Take 5 at 5:55

Oxymoron

2011-09-08T19:05:00.001-07:00

"New York is such a great place. I hate the fact that I don't have the desire to live here"

Analogy

2011-07-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

The analogy of amount of information learned in medical school is like drinking water from a fire hydrant.

Absolutely correct. However, the analogy of what it "feels" like to be in medical school:

S & M: It's painful having to keep studying, waking up early, and dealing with people...but you keep doing it anyways because it still feels good in some sort of twisted way.

Tyler Cuddy

2011-06-19T21:53:00.001-07:00

"I can’t stand the thought of being in one place for years at a time only to look forward to those two weeks of paid vacation. I can’t stand the thought of falling into a rut of monotony and complacency. It’s when I find myself settling down that everything starts to collapse; I get angry, confused, and lazy. I hate what it does to me. I become worthless. When I’m home, life is constantly pushing me around, but when I’m on the road, I get to push back; it’s exhilarating." - Tyler Cuddy

A More Complete Perspective

2011-06-13T18:11:00.000-07:00

When we think of sickness, we think of the physiological diseases such as diabetes, cancer, stroke, heart attacks, or even broken bones. We often forget about mental disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or depression. For most people, our understanding or encounter with these disorders are from books, movies, and the homeless on the street. For some people, they might have a better understanding because of a close family member or personal experience. I can understand why it's so much harder to grasp or understand mental disorders because the science is not as clearly defined as the diseases that have more concrete physiological evidence. Our brain is an interplay between circuits, hormones, and neurotransmitters that can generate millions of combinations that create our unique personalities, actions, thoughts, feelings, functioning, and behavior. The uncertainty and mystery behind these mental disorders naturally lead us to develop feelings of fear or negative judgement. Thoughts such as "this guy is crazy...".."he's mentally weak"..."he's on something"..."don't get near him..he might hurt us" go through our head. In addition to our natural reaction to uncertainty, the media plays a big role in our thinking and perception of people with mental disorders. We see these murders on television who declare "insanity". Unfortunately, these murderers or suicidal patients represent the whole population that are mentally ill. Because of the infomercials or fundraising advertisements, we instantly become empathetic when we see people with cancer. To be honest, I think a mental orders are worst, or at least equal, to the traditional illnesses. These patients forget their medications like how someone with hypertension forget their medications.You can replace almost any part of your body but the brain. I couldn't have asked for a better rotation to end my third year of medical school. I have developed a deeper understanding and empathy for people with mental disorders. Most of them are good people.

Brooklyn Botanical Gardens

2011-05-02T05:11:00.000-07:00

Rural Medicine

2011-04-28T13:09:00.000-07:00

August - Rural Family Medicine rotation with the Navajo Indians.

Stumbled

2011-03-28T12:08:00.000-07:00

While playing with J*s Xoom tablet, I came across this comic. I couldn't stop laughing.

Surgery: In Conclusion

2011-03-26T17:32:00.000-07:00

Accuse
Blame
Complain
Deny

I narrowed it down

2011-03-08T13:31:00.001-08:00

IM/ Rural/FP and Emergency Medicine

On the Way to Brooklyn Hospital Center

2011-02-28T13:03:00.000-08:00

Perspective

2011-02-02T14:15:00.000-08:00

“I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, To put to rout all that was not life and not when I had come to die Discover that I had not lived.” - Henry David Thoreau

To the girl with the fish tank who fell in front of the 110th Cathedral Station

2011-02-02T13:50:00.000-08:00

This is my first winter in New York and I have made it through most of it without much complaining. However, this week has been horrible and I'm sure you feel the same way. We walked out of the the 110th ACBD together and I was the asian guy who was walking behind you avoiding the puddles and dog shit. After 30 steps out of the station, I noticed that you were losing your losing your balance on the icy sidewalk. This whole incident happened in slow motion and inside of me was silently cheering you on that you would regain your balance. Unfortunately, you didn't and you fell sprawled out onto the sidewalk (thank God you were wearing black) What hurt me most was that your fish tank went flying from your hands and landed 5 feet in front of you. All the contents came out including your fish. Being the closest person, I should have ran to help you but instead I ran by you and went to save your gold fish who was lying helplessly and vulnerably on the new york sidewalk. I put the fish back into its tank hoping that there would be some water left. Unfortunately and ironically, there was no water in the tank and the only water available was in the form of packed snow all lined up on the side of the streets. I even reached into my bag to see if there was a bottle of water. With nothing else available and with my aspirations to go into Wilderness Medicine, these following options went through my head and my justifications for not choosing them.
A) Throw some of the snow into the tank (It wouldn't have melt in time because it was so damn cold. The snow/ice would have killed your fish)
B) Spit into the tank ( I don't think you would have appreciated the gesture)

My friend later suggested which would have been the best option
C) Put the ice in my mouth to melt it, then spit it back out into the tank (Sorry..I'm not a big fan of the New York streets since I was already avoiding the dog shit on the sidewalk and addition to my reasoning for B...If we were in Alaska : automatic)

When I handed you back your fish tank, you started to cry. That tore me apart I wanted to offer you to buy you a new fish but that would have been too creepy.

