Housemate from Hell
It all started innocently enough. The apartment I was renting in Southbank was sold and I had to move. I decided to move back to good old Carlton because it's nearer to uni and more convenient.
My housemate (let's call her Sara) told me that her friend from high school (Rosemary) had a 3 room apartment and that she would be happy if we would move in and stay with her. The rent was cheap, the place looked
okay and it was really near uni. So I said yes.
That decision has been one of the worst I've made in my lifetime. It all started innocently enough - peanut butter and cereal disappearing from the kitchen. Upon confrontation, she at first denied it but later confessed to her sins and actually replaced the stuff she took. So far, still acceptable.
Oh, I forgot to mention that the cakes/cookies I bake that I leave to cool in the kitchen always gets crumbled/broken. At first I thought it was the weather here but after a while my slow brain caught on and I realised
she was picking at them.
Then my toothbrush disappeared. Or rather, was
replaced. One day it was red, the next day it was
blue. Did I mentioned the blue toothbrush was a
used one?!
I decided not to kick up a fuss and just replace my toothbrush. It needed changing anyway.
Then one day I woke up, washed my face and my
towel wasn't there.
Sensing this was just wrong, Sara suggested I check in Rosemary's room. After all, she
had just done her laundry and maybe she 'borrowed' my towel. True enough - there was my towel hanging on her towel rack.
When she came home, I asked her about it and got the standard answer ,'No, I haven't seen it *innocent*'. 3 hours later she came to my room and said she must have 'accidentally' taken it into her room. Yeah, and accidentally hung it on her towel rack too while she was at it. *rolls eyes*
Oh, I forgot to mention that I found my Nike weights in her room - where they had no business to be.
We've decided that either Rosemary
1. Has an eating disorder and can't resist stealing food.
2. Enjoys using other people's personal items i.e. toothbrushes and towels.
3. Is a kleptomaniac.
4. Is a pathological liar.
5. Is just plain crazy.
I guess the breaking point for me was when my Burberry scarf which was supposed to last me a lifetime disappeared 4 months after I bought it. To be fair, I am unsure if I lost it in uni or in the house. But suffice it to say that I take care of my belongings and because the dental faculty is so small and everybody knows everybody, generally what is accidentally left behind gets returned.
But still - no evidence.
I actually went through the 5 stages of grieving when the scarf disappeared - denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
After I went through that, I called the locksmith and demanded he put a lock of my door.
Sometimes I wonder - maybe
I am the crazy housemate and Rosemary is the victim. It's gotten to the point where I question my own sanity.
My Burberry scarf that kept me warm faithfully for 4 months with its cashmere-y warmth. *tears*
Thank goodness I'm moving out next year.
Labels: Rants
Battle Against The Evil Bulge
Detestably, I used to be at the border of underweight and normal when it came to my BMI count. Now I'm in the wonderful mid-range of normal, which annoys me. How did I end up here?
Well, mainly through cheesy pastas, my baking activities, chocolate, more chocolate and eating whenever I felt bored.
Yes, I'm one of those people who eat whenever they feel bored, happy, sad, depressed, whatever. It's some sort of evil disorder.
Must stop eating for no reason.
Labels: Health
Home Made Wantans
Being away from home, I get cravings once in a while for food back home. One day I had the craving for wantan mee and decided to seek it out at a nearby chinese restaurant.
Well, the wantans were the size of marbles. That was
it. I went grocery shopping and set out to make my own overstuffed wantans to satisfy my inner wantan monster.
Here they are. The theory is to stuff them enough, but not overstuff them to the point that they can't close.
The filling is fairly easy to make - just minced meat of your choice (chicken, pork, beef, whatever), some minced mushrooms, soy sauce, pepper and cornflour all mixed up and stuffed into pre-made wantan skins that you can get in stores.
The good thing about them is that you can make a huge batch and freeze them - which is what I did. All you have to do is take them out of hte freezer, pop them into boiling water and there you have it - overstuffed wantans, just the way I like them.
Now, all I have to do is make the noodles.
Labels: Food
Removable Prosthetics
Have I ever mentioned how much I hate removable prosthetics?
Removable prosthetics is a branch of dentistry dealing with stuff like dentures - basically stuff that can be removed as opposed to fixed prosthetics like crowns, implants, bridges etc.
