Entries Tagged as 'Canada'

There is lots different around here, on the website and in my life, but from what is written down it is hard to tell. I haven’t been writing here for a few reasons, some described below, some not. For the first time since having this site, I completed an update of the underlying software. It was something I was basically scared to do because everything was working and I didn’t want to lose it all and then be in a big mess. But, developments are underfoot that have finally necessitated an upgrade. The previous version had been released October 26, 2007… that’s even before I was accepted at UQ! It seems as though the database came up alright and everything went off without a problem… there was nothing to be afraid of I guess. I had read some nightmares of everything disappearing, which they maybe fixed the problems since then.

But that’s not all that is different. I now have a job to look forward to at the end of my second post secondary degree. The last time I graduated I had no idea what I would be doing. This time, I know the time, date and place that I will begin work. Contract signed. It is a very good feeling to have some future security. My application to Alberta went well, but I needed to make a decision about which way to go. After a massive amount of consideration I have decided to undertake internship in Australia. It is a one year commitment that essentially completes my degree with a year of paid hospital work. After which I will achieve ‘general registration’ which will allow me to work as a doctor in Australia in a broader sense.

I do have my second thoughts about Alberta, especially as the process is about to go into the next phase on Saturday, but I couldn’t keep straddling the fence forever, and to continue to straddle would mean thousands of dollars spent flying back and forth across the world and missing time from my program here, in the final run. Let’s hope I have done the right thing!

So I’m back; I did in fact make it. I just got really busy and didn’t update. I spent two weeks in Vancouver visiting friends, which was great. I stayed with my sister and brother in law and their TWO kids! I met one of my three new nieces, Audrey, for the first time. She’s amazing. As I write this update now, I have met all my new nieces and love them like crazy already. They are all amazing. And the same age. Like magic-cross-mother triplets that are going to grow up together. The house gets a bit crazy with all the kids around though! I like it.

Vancouver was kinda busy seeing friends, and kinda chill just staying home with the kids, and I love doing both. Canada is so crazy. Beautiful buildings, huge facilities, and retail excess that is really only appreciated when you have been without it for years. I went to a Leonard Cohen concert with a friend on a last minute whim, which was awesome.

I’m in frozen Alberta right now, and have seen a few friends here already. It is so good to be home. Even though by being home I got massively sick and almost made some action shots in our family photo-shoot. Everyone was together for the first time that day, and I felt so terrible. Spent most the day in bed.Since then, I have recovered, got my strength back, hit Red Deer for some culture (Movie with Andy) and back again for some Christmas shopping cheer the next day.

Today I got up early with Dad and went out to Windermere and Invermere to pick up Grandpa and bring him here. We stopped by the cottage where we had so many good times over the years. It has been too long since I have seen it. We’re back now and just taking things easy before dinner. I’ll add some photos here. It’s so crazy how different this place is to where I live downunder.

Here I am, sitting here in the middle of the outback, watching the start of the Vancouver Olympics. I see the Canadiana on the TV, but when I look outside it’s a completely different vista. I went for a walk today, just to get out of the house. I walked for about 10 minutes north of where I’m staying, and was already out of town. The town I’m in is maybe a kilometer across. The crazy thing is that there were kangaroos just chilling in the grass out there. It just highlights how different my experience is here today than it would be if I lived in Canada still. Anyways, missing home big time today.

A half world away, lives most of the ~100 people with whom I graduated high school. Except one of them lives here. I met her, randomly, at the gym tonight. It was good to see someone from so far back in my past. So far back that when I think about that time I feel like it (I) was a different person living then. At the same time, she was not surprised at all to hear that I was studying medicine, or the course of life I have taken. It goes well with the feeling that I am being more true to who I am now than ever before. Having someone else recognize that after all this time and distance was really great.

Recently I started getting the Canadian Medical Association Journal. It is striking to see the amount and directness of the pharmaceutical ads in there. I suppose I don’t really want them to mess around with weird messages anyway. Indication and efficacy is good enough for me. And it’s pretty handy to start getting exposed to the trade names and full names and doses of things. Maybe I’ll learn something by osmosis. I received the whole year of back issues so I will flick through them. Seeing them here reminded me of a fixture of my childhood memories, a stack of water soaked journals. I think it will be good to get me up to speed, keep me in touch with the Canadian medical climate and hopefully make me better at what I’m tryi to do.

Compared to most people, I have a rather complicated, if not sophisticated phone system. I won’t go into all the details now, except to say that one of the features is time based control of my calls. If you are calling me from Canada at 5 am my time, your call usually goes straight to voicemail. This is designed so people don’t have to worry about time when they call, but also to stop callers that don’t know from waking me up.

Just recently, there was a 5 day window where that system wasn’t working, and calls were put straight through (I knew about it, but needed to have it that way to make the calls work). After months of the system diligently blocking nobody, three callers decided to jump through the temporary loophole to wake me up. Two of them were related to the recent election in BC, but they don’t know me, so it’s tough to blame. One was from a person who clearly knew I was in Australia, and needed my credit card number for a medical journal subscription. So she rang me up at 3:30 am! Anyway, phone is back in order and that can’t happen any more! Helps me sleep a little better. And no, I don’t need a ride to the polling station.

So… Feel free to call anytime. If you don’t know what time it is here, don’t worry about it, you can’t call at a bad time.

My sister and her husband had a baby today (March 13 North America time). I’m so excited about him. He is my third nephew, and Jenn and James’s first baby. Born early in the morning, he is a happy and welcome blessing. I can’t wait to meet him. I have seen a few photos and he looks great. My prayers are with you three!

Here it is! 2009… Hopefully people are having a good new year, whish has already started in the City of Brisbane, but not here yet.

Each year the date always sounds so futuristic, and the old one sounds so commonplace. It’s that weird feeling that the furniture finance companies take advantage of to make a date that is actually 13 months away, sound like forever away. January, 2010. Sounds far, but it’s really only 13 months. November 2011 sounds a lot further still… it’s 35 months, but will be a good 35 months, that I’m looking forward to.

It’s not long now till I’m back in Vancouver, then on to Brisbane once again. But until then, it’s good Alberta fun and family!