A different sort of Christmas

So this year we spent Christmas abroad, a first for us. We spent 23rd - 27th in Lapland, which I would highly recommend to anyone who is a child, has a child or has ever been a child! It was magical despite Santa being away, busy on his deliveries ;)

In case, like I was, you're not actually sure where Lapland is, it's the Northern region of Finland, sort of like how Scotland is to the UK. Interesting fact: there are 200,000 reindeer there and only 6000 people! So you can imagine how remote it is.

If you're interested, we went on a package holiday deal which usually would make with writhe in terror at being prohibited whilst travelling, but it is an extremely difficult place to navigate around so actually I think this is probably the best way to do it! The great thing is all your meals are in place (our hotel was called the Davvi and excellent) and all activities and the necessary transport organised for you so it makes for a very relaxing week :) We rode reindeer, huskies and snowmobiles! We also learnt to ice-fish with a local which was cool in both senses!

Christmas Day was probably the highlight for me when around 5pm in the pitch black (as there is only 4 hours of daylight in the Arctic Circle at the moment) we saw the Northern lights whilst being pulled on a sleigh by a reindeer! To top it off I also convincingly saw shooting stars for the first time!

Santa Bread: clearly too artistic to eat!

So it was a very lovely Christmas but actually I wanted to talk more about the volunteering I did yesterday with Crisis UK.

Crisis is a charity that helps the homeless (http://www.crisis.org.uk/). Every Christmas time they set up week long centres from 24th - 30th so that homeless people can enjoy a week inside in the warm, with beds, showers, and three hot meals a day. They also provide them with services like medical check-ups, hair cuts and shaves, as give them new clothes and toiletries and help and advice on how to get accommodation.

I have actually previously tried to volunteer for two years, but the scheme is so popular in London I never managed to get a place! Determined this year I kept my eye out on the Crisis website from October and got my place on the last day (30th December) at the Rough Sleepers Centre.

I went to training a few weeks ago and remember being very excited afterwards. The people there were clearly down-to-earth, excited to volunteer too and essentially like-minded. However when it came to the night before I volunteered I actually felt very apprehensive. Originally I had hoped to volunteer with a friend but they had had to pull out. I even wondered whether I should continue for a moment. But I thought back to how long I had wanted to do this, and the silly doubts quickly subsided.

I worried though on my journey to the centre... would they resent me? What could I say to strike up conversation without being hurtful? Would they be aggressive or violent?

When I arrived I did feel slightly like a deer in headlights. But looking back it was 07:45 so no wonder why everyone looked groggy! After the morning briefing I was sent to man the dining area with a more experienced volunteer.

We essentially were standing outside doors smiling for a few hours, but you know what? It was great fun! We spoke to the guests as there was a lot of thoroughfare there and the lady I was with was fantastic with them which made me quickly at ease. Of course they were normal people. Why did I feel any fear at all I wondered? In fact they were very friendly and generally talkative, full of stories and different perspectives. I won't forget when one fairly elderly gentleman walked up to us and said thank you very much and gave us kisses! He wasn't the only one either. They were so grateful and though I knew I was doing really nothing, the efforts collectively Crisis goes through every year clearly were appreciated.

The charity (not a state I'm in)

After breakfast, one of the guests gave a thank you speech as it was the last day the Centre was being used. He himself had been a volunteer in previous years, but this year returned as a guest. His speech was very moving for us all. Apparently most of us are only three months away from homelessness, if you lose your salary/support. It makes you think when you hear it like that.

As the centre was closing there were some disputes, naturally - who would want to be pushed back on to the streets? But mostly, everyone was happy. In fact the gentleman I mentioned even became rather aggressive towards the other guests at one point. Such is the volatility of a vulnerable person. When we made a huge human chain to pass out all the clothes/equipment/tables/chairs from every floor of the building to the removal vans outside, he stood at the entrance to the centre, cheering us on. He was the last guest left but clearly enjoyed being there!

The few hours I spent with Crisis opened my eyes to a world I had never really let myself into. I am guilty of being one of those city dwellers who tends to be.. almost I think slightly afraid for some reason, when I used to see someone in the doorway of a shop, even when it is all too customary a sight... I don't know why. I guess it's fear of the unknown? My only interactions with such people is buying the occasional Big Issue from a street vendor or watching my father give money to them. Other than that I had never stopped to talk for prolonged lengths of time. But now I see of course these people are just like ourselves, just their situation less lucky, going through a difficult time, and in need of support, like we all are. It could happen to any of us.

When I got back I ran into the shower and straight to bed, exhausted. I now sit here with biceps slathered in analgesic ointment, and raring to go next year, hoping that I will be able to slot in more shifts with whatever Christmas schedule I may have. How lucky we are to have a shower, a bed and a roof to run back to whenever we wish.

In 2014, let's be more friendly towards our neighbours :)

Happy New Year!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas

So it's the tenth day of the twelfth month of possibly what feels like the shortest year of life so far..! 2013 seems to have passed me by... The other day I was thinking about what I've been up to for the last 11-and-a-half months to make it feel like so much less.

The year started off fairly quietly from what I remember (and hence the starting of this blog!), but deep behind the façade of calm was an inner fear that the exams our elders had always reminded us were the hardest of them all, were approaching. I trudged along, going into the various placements we had been sent to. The first one in January was a GP placement. Here I was allowed to have my own "clinics", getting to see patients for the first time by myself, before reporting back to a doctor. 

A particular highlight was helping to diagnose a patient with diabetes... It was a shock to them, I remember, and me too actually, as they had come in for a completely different problem, but one of the tests seemed to show that they were very likely to have diabetes. I remember she was scared, afraid to be labelled with this new diagnosis. I tried to explain that actually though it might not feel nice, it was better to have been "caught" early on rather than for example because diabetic complications had arisen. At least she could be treated and hopefully those complications be avoided. Rather ironically I remember guiltily having a doughnut that evening and thinking of this new diabetic patient. No one is perfect!