I'm sorry for running by you.
I'm sorry about your dead fish.
I'm sorry about your bad day.

Nostalgia

2011-01-27T00:25:00.000-08:00

Surgery is very much like Wrestling.

You're in the spotlight.
You work with your hands.
You have to act and react.
It takes endurance.

Wall Paper

2011-01-17T13:49:00.001-08:00

2011-01-15T03:24:00.000-08:00

"If I must fall, may it be from a high place."
— Paulo Coelho (By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept)

Just a Dream Cover/Remix (Nelly)- Joseph Vincent & Jason Chen

2011-01-11T19:21:00.000-08:00

Katy Perry - "Firework" cover (Passion & Victor Kim)

2011-01-08T02:06:00.000-08:00

2011-01-01T02:45:00.000-08:00

Whoever wrote this question must live under a rock.

2010-12-20T17:54:00.001-08:00

Question 2.
You may use your loan money only to pay for authorized educational expenses at the school that certified your loan eligibility.
a. True
b. False

Ukelele Study Breaks

2010-12-09T15:46:00.000-08:00

Train - Hey Soul Sister - Uke

2010-12-05T19:32:00.001-08:00

Not dedicated to anyone. Just my fascination with the Uke.

List of Restaurants to go to before I leave New York.

2010-11-27T14:14:00.000-08:00

Eleven Madison Park Gramercy / Flatiron \| American	$$$$
~~Per Se~~ ~~Columbus Circle \| American~~	~~$$$$~~
Daniel - Lounge Seating Upper East Side \| French	$$$$
La Grenouille Midtown East \| French	$$$$
Le Bernardin Theater District / Times Square \| French	$$$$
Daniel Upper East Side \| French	$$$$
Bouley TriBeCa - Downtown \| French	$$$$
Ristorante DeGrezia Midtown East \| Italian	$$$
Club A Steakhouse Midtown East \| Steakhouse	$$$
Gordon Ramsay at the London Midtown West \| Contemporary French	$$$$

New York

2010-11-09T21:08:00.000-08:00

Part I.
I am beginning to enjoy New York more than I have ever imagined. I would never have thought these taboo words would come out of my mouth 4 months ago. It seemed like only yesterday that I hated this place so much that I had the lingering thought of wanting the next flight out. With time and support, the energy of this metropolis has slowly captured my soul. I have this feeling that when I leave New York, I'm going to say that I miss it.

Part II.
There were more times than I can count when people have said that I give off the west coast vibe. I am proud and unashamed of the west coast label and hope to have that label forever. Today, I had a conversation with a New York native about my current primary desire was to invest myself and my career. What threw me off guard was that the native said..."....you sound like a New Yorker"

take 5 at 5:55

2010-10-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

New York - People

2010-10-31T07:35:00.000-07:00

New York Scenery

2010-10-31T07:32:00.000-07:00

New York - Things

2010-10-31T07:26:00.000-07:00

Train of Thought

2010-10-30T19:39:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile...finally...a new one

21 Guns

2010-10-22T22:33:00.001-07:00

Gluttony

2010-10-19T16:00:00.000-07:00

New York

2010-10-17T22:35:00.000-07:00

Jazz

2010-10-02T20:30:00.001-07:00

NY Moments

2010-10-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

...

2010-10-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

Train of Thought

2010-08-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

Another one...

500 days of Summer - Sweet Disposition

2010-08-22T21:50:00.000-07:00

Heart Block

2010-08-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

In rotations, they are always talking about comparing the current EKG to the old EKG. What if this is the patient's first EKG. Truthfully, the only time patients do an EKG is if they are ever admitted to the ER or have heart problems to begin with. I think that all patients are required to have an EKG done at an early age so that there is a baseline.

I don't think the Bronx would ever approve of students taking their EKG machines and playing with them in a storage room but it was well worth the risk. Now, I have my own EKG.

Thank God. Normal Sinus Rhythm. No arrhythmia. No deviations. No old infarcts.

However, the only heart block was the news I heard...

On the same night... A friend passed away.

Train of Thought

2010-08-16T00:45:00.000-07:00

Prospect Park Zoo - Brooklyn

2010-08-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

Spent the day at the Brooklyn Zoo.

We saw this cool duck in the pond in Discovery Trail Pond. It was standing near the fence probably waiting for some food so I decided to purchase some "animal food". I threw half of the food pellets in front of the duck and it didn't budge. I guess it wasn't hungry so I decided to poke it with a twig. I don't think it liked what I did.

