Sleep is the one thing that I'm usually pretty good at...until it comes to actually sleeping at night or falling asleep. Then I usually just lie there thinking about everything else and how miserable I am.
I'm very good a being miserable =-)
That's why I'm writing this at 2:15 in the morning. Because I can't sleep. And like most people I have to be somewhere tomorrow. However, unlike them who are well rested from their weekend I will be half asleep. It's going to be AWESOME! Thank goodness I only have one class tomorrow and for the first time in forever NO tests!!!!
This weekend I got a pair of Rollerblades. I used to love to Rollerblade when I was younger. I would drag my sister to the skate park and we would spend hours there. This pair isn't quite what I wore when I was fourteen. But, they're going to be perfect for going to class and walking with the dog (or having him walk me). As to why I got a pair of Rollerblades and not a bike the answer is very simple:
1. They just re-did the sidewalks for the euro cup this summer.
2. Bikes have to be ridden on the road
3. Have you ever seen people in Poland drive? It's terrifying!!!!
I have seen one too many car crashes to get on a bike and be one with the cars in this country. I thought drivers in the states were bad, but they take bad driving in Poland to a whole new level. I once saw a guy run a stop sign and the guy he almost hit honked the horn (rightfully so) the guy who ran the sign stopped his car got out and proceeded to rip the other guy out of the car for honking at him. And apparently this is a common occurrence.
To name a few of the most recent crashes I've seen: a Toyota cut a Mercedes off from behind at an intersection, a city bus plow into a turning car, and a VW hit another parked VW and a pole. I've also been in taxi's that have purposely gone down the wrong side of the road to avoid the line of traffic and who run red lights because stopping is inconvenient. On top of this I see ambulances everywhere so I know there are more crashes happening that I don't see...I can only imagine what the highway is like!
So next time you ride your bike think of how dangerous it could be. You could end up a hood ornament...and the best part is somehow no matter what it would be your fault. (That's this country for you.)
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Sunday, March 4, 2012
From Hell back to Purgatory
The month
of Hell is officially over with my last BIG exam taking place yesterday.
Fingers crossed I passed so I don't have to deal with the misery that is
anatomy anymore!!! It's probably a subject that I will need the most of being a
doctor and all...but oh how I hate it. What ever happened to head, shoulders,
knees, and toes??? Being a Polish medical school even the test itself had to be
bizarre; the test which was supposed to start at 11:30 on Saturday didn't start
until 12:30 because someone couldn't figure out how to make the test system
work (it's all computerized, but they give these tests about 7 times a month
for the different years and classes so you'd think they'd have it figured
out....guess not). Ah well at least IT'S OVER!!!! =-)
So today instead of being
productive I'm still lying in bed (at 2pm) watching videos on YouTube and
writing this. I never realized how good those Disney channel original movies
from the 90's were until now. Ha ha.
An update on my resolutions which given
that I just realized it is now lent are now called my lent resolutions despite
the fact that I am not Catholic or any religion remotely associated with it.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Resolutions
As February draws to a close I can't help but to be thrilled. This last month has been nothing short of miserable and demanding. I know medical school is supposed to be hard...I'm not stupid. But, 6 tests in 2 weeks is pushing it for even the smartest people. I also can't wait for the spring and the warm weather. It's been so cold and rainy here it's getting to be depressing. I love snow, I hate rain.
So in light of a new month I am making a few new month resolutions that will start next week on March first. I know that these are only usually made during the new year, but no one ever keeps them longer than a month so if I make new resolutions every month maybe I'll actually get something done.
MY RESOLUTIONS:
1. Studying will take place for at least 3 hours a day regardless of if I need to study or not.
Studying does not involve the Internet, facebook, or youtube.
2. I will walk Copper at least once a day...I do most of the time now but it's been hard with all these tests!
3. Exercise: I'm going to try and do the 100 push-up challenge in an attempt to get buff for summer. On top of this I'm also trying to be able to do the hand-stand push ups (pictures to follow). Running more often would also be nice because I want to be able to finish my 6th marathon before the end of spring.
(Yes I know a bit eccentric....but stupid is my middle name).
5. I will not get totally miffed at the microbiology professors...even if they are incompetent.
If it takes you 15 minutes or you think it takes 15 minutes to do a gram stain as a PhD there's a problem.
6. Eat healthy: chocolate cake is not breakfast and when it is breakfast it is most certainly not also lunch and dinner. (Guilty pleasure...it was delicious though!!!)
7. Dishes get washed when they're put in the sink not when I run out of cups.
Overall goal: Be a better student; be a better person; DON'T GO CRAZY!!!!
