Wow. 2 x 365 days have passed since I was last here.
In that time we got married (yay!) and we moved from Australia to the UK. Sadly it hasn't been quite the smooth journey we had hoped for a number of reasons but I'm so thankful we've had each other for all the ups and downs. Currently the country is in lockdown due to covid and frankly it's hard to remember a time when we weren't living this is strange bubble... hopefully it passes very, very soon however so we can carry on with our adventures :) Here's to come what may!
Tuesday, 2 June 2020
Saturday, 2 June 2018
Melbourne Musings
Gosh, almost 365 days have gone by since my last post!
A lot has changed in that time. It's funny that reading it now I see actually I was quite quick to realise the challenges that I have faced since then.
I am still in physician training and finally have my full licence to practice in Australia. In fact, I have recently applied for permanent residency. Not everything is sunny side up however!
I struggled to settle in though I have very little I can complain about - a far better work-life balance, generally good weather, a (new) wonderful flatmate and a lovely flat. It is the social aspect though I have found tough, even 15 months since moving.
I had always thought of myself as fairly sociable but perhaps nearing 30 changes your perspectives somewhat when it comes to these things... having read numerous accounts of similar adult encounters I know this is not an infrequent circumstance, but nonetheless that makes it really no less tough. Making friends is for children it sometimes seems!
In September, I visited home and on my return, the first back to Australia where I was not there for the first time in a new place, everything seemed a little different. I was returning to my "new home" but yet it didn't feel like a home really at all. My heart was elsewhere. The following few months were difficult. Though I enjoyed my work and felt I was learning a lot, the shift patterns were tough with a predominance of night shifts for half a year including Christmas. I felt cranky a lot and my poor partner had to suffer my mood swings with me. Luckily, he remains eternally patient.
In April, my grandmother also passed away rather suddenly. We were sadly not close and whilst when the news finally actually hit me I found myself besides myself with tears. Not for my grandma, but for my own mum. To not be able to hug her during her darkest hours to me felt very wrong, and after much persuasion, umming and ahhing I finally got onto a plane to Toronto to meet her. As soon as I saw her smile, I knew it was right to have left. To be with her meant much to me but it also left me with more questions to myself: did I want to be in that situation myself? On the other side of the world when my mum was unwell? It is a question that still sits badly with me.
Luckily, my annual leave came swiftly afterwards and I could rejoin my family in the UK once more for a few weeks. It was wonderful to be with them again in happier circumstances but leaving seemed harder than ever before. On the plus side, workwise I am happy to be working in daylight hours again!
All in all, my life continues to be somewhat good, and somewhat missing and in some ways I think this is the toughest portion I've had to face so far. I guess you cannot prepare yourself for every situation...
Ahead of me lie exams, visas, and who knows what else?
I however know I must be extremely remain grateful for what has been brought to me: life + laughter x love. Que será, será!
A lot has changed in that time. It's funny that reading it now I see actually I was quite quick to realise the challenges that I have faced since then.
I am still in physician training and finally have my full licence to practice in Australia. In fact, I have recently applied for permanent residency. Not everything is sunny side up however!
I struggled to settle in though I have very little I can complain about - a far better work-life balance, generally good weather, a (new) wonderful flatmate and a lovely flat. It is the social aspect though I have found tough, even 15 months since moving.
I had always thought of myself as fairly sociable but perhaps nearing 30 changes your perspectives somewhat when it comes to these things... having read numerous accounts of similar adult encounters I know this is not an infrequent circumstance, but nonetheless that makes it really no less tough. Making friends is for children it sometimes seems!
In September, I visited home and on my return, the first back to Australia where I was not there for the first time in a new place, everything seemed a little different. I was returning to my "new home" but yet it didn't feel like a home really at all. My heart was elsewhere. The following few months were difficult. Though I enjoyed my work and felt I was learning a lot, the shift patterns were tough with a predominance of night shifts for half a year including Christmas. I felt cranky a lot and my poor partner had to suffer my mood swings with me. Luckily, he remains eternally patient.
In April, my grandmother also passed away rather suddenly. We were sadly not close and whilst when the news finally actually hit me I found myself besides myself with tears. Not for my grandma, but for my own mum. To not be able to hug her during her darkest hours to me felt very wrong, and after much persuasion, umming and ahhing I finally got onto a plane to Toronto to meet her. As soon as I saw her smile, I knew it was right to have left. To be with her meant much to me but it also left me with more questions to myself: did I want to be in that situation myself? On the other side of the world when my mum was unwell? It is a question that still sits badly with me.
