Pink Floyd Craze

All this time, in my 21 years of life, never had i been bothered to listen to the legendary Pink Floyd, until 4 weeks ago, when i got the whole Pink Floyd discography from Sachin.

I'm a fan i tell you, i'm a fan. A big one, in fact.

It's psychedelic rock. It hypnotizes you into another world so mysterious and strangely engaging you'd feel like the real world around you no longer exists. It brings a whole new level of eargasm.

Syd Barrett left the band after rocking out for only two years due to his deteriorating mental health, was replaced by David Gilmour who by the way, is oh-so-very-sexy, then and even now. Some people may say Syd Barrett was useless and insignificant, being in the band for only those few years in the late 60s, unlike David Gilmour who sustained the band for some 20-30 years after Syd left. But i personally think he's rather significant in Pink Floyd's legacy. Many greatest songs of Pink Floyd were actually written and composed for him, inspired by his fellow members. Syd Barrett is the essence to Pink Floyd's amazing songs.

Syd Barrett

Wish You Were Here. Shine On You Crazy Diamond. Echoes. Comfortably Numb. these are my favourites so  far. It takes forever to listen to all 253 songs, i need more time. lol.

David Gilmour. Too sexy.

This Pink Floyd craze i'm having now ain't going away, i'm sure.

Booooyaka!

Hello folks!

Firstly, let me briefly explain my disappearance since 3 weeks ago.


I had an arm injury from a mini accident which fractured my radius bone, so i had to wear a plaster and an arm sling for some time. So the right arm was on vacation for 3 weeks, hence the inability to blog.

Being a handicapped for 3 weeks was pretty fun though. Here's why :

1. I was exempted from doing any college work. Assignments, lab reports, lab experiments etc.
2. I could go to college empty-handed. (not just because one hand was useless.)
3. I could walk around in practical labs like i own 'em, doing nothing. and not get scolded.
4. I could just stare blankly into professor's face and zone out during lectures cause i didn't have to take notes.
5. I got free meals almost everyday. Yasmin and Hanisah were my top chefs.
6. I got free milk supply from Lutfi. 
7. No work, No studies. So it was vacation for not just my arm, but also my brain.

Now that the cast is off, i've got to get back to work and studies. Sigh. Another part of me is telling me to keep the arm sling on so that i could just bunk classes and internals, you know...just like in first year, except that i WAS really sick in first year. Chicken pox baybeh, chicken pox. You have no idea how tempted i am to bunk first internals again this time. I would be settting a trend - "The First Internals Bunker". How cool is that?

But no, i shall be true to myself. Piles of work, records and studies to catch up on. YES I CAN DO IT.

On a side note, i'm pretty disappointed to have to cancel my Nepal trip with Ellie this coming December. Cause it clashes with internals. Goodbye Nepal. Goodbye Christmas. Goodbye New Year. Goodbye Cafe-hopping. Goodbye Good music. Goodbye Fresh cool breeze. Goodbye mountain people.

I hope i can make it to Nepal next year. Himalayan Blues Festival 2012 in Kathmandu! It'll be a hundred times more awesome than the one in Bangalore.

By the way, i'm now a Twitterer!
Follow me :D
http://twitter.com/#!/JuneMaye

Alright, till next time! i'm off!

okay can someone please slap me in the face and remind me that i'm a medical student.

bluesy night.

I've always loved the blues. It makes me feel good. It takes me to another world. It gives me eargasm.

I went to the Himalayan Blues Festival 2 nights ago, a Nepali music event where blues musicians from all over the world gather and play amazing blues music. It's a tour, and i happened to manage to catch one of the shows in Bangalore, which totally made one of the best days i had this year.

Good drinks with good music and good company. There was nothing more i could ask for. It was perfect.




Jimi Hocking Blues Machine from Australia. Izzy and Chris from USA. These were amongst the best items of the night. Words can't describe how mesmerized i was by their music, especially when it was an intimate show and i could get up close and personal with them. We even hung out and chatted after the show, and Jimi Hocking gave me a guitar pick with "Jimi Hocking" printed on it.

