The land of a thousand smiles

The flight to Bangkok took just over 2 hours. We breezed through immigration and quickly arrived at the airport lobby where our guide was due to meet us. He arrived late (or perhaps we didn't see him) but soon we were speeding down a Bangkok highway towards the crowded city centre.

The evening air was slightly warmer than I would have liked. But we had a fantastic dinner at one of the restaurants near our hotel comprising steamed fish and Tom Yum Soup.  In fact, in retrospect, the meal we had that day was probably the best among our 4 days of travel.

Sambal Kangkong, Tom Yum Kung, Steamed Fish, Green chicken Curry at  "Ban  Khun Mae" Restaurant

We planned to visit the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Chinatown on our first day. From our hotel at Siam Square, we took the skytrain to Saphan Taksin ferry terminal, planning to take the ferry up north. To our slight surprise, we were met with dozens of other tourists at Saphan Taksin. Evidently, this was a popular route.

The view of Chao Praya river from the river cruise

The Grand Palace, an impressive sight from the Chao Praya river, appeared even more awe-inspiring up close. Although smaller in size compared to other royal abodes, the majestic, gold-tiled buildings and abundant flora conveyed a quiet and peaceful charm amidst the oppressive heat and even more oppressive tourist crowd. A moment was spent in quiet introspection within the Wat Phra Kaew, or the temple of the emerald Buddha, before we headed out for a stroll in the palace grounds, admiring the Buddhist murals that covered the inner walls of the palace.

The majestic Wat Phra Kaew, which houses the emerald Buddha

The Phra Thinang Chakri Maha Prasat, which serves as a throne hall, at the Grand Palace.

We recharged with cola and coconut juice at the cafe near the palace exit as we completed our tour, then headed to a nearby restaurant where we had our fill phad thai/ grilled pork rice amongst other dishes. A walk around the palace brought us to Wat Pho, where we admired the giant Reclining Buddha amidst peaceful surroundings.

The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho

Close-up of one of the feet of the Reclining Buddha.
The feet showcase a total of 108 auspicious symbols of Buddha.

From Wat Pho, it was a simple matter of taking the next ferry from Tha Thien down to Ratchawong where we could alight and explore Chinatown. 

People alighting from the cross-river ferry at Tha Thien ferry terminal

Wat Arun, or temple of the dawn, as seen from Tha Thien ferry terminal

What I do when I am not working

I started this year a bit apprehensive but slightly hopeful. I have been really thankful how the year has turned out so far - for reasons that are beyond my control.

For these very same reasons I have a finite but still sizeable amount of time at my disposal when I am not working. Obviously, this time is extremely valuable and is not to be squandered in the manner of my medical student days.

I still squander it though, through the following means:

1. Sleeping.

2. Eating fast food.

3. Reading non-medical books.

4. Making weekly reports on my duty hours.

5. Sleeping some more.

Not exactly a life of wisdom, but I digress.

Some may argue that items (1) and (5) are repetitions of the same thing, but I assure you that sleeping takes a whole new meaning after starting work. 

Item no. (2) is a rather unwelcome addition to my list of "hobbies" which usually begins during the euphoric period immediately post-call, but is immediately followed by anguish and regret. 

"Jogging" and "going to the gym" used to be on my list of hobbies but they have long given way to the above newly named items on the list.

Unfortunately, I do not lead a very healthy lifestyle.

Transition

Almost a month into my first IM rotation and I am starting to get the hang of things. Things are not perfect but the routine has set in, and I am glad I did a bit of orthopaedics which is handy in ways you least expect it - recurrent falls, osteoporosis, analgesia etc. are seen quite a bit here.
The obvious deficiency in my training would be the general surgery rotation. And these conditions actually pop up in GM patients when I least expected it. Cholecystitis, bowel perforation, HBS sepsis, peptic ulcer disease, BPH - you name it, we got it. It is times like these that I feel occasionally, grossly inadequate. But there is a first time for everything.
On the bright side, my first month in IM has been hugely enjoyable with a team with supportive colleagues and pro-teaching consultants. The transition from orthopaedics to GM has been made much easier because of these reasons.
Between scurrying around during working hours, and pondering what to do with my precious rest time, the hours turn into days and months. In retrospect, time flies - perhaps a little too fast for my liking.

Chocolates..

..Still are my favourite food when I am not losing my voice.

Swiss Chocolate

One of my favourites comes from Switzerland with an attractive packaging:

This cost less than 2 Swiss Francs. I finished the whole packet and threw away the whole packaging, unfortunately.

Many of the Swiss chocolates can still be found in Singapore, albeit at a less affordable price.

Not for your everyday consumption. Unless you are super rich.

German chocolate

No doubt the Swiss aren't the only ones who make chocolate. One particular German brand is particularly big in Singapore: 

Kinder Surprise 

Kinder Bueno. I am not exactly a fan due to the cheesy advertisements.

Kinder chocolate (a very sweet variation) seems to me a recent addition:

A bit too sweet for my liking

This is one of the more interesting packaging I've found for the Kinder brand. Haven't seen this locally, but probably didn't search hard enough:

I only liked the milk chocolate!

Italian Chocolate

Also dislike the advertisements. The chocolates taste good though.

My favourite chocolate spread. Unfortunately too expensive/ sinful for my regular consumption.

Belgian chocolate

Popular and inexpensive present for those last minute gifts.

"British" Chocolate

Most of Cadbury chocolate sold in Singapore are not made in Britain.
They are made in Australia. My favorite chocolate. The type that makes me ill.

Australian "Chocolate"

More like chocolate biscuits, eating these always makes me ill. Moderation is key.

American chocolate

Truly a classic. I almost never buy it anymore because of the exorbitant price nowadays.

Please do not take the above article seriously. It is not meant to promote chocolate consumption. Excessive consumption of chocolate has empirically proven to cause insomnia and loss of appetite. Consumption in moderation is recommended.