While watching the sea lion feeding show, I noticed the stroller next to me had some raquetball rackets. The first thing came to my mind was "If this was in California, it would have been in the trunk of the car". One of my dislikes about New York is that you have to bring everything with you if you plan on doing multiple things on the same day. Of course, given that you don't own a vehicle.

While walking out of the zoo, we noticed a homeless trying to get out of the park. With great effort, he managed to squeeze through the bars. I wasn't being an asshole trying to take a picture just because he's a homeless. I took the picture because the opening to the fence was right outside the frame of this picture. Actually, I even yelled at him telling him there was the opening. I was hoping to catch both. If I ever have to break out of prison, I will definitely not ask him for any advice.

This is love.

Best SOAP Note Ever.

2010-08-05T16:26:00.000-07:00

S: I'm Good
P: There is no pain
O: Unremarkable
A/P: Continue current management.

Obama

2010-08-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

View Larger Map

I walk by this building 2x a day on my way to the Bronx Hospital. I just found out that our current president lived here in 1981 when he was a junior at Columbia University.

On the Subway

2010-07-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

As we all know, the trains in New York are filled with advertisements. The common ones are from the local colleges. I really wish I had my camera when I read one that said ...

"Instead of working on your game this weekend. Work on your career."

... I wonder who they were targeting...

Appreciation

2010-07-25T06:53:00.000-07:00

I've accept the fact that my expectations were too unrealistic. I wanted to learn, manage, and change the world. It wasn't happening and I felt discouraged and lost. I was scared that I was going to kill someone one day. As a student, nothing is expected much of me but just to learn. Practice doing H&Ps, presenting, and just seeing diseases that were only in pictures and textbooks. I was so caught up in "what it should be" that I forgot how much pathology I've seen here in 2.5 weeks...

Stereotypes

2010-07-22T18:52:00.000-07:00

Patient: "You're Asian? I thought you were Jewish?"
Me: Haha. You probably thought I said Jewish when I said Julius.
Patient: Ooooo. I can't see but do you have those small eyes?"
Me: "Yes I do. My skin is yellow too!"

stolen

2010-07-22T04:04:00.000-07:00

someone stole my stethoscope.

Clinical Rotations

2010-07-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

I want to get pimped but I'm not. I want to learn but I sometimes I feel like no one wants to teach. I want to ask questions but I'm afraid to look stupid. When I do ask questions, they don't know the answer or is answered by another question. When I don't know the answer, I ask myself what the hell did I learn in two years. Never have I felt so stupid and insignificant.

....Am I learning? Should I have chosen another hospital? Is this the way its suppose to be? Is this who I want to become?.........................................................

....Should I have chosen this profession?

Coney Island

2010-07-04T17:15:00.000-07:00

Q Train - New York

2010-07-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

...

EPIC Fail (Success)

2010-06-30T17:03:00.000-07:00

I had this most perfect thought out plan of getting settled here in New York City.

Monday - Arrive and get dropped off at Uhaul of New Utrecht - Check
Rent Uhaul Van - Check (great idea - just in a new city..especially New York)
Put friend's furniture in the van - Check
Meet up With Broker of New Heights Realty and look at apartments - Check
Find an Apartment in Inwood - Check
Tuesday - Get approved - DENIED
~~Wednesday - Drive Van to New Apartment and Move Furniture - Denied by Default~~

I learned that getting your very own place in Manhattan, New York can be quite difficult as a student. Like most places in the US, they require a cosigner. However, but they are so knit picky. I asked about 5 people but the paperwork wasn't coming together. Mainly, this was my fault because I should done my research back at home. I couldn't expect them to put the paperwork together immediately. I knew I wasn't going to get an apartment soon. The anxiety of being homeless increased 10 fold plus having the rented Uhaul parked in Brooklyn for a few days just made things worse. How many days will I have to park the van there at 30 dollars a day? I wasn't worried about the furniture. I was worried about the van being stolen. I would make daily trips down to Brooklyn to check up on the van or to move it across the street because of the street sweeping. There was no timetable to me finding a place so I decided to move the furniture into storage at the Uhaul location where I rented the van. They ran out of bottom units so I had no choice but to rent a top unit. I hired my first "worker" which I'm sure was an illegal immigrant and gave him 10 dollars to move the things into storage. The bittersweet thing about this storage thing is that the unit is free for the first month. I should have moved the stuff into storage on the first day! The burden of the van was gone and it made things a lot easier. I went back to Inwood and met up with another broker. He found me a place...and the best part of it was that he made a phone call to the owner and told them that I wasn't a sketch ball. No paperwork needed and my application was submitted...