Who can say no to the Krispy Kreme factory after a hard day's work?!

In March, I commenced probably the one placement in medical school I always I would enjoy. But in fact it turned out to be a bit of an ordeal! Obstetrics and gynaecology ("O&G") deals with health and disease surrounding birth, and women. As I had previously spent an extra year studying for a BSc in Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, I had thought this field could be my calling. The reality however was very different to my expectations. Whilst I didn't mind the "G" side, the "O" left me even wondering for the first time, if medicine was always a good thing..

On day 1 of labour week I watched my first delivery. I remember feeling very odd. The mum-to-be was screaming in pain, and over the hours as I stood with her and her husband, the pain intensified and her anguish became understandably, more and more apparent. And yet, we all knew that the pain "had to be there", almost as though the pain was good, that pain was progress, for her and the baby. Fortunately her labour was fairly short, about 3 hours, and the instantaneous joy we all felt when that head popped out was a feeling I won't forget. She probably could have delivered at home, she required little pain relief and really the hospital provided her a safe, supportive environment but little else.

On day 2 however, I witnessed when delivery can go so wrongly. This time, this mum-to-be had delivered successfully with the help of forceps (an instrument to help the baby come out when it is struggling) but then suffered the most dreaded of complications of pregnancy: postpartum haemorrhage. I.e. massive bleeding after giving birth. 

It was a terrible sight. The baby was blissfully unaware, healthy and safe in her new father's arms. His face however was in shock. His wife was getting weak from the blood loss and she was briskly wheeled away to theatre, blood and equipment left on the floor of the empty room. I looked to him. We were the only ones left in the room. He burst into tears.

I went back and forth from theatre to his room, checking he was okay. Even today, I cannot imagine what he could have been feeling, his new family on the cusp on disappearing as fast as it had formed. 

I myself was battling away tears. I had never seen an emergency like this, and as the team fought on trying to stop the bleeding and transfusing in blood, I feared she might not make it. 

Fortunately she did. She was in ICU (intensive care unit) for a week, and her husband and new child lived in a side room on a ward whilst they waited for her recovery. Over the days she began to regain the ability to breathe for herself, and then speak. They named their child "Hope".  

This, and a collection of other anecdotes, made me quite certain I didn't feel the highs and lows of O&G could be for me.

In April I moved into a new place: the 13th floor of a halls of residence. I'd never lived anywhere so high up before, not even in a hotel from what I recall. The view from the window is lovely but the perpetual quietness was something I had to get used to. It was a new way of living for me. My flatmates are very nice, but we don't live as a "household" in the way my old housemates and I used to. Having no unit to come home to is what I miss, however the flip side was it was the perfect place to study and develop a newfound independence. 

The view from my room on a particularly spectacular evening in November

In May, I was sent to a hospital placement outside of London. An excuse to finally use the driving skills I apparently had but rarely used! I drove on a motorway for the first time and got used to a daily commute. I realised I actually quite enjoyed the long drives, which I now often do voluntarily - it's an opportunity to blast out music and sing and feel only slightly silly! :P

In June, the dreaded 5th year exams came like a storm, causing havoc to us all. And then leaving us to deal with the damage. That's what summer holidays are usually for, no?! Except this time, we only had two weeks, not a few months! A sign that soon we would have no "summer holidays" at all...

Our sixth and final year began in July. The start was a blur, most of us still reeling from the unrelentingness of the fifth year. (No sooner had we written our last exam, one of our Professors emailed us explaining when our next exam would take place!)

Hospital placements began again in August. I started with A&E which I loved. I have always enjoyed general medicine, and here I could see it being put in practice, at a fast pace, and sometimes even be a useful part of that process. "I'm Alex, a final year medical student" sounded odd and took some getting used to. "Final year" gives rise to expectations... you should be able to do some things, and you certainly should be able to recall a lot! The pressure was on.

Then in September I had probably my best placement in medical school. 2.5 weeks in the Shetlands! And it was during those weeks, that I realised that I was ready to move on. To leave London, at least for a while. I guess when you've lived in the same place you were born your whole life, you eventually yearn for new pastures! I had never thought I would, and I do still love London, but now feels right.

Unst, the Shetlands (where it's perfectly safe to walk on roads!)

So come October, when it was time to apply for our first jobs, London didn't appear in my top three choices at all. Instead I applied to the SouthWest/Bristol, Scotland and Oxford. Why such varied regions? For me, I didn't like the idea of going somewhere I didn't know at all... that would entail a bit too much risk! So instead, I opted for the regions of the UK I had often been to with my family when we were younger.

So the forms went in. I additionally applied to academic jobs (ones with teaching and research) which meant there was be the possibility of interviews to come. And they did: three back to back. Two so back to back that I travelled to Plymouth and straight up to Edinburgh in the next day! The third and last one took place exactly a week ago.

The wall of the bathroom of the Café where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter! (Interview trips to Edinburgh can have more than one purpose!!)

Preparing and going for the interviews was like applying to university all over again. Except this time, they were far less nice! Each 20-minute grilling was tough, but a great learning experience. Whatever the outcome, I feel I have made the right choice leaving my hometown. For now anyway!

So now it's back to concentrating on my placements and general revision for those dreaded Finals..! 

But Christmas is before that :P 

I hope you're enjoying the festivities - December is in my opinion, one of the best months of the year. People seem cheery despite the ever-darkening skies, you're allowed to eat a piece of chocolate/biscuit a day, shopping all of a sudden has an acceptable underlying purpose and you can plan all those resolutions you are SO going to stick to the following year! 

Happy Advent!

