gets crowded later.

I'd planned to meet up with Esther and her cronies from church so heading there after Sunday Service, I found myself confronted with the above scene. Felt hungry so settled for a roll with Gloucester Old Spot hog roast with the stuffing and apple sauce at the shop below.

Let's just say I wasn't blown away. However things looked up as I'd heard there was going to be free performances by the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra with their resident conductor in charge. Ducking into the Philharmonic, I managed to steal a seat in a box after convincing an elderly couple, that no, I wasn't going to to shout or take tons of photos midway through the performance:-)

Beethoven's 5th Symphony (according to Pa), Haydn's Symphony No. 100 and Beethoven's The Creatures of Prometheus ballet was my introduction to live orchestral music, and it was good.

Tried biltong, which I'd read about in King Solomon's Mines and always wondered what it'd taste like. In real life, its a strip of jerky-like meat studded with seeds (fennel?) and is really really difficult to bite through. According to Esther (who should know since she spent part of her life in Africa), they're meant to be chewed and chewed and chewed. Not exactly sharing material:-)

Total haul for the day: clockwise from top left-

Smoked kippers, which I'm assured will taste absolutely brilliant boiled in their bags and then dropped on top of white bread.

Cain's Raisin Beer, which as a flavoured beer, I don't get to try too often.

A French artisanal loaf, which apparently uses French flour (I obviously have no clue) and therefore is tastier.

Some sweetcorn lobbed into my bag by Esther.

A pot of homemade damson jam - was looking for quince jelly but no one stocked it.

A chocolate tarte and a slice of chocolate ganache cake.

Two venison tarts with orange and juniper toppings.

YUM!

Part 4

Three weeks after the wind ceased to blow, the sea lion had a dream.

Now, as I told you before, there were other nights in which he had dreamed of the sea. But those were long ago and nearly forgotten. Even still, the ocean that filled his dreams this night was so beautiful and clear, so vast and deep, it was as if he were seeing it for the very first time.

The sunlight glittered on its surface, and as he dived, the waters all around him shone like an emerald. If he swam quite deep, it turned to jade, cool and dark and mysterious. But he was never frightened, not at all. For I must tell you that in all his dreams of the sea, he had never before found himself in the company of other sea lions. This night there were many, round about him, diving and turning, spinning and twirling. They were playing.

Oh, how he hated to wake from that wonderful dream. The tears running down his face were the first wet thing he had felt in three weeks. But he did not pause even to wipe them away, he did not pause, in fact, for anything at all. He set his face to the east, and he began to walk as best a sea lion can.

"Where are you going?" asked the tortoise.

"I am going to find the sea."

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Part 3

It was in May that the winds began to blow.

The sea lion had grown used to wind, and at first he did not pay much heed at all. Years of desert life had taught him to turn his back in the direction from which the wind came and cover his eyes with his flippers, so that the dust would not get in. Eventually, the winds would always pass.

But not this time.

Day and night it came, howling across the barren lands. There was nothing to stop its fury, nothing to even slow it down. For forty days and forty nights the wind blew. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped. The sea lion lifted himself to have a look around. He could hardly believe his eyes.

Every single leaf had been stripped from his tree. The branches that remained, with only a twig or two upon them, looked like an old scarecrow. And I do not need to tell you that there was no longer any shade in which to hide. But worse than this, much worse indeed, was what the sea lion saw next.

The water hole was completely dry.

Sound familiar..Part 2

The sea lion was not entirely alone in those parts. For it was there he met the tortoise.

Now this tortoise was an ancient creature, so weathered by his life in the barren lands that at first, the sea lion mistook him for a rock. He told the tortoise of his plight, hoping that this wise one might be able to help him.

"Perhaps," the tortoise mused, " this is the sea."

His eyes appeared to be shut against the bright sun, but he was watching the sea lion very closely.

The sea lion swept his flippers once against his side, gliding to the end of the water hole and back. "I don't know," he said. "It isn't very deep."

"Isn't it?"

"Somehow, I thought the sea would be broader, deeper. At least, I hoped so."

"You must learn to be happy here," the tortoise told him one day. "For it is unlikely you shall ever find this sea of yours." Deep in his old and shriveled heart, the tortoise envied the sea lion and his sea.

"But I belong to the sea. We are made for each other."

"Perhaps. But you have been gone so long now, the sea has probably forgotten you."

This tought had never occurred to the sea lion. But it was true, he had been gone for a long, long time. "If this is not my home, how can I ever feel at home here?" the sea lion asked.

"You will, in time." The tortoise appeared to be squinting, his eyes a thin slit. "I have seen the sea, and it is no better than what you have found here."

"You have seen the sea!"

"Yes. Come closer," whispered the tortoise, "and I will tell you a secret. I am not a tortoise. I am a sea turtle. But I left the sea of my own accord, many years ago, in search of better things. If you stay with me, I will tell you stories of my adventures."

The stories of the ancient tortoise were enchanting and soon cast their spell upon the sea lion. As weeks passed into months, his memory of the sea faded. "The desert," whispered the tortoise, "is all that is, or was, or ever will be."

When the sun grew firece and burned his skin, the sea lion would hide in the shade of the tree, listening to the tales woven by the tortoise. When the dry winds cracked his flippers and filled his eyes with dust, the sea lion would retreat to the water hole. And so the sea lion remained, living his days between the water hole and tree.