Originally, I thought Inwood would be a good place to travel to the Bronx. 30 minutes by bus to the Bronx Hospital. Inwood is suppose to be the upcoming place. It's suppose to be an affordable place for those who want to live in Manhattan at a fraction of the cost. However, it is no upper west side and it takes some time to get down to downtown. During this whole time, I've been staying at my friends place in the Upper West Side. Little did I know that I was falling in love with this place. I decided to scrap the whole idea living in Inwood and just living with roommates down in the Upper West Side. Since it was the end of the month, I was limited by my options. At the point of giving up, I found a young couple on craigslist who was renting out a furnished room. It sounds like a bad idea because 1) its never your own place 2) they have a 8 month old. I met up with the couple and to my surprise it was a really sweet deal. 1000 dollars a month with a furnished room (bed, desk, dresser, and closet), all utilities paid, personal laundry, and close to the 1-B-C trains and still within the upper west side. I took the deal because the pros outweighed the cons.

Home Sweet Home.

My Ball and Chain is better than your Ball and Chain

2010-06-19T06:35:00.000-07:00

<= My Phone

I was at Dr. H's office working on some computers when one of the workers saw my phone on the table and asked "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?". I explained to her how my phone broke and I needed something to hold me over while I try to decide which type of phone to get next. She couldn't stop laughing and she made sure everyone in the office saw what I was using.

Here were some of the comments

"It only has ...4 functions. "
"..no camera? at least it has color"
"...can you even send text messages?"
"My 9 year old daughter has a better phone than you" (and my very own grandma too)

I couldn't let the myself and my phone go down without a fight. I tried to show off the built in flashlight which took me fives minutes to find for even this simple phone. I explained that it does what its suppose to do: Make Phone Calls.

Traffic Jam

2010-05-24T21:35:00.000-07:00

Leaf Cutter Ants ... amazing creatures that spend its entire life doing manual labor.

Travel. Weather. Future Plans

2010-05-23T14:03:00.000-07:00

After being here for two weeks, C* (a student at our school) convinced me to scuba dive at Canos Island this past weekend. However, it didn't go as planned because of the conditions of the weather and ocean. I've always hated the rain but the unpredictable rain here in Costa Rica is making he the rain by X fold. To make things worse, our ride came at six in the morning to pick us up at our cabinas and told us that the trip would be canceled right as we were driving out of Playa Dominical... The person took us back to our place and C* and I just hung out in the lounge area. I got to know a little more about C*. She's a nurse practitioner that is here to learn Spanish and to go Scuba Diving. Get this..her scuba diving trip alone costs ~5000 dollars! At first I thought, "who the hell would pay 5000 dollars to go scuba diving?!" At that price, there better be mermaids that would take off their shelled bras for sand dollars. So I looked up Cocos Island after my conversation with her and I was shocked by what I found. The island is uninhabited and its 300 miles off the coast of Costa Rica. The boat ride to the island takes 30-36 hours away. When you get there you get to live on the boat and scuba dive for 10-12 days - 3 times a day. What type of sea creatures??? Everything: Hammerhead sharks, all types of fish, turtles, eels, rays...

After hearing about this...this is definitely going on my to-do list...for the future...

"When we're young, we have time but no money.
When we're adults, we have money but no time.
When we're old, we have time and money but no health."

Do Not Touch

2010-05-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

Strawberry Poison-Dart Frog.

Extremely dangerous and very territorial.

No bigger than a quarter.

Breathtaking

2010-05-16T16:35:00.000-07:00

Breathtaking in 2 Ways.

Learning Spanish and the Scenary.

Dominical

2010-05-12T07:03:00.000-07:00

Dominical is a small surf town that is primarily on one road. I walk down this unpaved road to my Spanish immersion class every morning. I have to keep my eyes on the ground to avoid the puddles and often looking up soak up the natural beauty of the rain forest. The sound of waves crashing on the beach at the distance and the smell of "nature" start to overwhelm your senses. This town consist of a few hundred people and the businesses mainly consists of hotels, surf shops, and restaurants. There seem to be more surf signs than standard city road signs. The sun sets at 5 the night seems to go by in slow motion. Many people wake to the first wave of chirping birds 12 hours later. If that doesn't work, many more other species will join in on the next hour or two just in case you hit your mental snooze button. In comparison to St. Maarten, the sand isn't white and the water isn't as blue. My purpose here was to do as much surfing and learn as much spanish as I can in 4 weeks. I haven't gotten homesick in a very long while and it seems to be creeping up on me before I go to bed and when I wake up in the morning. I think its the case of living at home for a long period of time.

...

2010-05-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

4 week Spanish Immersion Program with Housing- 2000

Round Trip Airfare to Costa Rica - 450

Traveler's Guide and Spanish Language books - 6 dollars (after gift card and discount)

Stress from Cramming Spanish Phrases - Priceless

Dominical, Costa Rica...Here I Come

2010-05-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

After sitting on the fence between the US and UK, I decided I'm going to stay in the US. As much as a traveler as I am, I'm surprised by this decision. I have no explanation.