P.s. If you've made it to here, well done, you must be a good listener! :P

The Forks of Life

When you have not quite lived even a quarter of a century long, the journey of life up to this point for lucky folk, has seemed fairly straight forwards.

You go to school... you go to university... you get a job...

There are few questions about if's, but's or even when's along the way... it's more about the where and the what.

And it's only over the last few years, as many of my school friends finished their arts degrees, that I realised that as a result, we end up somewhat ill-prepared for what's to come: real life.

Unused to uncertainty, all of a sudden we feel like the ground has been taken away from our feet; the pathway no longer lit up for us.

Last week, all final year medical students around the country applied for their first jobs as "foundation year doctors". This involves essentially ranking all the areas (known as "deaneries") of the UK. We then take a test in December, and your overall ranking in the country determines which of the areas you get sent to. You would think we shouldn't have a problem - it's true, at least we are almost guaranteed a job, and the path couldn't be much clearer. But the amount of panic of having to contemplate being thrown to areas of the UK where light may not touch, was surprising even to those of us who pretend to be good at keeping calm. And even after the forms had been sent off, the panic in some seemed to linger.

Of course, I count myself as one of the panickers... wary of change, of what may come, where I might end up. But a wiser voice in my head says that what will come will come, and that actually it's quite exciting, maybe probably :)

I guess what I'm trying to say is, think of it not as an abyss... but the cusp... of something new, and therefore potentially good. And we don't have to know what that good thing is now, tomorrow, next year or the year after that. But remember at the end of the day, we're all in this life together :)

And hey at least it's a fork, not a knife... the other piece of cutlery that can change the course of life..!

...Adventures await!


“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.
Delicious Ambiguity.”  
― Gilda Radner

Never in a thousand years

...did I think I would be experiencing rural medicine in the Shetland islands... but here I am in "Lerwick" doing exactly that.

We had been asked a few months ago to choose where we would like to undertake a 3-week GP placement with the only criteria being that the placement had to be outside London. I decided I wanted to go to Scotland, a place that has always fascinated me somewhat... partly because we used to visit there fairly frequently and I love the Scottish accent but also because the people from there always seem so friendly! A placement was organised near Loch Lomond but unfortunately that practice later became unavailable. Still determined to go on my Scottish adventure, I asked to be put in touch with anyone else who might take me on. A few days passed with no sign of any joy (a few days is long in iPhone time!), but eventually an email came through; a GP in a place called Unst was willing have me visit.

I had never heard of Unst (have you?!), and when I google mapped this it became clear why... this was the most northerly isle of the Shetlands..i.e. of the U.K.! It was closer to Norway than London. Part of me was excited and part of me slightly unsure. I could see from the map this would not be an easy destination to get to. Would it be worth it I wondered?

It transpired that a student had visited this Practice a couple of years beforehand and I was put in touch with her. By coincidence I actually knew this student, now doctor, though I hadn't realised she had been on placement so far away. She convinced me and that was that: it's true this was probably a now-or-never situation!

My journey here was one I'll never forget. Hitchhiking through Argentina and speedboating through Laos were eye-openers but this was different in its own way! I first got myself to Aberdeen. From here I took an overnight 14-hour ferry. Even at check-in, I started to feel the stares... a Chinese girl clearly not from Aberdeen getting on a ferry to the Shetlands on her own? Then came the questions. First I met a retired man from Cornwall - he was a bike enthusiast, cycling all around Scotland as part of a retirement holiday. Then came Diesel. A Scotsman and biker - not a bicycle biker but a motobiker, complete with black leather jacket, long straggly hair and a Darth Vader like helmet. Now in London, my City girl senses would tell me to probably avoid conversation with such strangers but when you're on a ferry feeling seasick after forcing down pea soup, it's a whole lot more difficult to pretend to be in your own zone!!

Yep, the Shetlands is that red "A" balloon...! And yes they are closer to Norway than London!

"Two Questions: Do. You. SPEAK. ENNNNGLISH?" I could barely stop myself from laughing here despite my throbbing head. "I'm from London". He looked slightly blank before sitting down and asking "Do you want to speak?" I didn't really feel I had a choice as he was already on his seat and no-one was around. But against my irrational fears, he was perfectly nice (why wouldn't he be?!), just curious as to why someone as foreign-looking as myself would be onboard such a ferry..!
The conversation actually helped clear my headache and eventually I decided I had spoken long enough to be able to excuse myself politely. The rest of the night I tried to sleep in my "pod"; it was actually better than I anticipated though at times the sea did make me feel like a bobbing glass bottle longing to wash up on a shore somewhere.

Around 07:30 the next morning we docked in at Lerwick where I am now. It was a very grey, rather uninviting day. I was directed to the correct bus stop ready for bus journey number one. Fortunately an elderly couple from the Orkney islands heading to Unst were also waiting; I was very relieved I would be able to follow them on the next bus, then boat, then bus, then boat, and final bus!

The bus drove out of the small town into rolling countryside. Not like the green English countryside or the rocky Scottish highlands, but lots of brown undulating hills, what I know know to be composed of peat. (That stuff you learn about in geography but never truly understood..) The rain kept pouring. About an hour or so later we arrived at the North-eastern edge of the Mainland of Shetland. A ferry about half the size of the last one was pulling in. We huddled together in the bus shelter; another touristy-looking man joined us - a German, also heading to Unst. He clearly also was pleased to have met the couple who would be able to lead him there too!

We all got on the ferry where there was a surprisingly comfy seating area with a coffee machine and toilets. 20 minutes later we arrived in Yell: isle number two. What looked more like a big car than a mini bus was waiting for us at the shore. Had the couple not been there I probably wouldn't have trusted what appeared to be a man and his car! They seemed to think the arrangement usual and so I also hopped in along with the German. A young guy was already seated in the back - I recognised him as someone from the overnight ferry.