Luckily, my annual leave came swiftly afterwards and I could rejoin my family in the UK once more for a few weeks. It was wonderful to be with them again in happier circumstances but leaving seemed harder than ever before. On the plus side, workwise I am happy to be working in daylight hours again!
All in all, my life continues to be somewhat good, and somewhat missing and in some ways I think this is the toughest portion I've had to face so far. I guess you cannot prepare yourself for every situation...
Ahead of me lie exams, visas, and who knows what else?
I however know I must be extremely remain grateful for what has been brought to me: life + laughter x love. Que será, será!
Tuesday, 13 June 2017
9 months Down Under
Over half a year ago has swung by since my last post and I find myself writing this from Melbourne… a lot has changed!
I had a wonderful 5 months in Brisbane and made some great friends - ones that at the time I don't think I realised how lucky I was to have. I had settled in pretty instantly and the only tiny thing I could complain about was the crazy Queensland weather. It was almost impossibly hot in the summer! Workwise I began to get to grips with Australian healthcare and learn the differences… from the dosage of Aspirin (75mg) to the non-existence of cyclizine (whaaat?!) to the regular usage of VBGs rather than ABGs (again whaaaat?!?!) Another big factor was the existence of private healthcare - yes it's great when you can free up a bed but it's actually a lot of hassle to get a private facility to accept your patient! Disjointed care also makes records extremely hard to keep accurate… there are always pluses and minuses I guess!
Whilst I didn't love being an orthopaedic ward monkey for the initial 6 weeks I was fortunate enough to work with some wonderful colleagues who really did their best to help me settle in and answer my cultural questions…"what does too easy mean?!". The crazy work hours were offset by coffee breaks in what I'm sure will be the snazziest doctors' lounge I will ever see, and by the kindness of colleagues and patients. Like the first I saw on day one "you're a pommy too!" to the countless ones I saw in outpatients who would put up with the long pauses whilst we waited to confirm plans with the registrars!
Moving on to the ED was an excellent learning curve for me. Having never worked in emergency I relished being the first to take a history, stitch the occasional laceration and help in resus. The shift work was tiring - sometimes I would even go to badminton after a nightshift - sleeping in 30degree + heat was impossible anyway! - but the learning was great. I loved it but don't think in the long run I could hack that lifestyle! The dept was also brimming with British ED trainees who had clearly made an easy decision to swap NHS A&E for Aussie well-staffed ED that even sometimes had an empty waiting room would you believe?!
Then in December came a surprise stroke of luck. One of the hospitals I had previously been in contact with in Melbourne told me they had medical training positions (like CMT) that I was eligible to apply for. After a telephone interview and a bit of kerfuffle as I needed to be "released" from a contract I had already signed with an ED department in suburban Victoria I rejigged my plans to work at the Austin/Northern Hospitals as a medical trainee. Swanky as!
In January my contract in Brisbane ended and I popped back home to cool down for a few weeks…
In that time (it feels like ages ago now) I caught up with friends and family - I guess it felt like I had just been on a holiday! I also interviewed for jobs at home since I had applied back in November with no intention of taking anything I was offered. It was a good experience nonetheless and I'm grateful to those who pushed me to go. I did get a post in London but knew immediately I wouldn't take it what with the training post in Melbourne.
In February I moved to Melbourne - the world's so called most liveable city and one I had instantly fallen in love with the last time I had been… whilst as a final year student en route to my elective in NZ. It's funny though, as soon as I landed I felt a bit of an emptiness. There was much more adjusting than I had expected although really Melbourne is far closer to a European lifestyle I think than Brisbane. I had a new flatmate, a new flat, had to find a car, (luckily a friend's friends were selling!) as well as the new job. The job I think was the biggest issue... to make it really difficult my first post involved working in different wards pretty much every 1 - 3 weeks and across 3 different sites. Working with so many different people and different environments was a challenge though I found colleagues on the whole to be more accommodating / less surprised at my accent than in Queensland.
Now into my 2nd "term" I am finally au fait with the computer system, how to get about without googlemaps and how to page without annoying people… this Friday I have to present for the first time here and I think though I loathe presenting, it'll be good for me.
My Mum and my sis actually just left 3 days ago. We had two weeks together whilst I was on annual leave and it was only when they left I suddenly realised how much I will always miss them if I'm here. There are many perks to being on this sunny continent, and now that I have met someone here also it makes it all the more difficult to try to work out what and where the future holds… but as always only time knows the answers!