I hate that class. I hate how we have to wax up the models. I hate how they make us do the whole thing over again. I hate how we have to deal with patients who aren't happy with the speed we're doing things.
We're students for goodness' sake. If you want someone fast and snappy - go pay a private practice to do it for you. If you want free treatment, you have to put up with a few inconveniences.
That said, the patients who come in are brave, brave souls. I respect them.
Back to trying to figure out how to bend a clasp without the clasp looking like some random piece of bent wire.
Labels: Dental School
Baking - Act Of Love
I took up baking earlier this year during the holidays when I had nothing better to do with myself. I started off with the basic butter cakes and sponges and slowly progressed on. My friends even had foresight to buy me a mixer for my birthday.
Since then I've been baking fairly regularly. I enjoy the act - it is both therapeutic and rewarding. Plus, people tend to love me more because they get food to eat between lectures. I haven't been baking as much as I would like lately mainly because I
1. Don't want to get fat.
2. Don't want to get sick.
3. Kind of ran out of ideas.
However, a couple of weeks ago I found the recipe for cotton soft Japanese cheesecake. I. Couldn't. Resist.
Here's a picture of it before it got out of the pan. I forgot to take a picture when I took it out of the pan because I ate it before it had a chance to show itself. *blush*
It turned out pretty well, even if I do say so myself. Had a few nervous moments with it because it was the first time I baked a baked cheesecake but happily all was good. Will make it again when I want another calorie fest.
Kitchen Fairy (linked) is my other blog which is just all about my baking achievements. The thing is - not sure if I should merge both blogs or keep both separate? Can't decide.
Decisions decisions.
Labels: Food
She's The Girl
There's a person like this in every person's life.
She's the girl every guy wants to date, and the girl every other girl secretly wants to be.
She's beautiful, and nice. Funnily enough whenever I say someone who is rich and/or beautiful is 'nice', I have a friend who retorts,' Of
course she/he is nice. They better be. What reason do they have to be not nice?!'
However, I always give credit when credit is due. There are some people who are not nice even though they're blessed with everything.
But I digress. She's the reason why every other girl's self esteem pulmets when she enters the room. She's the envy of everybody. Yet at the same time you can't hate her because she is perfect, and
nice. She was born this way.
Sometimes reality hits and you realize that no matter what people say - appearances is 99% of everything. Because even though there are many other nice people out there, they will lie undiscovered. Eclipsed by someone else.
C'est la vie.
Labels: Ramblings
Orange Teeth
I've always been a fan of oranges, particularly navel oranges when I was young. I'd come home from primary school, grab two oranges from the fridge, peel them and eat them in bed while reading my favourite storybooks. Then I came to Melbourne and discovered the joys of year round mandarin oranges that didn't need peeling (or at least very little effort). Until my friend admonished me when she heard I eat about 3 of them a day.
"You do know mandarin oranges are 'heaty' right? It's probably contributing to you getting sick all the time."
Argh! So I'm back to cutting and peeling navel oranges instead. Incidentally, I think eating navel oranges is hard work. The pulp always gets stuck interproximally - leading to impromptu flossing sessions. Which is a good thing in the long run considering I only floss about once every 2 days instead of the recommended twice daily along with toothbrushing. But still!
I wish there were magical orange peelers and juicers that do all the work. Somehow packed orange juice just isn't the same compared to freshly juiced oranges. Sigh.
Labels: Food
Pink Wish Tim Tams
I was going to be a good girl and not eat anymore junk food. No junk food leads to a healthier lifestyle.
Then I go to the local grocery supermarket and what do I see on the shelf?
It's like they knew that I wouldn't go for the usual run off the mill Tim Tams (bottom) and decided that they would come up with
Luscious Strawberry Tim Tams - with the promise that 10 cents of every pack sold goes into breast cancer research! How was I supposed to resist a new flavour and a good cause?
How?
Just wiped off half the pack. No dinner for me tonight.
Labels: Food
Cockroach In Food
I love risotto. It's nice and soothing on the throat and is a good option when one is sick. Its porridge-like consistency saves me the trouble of cooking my own porridge when I'm down and out.
There's this restaurant I like to go to that makes fairly good risotto. I went there with a friend, ate half the plate of risotto in typical Dental Girl fashion - picking at a few grains of rice at a time taking my sweet time with my food. Which is a mercy I did...because I found...