Our bus/car pulled away and I plucked up the courage to acknowledge I had seen him the night before. He concurred with a friendly smile and told me he was an engineering student from Aberdeen, visiting his mum who was the new practice nurse in Unst. I wondered if I would meet her in the following week..

8 minutes later we arrived to Unst, finally! The elderly couple were picked up by the daughter whilst the three of us boarded a mini bus - this one looked kosher. I had been instructed to tell this driver I was "staying with Jane" to which he nodded with supposed comprehension. We all sat in silence as we absorbed the place we would all call home, me for the next fortnight, them for the next few days. The other two both got off before me and we went our separate ways. I was dropped off at a bus stop - a very decorated one I will explain later - and "Jane" was waiting there as she said she would be. She drove me up the road to her house, a lovely quiet place full of trinkets she had collected from all her travels from exotic places I hadn't really heard of. I would be living in the extension next door. It was beautiful and immaculately clean, and far nicer than my dorm room in London!
The next ferry was now half the size of the last! I found it amusing it was called "Bigga". The seating area this time was very basic: wooden benches in the basement of the boat with a grotty probably-shouldn't-try-me-looking coffee machine. It all looked a bit war-time-esque but perfectly functional. Above the noise, I asked the German more about his reasons for heading towards this unlikely but clearly fairly popular Isle. He turned out to be a Gastroenterologist (Gut doctor) from Northern Germany. The world is so small and medics are everywhere! He seemed quite amused I was visiting the Shetlands for a placement but then agreed he also liked visiting odd islands for walking trips which is why he was there.

Since then it's been a bit of a whirlwind. I've definitely had my eyes opened wider than I had even expected they would be. The people, the lifestyle, the doctoring is all a far cry from that of London and the life akin to me. And now I'm back in Lerwick tonight staying with a kind doctor who agreed to show me the only hospital in the Shetlands tomorrow. My visit started earlier than we anticipated however as just after I arrived tonight there was an emergency transfer needed for a patient who had to been flown to Aberdeen. I went in the ambulance with them. It was my first time doing such a call and so all a bit exciting! The person was manoeuvred onto the tiniest plane I've seen and sent into the black night's sky on board with two doctors from the
"Retrieval Service".

The whole team were so friendly and keen to get me involved. In London, as a student you often feel completely in the way! After the event, the ambulance men then drove me back to the doctor's house where I'm staying. Where else on earth do ambulances transport you home?!

It's time like this when I feel I cannot deny that luck and fate and serendipity must exist.

And so the whirlwind (academic year) begins one final time...

So again much time has flown since my last post, but I have been having fun!

My final year is now in full swing and already I have completed my first placement of 3 weeks in A&E.

I unexpectedly loved every minute of this. It was extremely busy, and due to the NHS' 4 hour target for patients who come to A&E, everyone works quickly and there is little waiting around - something that marries well with my slightly impatient nature ;) I also got to do lots of practical procedures which will come in handy for next year when we will be let loose on the wards ourselves!

Since then, I have spent just a few days so far in an oncology (cancer) unit which has been very different. I have been moved by the stories of people whose lives have sadly been touched, and sometimes devastated, by what is I believe to be one of the most terrible conditions to experience, be it for the patient, their carers or their family and friends. Luckily, where I have been placed, is an excellent centre where the staff are truly excellent, and really quite inspirational. Likewise, I overheard a patient say the other day "what cannot be cured, must be endured" - and again I have been very much in awe of the resilience of those I have seen battling through their treatment and disease.

Enough medical talk - on a lighter note, though August is coming to an end, the sun is still revealing itself so I hope you have been making the most of this!

Further lighter notes / posts coming soon :)

Running away

So it is true it has been a while since I've written! However I have good reasons - I recently undertook my toughest exams to date, so I was working for those! Thankfully I was greeted with good news today and I'm through to my final months of medical school.

Having enjoyed a week of freedom and with one left only, I am keeping busy with teaching, writing (science-y stuff) and also running! I signed up to do a 5 mile run in the Olympic Park - now newly renamed the Queen Elizabeth II park next Sunday. During my revision, running actually became a nice stress reliever and I've discovered how much more I enjoy running outside than in a gym. Fresh air, beautiful views and occasionally, beautiful weather too :)

I guess I've also hit that age ("the mid twenties") where you begin to think that perhaps all that reading about exercise etc. should be put in practice, or at least that you should be attempting to practise what you preach!

Not a bad motivator when you're running

In other news, I can highly recommend both Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, and Matilda (the musicals). Roald Dahl, other than JK Rowling of course, was my favourite author as a child so I had to see them both! Also Matilda is a ridiculous £5 if you are 16-25 years old and willing to queue up at 9am in the morning at the Cambridge Theatre (more info in the link). It's worth the wait!

If I could only see one, I would narrowly choose Charlie over Matilda... but only because it's a story about chocolate :P

http://uk.matildathemusical.com/tickets/tickets-information/

An eye-opening Weekend

After finishing possibly my toughest 7-week attachment of medical school last week, I really needed an injection of rest and inspiration this weekend! Luckily the sunshine came out and I had exciting plans. I didn't realise I would end the weekend feeling quite so elated and inspired however!

Supper Club-bing
On Friday evening, I attended my first supper club run by an ex-investment banker turned chef. His story is very unusual - born into a Japanese/Italian family, brought up in Brazil, but educated in England, the word "international" certainly springs to mind. After quitting the job he hated, he decided to do what he really loved: cooking. He went to the world-renown Cordon Bleu school and after that set up a Japanese and French supper club in his home. Supper Clubs, in case you haven't heard of them yet, are a fairly recent addition to the London food scene and essentially are like little restaurants run in people's homes.