So in light of a new month I am making a few new month resolutions that will start next week on March first. I know that these are only usually made during the new year, but no one ever keeps them longer than a month so if I make new resolutions every month maybe I'll actually get something done.
MY RESOLUTIONS:
1. Studying will take place for at least 3 hours a day regardless of if I need to study or not.
Studying does not involve the Internet, facebook, or youtube.
2. I will walk Copper at least once a day...I do most of the time now but it's been hard with all these tests!
3. Exercise: I'm going to try and do the 100 push-up challenge in an attempt to get buff for summer. On top of this I'm also trying to be able to do the hand-stand push ups (pictures to follow). Running more often would also be nice because I want to be able to finish my 6th marathon before the end of spring.
(Yes I know a bit eccentric....but stupid is my middle name).
5. I will not get totally miffed at the microbiology professors...even if they are incompetent.
If it takes you 15 minutes or you think it takes 15 minutes to do a gram stain as a PhD there's a problem.
6. Eat healthy: chocolate cake is not breakfast and when it is breakfast it is most certainly not also lunch and dinner. (Guilty pleasure...it was delicious though!!!)
7. Dishes get washed when they're put in the sink not when I run out of cups.
Overall goal: Be a better student; be a better person; DON'T GO CRAZY!!!!
Monday, February 13, 2012
I Got Mail....Kind of!!!
This weekend was awesome. Like any dedicated medical student I watched two lifetime movies, one Disney classic, walked my dog (Copper), cleaned my apartment, cleaned Copper, and did a ton of laundry.
Oh I did school work too! The last few hours of my weekend were spent reading Microbiology for the quiz I had today.
The only thing I think I got out of the seventy or so pages I read was (sorry for this uber nerd moment):
Gram negative bacteria are stained by counterstain and then alcohol is used to break through the cell walls causing the counterstain to be washed out and the safranin to be let in. So my thought the entire time I was reading was well why in the world don't they give people with really bad gram negative infections lots of alcohol, get them good and drunk and then give them some antibiotics. If antibiotic resistance is a problem but we can still gram stain using alcohol then obviously they're not resistant to the alcohol yet.
But, obviously if this worked you're immune system wouldn't be compromised by alcohol.
It was just a thought.
In other news I got mail today!
When I say I got mail I got a Valentines day package from my mom and grandmother. So a little about the Polish postal system. They come to your apartment and leave a slip that says where you can go to pick up your boxes. Like anyone I got that slip and about danced the whole way to the post office. When I got there the office was packed with about 15 people in line and only two servers. This leads me to believe that unlike back home the Polish postal system is doing quite well for itself. Anyway, when it's finally my turn I hand the lady my slip and totally freeze as she says something in Polish. I dunno why but every time they talk I totally wig out. After a few minutes of bad English and even worse Polish I finally get my package and get to bring it home.
Opening my package: To be very undramatic my grandmother sent me a giant bag of peanuts. But my moms package was bigger and had been in one of those large paper-cardboard envelope thingys. For some reason it was in a giant plastic bag.
Alarm bells should have been going off at this point.
As I open it thrilled to see what my mommy has sent my for valentines day I realize it looks like someone has taken a knife to the side of the package. Investigating still further I discover that the NyQuil tablets and cough drops that my mother sent to help me sleep with this damn bronchitis have all been knifed unceremoniously out of their wrappings. The chocolate heart that my mother had sent me was also opened and every piece of chocolate was in the outer bit of packaging covered by the debri from the ripped boxes. Even the three raw hide dog bones were broken in half and searched through...for what I don't know. Finally, when I got to the bottom of package I found my mothers card it too had been cut open as though something would fit in the small, very flat envelope. The only thing that survived were the Oreos....thank goodness!
Moral of the story #1: If you have drugs don't send them to Poland unlike every other civilized country customs here doesn't have drug dogs, just goons with knives.
Moral of the story #2: If you are sending medication or cough drops, send it separate from your valentines candy. Otherwise you'll not only be all alone on valentines day but also chocolate-less as well.
Oh I did school work too! The last few hours of my weekend were spent reading Microbiology for the quiz I had today.
The only thing I think I got out of the seventy or so pages I read was (sorry for this uber nerd moment):
Gram negative bacteria are stained by counterstain and then alcohol is used to break through the cell walls causing the counterstain to be washed out and the safranin to be let in. So my thought the entire time I was reading was well why in the world don't they give people with really bad gram negative infections lots of alcohol, get them good and drunk and then give them some antibiotics. If antibiotic resistance is a problem but we can still gram stain using alcohol then obviously they're not resistant to the alcohol yet.