I asked our clinical office for Providence Hospital in Michigan but nothing will be available from now or even the fall so I settled for Nassau University Medical Center in Long Island starting in August. This gives me 3 -4 months of electives or...nothing! So...I was hoping Kern would come through for Family Practice or/and Neurology that I can squeeze in to 8-10 weeks and but the only thing that was available was Forensic Medicine. I don't know what I want to do yet so picking this would be a waste of an elective. I guess I'm not that bummed because the only thing I can do now is go to Costa Rica for Medical Spanish and then come back in time for sister's graduation. Maybe there will be an opening for an elective by the time I come back.

Here's the website...
Costa Rica - http://www.adventurespanishschool.com/dominicalmedical.php

I don't speak a word of Spanish. The only thing Hispanic about me is looking like that rapist at UCLA. Speaking of which, my family passed around the photo at our family dinner making comparisons.

Satisfied

2010-04-28T05:47:00.000-07:00

The night before the score release was one the longest nights of my life.

I passed the Step. It took about 3 days for it to sink in.

Thank you God. Thank you friends and family.

One more thing. There is no correlation between the MCAT and Step 1.

Sex Sells.

2010-04-14T20:08:00.000-07:00

One of my goals is to learn how to speak Spanish. Even though I got some great stories coming out of Latin Class, I don't think its worth the trade off of learning a language that is useful in all areas of life.

Learning a new language isn't easy, especially if you're trying to teach yourself. There are so many resources and it's hard to figure out what fits an individuals needs.

Most people know about the Rosetta Stone Program. It's the program that's been around the longest. I was discussing this with my friend and he told me about a new program..."Fluenz". I watched a sample of the program on the internet and I can see why it can be better than Rosetta Stone. 1) It's more engaging because of a visual human instructor 2) She's cute

I'm sure that the reason for 1 has a lot to do with 2.

One More Week

2010-04-14T20:04:00.001-07:00

In the mean time...

Don't Mess with Old Asian Ladies

Comments

2010-04-13T20:15:00.000-07:00

I've been spending my days on youtube. Some of the videos are great but the best part about the videos are people's comments.

For Example:

"DuoSpear: i'm not making fun of fat people... but I think a lot of fat people have great voices when they sing."

"Akudosochim: if this guy did a duet with Whitney, i'd be like " Whitney stop singing, i can't hear him"

Eat Wonton, Have Some Fun

2010-04-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

I've never felt so lazy in my life. I hate it.

Put in my Place

2010-04-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

While I was walking out of my house to attend the church pancake breakfast, my mom stops me and says "What are you wearing? Go and change into something nice and appropriate."

Get this, she does not believe in God (yet..?).

Detective

2010-04-08T21:29:00.000-07:00

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=7375325

There was a murder suicide in Alhambra this morning. A man killed his pregnant girlfriend, child, and himself in a house. It makes me really sad hearing stuff like this in the news especially in your hometown especially when its about half a mile away.

What was the motive?

My theory: A Crime of Passion.

Girl probably got knocked up by some other guy.. Boyfriend finds out and just goes postal on his girlfriend and his own kid. If he can't have her, no one can. Killing his own kid ensures that the new guy won't be able to take care and offer any love. Also, by kill her and the unborn baby, he's indirectly hurting the other guy. Killing yourself is the only way out because he won't be able to live with himself.

Interesting...

2010-04-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

Success by Sallie Mae + Sharebuilder + IngDirect = please reinvest your leftover loan money.

Easter

2010-04-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

I went to a new church on Sunday because I needed an earlier service.

"Believe in God. Lock your front door" - Evergreen Baptist Church

Step I

2010-03-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

I barely slept.
I almost missed my exit.
Their finger printing machine didn't work after my first block so they had to restart the computer as my break time was being used up on their behalf.
It's darkest before dawn.
Yet, praise God for this crazy week. A lot of personal growth.
I hope I passed.

The Mechanic

2010-03-29T06:39:00.000-07:00

I've been driving way too long with this so called "new" engine. I confessed that my service light came on awhile ago but I was hoping it could go a little further before I had to take it in for a service. He went on to work but I can see a sign of disappointment. He takes longer than the usual oil change. Is something broken? Is he just patching it up or is he putting in a new part? He does his thing and sends me off.

Not a word.

The car feels fine.

I hope I can make it up the mountain.

Amnesia

2010-03-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

Spending 3 months studying and you have this feeling you don't know anything.

The saddest part is that I know where all the heart pieces are at for Zelda - Super Nintendo. How long as that been.

" the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."

- Job 1:21

Dream/Nightmare

2010-03-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

I usually have dreams of random things that don't seem to mean anything like with friends and people at random events. They would be so random that it would be quite funny to retell or just put it off as if its no big deal. I'm not really into dreams and symbols but I woke up this morning quite uncomfortable. I had a dream about snakes. I haven't seen a snake or even cared about snakes for as long as I can remember.