What I found impressive was how one person could be the restaurant manager, advertiser, head chef, sous chef, waiter and host all in one!

I also left really quite in admiration for someone who clearly had a true passion, but also was brave enough to follow that passion. Which means learning, training, cooking, testing and tasting for hours on end and only then being able to contemplate the idea of housing 27 people in your home for 3 nights a week, and preparing for days more besides. The precision and attention to detail that transforms home-cooking into gourmet food also gave me food for thought..!

If you're intrigued, I would highly recommend banding a few friends along to http://www.thelondonfoodie.co.uk/p/the-london-foodie-supper-club.html

Alternatively there are many supper clubs (for all kinds of cuisines) listed here:
http://www.edibleexperiences.com/search/United%20Kingdom/London/popups/Sub-category/Supperclubs

TEDMEDLive at Imperial College 
Today I attended TEDMEDLive at Imperial (my university). TED is an initiative that was set up in the U.S. to provide a platform for innovative, talented people on the forefront of their fields to air their thoughts to a wide audience. Usually they run day events comprising of short lectures which are also streamed live on the internet. They have a very strong following and though I had heard much of the hype, I'm not much of a internet video watcher. Then I heard TEDMEDLive (TED but focussing on ideas relating to medicine) was coming to the first time to the UK, and was conveniently was being organised by my own medical school.

The event was actually held at the Royal Geographical Society, a little known but beautiful building next to Imperial's South Kensington campus. Once inside, even I, slightly sleepy from an early start, couldn't help but feel a little excited by buzzing atmosphere.

The talks began - most live, and some on video, picked from recent TED events in the U.S.

Every speaker captivated the audience, masterfully engaging with us with their sometimes theatrical-like performances whilst also clearly and simplistically demonstrating their ideas, thoughts or research.

We heard about steps were being taken into complete organ generation from stem cells - imagine if you needed a kidney transplant, and you could have one made to order! There was a performance from an Anaesthetist who writes and sings very successfully as part of the group the Amateur Transplants - they wrote the song London Underground which you may have heard. (YouTube it if not..!) We heard about 'crowd funding' - an idea where the public could help pay for research, rather than large pharmaceutical companies who tend only to be interested in research that will in the long term be (very) profitable for themselves. A paramedic from Israel described how he set up a community-led ambulance service so someone who requires a health team are seen to on average within 3 minutes by locals who have been trained in medical basics. We also heard from a gay man who told us his journey from being repressed by his family in an age when homosexuality was thought to be an "illness" to now writing for a prominent national American newspaper, and has helped spread the word about many discriminated groups (from those with learning difficulties to the deaf community) who are in part thanks to him, becoming more accepted in society.

All in all, the event was truly inspirational. The talent was almost palpable in that room. And I am so grateful to have witnessed it.

All the lectures will be Live on the internet soon. I encourage you to be part of the TED movement :)
http://www.ted.com/

I'll put the links to some of my favourite talks from the day here when they are made available!

The Anaesthetist who also sings (hilarious) medically-related songs. One half of the band the Amateur Tranplants.

Exactly what it says...!

No-need-to-bake Novelty cakes

I love birthdays. They are an excuse to celebrate, to come together and for me, to bake!

But when time's precious, you need short cuts that still yield great results... so instead you can shop buy a pre-made cake, and spend your time with just the decorating! I'm all for quick but effective results in desperate times! Plus, it's super fun ;)

Here are some thoughts if you want to have a go yourself, with photos of a cake I made for my Dad.
Go on, give that inner creativity an airing!

The aim
To create a unique cake that doesn't take too long to put together

Getting started
Think about what you want to create - if it's for someone, what do they enjoy? Books, a sport?, music? If it's for an event, is there a theme? Or something symbolic that everyone will understand?
- My Dad is a keen table tennis player, so I wanted to make a cake that looked like a table tennis table! 

Gathering ideas 
Google images = quick inspiration!

Whatever the idea, someone in the world has probably already attempted something similar, unless your idea truly is extraordinary! So see what's been tried and tested, and pick out your favourites to refer to later. You could amalgamate some of your favourite ideas or just recreate what you see!

When you're doing your weekly shop, it's also a good idea to stop by the bakery and have a look at the novelty and celebratory cakes - pick up their cake order catalogue and perhaps even the supermarket magazine. Also have a wander down the baking isle, so you know what's available to you. Visualising the ingredients can help with the design process. 

The results of searching "table tennis table cake" on Google images - clearly I wasn't the first to come up with such an idea!

Design the cake 

Either in your head, or draw it (DT project style!) - be prepared to be flexible in case something does work out or you don't manage to find certain items.

Learn the skills you'll need (in minutes) to create your design to the best of your abilities - don't be phased! Where there's a will, there's a way. 

Quick videos are a great and easy way to learn. Just google "how to.... + video"

E.g. For how to make person from icing

http://cake-decorating.wonderhowto.com/how-to/make-person-out-sugar-paste-ready-use-icing-362651/

THE PROCESS IN ACTION: The Table Tennis Table Cake
I actually did bake a carrot cake for this base, but you could easily buy ready-made loaves!
- I wanted a double layer cake so I stacked 2 small rectangles, using peach jam (heated so it softens) to hold them together. Ready-made cakes tend to either be circular or cuboidal, so you may need to chop and rearrange them to form the shape you'ld like.


'Ingredients':
- Green ready to roll icing - comes in a block which after a little kneading, feels like plasticine! Roll out with a rolling pin
- White squeezy icing - (the equivalent to making icing and putting it into a icing bag)
- Coloured writing icing squeezy tubes
- Mesh from a tangerine bag (for the net!)
- Champagne bottle candles: 2 to hold up the 'net' and the other 4 to surround the cake

Transforming design into cake

For the green table surface: Green ready to roll icing
Rolling out the icing - if you have one of these rubber rollable sheets (the blue thing), they are fantastic as after you've finished rolling you can transfer the icing straight on to the cake, peeling the rubber sheet away. If not, don't worry you can of course still transfer the icing to the cake, you just need to be very careful! Use a sharp knife to slice away any excess at the edges.