A cockroach in my risotto!When I first saw it I blinked and thought I hallucinated. After all, I
am paying AUD18.50 for this and the restaurant was quite upscale. When I confirmed it, I called the waiter over who came, took the plate to the kitchen and returned.
"I'm sorry but I don't know how the cockroach got there. There are no cockcroaches on the premises."
He stood there silent. Sensing he wasn't going to apologize further or make any other amends, I told him that I wans't going to pay for such substandard food. He actually looked unhappy over it!
Can't believe my whole life of eating at mamaks and roadside stalls has never led to finding a cockroach in my food - but eating in a posh Italian restaurant did.
The irony.
Labels: Life
Dr McDreamy
Is it me or does everybody work extra hard and try their best when there's a good looking demonstrator watching over them?
I have had the good fortune to get a very nice set of demonstrators this year - and one exceptionally good looking one. Since he's the hottest thing that's in the building, it seemed natural that everybody should have a tiny crush on him. Right?
Of course, I haven't been making things easy for myself. So far I've managed to put the toffelmire (however you spell it) band on incorrectly
three times in a row and various other stupid mistakes like putting the x-ray film the wrong way and accidentally drilling into the patient's pulp. Oh, and on the first session I didn't know what a
spoon excavator was. Now that I look back, I seriously went out of the way to act like an idiot.
Although all my demonstrators are nice, I believe their patience to be not unfathomable and therefore should get my act together. Starting...tomorrow - right after I figure out how to sharpen my scaling instruments.
Labels: Dental School
Coats And Cardigans
Most girls who have a spark of vanity in them would rather wear a jacket that looks good than to be warm in winter.
I know I am that kind of person - which is why there are no coats that are actually thick enough to keep me warm during winter in my closet. All I have are thinner cardigans and lightweight jackets that are not so bulky as to make me look....well...fat.
The solution seems easy - just go and buy a nice thick warm jacket for myself! Easier said than done. Everytime I go shopping I come back with another thin outerwear that looks flattering but serves little purpose.
The only nice and decently thick coat that I have been eyeing is this:
Burberry Trench CoatOnly problem is that it costs USD 995. I guess it's a good thing it's spring now.
Labels: Fashion
Exercise
I
hate exercising.
There's no way around it. I hate exercising. I hate sweating away in the gym trying to burn a few more calories so that I can have that extra bit of cake. I hate going for group classes - halfway through the class I always wonder
what the hell am I doing here???
There's only one sport that I love - tennis. I like the rhythm, the sunshine and the game as long as I don't play against an opponent who is too agressive. As I said - I hate exercising.
However, recently I've been trying to walk at least half an hour daily in my effort to keep myself healthy. I've been falling sick constantly and either my lifestyle or my diet is the culprit. I choose to target my lifestyle first.
Half an hour isn't
too bad. What I do is I pop on my favourite songs on my iPod, walk down streets where the houses are beautiful and build my castle in the air.
Now all I have to do is keep it up.
Labels: Health
Tiffany & Co
Almost every girl dreams of the moment a loved one pops the blue box with a perfect white bow on top of it and says, 'This is for you.'
How
do they make the bow so perfect? People who are hired at Tiffany & Co probably have to go through a bow-tying course before they qualify to work there.
I digress. I am fortunate enough to own not one, but three pieces of Tiffany & Co silver. All 3 were acquired in less than traditional circumstances.
1.
Tiffany & Co 1837 Bar
My first Tiffany & Co was given to me in a posh restaurant with the works - candlelight dinner, custom-ordered and designed chocolate mud cake, just me and my 3 month old friend. Yup, you read right.
Friend. No, I was nobody special to him, nor was he someone special to me. He just happened to be a really wealthy guy who decided to celebrate 3 months of us knowing each other.
Him: Anyway, I know girls like these things so I bought you a little something *slides box across the table*
Me: *disbelief*
Him: Hahaha...you should have a look at your face!
I know when you just received a gift that expensive from a friend you're not supposed to complain, but I shall go on and complain anyway.
This was not the Tiffany & Co piece that I liked the most!. And he
knew it!
Him: I know you like stars and I saw a starfish one...but nah - this suits you better.