"So our family was sitting upstairs.. and this blue green striped tree snake comes up slithering up from behind the couch. My sister points to it and I'm kind of freaked about it so I run to the kitchen and I grab the "Raid". It seemed like it was the only pesticide that we had. I held out the bottle and sprayed the damn snake in the eyes. It stops moving but then it starts moving away again. Then it just slithers away as its not even irritated by the chemicals. All of a sudden the snake just disappears and I spend the day looking for the damn snake around my house. I look under the couch, behind the couch, and even the garage. No snake.

Then suddenly, it transitions to scene where I'm with a local forest ranger in Alhambra. I walk to the ranger and ask for some information about snakes in our area. He takes me up to this map (like the ones you see in hiking trails) and points to this location around my house and we just start zooming in local is it were Google maps. Somehow end up at this corner of this dimly lit courtyard and there is this one huge snake and several small snakes. I wouldn't say it was a pit but I was cornered. The small snakes were hidden in between the cobble stone pavement. All I have is this long stick and I'm protecting myself from the big snake who's harassing me in the corner of the courtyard. I keep hitting it away. It never bites me. It Ends."

Random. I hope this isn't an omen. If it is one, I hope it's a good one.

If I could, I would

2010-03-23T07:24:00.000-07:00

be in Japan right now for the Cherry Blossoms. It would be nice to be able to shoot some decent pictures with the new camera.

now back to the books and practice questions.

Good Vibes.

2010-03-22T11:49:00.000-07:00

I'm going to blast this song with my windows down on Tuesday morning.

Pro-Choice

2010-03-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

Balut - One of my favorite exotic foods to eat. Pro-Choice for me.

Letter to Myself

2010-03-19T11:21:00.001-07:00

Dear J*,

You can't know everything.

- J.

God's Grace

2010-03-18T00:04:00.000-07:00

I'm doing more than okay on practice questions/tests but I realized that in the end it doesn't really mean anything. (of course, you're better off than not knowing anything). I've seen people study their buts off for other exams and they just have a bad day/test. They know everything but its not enough. What if on the exam they put everything that you didn't know and on top of it, you were off focus. You narrow it down to 2 answers for 10 questions and miss all 10 while the guy next to you gets them all right. What I'm trying is there is always the "X" factor. You can call it fate or luck but I just think of it as God flexing his muscle. To be honest, I'm not afraid of this test. I'm more afraid of Him.

My journey here started with my faith in Him. I took the MCAT at the Glendale Prometric center after the night my dad's stroke that left him disabled. Looking back, the only thing I can remember when I was sitting in that room was just how upset I was with God. I remember praying "I don't why you're doing this but you better have a damn F*!@$(% purpose for all of this". I think if there weren't people in that room, I would have throw the comptuer out the window. As expected, I did horribly but it did bring me closer to him over the last two years. I think that incident was beginning of one of my life's chapter. Now here's the irony, I'm back full circle. Two weeks away from another exam at the same testing site. I've thought about taking it at a different location but what hero backs down from a challenge? If the outcome of my exam is great, the feeling will be even sweeter.

I'm praying to you God, I want this to be my redemption and let me end this chapter on a good note. I hope my "will" is aligned with Yours.

Sleep

2010-03-17T14:08:00.000-07:00

I thought I developed a liking to my new local public library after studying for the Step 1. It's state of the art with computers and internet, two floors, and very quiet. The only downside of this place is that it closes to early which it's understandable because this place is funded by tax dollars. Today, the librarian came the row of desks that I usually study at and woke up a man that was taking a "break/nap" from studying. I was stunned for second wondering what he had done wrong.

After the librarian walked away, he said to me "the library won't let you take naps"

I am going to write a letter to my city.

2 weeks.

2010-03-15T09:03:00.000-07:00

I've gotten blisters from video games, water in the knees, cauliflower ear, callus from writing, etc. I would have never imagine that I would get a callus on the pad of my index finger from turning pages.

Jaundice Secondary to Studying

2010-03-06T00:30:00.000-08:00

Studying for Step 1 is making me lose my tan.

Mario Bros Wii. (study break)

2010-03-04T07:26:00.000-08:00

This is insane (says the nerd in me).

On Hypochondria

2010-01-28T18:23:00.000-08:00

Awesome Music Video.

2010-01-27T23:21:00.000-08:00

2010-01-21T13:25:00.000-08:00

Testing out my T1i + 50mm 1.4 canon lens

If you have too much Potassium!

2010-01-18T14:58:00.000-08:00

Just Studying all the hard stuff makes you forget the basics.

Copy Right BRS Physio.

Great Article.