But, obviously if this worked you're immune system wouldn't be compromised by alcohol.
It was just a thought.
In other news I got mail today!
When I say I got mail I got a Valentines day package from my mom and grandmother. So a little about the Polish postal system. They come to your apartment and leave a slip that says where you can go to pick up your boxes. Like anyone I got that slip and about danced the whole way to the post office. When I got there the office was packed with about 15 people in line and only two servers. This leads me to believe that unlike back home the Polish postal system is doing quite well for itself. Anyway, when it's finally my turn I hand the lady my slip and totally freeze as she says something in Polish. I dunno why but every time they talk I totally wig out. After a few minutes of bad English and even worse Polish I finally get my package and get to bring it home.
Opening my package: To be very undramatic my grandmother sent me a giant bag of peanuts. But my moms package was bigger and had been in one of those large paper-cardboard envelope thingys. For some reason it was in a giant plastic bag.
Alarm bells should have been going off at this point.
As I open it thrilled to see what my mommy has sent my for valentines day I realize it looks like someone has taken a knife to the side of the package. Investigating still further I discover that the NyQuil tablets and cough drops that my mother sent to help me sleep with this damn bronchitis have all been knifed unceremoniously out of their wrappings. The chocolate heart that my mother had sent me was also opened and every piece of chocolate was in the outer bit of packaging covered by the debri from the ripped boxes. Even the three raw hide dog bones were broken in half and searched through...for what I don't know. Finally, when I got to the bottom of package I found my mothers card it too had been cut open as though something would fit in the small, very flat envelope. The only thing that survived were the Oreos....thank goodness!
Moral of the story #1: If you have drugs don't send them to Poland unlike every other civilized country customs here doesn't have drug dogs, just goons with knives.
Moral of the story #2: If you are sending medication or cough drops, send it separate from your valentines candy. Otherwise you'll not only be all alone on valentines day but also chocolate-less as well.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
First Year, First Post
So here's the deal. Like most students I don't have time for anything, but somehow I have a way of doing everything except studying. Go figure.
Since it's February let me get you caught up.
1. I'm in my first year of a 4 year MD program in Poland. Originally I'm from the US but no where in particular because I've moved almost every 3 years of my life. When I'm done in Poland I will have lived here longer than I've lived anywhere.
2. I live in an off 'campus' apartment due to issues in the dormitories with noise from ERASMUS students who are basically medical exchange students from all over Europe. These ones were mostly Spanish and they were miserable to be around when it came to noise and normal sleep habits.
2. I have a 4 month old german shepherd puppy. I've always wanted one, and thought that medical school wasn't brutal enough without having to house break a raging ball of fluff.
3. Polish is really hard to learn and some of the people here really live up to every stereotype.
4. I have insanely bad luck...in the last two weeks my apartment has flooded three times: twice from the washer, once from the shower; I've developed bronchitis, my wallet was stolen, my dog has had a bad case of the worms, 2 light bulbs in two separate rooms have blown up, my water pressure has died, and when I went out to get steak with friends last night they not only had no cow products but also brought out chicken fingers and declared them to be 'golden ribs.'
5. I'm 3 weeks away from taking the anatomy NBME (really BIG test) and as prepared to take it as I am to dance down the street in the buff. On second thought do you think they'd pass me by reason of mental insanity if I did do that???
Anyway you get the picture.
Since it's February let me get you caught up.
1. I'm in my first year of a 4 year MD program in Poland. Originally I'm from the US but no where in particular because I've moved almost every 3 years of my life. When I'm done in Poland I will have lived here longer than I've lived anywhere.
2. I live in an off 'campus' apartment due to issues in the dormitories with noise from ERASMUS students who are basically medical exchange students from all over Europe. These ones were mostly Spanish and they were miserable to be around when it came to noise and normal sleep habits.
2. I have a 4 month old german shepherd puppy. I've always wanted one, and thought that medical school wasn't brutal enough without having to house break a raging ball of fluff.
3. Polish is really hard to learn and some of the people here really live up to every stereotype.
4. I have insanely bad luck...in the last two weeks my apartment has flooded three times: twice from the washer, once from the shower; I've developed bronchitis, my wallet was stolen, my dog has had a bad case of the worms, 2 light bulbs in two separate rooms have blown up, my water pressure has died, and when I went out to get steak with friends last night they not only had no cow products but also brought out chicken fingers and declared them to be 'golden ribs.'
5. I'm 3 weeks away from taking the anatomy NBME (really BIG test) and as prepared to take it as I am to dance down the street in the buff. On second thought do you think they'd pass me by reason of mental insanity if I did do that???
Anyway you get the picture.
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