Me: Oh...okay...
Alright, I'll shut up now.
2.
Tiffany & Co Toggle Bracelet
This was a present from me to me, so to speak. I was sick and tired of girls having to wait for Tiffany bracelets and necklaces to just fall from the heavens (or very generous friends, parents, boyfriends etc) that I decided to take matters into my own hands and buy one for myself.
Should have engraved "From Me To Me" onto the heart, but didn't.
3.
Tiffany & Co Starfish
Finally - the one I've had my hopes on. Got it from my parents for my 21st birthday - parents are very dependable in the sense that they get exactly what you want.
They are all very lovely but the truth is, Tiffany & Co isn't really what it's cut out to be. I think every girl should get one and leave it at that. It's really just overpriced silver at the end of the day. Silver that
tarnishes.
That doesn't stop us from wanting it, does it?
Labels: Shopping
Are We There Yet?
I have the patient's equivalent of kids screaming at the backseat of the car at the parents saying,' Are we there yet? Are we there yet?' every 3 seconds.
Except my patient says ,"So when will I be seeing you again?"
So here's the story. I was assigned to do a partial denture for this patient who was a young man and wasn't working.
Me: Hi there.
Him: Hi. I'm so happy when you called me. I've been waiting for treatment for ages.
Me: Well, here we are now.
Him: How long is it going to take for you to make this denture?
Me: We're talking about around 6 months (at least 5 sessions every fortnight plus 2 holidays in between).
Him: .......6 months?!?!?!
Me: Well, I'm a student so I take longer to do things and we have holidays.
Him: How many holidays do you have?!
Now he had the audacity to question the number of holidays I had. This was too much!
Me: I'm sorry but that's all I can offer you. If you can't wait 6 months I suggest that you go to a private practice to have that done instead.
Him: Hmph...oh welll, I suppose if that's the best you could do...
Ever since that session, every session he comes in he asks me these two questions -
repeatedly (we're talking 10-20 times per session)
"When is the next time I'll be seeing you? How long is this going to take again?"
Argh!!!!!!!
He doesn't shut up all the way until I shove the impression material into his mouth. Not only that - when I take impressions he actually
bites on my fingers.
Me: *calmly* You're biting down on my fingers, I want you to open your mouth slightly alright?
Him: *widens mouth slightly for about 5 seconds, and clamps down again*
Me: ........
Ah, the joys of dentistry.
Labels: Dental School
Holidays
It's mid-semester holidays now and for 2 weeks we get to take a break from the study and stress of undergraduate study and clinics. Which is fantastic - except I chose to fall sick during the first week of the holidays and for the second week all I've been doing is trying to catch up with my social commitments as well as my studies.
Yes, studies. I have - sad to say - been neglecting my studies this year. Isn't it strange how in first year, everybody is sprighty and eager to learn. In second year, the enthusiasm has faded, but we trudge along somehow. Now, 3rd year is when things get tricky. Clearly one should be studying hard because this is also the first year we have to seriously treaet patients clinically. But the opposite seems to be happening. My listlessness has scored me many a good telling-off from the demonstrators. I can only remind myself to try to work harder.
They say the best way to be hardworking is to fail once, thus giving oneself a good wake up call. I do not desire to try that method - yet. So I shall try my best to peruse my textbooks with vigour for the rest of the semester (in reality, only less than 2 months until summer holidays!) so that I can shop in peace at the end of the year.
Yup, tha'ts
the plan.
Labels: Dental School
Dentistry
All my life I never planned to become a dentist. I always thought that I would become a doctor - mainly because that's what most parents want their kids to be (such a respectable job!) I devoted the first 18 years of my life to reach that goal. Then 3 weeks before handing in my application form to the many respective universities I got hit by a truck (literally) and that changed my life forever.
I was lying in hospital, letting the maxillofacial surgeon fix me up and realized that the last thing I wanted to do in life was to waste another 10-15 years of my life studying to become a doctor. I felt that up to then I had not lived - but rather all I had ever done was make sacrifices to get into medical school.
As a result, I chose the second option and decided to become a dentist. I have not looked back since (alright, maybe I have looked back a
few times) but other than that I'm happy with my decision.
This is a blog to record my journey through dental school and life. If there's too much shopping or whining, I apologize in advance.
Labels: Why I Am