I don't really know what else to say, except that i'm incredibly grateful for these amazing musicians to have come to India to play music, for musically deprived people like me. lol. This event had given me total rejuvenation and a higher appreciation for finer music like blues. Totally worth it.

rockin out a little.

It’s been awhile!

a long while, actually.

Didn’t mean to leave the blog idle for that long but it just happened. The blogging drive just wouldn’t come. You’ve gotta be in the mood to blog, you know. You can’t do it just because. You can’t be obliged to do it. (although i’m partially obliged to do this now. Just partially. So that doesn’t really count.)

So 2 weeks ago, we had this charity rock concert, which turned out pretty damn amazing, i have to say. Kudos to the peeps who made it happen. A rock concert in Davangere? That’s hell of a great achievement.

My band, consisting of Sarah, Nazrin, Peka and me, put up a pretty good show i think, as a new introductory group no one had ever known or heard of. The band’s name is The Jacks, by the way. And just for clarification, which is very much needed, we are not calling ourselves jackasses SO DO NOT MAKE FUN OF THAT NAME cause there is a good solid reason why we came up with that name.

Being so different from one another, we were having a really really hard time coming up with a band name. As a matter of fact, we weren’t even keen on the idea of having a band name. I personally find it corny, like why can’t we just jam and play music without being labelled? But no, a band name was required cause it was a public event and we were supposed to be known as something.

We weren’t getting anywhere with the names cause everyone suggested totally different name styles until finally, i decided to search for something common in all of their suggestions. Peka mentioned “Dr.Jacks”, Nazrin casually said “Off to Jack’s” and “Jack Off”, and Sarah wanted “Jack and Friends”. So VOILA! THE JACKS.

Genius, right? Lmao.

Okay i shall stop talking about the band name cause it’s not even important, people don’t even care. I don’t think we’re even gonna stick to that name anyway.

Lets talk about how the concert went.

Moksh and Hammerhymns were just goooooooood. Well, they are, after all, senior bands. The stuffs that they play may be a little too heavy for me but heck, at least i could tell that they are really skillful and experienced. So yes, appreciation’s there. And gotta be glad they invited us to perform.

So The Jacks (okay now it’s starting to sound stupid) did some 5 songs. We were supposed to do 4 more acoustic songs but too bad acoustic session was cancelled cause there wasn’t enough time apparently. I was pretty upset about that cause the only song i was gonna sing was one acoustic song. Oh well, it’s just my luck. But anyhow, the 5 songs went well. There was a blackout halfway through one song though, but no worries, not much harm done. Enjoyed the whole thing alot. =)

I wish i could do more, though. Cause frankly i’m quite bored with the keyboard already. Maybe i need to acquire new playing styles to spice things up a little. Step out of my comfort zone.

Satisfaction kicks in only when you achieve something by stepping out of your comfort zones.

That’s my line. You can quote me. Anytime. I wouldn’t mind. :P

It feels effing good when you and a bunch of friends just click musically.

I could do this forever. I would. =)

unwell.

Few days ago, i was at the clinics doin the usual stuff - history taking with patients. My unit took the case this 35 year old male patient who was having some respiratory problem - cough with blood-stinged sputum, breathlessness, fever. Thought it was some common disease, until our professor came by about half an hour later, tellin us that he was a TB patient.

TB!!!!!

oh mai gawddddddddd.

"Do you people want to get TB?" he asked, with a straight face.

Silence. All of us were probably too shocked to even breathe.

"You were in such close proximity with this patient, i won't be surprised if any of you come to me later tellin me you have TB. All these years I've had students who had contracted TB, like one student a month."

Silence. I thought i was gonna choke and die at that very moment.

Oh come on, we're only 2nd year medical students you can't expect us to just KNOW that the patient had TB by just looking at him. Nobody even cares about what we do at the clinics. Professors, doctors are always doing their own thing. So of course we had no choice but to find a random patient and take his/her case. The hospital's so poor that they can't put these TB patients in a separate ward. and as though it's still not bad enough, they just had to close the windows to make the room even more stuffy.