For the white lines: White designer icing
This squeezy icing came with 3 different nozzles which were great - practise icing on a chopping board before you try on the cake! 

The candles - every birthday boy or girl needs to blow out candles!
Large bottomed candles like these can be held in place with half a toothpick. I use a sharp knife to scrape a little hole into the bottom of the wax before poking the toothpick in.

& For the little details - Coloured writing icing
These are great for decorating pretty much anything - biscuits, a gingerbread house, cupcakes... they are easy to use and last a long time too. I used these for the lettering, piped over the white squeezy icing, as well as for the tops of the table tennis bats (see below). 

...The finished product *drum roll*!

For the bats I used the excess green icing to form (for each bat) a flat oval, and a little handle, which I placed on the cakes. I coated these green bats in the white squeezy icing, and then used the coloured writing icing on top of that. I used the same method for the white ball.

I have to admit I am quite proud of myself for coming up with this net idea! It's made from the mesh from a tangerine bag which I coated in the white icing to make more sturdy. I then taped it to the two champagne bottle candles, which are held in place with toothpicks (see above).

It went down well :D


Other quick fix cakes
- Globetrotter cake

This was for my brother's birthday as he is going to South America soon. At the time he was thinking of going to Venezuela (hence the flag) - ignore where I placed the red spot (Ecuador!) - he is now going to neither of those countries but will still be going to the right continent! The black blob is actually him (close up photo to come), with hiking poles (toothpicks) and a backpack.

The sea was ready-made buttercream, which I dyed with blue food colouring - the buttercream naturally comes out wave-like if you don't smoothen it down too much! The land masses were made from ready-to-roll green icing which I bought as part of a multi-pack (see below) so it came with the red, yellow, blue and black icing I used for the flag and person - very handy. & The cake was pre-bought so this was dead easy!

- Snake cake for Chinese New Year 2013

If you've read my older posts you may recognise this Snake! All details and how to make it are in my first blogpost: A New Year, a New Blog 

Useful tools for quick-fix cakes: best found in large supermarkets

• Ready-made undecorated cakes / loaves for the base unless you want to go the extra mile and also bake your base! Think about the colour of the cake itself - what do you want the inside to look like? Or could you use the colour as part of your design e.g. Battenburg (see above's snake cake)
• Ready to roll coloured icing - comes in white and usually green, blue, yellow, red
• Ready to roll coloured icing mixed pack - 5 small blocks in black, yellow, green, blue and red - perfect for making little decorations: http://www.oetkeronline.co.uk/products/Ready-to-Roll-Coloured-Icing.html
• Ready to roll marzipan - usually comes only in white or golden
• Ready made buttercream - pale yellow/cream in colour but you can easily dye it with food colouring
• Food Colouring - careful when you handle these as they stain everything! - better quality brands come out more boldly
• Squeezy tubes of colouring - usually come as a pack of 4 different colours
• Ready made decorations: sprinkles, silver balls etc
• Candles - in the shape of numbers, letters, champagne bottles... 
• Fruit - great for adding sofisticated colour (and health!) 
• Chocolate - drop / buttons / bars .... can be melted / made into shavings / stuck on as they are..!
• Ribbon (for the cake knife if nothing else!)

Think outside your usual kitchen toolbox... some unlikely tools:

• Cotton buds - snipped in half, become a pipette for colouring!
• Toothpicks - good for adding fine details, and holding candles, fruit or anything soft into the cake!
• Something metal with a sharp point, for smooth cutting of icing
• Cardboard cut outs or little toys can replace icing decor if it's too fiddly 

Happy caking!

Spring is here

So apparently today is meant to be the warmest day since September.

Isn't it funny how a drop of sunshine can make everything seem better?! I love it when it's so bright you have to close your eyes and just feel the warmth on your face :)

Enjoy it whilst it lasts!

The view from my new room :)

"Cake" without the egg, butter or oven!

The current me is intrigued with microwave-cake-in-a-cup recipes.

I have seen some funny things being put in microwaves in the past... wet crockery to dry it, scrambled cheesy egg... but never cake until now!

It started off with this recipe which surprisingly for BBC Good food isn't very good (I agree with the reviews in that I don't think their photo accurately depicts what the recipe is meant to make..!):

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8047/

The result is something that looks appetising, but unfortunately tastes bland and quite rubbery. I have played around with the recipe but have yet to make something I would serve others. Here are some of those attempts: 

It's lots of fun watching the mix rise out of you cup (as you can see I was using progressively taller ones) - but the recipe doesn't quite cut it at the moment. Feel free to investigate and prove me wrong! :)

--

Today, I was eggless but feeling creative/bored/procrastinating and so decided to google my luck.

And of course there was an eggless, microwaveable sponge..! http://www.animalaid.org.uk/h/n/CAMPAIGNS/vegetarianism/ALL/1173//

Most have butter (which I didn't have) but this one uses oil (which I did). 

If you're wondering why I'm so destocked, I am moving soon and so have been doing my best to empty the fridge and cupboards!

Here's my tweaked recipe:

• 2 heaped tablespoons self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 heaped teaspoon sugar
• 100ml water
• 1 tablespoon oil
• Dollop of chocolate sauce / jam / golden syrup / go wild!
• Drizzle of honey if using chocolate sauce / you want extra sweetness

If you put all those things into a small bowl / large mug (in that order) and stir as you go along eventually you'll have a runny dough-like mix.

