1.11.11

As the title implies, this is the first of many days.

I've always tried to keep a journal on paper and even though I started with passion writing many pages, I found myself rushing through thoughts and trying my utmost not to write anything that would allow people to judge me should they find my work. However, I've nailed those problems here by blogging for the first time in my life. I can type quickly and can do it anywhere without wondering who has located a subtle leather book in my bag or on the communal desk. It's also clear that by writing online here, anyone can read what I'm thinking, so it's more like overcoming a fear.

So here I am, at work and it's 1007hrs.

2010 was an intense year for me. It was the 2nd year of medical school filled with chaos, knowledge and constant facts that were solid, controversial or both depending on who you spoke to. In between the lectures, clinical tutorials and anatomy theme sessions, I worked as a high school tutor in mathematics, lectured the masters program in diagnostic imaging and also started giving some medical based lectures at the undergraduate level. Then there was the x-ray and CT practising as well, so I had to keep that going. After all that came my parents to see and interact with and last, but definitely not least, my girlfriend.

It's a year that I am relieved to leave behind me. There have been some difficult times to say the least and I'm not exactly sure listing them would be for my benefit or to spark the interest of people around me; so for now, I will leave them tucked away in my thoughts and pulled them out from time to time.

After work, I was going to attend a gathering my friend Brad organised at his place. Nick and I were invited and we have done these sorts of gatherings a few times. I really enjoy them; we cook our steaks and share a few beers over some shits and giggles, then crack open a few bottles of respectable scotch to taste. All that combined with some nice Biltong (not sure of the spelling), which is a type of cured meat.

However I'm contemplating on missing it because of the sheer workload that I have to do at home. Just before our exams started at the end of November in 2010, I won a Summer Research Scholarship looking at how radiology is taught in the medical program given my background and to conduct some quantifiable research to publish so to get the faculty's attention. I haven't started on that as yet and I've still got auditing I have to do as well as the questions for the neuroanatomy online quiz by next week. So perhaps it's best I stay home and sort these out bit by bit.

At the same time I feel that my girlfriend isn't quite happy for me to go because they are her friends. In other words, guilt creeps up on me.

Hopefully I can hold true to my word and write in this blog every day.