Anyway, on the next 4 days, i felt fine so yea. PHEWWWW.

But today. TODAY. i'm sick. Nose is running, sneezing non stop, slight cough, fever, sweats, weakness.

i'm usually not a paranoid person, and i know it's not THAT easy to be infected by TB virus (i've done my research!), but can someone pleaseeee just assure me that i AM just being paranoid and nothing's gonna happen to me?

I just swallowed a power combo of clarinase, multivits, spirulina, along with a hot glass of honey. Imma go to bed now. kthxbai.

(Queen playin' in the background) Lazing On A Sunday Afternoon!

Listen to that song while reading this post. It'll make you feel light and easy on this beautiful day. Well at least it works on me.

(the song is really really short so you might wanna replay it over and over again. it's already my 2nd replay as i'm typing this.)

I had a lovely breakfast with the girls. Yasmin, Sarah, Ellie, Hanisah, Queenie. Made yummy pancakes with awesome toppings like butter, maple syrup, chocolate syrup, along with nice chocolate milk and tea. Queenie didn't eat though, cause she was having a really bad toothache. YOUR LOSS, QUEENIE. Spent good 3 hours just busking in each other's company, eating and chatting. Felt really good, we decided we should do it more often. Definitely a good way to relax on a Sunday, after one whole week of work and stress. Next Sunday, we may try walking to the park and then drop by the Tea Lounge for breakfast.

Seems like we're starting to enjoy the little little things in life. Simple joy. And i like it.

I feel really good today, i don't know why exactly. It could be the good breakfast and good conversations i had in the morning. Or it could be my current state of mind filled with so much joy, excitement and anticipation. I know the few coming months are gonna be great.

October :

EMBARK - A rock concert to raise fund for the Karnataka Haemophilia Society, Davangere. I'll be playing with Nazrin, Sarah and Peka. Along with other bands like Moksh and Hammerhymms. It's gonna be fun. =)

November :

(couldn't save 2011's poster so this is all i've got. it's the same anyway.)

HIMALAYAN BLUES FESTIVAL - Ellie told me about this concert this morning. It's basically a Nepali's music event and knowing from Ellie about how musically inclined the Nepalese are, and how good their music is, i immediately agreed to going with her. I can't wait for all the good music goshhhhh. And Nepalese guys are HOT. Musicians especially.

some pics of last year's :

I'm excited. XD

December : Charity work!

I'll be going to Kolkata (or Calcutta) to join a few friends for some voluntary work at Kolkata's Mother Teresa Missionary For Charity.

It's gonna be good exposure, i believe. and yes i wanna collect good karma.

January : I have this certain project which i'll only talk about maybe few months later. It's what i've been wanting to do all these years. So stay tuned. =)

So there you go. I'm gonna end 2011 with a bang. Just watch.

Rambles.

bed bug bites. bed bug bites. bed bug bites.

Try saying that fast. I can't. XD

And yessssss i'm having bed bug bites. since 2 or 3 days ago i think. Initially the rashes were only on my right arm near the elbow but yesterday they spread to my left arm, and today to both my thighs.

I think i might have gotten it from the bus ride from bangalore. I've heard of bed bug bites cases from my friends due to the bug-infested bus seats. (note to self : bring big towels for bus rides next time.) Or maybe it's just my own bed. I should leave the windows open more often, to prevent dampness in the room and for better air circulation.

My arms and legs are itchy like fuck.

Decided to see a doc after class today. So i went to this clinic called City Medical Centre which is supposedly the best clinic in town. It was 5pm on a Saturday (YES I HAVE CLASSES ON SATURDAYS) and i was already exhausted, thanks to the long hours of classes and the psychotic weather today. It was hot like hell in the afternoon and then it rained so the air was humid and stuffy and i was all sweaty and ITCHING ALL OVER. As soon as i entered the clinic, i saw nobody but an old man sweeping the floor. Nobody was at the counter. No doctor too, i supposed. The old man told me to come back at 6.15pm but knowing how "punctual" the people here always are, i decided not to waste my time coming back at 6.15pm and then ending up being told to come back at 7pm. So i left the clinic and decided to try Bapuji Hospital instead. (btw they're all just near my college. walking distance.)