Now zap it into a 850W microwave for about 3.5minutes and out pops your perfectly round "cake"! 

Scoop out of your bowl/cup and place on a plate so you can marvel / instragram at what you've made.

I admit it's not quite the fluffy texture of cake but it's really not bad when you're craving something sweet and have no time nor ingredients! Alternatively, a quick party trick ;) 

Happy microwave-cake-perfecting!

For more microwave fun (all on my to test list!), check out:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/arielknutson/delicious-snacks-in-a-mug

Thanks Ivy for this link!

Perfect Scones

To be eaten with perfectly clotted cream and your favourite jam 

Over Easter we visited the Cotswolds, which I am pleased to report, is pretty, and also peppered with tea rooms. I have never seen so many places offering simple good old tea, cake and scones! Of the probably too many that we visited, Badgers Hall tea room in the beautiful village of Chipping Campden (I don't know how they came up with that name!) stood out for the biggest and crumbliest scones, which were so big and crumbly that they were devoured (by my family) before I could even get a photo of them!

I was inspired to have a go myself when we returned and found a recipe online by the original baking Queen, Mary Berry. (If one could choose a 3rd grandmother, she would be mine I think!)  

In the process of making them, I learnt a few things: fresh scones can never again substitute shop-bought ones, they only take 30mins to make (though they should be left to cool for a couple of hours to really be perfect), and also don't seem so bad for you; these ones only use about a tablespoon of butter and sugar to make 6 so potentially everyone's a winner if you don't spread on tooooo much cream and jam..!

RECIPE 
(Makes 6 scones - of course you could double up the recipe but remember these are best eaten on the day they're made!)

Ingredients

• 225 Self-raising flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (for extra oomph and featheriness)
• 30g butter or Benecol
• 25g sugar
• 1 egg
• 110ml milk

How to make

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees 

• Add the baking powder to the flour

• Add the butter - use your fingers to rub it in until you can no longer see the butter

• Add the sugar - mix with a wooden spoon 

• Separately, beat the egg in a measuring jug with a fork; add the milk directly to this and mix

• Pour egg-milk mix into dry ingredients

• Mix well so you have a wet and slightly stiff mixture

• Dollop equally into a muffin tin

• Bake for 15 mins

• Turn up the heat to 220 degrees and bake for another 5 mins

• Cool down (for at least 2 hours) with a tea towel on top to retain moisture - this step might test your patience but it really is crucial. The cooling allows the scones to stiffen a bit more, otherwise the texture can be a little cake-y, trust me! 

• Before consumption (ideally on the day), warm gently in the oven again for 5 minutes at 220 degrees - this also gives the outside the finishing touch of a gently crunchy outer coat.

Et voila! 

Enjoy with clotted cream and a jam/spread to suit your sweet tooth :)

Unless you're in the West Country, Rodda's clotted cream is probably the best around. 

Instead of jam, I also love Clément Faugier Chestnut spread that is found all over France but can be bought in our supermarkets too. I would imagine Nutella probably works very well too... what doesn't work with Nutella..?! 

• http://www.roddas.co.uk/clotted-cream
• http://www.waitrose.com/shop/ProductView-10317-10001-53362-Clément+Faugier+chestnut+spread+vanilla

Mary Berry's website features lots of other exciting looking recipes:

• http://www.maryberry.co.uk/recipes/baking/devonshire-scones

Discovering Art

Post Easter art musings
Though I have always been one to try, I am not much of an artist! I do appreciate art however, and have found that with age I grow more and more interested in a world that once seemed quite alien to me. In particular, I have found that occasionally I find pieces that move me, in the way that music or a chance meeting can, and so I guess what I'm saying is even if you don't think art is your thing, give it a try. Discovery tends only to come with exploration.

Living in London, we are really spoilt when it comes to art.

Most recently I have visited the "Lichtenstein: A Retrospective" at the Tate.

If you're not sure of the name, Roy Lichtenstein's works will probably help ring some bells - an American 'pop' artist of recent times (1923 - 1997), he was catapulted to fame by his signature comic-strip panels.

Look Mickey, 1961 - my favourite of the exhibition 

Hopeless (1963) - I like the way the capitalised text and bold highlighting make this kind of cartoon all the more amusing when out of context. It is also so recognisably "Lichtenstein".

Pop art, in case you're not entirely sure (which I wasn't!), was an art movement / period, that began in the '50s in Britain and the US. The idea was to take objects and images from popular culture (mainly from television, films, magazines and advertising) as well as everyday objects and put them in a different context giving them a new light and sometimes a new meaning entirely. Lichtenstein mainly did this with cartoons and comic strips, but also used everyday items, and in his later stages actually used pre-existing artwork as his central theme for a new piece. He even used some of his own earlier works as subjects for later pieces, like the Donald duck in the piece below which we have already seen.

Artist’s Studio “Look Mickey”’ (1973) - this work features lots of items that Lichtenstein had already previously painted separately such as the mirror on the left, the Look Mickey painting, and the fruit on the floor

The exhibition was a real eye-opener for me. Though I was familiar with some of Lichtenstein's more famous works, I had not known that actually these well-known pictures were in reality much larger than the little images I had seen, and to be appreciated you need to see them the way in which they were painted. Only then do you notice all the little details that Lichtenstein carefully incorporated to his works in order to make them completely perfect and effortless. This differs to I think a lot of classical paintings, which though impressive, can still be appreciated when they are sized-down.

What I found quite startling too was that even by today's standards, his works still look original, witty and thoroughly modern.

My favourite room of the exhibit focusses on works featuring Chinese landscapes. The Oriental scenery is clear to the viewer but the techniques he has used make the pieces look almost digital in effect - to the point that actually they don't translate so well on a computer screen, as you can see below. Can you spot the boater? Once you have, all of a sudden the wide expanse of black dots on pale blue have a meaning. It's little ideas like this so masterfully put together that make Lichtenstein the talent that he is celebrated for.