I had a wonderful 5 months in Brisbane and made some great friends - ones that at the time I don't think I realised how lucky I was to have. I had settled in pretty instantly and the only tiny thing I could complain about was the crazy Queensland weather. It was almost impossibly hot in the summer! Workwise I began to get to grips with Australian healthcare and learn the differences… from the dosage of Aspirin (75mg) to the non-existence of cyclizine (whaaat?!) to the regular usage of VBGs rather than ABGs (again whaaaat?!?!) Another big factor was the existence of private healthcare - yes it's great when you can free up a bed but it's actually a lot of hassle to get a private facility to accept your patient! Disjointed care also makes records extremely hard to keep accurate… there are always pluses and minuses I guess!
Whilst I didn't love being an orthopaedic ward monkey for the initial 6 weeks I was fortunate enough to work with some wonderful colleagues who really did their best to help me settle in and answer my cultural questions…"what does too easy mean?!". The crazy work hours were offset by coffee breaks in what I'm sure will be the snazziest doctors' lounge I will ever see, and by the kindness of colleagues and patients. Like the first I saw on day one "you're a pommy too!" to the countless ones I saw in outpatients who would put up with the long pauses whilst we waited to confirm plans with the registrars!
Moving on to the ED was an excellent learning curve for me. Having never worked in emergency I relished being the first to take a history, stitch the occasional laceration and help in resus. The shift work was tiring - sometimes I would even go to badminton after a nightshift - sleeping in 30degree + heat was impossible anyway! - but the learning was great. I loved it but don't think in the long run I could hack that lifestyle! The dept was also brimming with British ED trainees who had clearly made an easy decision to swap NHS A&E for Aussie well-staffed ED that even sometimes had an empty waiting room would you believe?!
Then in December came a surprise stroke of luck. One of the hospitals I had previously been in contact with in Melbourne told me they had medical training positions (like CMT) that I was eligible to apply for. After a telephone interview and a bit of kerfuffle as I needed to be "released" from a contract I had already signed with an ED department in suburban Victoria I rejigged my plans to work at the Austin/Northern Hospitals as a medical trainee. Swanky as!
In January my contract in Brisbane ended and I popped back home to cool down for a few weeks…
In that time (it feels like ages ago now) I caught up with friends and family - I guess it felt like I had just been on a holiday! I also interviewed for jobs at home since I had applied back in November with no intention of taking anything I was offered. It was a good experience nonetheless and I'm grateful to those who pushed me to go. I did get a post in London but knew immediately I wouldn't take it what with the training post in Melbourne.
In February I moved to Melbourne - the world's so called most liveable city and one I had instantly fallen in love with the last time I had been… whilst as a final year student en route to my elective in NZ. It's funny though, as soon as I landed I felt a bit of an emptiness. There was much more adjusting than I had expected although really Melbourne is far closer to a European lifestyle I think than Brisbane. I had a new flatmate, a new flat, had to find a car, (luckily a friend's friends were selling!) as well as the new job. The job I think was the biggest issue... to make it really difficult my first post involved working in different wards pretty much every 1 - 3 weeks and across 3 different sites. Working with so many different people and different environments was a challenge though I found colleagues on the whole to be more accommodating / less surprised at my accent than in Queensland.
Now into my 2nd "term" I am finally au fait with the computer system, how to get about without googlemaps and how to page without annoying people… this Friday I have to present for the first time here and I think though I loathe presenting, it'll be good for me.
My Mum and my sis actually just left 3 days ago. We had two weeks together whilst I was on annual leave and it was only when they left I suddenly realised how much I will always miss them if I'm here. There are many perks to being on this sunny continent, and now that I have met someone here also it makes it all the more difficult to try to work out what and where the future holds… but as always only time knows the answers!
Saturday, 5 November 2016
5th week musings (posted in the 6th!)
Well from the 5th day it's now just passed my 5th week of living as an ex-pat Down Under :) It's hard to describe how much my "life" could have changed in what really is a short period of time. I still feel like I'm on holiday and I wonder, if ever, that novelty will wear off! It's made me realise the meaning of life is exactly what you make of it. Whatever they say, or it may feel like, we do have "control" of how our lives proceed… the only reason why you might not have complete control, are because of the ties we might naturally already have (family, friends) or come to be in place (life events)… but that's the end of the philosophy lesson!