Walked to Bapuji's OPD block, went to Dermatology department, got checked by two young female doctors, probably housemen. They were really nice and casual, maybe cause i was in my white coat too, so they knew i was a medical student as well. They checked my rashes, asked me which parts of my body were itching, and whether i had traveled anywhere in a bus or train (yea they know how the buses here are) bla bla bla. Prescribed some tablets and lotion for me. AND DONE.

Know what the best part is? That whole process took place as we stood in the middle of a corridor, they were probably on their way to some other department. All in just 5 minutes! They didn't even tell me how many tablets i should take, and how many i should take per day. So i had to come back to my room and google the drugs - Hyrax 10mg Tab, Zincoderm, Calak Lotion etc to find out about the dosages myself.

Sigh. Now that i'm a medical student, there's no more complete dependency on doctors' advice and diagnosis in the future, cause i'll be expected to know everything. Gotta do my own studies, my own research, my own googling, my own prescription, just to heal myself.

At least i wouldn't feel guilty for any mistake made. Cause i would only kill myself. heheh.

Anyway, postings today was pretty eventful.

Saw a HIV patient. He was constantly moaning painfully to the rhythm of his own breaths. With each breath, he moaned excruciatingly. The whole ward could hear him but nobody gave a shit about it, including the doctors. I think it was about time for him to...you know...leave the world.

We took the case of a 35 year old man suffering from Splenomegaly, Portal Hypertension and Ascites. He had a distended abdomen. He looked extremely thin, frail, weak and malnourished you'd think he's 70 years old. In fact, most patients here look old when they're actually only 20 or 30. So as usual, we took down his history and complaints. Prof came. Discussion.

That's about it. My Saturday.

I'M EXHAUSTED.

I deserve a nice cup of hot chocolate now.

the girl in the ward.

I need a routine.

No seriously, I NEED A ROUTINE.

The day before yesterday, i was so proud to have attended all classes so i talked about how happy and satisfied i was about it. It felt like an achievement.

But it backfired.

Cause yesterday i bunked. Every single class.

It’s almost like i was tryna reward myself for the amazing attendance, by bunking the next day.

Argh, slap me. Please. Anyone.

But at least i managed to go for jamming with the guys. And i finally was able to catch the rhythm of this certain song i was initially struggling with. Brushed up my piano playing a lil bit. So at least i could tell myself it was a productive day.

Self-consolation rocks. =)

Anyway i felt a tad guilty about yesterday so i forced and dragged myself to all the classes today. And here i am, again, bragging about it.

Mannnn i don’t even know why i’m talking about this. Like, who cares? Lol.

(moving on!)

I was at postings at C.G. Hospital today. Same old routine – went to Ward 205, chose a patient, took history of the patient. Most of the time, i’d just stand aside and let my Indian friends do all the talking and listening, and then i’d copy whatever they’ve written in their book, cause obviously i couldn’t understand a single thing. Everyone speaks Kannada. Occasionally i would just flip through the patient’s records or report lying on the distal end (medical word! Lol.) of the bed, as my own reference, and try to understand what’s goin on with the patient and stuff.

Anyway, today, while my unit members were busy doing their thing, i was standing at this corner from where i could see a tiny little Indian girl, 7 years old i think, about 2 feet away from me, staring at me with so much wonder and curiosity. She was wearing a cute red top with a knee-length skirt with frills which looked like they were donated to her, her hair was tied up in 2 tiny piggytails with a pink hairband on one side and an orange hairband on the other side, and she had the most prominent double eyelids ever, above a pair of big bright talking eyes. I couldn’t decide if she was the sister or the daughter of the patient, cause the patient (an Indian guy) was 24 years old, which i think is too young an age to be a father of an eight-year-old, so she’s prolly his little sister. But then at the same time, with the moustache and ancient looking hairstyle and facial features, he somewhat looked old enough to be her father.