Landscape with Boat (1996) - try covering up the boater and see what you make of the scene without him.  
The dots, which feature heavily in Lichtenstein's works, are known as Ben-day dots after the illustrator who invented the printing technique.

I won't spoil any more of the surprises in store but hope you will enjoy the exhibit as much as I did... twice!


Lichtenstein: A Retrospective is at the Tate Modern until 27th May 2013
http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/lichtenstein

Rosemary Lane

9 Courses to celebrate a Very Important Quarter of a Century 

Lots of celebrations seem to have fallen very closely together this year for us - there was Chinese new year, then my Mum's 50th, my parents' silver wedding anniversary last weekend and now Mother's day... so my Mum is certainly enjoying herself!

Today's post is about a gem of a restaurant called Rosemary Lane, which is where we celebrated my parents being together for 25 years. 

It's an unassuming name, for an unassuming restaurant in a very odd location. Though it is about a 10-minute walk from Tower Bridge, the immediate vicinity is quiet and residential, with very little in the way of shops or really any reason to head there. When thinking about where would be suitable for our celebration though, I had remembered a friend having a many course meal there for a special occasion who had mentioned it, and lots of reviews seemed to agree this was a place worth journeying to. 

I have to add that we do not frequently eat meals of such quantities though my blog thus far may seem otherwise - certainly I am a foodie, and any Chinese person who denies their love for food would raise eyelids - but sometimes big celebrations call for an expansion of the stomach!

Cristina, the chef, originally from and trained in the States, runs this little restaurant from what I can see is a clear passion for food, and good food at that. She sources her ingredients mainly from Borough Market and on Saturday's if there is enough demand will offer a tasting menu. Depending on what is in season and available dictates what she decides to masterfully rustle up. 

We spoke over the phone several times in the upcoming week to iron out details of meal - I love the personal touches that smaller establishments can offer you so that you can organise something perfect! She catered for our dietary requirements and was happy for us to arrive a little ahead of the couple to put up some balloons.

The evening finally came and we were greeted by two friendly waiters. The restaurant was small and had no diners yet at 7pm on a Saturday, but it was cosy and inviting. Though other diners later did arrive, it is true to say without our party of 10 it probably would have been a very quiet evening! The intimate settings were perfect for us however.

The menu was laid before us and we were all very excited to dig straight in - clearly a lot of thought and imagination had gone into it.

Each course was wonderfully fresh and innovative. It was quite unlike anything I had seen or tasted before. We started with four starter courses, mainly being vegetable-based - but that doesn't mean bland or unexciting - quite the contrary; the menu was littered with very unusual ingredients and techniques, the sort you have to google! And with courses like Crab claw salad, what's not to like?! 

The waiters were attentive and the place lovely and quiet so we could hear each other 'ooh' and 'ah' at each dish. And when the starters made us feel surprisingly semi-full, we were given an Intermezzo fruit drink in preparation for the main courses - like your interval at a concert!

The two main courses were more substantial - a prawn and chickpea tomato stew, and then my what turned out to be my favourite dish - duck confit pie with parsnip mash that was a smooth as the inside of a Lindor truffle.

At this point I was definitely feeling full, but when you know there is only one course left, it's got to be had. Plus, dessert is dessert!

The dessert, strawberry and rhubarb fool, came out in quaint little glasses and really had that wow factor. The talking quickly subdued and all that could be heard were the chinking sounds of teaspoons scraping the bottoms of the glasses..!

Finally, to bring the evening to a complete end we enjoyed tea with an anniversary cake (also excellent!) bought from Paul - we each managed a slither because you just can't have a special occasion without a cake..!   

I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking but if you have a special occasion coming up, give Cristina at Rosemary Lane a ring ;) Details at the bottom of the page. 

(Sorry about the darkness in some of the photos - still learning how to use the new camera!)

Oh and Happy Mother's Day! Hope you have spoilt her rotten :D

Our Menu

The Menu detailing the 9 courses - reading it felt like waiting for a show to begin!

The Starters I - IV

i) Cauliflower and lemon zest veloute

ii) Blue Crab Claw Salad with soft herbs

iii) New season asparagus speaks wrapped in prosciutto and melon thyme mayo (Simple but just perfectly put together - the melon and mayo really made this something else!)

ix) Fresh garden pea, mint and spring onion flan with a little salad of daikon, mange tout and beetroot (This was very interesting in flavour and texture - the flan turned out to be like a not-quite-solid vegetable puree which tastes better than I am describing, promise!)

x) Mushroom banana shallot target, lemon creme fraiche

The Intermezzo

xi) Intermezzo Frappee (delicious!)

The Mains

xii) Sauteed prawns, Romano pepper and chickpeas in a plum tomato and cilantro sauce

xiii) Duck leg confit pie with parsnip mash (my favourite dish of the night - so comforting and yet light)

Dessert(s!)

ix) Strawberry and rhubarb fool (as beautiful for the mouth as it is to the eye)

And we thought we were full...!

And because no celebration is complete without cake...

x) The light and beautifully layered "La Framboisier" from the French patisserie chain Paul (also found in France so they are the real deal!) - if the 9 course meal hasn't been so impressive, this could have easily been the highlight - definitely the cherry on top of the iced cake!

Mum and Dad, here's to another glorious 25 years! ♥♥ 

Restaurant:
Rosemary Lane, 61 Royal Mint Street E1 8LG 

http://www.rosemarylanerestaurant.co.uk/
A la carte lunch and dinner Monday - Friday
Tasting Menu's on Saturday evenings by request
Closed Sundays

Patisserie:

Paul, all around London: http://www.paul-uk.com/