2010-01-09T09:40:00.003-08:00

Gilbert Arenas, Tiger Woods, and the limits of athlete-role models

By Colbert I. King
Saturday, January 9, 2010; A13

With all the drama over another celebrity-athlete's fall from grace -- in this case Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas and his indefinite suspension without pay by the NBA over a gun incident -- bear this in mind: A great jump shot is not indicative of maturity and good character.
Just as, I might add, a married man with a terrific golf swing can be stuck on himself and have eyes for cocktail waitresses, and muscled men on the gridiron may still possess the emotional maturity of little boys.
Athleticism is not synonymous with integrity, fidelity or good sense.
Gilbert Arenas is an accomplished basketball player. He may have been worth every penny of the six-year, $111 million contract that he signed in 2008. That I can't judge.
This I know: Arenas's hero status should be limited to his on-court performance. Even before the guns and locker-room incident, Arenas, off the court, was hardly an example to be emulated by children, notwithstanding reports of his charitable giving to Hurricane Katrina victims, schools, etc.
Throwing himself a $1 million birthday party -- as The Post reported -- and fathering three children with his on- and off-again girlfriend doesn't qualify him, in my book, as a role model for young boys.
The same goes for the world's No. 1 golfer, Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods. Woods has made tons of money doing what he learned as a child. Golfers, lovers of the sport, even casual spectators admired him for that.
But even before the public meltdown over his private behavior, it never occurred to me to regard Woods as the man to serve as an example to my grandsons. Unless they're interested in his sport, there was no reason for them to want to imitate him. They have worthier examples closer to home.
As with Gilbert Arenas, Tiger Woods was a billboard, but only for his sport. Their professional performances revealed little about their personal values.
In fact, the revelations about Woods and Arena underscore their childish impulsiveness.
Common sense says you don't do anything to jeopardize your livelihood -- especially when you are your sole meal ticket.
Arenas turned 28 years old this week. Woods is 34. Neither acts like an adult.
A married Woods with money to spend behaved like a child in a candy store, grabbing and tasting every luscious thing he could get his hands on. Did he think for one second that those women would have looked at him twice had he not been Tiger the rich, but rather Eldrick the car valet?
And what about Arenas with a gun incident hanging over his head, going to the basketball arena of an opposing team and in the presence of thousands of hostile fans, playfully forming his hands into pistols and pretending he was shooting his teammates as they huddled courtside?
It was an adolescent attempt at humor by someone too out of touch with reality to recognize the trouble he was in.
It also speaks volumes about the maturity of Wizards teammates who laughed at Arenas's antics.
Does that mean they aren't good professional basketball players? No (though the team's record does provoke the question). It does mean, however, that some players (paraphrasing the entertainer Prince) have not learned to act their ages, not their shoe sizes.
Arenas and Woods may return to their games in their old form. But they have much growing up to do if they ever hope to be respected as responsible adults.
A stipulation: Most professional athletes are a credit to their calling and have personal qualities to match. But some set a poor example. Consider the National Football League.
The on-field prowess of NFL players is remarkable: their speed and quickness; expertise in blocking, tackling, and running pass patterns; their mastery of intricate and coordinated offensive and defensive schemes. Pro football is athleticism at its peak.
Yet witness what happens after the play is whistled dead. Some of those men reduce themselves to the level of attention-starved children.
Watch as they show off doing stupid, ostentatious things like dancing, mugging and doing stunts after making a play, all for the benefit of TV cameras.
Today's end zone has become converted into an entertainment zone despite the fact that players are paid to be athletes, not clowns.
Guns and youth violence are plagues, as I have written countless times. But changing destructive behavior entails looking for heroes in the right places. Many athletes, because of their personal values and behavior, are worthy of imitation. Washington's NFL stars Art Monk, Bobby Mitchell and Darrell Green played the game with dignity and carried themselves well off the field. So did Wizards standouts Wes Unseld and Phil Chenier.
But role modeling begins at home, within our communities, and by leaders on the ground -- doing it man to man -- and not on a pass route.

Day 1

2010-01-04T13:55:00.000-08:00

I've been somewhat studying for the USMLE Step 1 board exam but today has been my official start day. I'm actually kind of excited about it. I'm studying/relearning Amino Acid Metabolism at the moment while my dad is watching television in the back. I believe that when you try to teach something that you learned, you put it in your long term memory. Today, I sat next to him and attempted to describe what happenes when we eat meat, why vitamin B6 is important to transfer amino groups, and the production of urea, and so forth. As I try to explain this process, he picks up the remote, turns on the tv, and increases the volume level!

5th Semester Party

2009-11-15T14:29:00.000-08:00

I would like to thank:

Dr. A* for talkng to the Westin and rebuilding the bridge.

M* from the Westin for her patience and expertise.

S* and C* for getting the coffee cart first semester.

The 5th Semester Party Committee and the Class:

I was never afraid to ask for help. I would have in a heartbeat if I couldn't handle it anymore.

