2010 - a good year to friendship

Just like how 2010 marks the crossing of the decade from the noughties (2000-2009) to the tens (2010-2019), the year also sees me crossing several lines, for better or for worse, in my life. At the end of 2009, I wrote a post listing nine significant moments in my life that occurred in the year. While it seems natural that I should be listing 10 significant moments that has occurred in 2010 by way of reflecting the year, I think I'm gonna re-examine the year by writing about the changes that have happened, either by fate or choice, during the year.

To say that 2010 has been a stagnant year would be inaccurate because it sure has gone by in a blink of an eye. Back when I was young, there was this fear among my friends and I that time moves faster when we're nearing the end of the world but there are also those who say time moves a lot faster when you're enjoying yourselves. 2012 is coming nearer and despite whatever people are saying, if indeed the end is gonna come, that gives us all even more reason to enjoy our lives.

Have I enjoyed 2010? I would say yes. It has not been without its own trials and challenges but it does have its good moments that I'd never want it to be different in most ways.

The first half proved to be slightly monotonic and stagnant with me just continuing life as a second year medical student and winter term was one hell of a hectic period with the deadlines on both my Patient Study and my Student Selected Component assignments. While I almost failed to hand in my Patient Study in time (thanks to the printer who chose to go bonkers), I managed to earn satisfactory grades accordingly to the effort I put in enough to make me feel happy.

My Easter holiday was spent moderately with no extravagant trips involving any cruise crossing any borders to any foreign lands using foreign languages. While I was kinda sad with the idea, I did travel up to Edinburgh and that marked my first foray into Scotland, the land of bagpipes and quilts. I also went down to Leeds for a day to hang out with OB the housemate.

Having 'educational' fun at the Thackray Medical Museum

with one of the canons in Edinburgh Castle

fooling around in Camera Obscura

One change I did early March was that I cut my hair so short it was the shortest I've ever had ever since I can to the UK. After almost over a year sporting shoulder-length and straightened hair, I decided to revert back to my short curly hair which shocked most of my friends because they've never seen me that way. I'm now back to my shoulder-length style and I'm thinking of trying out some new style but I don't think it'd bode well with the professionalism code of conduct in a hospital setting.

I doubt I'll go that short again anytime sooner

April was the time for the annual Newcastle Malaysian Night and being the good member of the society that I was, I took part in two performances like I did back in 2009. Again, I took part in the customary opening performance of Dikir Barat and the Malay dance for which we did the Joget. I was never a committed performer but I have never shied away from any challenges and having co-produced and 'My Fair Lady' back when I was doing my IB and performed in Malaysian Night 2009, I actually enjoyed being on stage. You can read more about the night here and here.

May came in with the usual buzz of exam and the not-so-usual IBS. Irritable bowel syndrome, that is. Few days before the exam, as I burnt the midnight oil to finish my revision, I had to go through a very excruciating colicky stomach pain and it persisted for a day to a point I was so scared I went to the hospital after the usual dose of pain-killers proved not to be working. You can read abou my experience here. Being ill certainly wasn't the best thing especially when it was during exam time. Having said that, I successfully managed to pass my final exam despite not finishing my revision and the fact that I only went to bed at around 5 in the morning on the night (morning) of the exam which was why I was extremely happy about it because one of he first thing I heard about the second year final exam was that it was the toughest of all the five years and if one were to fail a year in the medical school, most would experience it in their second year. I was glad I was not part of that statistic and passing the second year marked my crossing from the theoretical world of medicine into the realm of clinical practice. Yay!

Summer holiday brought the relatively mild summer and I for the first time decided, involuntarily, to not go home. It was recession and tickets during summer time were exorbitantly expensive and that made 2010 the first year in which I didn’t get to see my family at all.

As sad as it was, I would say I had a great summer spending it with Java and Surein every single day baking cakes and cupcakes as if I was on a mission to get diabetes in thirty days or having barbecues by the lake or watching the World Cup at home or at the pub when they were England’s matches.

Watching the matches at the bar, taking in all the excitement emanating from the raucus and avid fans of England’s supporters as they cheered at England’s attempts at scoring or booed and swore at the blunders made by the players was certainly a joy in itself. We naturally didn’t support England but we pretended to cheer along just to make sure we wouldn’t get in any trouble =p.