While i was deeply engrossed in trying to figure out their relationship (i later found out that she was his niece), that little girl came closer to me, looked at me with her innocent pair of eyes. For those who have known me for years, you’d know how i never liked kids. There’s just something about kids that makes me feel awkward and uncomfortable. I swear if you put a kid right beside me now, i wouldn’t know what to do with him/her. I’d just leave that kid alone and do my own thing. I think that kid would prolly get bored of me too and run away. And sometimes when i do try to talk or play with kids, especially babies, they’d all of a sudden burst out crying, like i’m a disgusting green monster trying to eat them.

However, this little Indian girl somehow gave me a really different vibe. A pleasant one. My eyes met hers. I was really bored so i decided to talk to this sweet little thing.

I bowed down a little.

“hesaru enu?” i said gently. (it means “what’s your name”)

I was expecting a blurry stare from her, cause people NEVER understood my kannada. I haven’t acquired the Indian intonation yet. But surprisingly she answered!

With the softest and sweetest voice i had ever heard, she said something which sounded like “poor-va-taa” or “paam-vee-ta” or “pamelo” or “pumpkin” or SOMETHING. I can’t remember. I was just really glad that she understood my “hesaru enu”.

So i went on to the next question. “vayassu eshtu?” (what’s your age) and then i flashed a tiny smile at her cause i thought she deserved it for understanding my kannada.

She replied, “gothilla.”

It means “i don’t know.”

Seriously?

Poor girl. She doesn’t know how old she is. I bet she has never celebrated a single birthday ever.

Then she smiled.

I can’t believe i’m saying this but, yea. My heart melted.

That smile was really something.

From that moment, we became friends. I asked her if she had eaten (“oota aita?”) and then she said yes (“aitu”) and then she asked me the same question and i answered yes too. (Mannnnn, i could finally converse in kannada! )

We didn’t talk to each other the whole time at the ward though. Occasionally she would try to be cheeky with me by showing me some small purple torch she kept in her pocket and then hiding it again. Most of the time, she’d just stare at me and smile shyly, then run away, then reappearing few minutes after.

Lol. What was i doing man. Everyone else was busy taking down patients’ history and being all serious with work, yet i was completely in a different state of mind, playing peekaboo with a little girl in the ward?

It really amazes me that i felt so foreign and distant with every single person in that ward, except for that little girl. She was the warmest person in that room whom i could actually connect with.

Oh no, india’s changing me.

Anyway, later on, my professor turned up and we stopped doing what we were doing and he started discussing a case with us. I usually stand at the back, just to keep a low profile so that the prof wouldn’t ask me any question and snap me back to reality from dreamland.

As the discussion went on and on, i started feeling bored and restless.

Suddenly i felt a little nudge on my left waist. Then i realised it was that little girl who had poked me. I turned and looked at her and there she was, walking beside her mother who made her look so small and tiny. She waved at me.

"Is she leaving?" i thought.

"of course she is, you idiot."

Gosh, i can’t believe i was feeling sad about her leaving.

Dear Poomveeta/Paalsava/Pamelo/Pumpkin,

Though i barely know you (i can’t even remember your name, all i could remember were your sparkly eyes and innocent smile.), i just wanna let you know that, on this very day, though you might not have realised it, you’ve effortlessly changed a small part of me. The purity and sincerity exuded through your smile has made a difference in me. It may be small and unimportant, but i know it may potentially turn into something significant in the future.

So thank you.

yes. i'm still Ling Jun Mei.

just to let you know that....

I ATTENDED ALL CLASSES TODAY!
okay fine. Not a big deal.

But it is a damn big deal for me! considering the fact that i’ve never once attended every single class in a day since the start of 2^nd year, which might be due to the following reasons:

Reason #1 :

I wasn’t mentally, physically and emotionally conditioned to attend all classes yet.