"Belief of the social support is more important than the actual objectve social support....Knowing that the net is there makes it easier to be on the trapeze." B.S. Kaplan

The things I learned through this party planning and then standing back and watching the final product that night. Priceless.

I couldn't have asked for anything more.

Every vector space has a basis

2009-11-12T21:33:00.000-08:00

During a conversation today, I was reminded of my Linear Algebra professor. For those that don't know, Liner Algebra is the beginning of abstract math. It's some course that you take for math based majors. It involves vectors, matrices, scalars, more matrices, Gaussian Elimination, [fill in random famous name] matrices, etc. It's very different from just normal math. There was some shock value when I first learned about it. I had to take this as part of my Mangament Science/Economics degree. I attemped it at UCSD but I dropped it because I had no idea what the professor was talking about during the lectures. By no means am I putting down the professor. It's just my foundations sucked. I blame myself for all those years of just copying homework answers from the back of my mathbook in gradeschool (which of course many kids do which I dearly regret doing) I guess I never really developed a STRONG foundation. Luckily, UCSD gave us the option to take this requirement outside the University. Most students took this route because it was primarily "easier" and secondarily "cheaper". So I enrolled in the San Diego community college during one of my summers down there. Not Suprisngly, there were other recognizable faces from UCSD. The course was taught by an old Russian. I don't remember her name but she was Russian. I think we called her Dr. V. After of few days of classes, I considered this information "useless". To be honest, I felt that about education my whole life. I never developed passion for school but just "went through the motions" because we had to do it. I think most of the students in the class felt the same way especially sitting in a "Linear Algebra" class. The only responses to her questions were silences. One day, she got fed up with our lack of enthusiasm and said.

"Why would you want to see the world in black and white? Learning just makes everything more colorful..."

It finally clicked.

Out of the 4.5 years at UCSD, I would expect to be influenced or inspired by these big time researchers. Ironically, it was this little old Russian lady in a summer school class at a community college that made the biggest difference. Thank You.

Haiku

2009-11-11T18:29:00.000-08:00

Finally blooming
More than one can really want
Best to close my eyes

If I could be any animal...

2009-11-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

I would be a dolphin.

Nellie

2009-10-31T05:46:00.000-07:00

Name: Nellie
Height: 5'7''
Shape: Quad Fish
Maker: Isle Surfboards
Age: 2 years
Condition: Immaculate

Semester is coming to an end and I had to do one of the hardest things. I had to let go of "Nellie". At first, I was planning on taking her home to have her part of my quiver...but I realized it would have been too much trouble to transport her with all my baggage. St. Maarten, your waves are terrible. I'm sadden that she never got to touch the west coast and see her real potential. I never got to use her much here and and I hope her new owner will spend more time with her.

I have my eye on this one.... She's going to go with me to Costa Rica.

One of the most beautiful words...

2009-10-29T04:34:00.000-07:00

that I haven't heard in awhile....

"breathtaking"

Dear AUC,

2009-10-28T19:29:00.000-07:00

Thank you for finally making me feel like I got my money's worth on tuition. For the past few semesters, I felt like I paid tons of money for 3 classes that didn't take up that much time. I got to go to the beach, hang out with locals and friends, and procrastinate. Now I realized that the money paid for my peace of mind.

You kept me so busy this semester. I barely have time or the energy to study. I have never been this unprepared for an exam.

What if I got in a time machine and went back to September and clicked "I do not agree" on that Kaplan website. Would it be okay and at least get half my money back for that increased tuition. I'm pretty sure most of us aren't using that kaplan online program. It's going to expire when we actually have time to use it..IN DECEMBER!!!! So...how much kickback is Kaplan actually giving you guys?

I could have just paid 500 bucks to buy the books off ebay.

P.H.U.K. UReASSe.

Regards,
Me

This Could Be...

2009-10-26T05:59:00.000-07:00

...the last set of block exams that I'll be taking here at AUC... I'm not saying I'm not confident, I am. I'm not nervous or anxious at all but shit just happens sometimes.

Anyways.

I use to hate Pharm..but I love it. I realized I have all this pent up creative energy. I came up with some pretty good mnenomics.

This one is the best one by far.

"The BITCH in the CRAPSEEET in the BEAMAH overdosed on opioids and has CPR so you MUst give her a NAL drug."

B.S. - no comment. I have a confession to make. This use to be my stronger subject at UCSD. No comment... Level 4 Defense Mechanism: Humor.

acetylcholine and parkinsons

2009-10-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

pardon my grammar...im studying

Medical Comics

2009-10-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

I haven't been taking many pictures lately. The olympus camera that I own suck big time. That's another story.
But I just wanted to share my new found love for medical comics. You have to admit. This is kind of funny.

Remember when we use to have those great debates of quitting smoking...

2009-06-08T14:32:00.001-07:00