8 weeks ago I was working as a locum in a district general that was struggling to maintain training status and frankly struggling to look after the patients coming through its doors. Every day was a war zone. The worst day was having half of the 44 acute medical patients under my care. These are the sickest in hospital just out of accident & emergency and at high risk of deterioration. The nurses were in a similar situation - many locumming for extra shifts, trying their best to manage in an unfamiliar environment in which they have too many responsibilities. The result? A broken team of lost individuals trying to take care of people who really deserved a little better.
Today I started work at 0700 and ended at 1800. But in that time, I managed to have a chat with colleagues about where I should visit at the weekend, go up to the common room for a coffee and a break, get help from the medical registrar pretty immediately for a patient I was concerned about, ask a phlebotomist to kindly take blood from a patient with poor intravenous access with, text the renal registrar to ask for advice and whilst yes I was due to end at 1500, at least I know I am paid and looked after the extra 3 hours I choose to stay. The ethos couldn't be any more different. The "norm" redefines itself in the same way that my life has. But hey, it's only been the first month and a bit!
8 weeks ago I was working as a locum in a district general that was struggling to maintain training status and frankly struggling to look after the patients coming through its doors. Every day was a war zone. The worst day was having half of the 44 acute medical patients under my care. These are the sickest in hospital just out of accident & emergency and at high risk of deterioration. The nurses were in a similar situation - many locumming for extra shifts, trying their best to manage in an unfamiliar environment in which they have too many responsibilities. The result? A broken team of lost individuals trying to take care of people who really deserved a little better.
Today I started work at 0700 and ended at 1800. But in that time, I managed to have a chat with colleagues about where I should visit at the weekend, go up to the common room for a coffee and a break, get help from the medical registrar pretty immediately for a patient I was concerned about, ask a phlebotomist to kindly take blood from a patient with poor intravenous access with, text the renal registrar to ask for advice and whilst yes I was due to end at 1500, at least I know I am paid and looked after the extra 3 hours I choose to stay. The ethos couldn't be any more different. The "norm" redefines itself in the same way that my life has. But hey, it's only been the first month and a bit!
Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Brisbane, Australia!
Hello from Down Under!
It's only my 5th day here but my life has changed so much in that time... in a good and exciting way :) New friends, new flat (moving in this wkend!), new job, and a totally new way of life!
Every night I keep thinking I should pen down daily the new things I've seen and the surprises I've experienced but then seem to run out of time ...so here are my top 8!
1) From the moment I landed I've been touched by how friendly everyone is here. My airbnb hosts came to pick me up from the airport at 2230 despite starting work the next day at 0700... the supermarket lady taught me to how to use the buses... to my patients who tell me "Alex, you'll stay". Also no one in hospital gives you any hassle for referring or requesting. I mean it's their job no? The pharmacist actually said to me "don't feel you need to look after everything. There are separate teams for that."
2) Australian wildlife is as wild as it gets... a few examples:
Every morning at dawn I wake up to the raucous cries of birds. It feels like you're in a rainforest!
I'm also used to the sound of cats running on the roof - actually the sound of possums scurrying. Oh and random insects/spiders everywhere. Thankfully no tarantulas yet.
The ibis (a bird! That's what the hotel chain is named after - nope I didn't know that either) is also crazy. One stole my lunch on day one. Google image them - they look like they're from the jurassic era and are as common here as pidgeons in central London.
Oh and wild "bush turkeys" roam the streets. Google image them too. They look so important!
3) The Aussies are so. laid. back.
It's almost like time has another meaning! They also love to chat and joke. Even at work. To the point where I admit it irritated me beyond belief on my first day at work but it does make the work environment seem extremely relaxed! I think I just need to adjust!
4) They love organic. Anything that can be organic should be organic it would seem.
5) Brits are everywhere. And I mean EVERYWHERE. Two of my patients told me I must be from London just today!
6) Stuff is expensive. Who charges £3 for a pouch of instant noodles? The Aussies.
7) Brisbane is a rise and sleep early kind of city (due to the heat). My present job starts at 0630! The concept seemed initially crazy but I'm already kind of used to it and actually quite like it that way. It makes sense to utilise daylight! Also it means you have so much more time in the hospital day... e.g. if the patient is aiming to leave at 10am, you have 3 hours (rather than <1) to sort it all out! Plus if I ended on time (more on that another time) I would technically have a whole half day to do whatever I pleased!
8) There are so many words (and drug names) that are different here. My favourite example is Pom which means a Brit. Sounds like a bad word right?! But kind of cute. Like half a pom pom.