Reason #2 :

Things always came up (or you could say i made them to). Toilet breaks (which gives me a excuse reason to come back to the hostel and SOMEHOW bunk that particular class), stomach discomforts (more like hunger pangs actually, so that i can come back and munch on something and feel good), fatigue (more like sleepiness, but doesn’t matter cause both equally call for a cup of coffee).

Reason #3 :

i had to (and still have to) do stuffs for an upcoming band performance. Find a few songs, discussion with Sarah, Nazrin and Peka. Practice, practice and practice. Any ordinary medical student (only those studying in INDIA, i mean) would never, i repeat, NEVER have time for all these. So, of course, i have to bunk a few classes to be able to do these. It’s called DEDICATION. Hehe. So i suppose this reason passes as a good solid one.

Reason #4 :

My first few weeks of 2^nd year were occupied with my room’s makeover. Not exactly a makeover but Yasmin and i were just tryna make our room cosier and more functional. So we spent 2 good weeks hunting for a fridge, an induction cooker and pots (so that we could start cooking), bigger book shelves (to replace the previous ones which were smaller, cause our nerdiness was going to be upgraded in 2^nd year), and all the miscellaneous home stuffs. And mind you, all these shopping is freakin tiring alright! It’s such a chore to go out shopping in davangere. You’ve gotta put up with the bumpy and nauseating auto rides (it’s the cute yellow Indian taxis we call “autos”), air pollution, sound pollution (people here honk at everything, including a cow), miscommunication which leads to frustrations due to language barrier, dirt and dust everywhere including inside the shops, and if you’re unlucky you might step on GOLDs on the streets. Yea stuffs like that. Heck, i even wore an outfit that made me look like i was going for a jungle-trekking – sweatpants, t-shirt, hair tied in a bun, and a dirtygreen-coloured cap. BUT ANYWAY I THINK I’M A LITTLE OFF TOPIC SO MY POINT IS, all these crazy shopping was taking up too much time and energy, so i sort of bunked a few (quite many, actually) classes.

Reason #5 :

I find certain classes too boring and depressing. Attending these classes is suicidal so i don’t wanna kill myself cause i love myself.

Reason #6 :

There's this guy in class whom i've qualified as an eye candy but doesn't go to class often (!) so yea there's no more purpose for me to go to class anymore.

There you go. 6 solid reasons why i’ve been bunking classes and why i think i’ve accomplished so much for attending all classes from 8am till 4.30pm today.

I AM SUPERWOMAN. (you’re absolutely right, Alicia Keys.)

(okay i cheated. i didn’t go for 8am class. Shhh. But it’s only one class. One class!)

so i guess that makes me DUPERWOMAN instead?

Since “duper” always comes after “super” so i’m assuming “duper” is less superior.

OKAY ANYWAYS,

i just heated up some beef steak i brought back from bangalore 2 days ago. stank up the whole damn room but it doesn't really matter cause it tastes damn good. Too good. So if you'd excuse me, i'd like to sign off and enjoy my awesome beef steak. toodles!

bus rides.

I love long bus rides. Coupled with my ipod. There’s just something about travelling in a bus that makes me feel all good, warm and fuzzy, leaving a sweet aftertaste in me at the end of the journey.

Perhaps it makes me feel like i’m in a capsule, or a teleporting machine, frozen and trapped within this serene period of time between 2 places. And during this stagnant yet smooth period of time, i start seeing things differently. I find new appreciation for things i never before, bothered paying attention to.

Like the green green grass with greeniness so green it calms your soul and makes your heart smile.

Like the big trees you see at regular intervals so regular and rhythmical they make you dance mentally to this pleasant new beat.

Like the million stars at night somehow appearing brighter and prettier all of a sudden they almost make you convinced that they’re talking to you.

Or like the nice cool breeze sweeping across your face, whispering beside your ears, washing away all remnants of your worries and regrets in life.

Of course, window seat is a must.