The sea no longer filled his dreams.

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Credits go to...erm...John Eldredge, I think, as I first read this in a book he wrote.

Once upon a time there lived a sea lion who had lost the sea.

He lived in a country known as the barren lands. High on a plateau far from any coast, it was a place so dry and dusty that it could only be called a desert. A king od coarse grass grew in patches here and there, and a few trees were scaterred across the horizon. But mostly, it was dust. And sometimes wind, which together make one very thirsty.

Of course, it must seem strange to you that such a beautiful creature should wind up in a desert at all. He was, mind you, a sea lion. But things like this do happen.

How the sea lion came to the barren lands, no one could remember. It all seemed very long ago. So long, in fact, it appeared as though he had always been there. Not that he belonged in such an arid place. How could that be? He was, after all, a sea lion. But as you know, once you have lived so long in a certain spot, no matter how odd, you come to think of it as home.

** **

There was a time, many years back, when the sea lion knew he was lost.

In those days, he would stop every traveler he met to see if he might help him find his way back to the sea. But no one seemed to know the way.

On he searched, but never finding.

After years without success, the sea lion took refuge beneath a solitary tree beside a very small water hole. The tree provided refuge from the burning rays of the sun, which was very fierce in that place. And the water hole, though small and muddy, was wet, in its own way. Here he settled down and got on as best he could.

** **

Had you journeyed in those days through the barren lands, you might have seen the sea lion for yourself. Quite often in the evening, he would go and sit upon his favourite rock, a very large boulder, which lifted him off the burning sand and allowed him a view of the entire country.

There he would remain for hours into the night, silhouetted against the sky. And on the best nights, when the wind shifted to the east, a faint smell of salt air would come to him on the breeze. Then he would close his eyes and imagine himself once more at the sea. When he lay himself down to sleep, he would dream of a vast, deep ocean. Twisting and turning, diving and twirling, he would swim and swim and swim. When he woke, he thought he heard the sound of breakers.

The sea was calling to him.

** **

The sea lion loved his rock, and he even loved waiting night after night for the sea breezes that might come. Especially he loved the dreams those memories would stir. But as you well know, even the best of dreams cannot go on, and in the morning when the sea lion woke, he was still in the barren lands. Sometimes he would close his eyes and try to fall back asleep. It never seemed to work, for the sun was always very bright.

Eventually it became too much for him to bear. He began to visit his rock only on occasion.

"I have too much to do," he told himself. "I cannot waste my time just idling about." He really did not have so much to do. The truth of it was, waking so far from home was such a disappointment, he did not want to have those wonderful dreams anymore.

The day finally came when he stopped going to his rock altogether, and he no longer lifted his nose to the wind when the sea breezes blew.

** **

And so,

I've acquired the reputation of being a Celine Dion fanatic, simply because I was caught listening to her rendering of Beauty and the Beast on Youtube in the doctor's room after going to watch the musical in question.

The musical, performed at the Empire Theatre was better than I'd hoped for - I was actually quite excited about going to watch it (more so than I should have been, according to the prevaling opinion amongst the infectious diseases team).

The original 1994 movie being the first movie I've ever watched in cinema, kind of brought back memories...which were quickly dispelled at the start, with Belle's voice being a bit too squeaky (I thought).

Gaston, Lumeire and Cogsworth carried the show at the start, and by the time the iconic ballroom scene rolled around, we were all enjoying ourselves.

F I N A L L Y !

I've never felt so nervous just before an hour's drive before. At least, not since my first 2 attempts at this British driving test which have left me frustrated both with myself and with how candidates are graded.

So the sense of relief upon hearing the words, "I'm pleased to tell you that you've passed" was almost palpable.

Now, which car to get? Suggestions?

And Sarah, you're right - this is super funny - for all generations of IMU students!!

Star Wars Awesomness

This is, as they say, better than Episodes 1-3 put together.

For a muc much better version, watch it here.

Until I find time to blog seriously again..

Where I find rest

Turning out to be a good week, despite not going anywhere exotic for my last annual leave of this year.

Transformers 2 which I watched a couple of weeks ago, was good. One long adrenaline rush after another made for a very tired group of us who stumbled out 2 hours later that Sunday afternoon. The next week we confessed how we kept imagining how everything around us would start transforming - wonder if it had that effect on anyone else?

A load of books are keeping me occupied for now -

Alexandre Dumas's Three Musketeers is one that I've read in abridged form when very young, Little Women is a heartwarming story about 4 sisters growing up, very much in the vein of Anne of Green Gables.

More to the present, The Boy In Striped Pajamas is surprisingly cute to read - its told from the viewpoint of Bruno a nine year old boy who is sent to 'Out-With' and who befriends a boy 'in striped pajamas' on 'the other side of the fence'.

The Corner - A Year In The Life Of An Inner-City Neighbourhood looks interesting on the outside, I'm hoping for an eye-opener here. And finally a couple of books from the WesleyOwen sales, which I'll write about when I've actually gotten down to reading them.

Oh, and a travelbook, namely Stephen Fry in America, which I spent most of my afternoon in the park reading today, also made into a BBC series which I'm waiting to watch.

Work? What work?