2010 also saw me going to my first fun fair ever! I know it sounds really sad but hey, I'm really happy to say that the first fun fair I went to was the Hoppings, Europe's largest travelling fun fair. Wasn't one for a coward, I went on the 'Bomber Mark 2' Booster Maxx Ride, the tallest and fastest in the entire world, standing at 55metres tall and moving at 83mph fast. Let's just say I had the most thrilling 5 minutes of my life!

the 'Bomber Mark 2; Booster Maxx Ride

the crew - Insi, Surein, Moi, Java, Chie =p

July saw me going down to London for the third time and it was my longest stay ever down in London. While I did the usual touristy endeavours of visiting famous places of attractions like St Paul's Cathedral, the British Museum, Tate Modern and as such, I also went to see the 2010 London Gay Pride where I was asked to be a model for a photoshoot. Errr, no thanks! Click on the links if you're interested to read more about my visits but what I really like about the trip was how I spent every afternoon going to St Paul's Cathedral to join many Londoners just sitting and lying on the grass as we had our lunch while reading magazines or novels with the sun shining brightly above us. It was a good way to relax during the summer after one hell of a hectic academic year!

Autum came with a flurry of things all happening at pretty much about the same time going through them all made me feel like time flew soooo much faster. August saw me turning 22 on its first day and Surein gathered some of the Malaysians who were not going back home and still in Newcastle to come knocking on my house door with a cake by way of a surprise. While I loved the effort for the surprise, I was just glad of growing up a year older. Birthday was more of a personal reflective time rather than celebratory for me.

I also fasted for the entire month in the UK for the first time. Many assumed it would be hard because of the longer summer days and while challenging as it was, I sailed through just fine even when I started my FoCP in the middle of the fasting month.

My FoCP, or Foundation of Clinical Practice, started as Malaysians celebrated the country's 53rd Independence Day. I'd say I really enjoyed my FoCP as it marked my transition from plain theoretical textbook medicine to real clinical practice and patient care. You can read about my FoCP experience here as I wrote about them weekly according to the different medical specialties and fields.

One defining moment in 2010 was when I won the second prize for the 2010 UK International Students Short Story Prize. It really was a milestone for me because I've never won any writing competitions despite having entered several ever since high school. Apart from medicine, I've always wanted to be a writer (novelist, columnist, etc.) and since I've chosen medicine as my career path, I turn to blogging for my writing dream. I view the win as the starting point that marks my foray into more serious involvement in writing. The winning was an encouragement for me to turn what I've always considered as a mere dream into something more real. I now can't wait for my short story to be published as part of the prize was that the shortlisted entries would be published in an anthology. As for the £500, let's just say they've all been transformed into clothes and food and shoes =P! 

Autums also saw me experiencing a new chapter in my life in which I started to live on my own in a studio flat. For many young men, this seems like a dream come true in which there were no nagging mothers who kept telling to clean up the mess while they were playing video games like in movies. As for me, I just love having a space for myself where I can come back to rest after a long day at the hospital. Some friends asked if I wasn't bored at all but given the nature of my schedule, there was no time to feel bored. After spending 9-5 at the hospital meeting patients and learning from the registrars and consultants, there was just plain tiredness I'm glad I could have the night to myself quietly as I blog or surf the net or watch some TV series or do some reading before going to bed around eleven. The whole cycle would start again the next day as I wake up at half-past six to get ready. Weekends are the only times I get to hang out with my friends.

Winter came with an unbelievable amount of snow. It was soooo bad, touted as the worst in 120 years, there was a time when I didn't go to the hospital for the entire week due to travel disruption.

December arrived with the sad news of my uncle's death after succumbing to lung cancer. While I've been told about his illness around late september/early october, his death hit me pretty hard because I couldn't see him in his final moment. Having said that, I'm glad he's suffering was over and may he rest in peace.

What's with all the horrible weather and the sad news and the disasterous exam, I was glad that it was winter holiday and I began to cheer up again as I took in the joyous Christmas season. I decorated my very first Christmas tree apart from spending the Christmas eve spending time with great company eating great delicious food!

I ended 2010 with a trip down to London for the fourth time on the pure desire to watch the fireworks, to do some shopping and to watch 'Love Never Dies'. Posts on the trip will follow soon but I'm glad 2010 has come to an end to make way for 2011.

2010 saw me go through some bad and some good stuff but then again, that's pretty much how every year is. 2011 will bring both good and bad things but what really matters is surviving those challenges to come out wiser  and appreciating the good moments to be eternally grateful, and most importantly, loving those people who've been with me the entire time through thick and thin and for that, I'd say 2010 was brilliant thanks to a group of friends I've come to regard as my brothers and sisters.

Goodbye 2010!

P.S.: I know it's kinda late but I was in London from 30th to 1st so there wasn't enough time to finish and publish this post. Have a good 2011!