Only during long bus rides can i enjoy the songs in my ipod to the max. The tunes, melodies, rhythms, and lyrics become crystal clear to me, making me feel like i’m listening to these songs for the very first time. These songs play a very important role as well. They manoeuvre my moods and steer my feelings, which altogether affects my thoughts.

Elliot Smith gives me a confusing yet calming sense of mysteriousness towards life,
Led Zeppelin penetrates me deeply with lyrics and melodies so raw and original i almost feel like he’s still alive somewhere inside of me,
Corinne Bailey Rae’s voice is just so sweet and soulful it sways my mind and soul from left to right, right to left like a cradle, assuring me that everything will turn out fine,
Staind gives me the goosebumps with his voice so deep and manly, yet with a slight sentiment and sensitivity exuded in his words,
Puddle of Mudd’s “Blurry (acoustic)” tells me that i don’t ever need ecstasy to feel good. The perfect blend of acoustic guitars, conga beats and the vocalist’s sexy lazy voice is able to make me replay it ten times, and discover a new perspective after each time.

All these thoughts and feelings may mean nothing but mere imagination. But to me, they’re most certainly mentally and emotionally enhancing, forming a big part of my lifelong process of learning how to feel life, how to appreciate life, how to understand life.

That’s why I love long bus rides. :)

"hand of hope"

came across this magical picture today. try to feel it touching the very core of your heart.



A picture began circulating in November. It should be "The Picture of the Year," or perhaps, "Picture of the Decade." It won't be. In fact, unless you obtained a copy of the U.S. paper which published it, you probably would never have seen it.

The picture is that of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas, who is being operated on by surgeon named Joseph Bruner. The baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother's womb. Little Samuel's mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner's remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performs these special operations while the baby is still in the womb.

During the procedure, the doctor removes the uterus via C-section and makes a small incision to operate on the baby. As Dr. Bruner completed the surgery on Samuel, the little guy reached his tiny, but fully developed hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon's finger. Dr.Bruner was reported as saying that when his finger was grasped, it was the most emotional moment of his life, and that for an instant during the procedure he was just frozen, totally immobile.

The photograph captures this amazing event with perfect clarity. The editors titled the picture, "Hand of Hope." The text explaining the picture begins, "The tiny hand of 21-week-old fetus Samuel Alexander Armas emerges from the mother's uterus to grasp the finger of Dr. Joseph Bruner as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life.

Little Samuel's mother said they "wept for days" when they saw the picture. She said, "The photo reminds us pregnancy isn't about disability or an illness, it's about a little person". Samuel was born in perfect health, the operation 100 percent successful.

Now see the actual picture, and it is awesome...incredible....and hey, pass it on! The world needs to see this one! -taken from facebook-

this picture totally made my day. =)

just a lil flashback.

It’s my second year in medical school and so far, things have been quite alright. First year was pretty extreme, frankly, not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally.

Coming to India the first time and then having to tell myself “okay this is it, i’m gonna live here in the next 5 years” was pretty much like jumping into a huge, deep, borderless pool of mud from 10 feet above. You either try your very best to dig out all the energy and breaths you have to swim and swim and swim, in hope of finding a certain reliable object to which you can cling on and perhaps be saved from drowning. OR you just let loose, relax and let your body float on the muddy water, convincing yourself that it’s clean crystal clear water you’re floating on. OR you just give up, and drown.

well, or course, the consequences to all 3 actions differ quite distinctly.

If you tell yourself to relax, your body automatically and reflexly ascends and stays afloat. That way, you’ll totally stay out of trouble hidden in the mysterious mud water. The best part is, you could just stare into the wide blue sky, totally ignoring the fact that you’re floating on mud, and convincing yourself that it’s not too bad. And that you don’t mind floating forever. This is definitely the safest option, but the downside is, you’ll never get to see the many wonders and excitement hidden under the mysterious muddy water.