Overall it's really great. Whilst I do miss my family and friends, I love the people, the weather (that may change in the summer), the attitude (can do), the lifestyle... Sounds dangerously good and it is!!
Planning to commence a new blog for this year soon. Watch this space! :D
It's only my 5th day here but my life has changed so much in that time... in a good and exciting way :) New friends, new flat (moving in this wkend!), new job, and a totally new way of life!
Every night I keep thinking I should pen down daily the new things I've seen and the surprises I've experienced but then seem to run out of time ...so here are my top 8!
1) From the moment I landed I've been touched by how friendly everyone is here. My airbnb hosts came to pick me up from the airport at 2230 despite starting work the next day at 0700... the supermarket lady taught me to how to use the buses... to my patients who tell me "Alex, you'll stay". Also no one in hospital gives you any hassle for referring or requesting. I mean it's their job no? The pharmacist actually said to me "don't feel you need to look after everything. There are separate teams for that."
2) Australian wildlife is as wild as it gets... a few examples:
Every morning at dawn I wake up to the raucous cries of birds. It feels like you're in a rainforest!
I'm also used to the sound of cats running on the roof - actually the sound of possums scurrying. Oh and random insects/spiders everywhere. Thankfully no tarantulas yet.
The ibis (a bird! That's what the hotel chain is named after - nope I didn't know that either) is also crazy. One stole my lunch on day one. Google image them - they look like they're from the jurassic era and are as common here as pidgeons in central London.
Oh and wild "bush turkeys" roam the streets. Google image them too. They look so important!
3) The Aussies are so. laid. back.
It's almost like time has another meaning! They also love to chat and joke. Even at work. To the point where I admit it irritated me beyond belief on my first day at work but it does make the work environment seem extremely relaxed! I think I just need to adjust!
4) They love organic. Anything that can be organic should be organic it would seem.
5) Brits are everywhere. And I mean EVERYWHERE. Two of my patients told me I must be from London just today!
6) Stuff is expensive. Who charges £3 for a pouch of instant noodles? The Aussies.
7) Brisbane is a rise and sleep early kind of city (due to the heat). My present job starts at 0630! The concept seemed initially crazy but I'm already kind of used to it and actually quite like it that way. It makes sense to utilise daylight! Also it means you have so much more time in the hospital day... e.g. if the patient is aiming to leave at 10am, you have 3 hours (rather than <1) to sort it all out! Plus if I ended on time (more on that another time) I would technically have a whole half day to do whatever I pleased!
8) There are so many words (and drug names) that are different here. My favourite example is Pom which means a Brit. Sounds like a bad word right?! But kind of cute. Like half a pom pom.
Overall it's really great. Whilst I do miss my family and friends, I love the people, the weather (that may change in the summer), the attitude (can do), the lifestyle... Sounds dangerously good and it is!!
Planning to commence a new blog for this year soon. Watch this space! :D
Friday, 9 September 2016
London at its best
This last week has reminded me of what an amazing place London is and how lucky we are to call her our hometown! I love that everything is always continually changing - I'm sure you could easily fill 365 days with entirely new activities every day. Since I have a rare full week just to enjoy life/not be at work I've been trying to make the most of it!
My 3 highlights of this week have been:
1) Aladdin the musical (oh my goodness go see it! Check out dayseat.com for how to enter their daily ticket draw if you're feeling lucky),
2) The ingenious Orbit Slide at the Olympic Park (30 seconds of super fast, super scary sliding time! £15 but £3 more gets you an annual pass - great for visitors and locals!) And lastly;
3) Kanada-Ya in Soho for ramen so good even Japanese folk seem not to mind queueing for it!
4 days til the big flight! That suitcase is still looking pretty empty though..!
My 3 highlights of this week have been:
1) Aladdin the musical (oh my goodness go see it! Check out dayseat.com for how to enter their daily ticket draw if you're feeling lucky),
2) The ingenious Orbit Slide at the Olympic Park (30 seconds of super fast, super scary sliding time! £15 but £3 more gets you an annual pass - great for visitors and locals!) And lastly;
3) Kanada-Ya in Soho for ramen so good even Japanese folk seem not to mind queueing for it!
4 days til the big flight! That suitcase is still looking pretty empty though..!
Monday, 5 September 2016
The Countdown
The packing has slowly started, I'm pleased to report! I keep thinking of new "must do's" however before I leave in exactly a week's time... Wish me luck!
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