If you keep swimming and fighting in pursue of what you believe to be some sort of a shore you can land on, or perhaps a boat, you would be using up alot of strength and will power, which may mount up to the highest limit beyond which you may just breakdown and then lose the battle. However, if you know your limits well, and are good at reserving and balancing up your energy and will power according to the ever-changing circumstances, you’ll be surprised by how the fighting journey could reward you in many ways normally not visible to an ignorant person. Definitely along the way, you’ll swallow disgusting muddy water or encounter a crocodile. But at the end of the day, whether you’ve landed on a shore or not, or whether you’ve found a boat or not, you know that you’ve gone through the battle, be it a winning or a losing one. You swallowed mud water, you fought a crocodile, you develop a great amount of muscles and strength and will power, and most importantly, you know that you had held on to the optimism and positivity in you to strive for the better. And to me, that’s priceless.

Lastly, if you just give up. YOU DROWN. YOU DIE. As simple as that.

well i personally have been opting and re-opting for the first and second options alternately, in a pendulum-like manner. It has never been consistent. Same goes to the emotions as well. And no, i’m not talking about the PMS moodswings. It’s more like the emotional roller coaster ride i experienced in the past one year.

contrary to what i had expected at the start of first year, that first year as a medical student would be as boring as my Anatomy professors, but it was surprisingly, rather eventful for me. I had numerous diarrhoeas, both mild and severe ones, chicken pox (which made me miss my first internal exams), allergic reaction to some fish served in the hostel (my first allergic reaction i never knew of in my whole 20 years of life, which turned me beet-root red and i had to go to the hospital to get a jab), BUT OF COURSE THESE AREN’T THE THINGS I’D WANNA SEE HAPPENING TO ME AGAIN. On a brighter note, there were concerts, band practices, from which i got to know a bunch of admirable, constantly motivated, musically talented people. Adjusting and fitting in the Indian community was difficult. Broke certain rules, got busted by authorities, involved in a police case. (notice how my brief my sentences are getting? Lol.) yeaa THAT’S ENOUGH INFORMATION ALREADY.

my point is, it was definitely an interesting year, i have to say. Satisfactory roller coaster ride. Definitely worth paying the ticket for.

i don’t know what comes next. This time, i think i’m gonna try the space shot. =)

hello again.

it’s been 2 long years and i’m now back to blogging. I don’t know exactly why i’m doing this again cause previously i was annoyed by the fact that my old blog (Little Black Book) was too public and the stuff that i wrote was secretly read by too many people some of whom i don’t even know of. Plus, I thought it kind of defeated the purpose of catching up with friends and family cause this particular situation always occurred.

“heyyy!!! Long time no see! How’re you doin?”

“oh hi! i’m doin okay. Been busy with uni stuff. But uhh, some shit happened last week man... i was back from college and i found out that my dog...”

“OH YOUR DOG DIED, RIGHT? YEA YEA I READ YOUR BLOG.”

See what i mean?

So that’s why i quitted blogging, i felt pointless telling people UNKNOWINGLY about the happenings in my life, when i could actually do that in more proper ways. And also, being blog-stalked didn’t feel nice so yea, i killed my blog.

However.

after 2 incredible years, now that i’m feeling a little detached from the “thinking side of me”, with all the thoughts and emotions that have been built up inside of me in these 2 years unable to be acknowledged and organised into words, i figured, why not start blogging again? I’m now a 21 year old studying in an isolated place in India, bursting with thoughts and ideas, there’s gotta be an output channel for them! Or else i’d have a mental breakdown.

Moreover, blogging does help me open up more perspectives and look at things in many different ways unimaginable.

But this time, things aren’t gonna be the same. In my old blog, i used to talk about lame daily stuffs like somebody’s birthday or some crazy party i attended(with millions of pictures), or endless ramblings and complaints over the smallest things in life. But rest assured, this time, i shall not torture you with such boring materials you never wanted to know. this new blog will be filled mainly with what my life’s like in India and my interesting discoveries on this interesting land. Thought, ideas, emotions, discoveries, all at a whole new level. Hence the name “Little Black Book. Rediscovered.”

So you’ll get to know the new ME. In fact, I MYSELF will get to know the new me BETTER.

Stay tuned. *winks*