My "Rushing Here, Rushing There" Life

Dear Diary,

Since it is still very early in the morning… I thought… maybe I can type a blog entry ;-) In fact, feeling very refreshed after bathing. Earlier, I had gone for a slightly over 5-km morning run. I took a dismal 30 minutes to complete it. It was bad. I actually woke up at 6am this morning. These days, I don’t get off my bed till at least 8am. So it was a struggle indeed. In fact, yesterday evening… the locum pharmacist who took over my duty told me that she has been preparing for the upcoming Standard Charter marathon event (in November) since June! She completes 10 km in 1 hour now. I was totally surprised because she does not, did not and will not ever look like someone who is so sporty! She urged me to join her in the marathon… well, I said I will consider but chances are… I will just stick to my promise that if she can ever complete that 42-km marathon, I will give her a big big treat. Frankly, I never ran more than a 21-km half-marathon. At that time… the peak of my physical condition, I think I took about 1 hour 45 minutes to complete it…. That was about 7 to 8 years ago. So, not to be outdone, I did a trial run today and nope… stamina is bad.

The last few days were awfully busy ones. Coordinating the roster for the pharmacists is a huge responsibility and all those “inflexible” pharmacists wanting their “preferred” time slots or locations… well, I am getting a bit “inflexible” too. Don’t want that location? Okay, I will replace you with another locum pharmacist. Period. Then there is the responsibility of assisting a fellow colleague in writing advertisements for my company for publishing in medical literatures and magazines. Was put in charge of coordinating drug information services too. Chosen to orientate newly recruited pharmacists also… the list of responsibilities continues with… being designated as the pioneering branch to kick-start smoking cessation follow-ups… whatever…

Tuesday 1-8-2006, I was to orientate a pharmacist who is older than my mum. Think it is a challenge because she is not computer-savvy and how do you feel if you know she is from the pharmacy batch one year more senior than the head of the pharmacy department in the hospital I once came from? Hmmm… that evening when I was out with a good friend, she made a number of phone calls to ask for assistance. A little embarrassed to be answering calls and SMS when accompanying a friend… kinda rude I guess… so I switched off my phone for a long period… that was after I referred her to contact another on-shift pharmacist for advice. Whew… glad that pharmacist agreed to assist me in this case.

Wednesday 2-8-2006, did orientation for another new pharmacist and he is 2 years my senior in pharmacy school. Quite a nice guy to talk to and to round off a memorable day… the sink pipe burst for the first time in the store’s history. Not too long ago, there was a fire… now… flood. He was stunned. I tried to salvage the situation by taping up the pipe with tapes and switching off the water supply but it was futile… so we constantly have to mop up the place around the dispensing area and beyond as the water seeped out rapidly. The plumber was called up but I left the pharmacy before the plumber came, leaving that poor chap to fend the water gateways alone, hahaha… but I left him my contact number though, just in case… =)

That Wednesday evening… or rather early Thursday morning… I was awaken by the ringing of my phone. Yawn…I picked it up… Goodness… past one in the morning! There a friend was panicking… I think he needed some assurance and I spent 1 hour doing so… quite surprised I did not actually doze off… though I kinda “nodded off” in short periods, keke… He kept saying he could not complete studying for his upcoming exam which is also the exam I am going to take. Excuse me? I also haven’t got much of a chance to study too! In fact, all I do is try to read a little during lunchtime! Haha… then again, the stress is subtle but real. Can’t actually think I am going to take an exam so unprepared. That exam is a 7.5-hour exam. The thought is demoralising enough. Anyway, rather pleased with my temper these days, keke… not a slightest bit of anger towards someone who called me when I am soundly asleep, haha… in fact, yesterday… someone who was browsing some supplements came up to me to praise me for being patient and knowledgeable. Apparently, he overheard me counselling another man on the use of Red Yeast Rice and the dissociation of calcium salts and their elemental calcium equivalence… plus the RDA etc. He was a former pharmacist, now working in the real estate. Sigh… Yet another pharmacist who left the pharmacy field.

Okay, not sure if I should attend the upcoming Cathedral Medical Fellowship next Tuesday evening… apparently the chairperson called me up to ask me to join. A newly-licensed young pharmacist (probably the only pharmacist and the youngest person around?) to join a bunch of medical doctors, dentists and consultants for fellowship and mission-planning? I am not even a hospital pharmacist… don’t think I can help much in Lebanon or Java or some war-torn disaster-struck areas… hee… Don’t think they mind if it is Tussidex, Durotuss Forte or Dhasedyl so long they get some medicine, haha… well, think about it later. =)

Okay, that’s all… hope the promoter bring more materials for me to read and prepare for the exams! Maybe buy her a meal today. =) Pray for me for time to study!!!!!! No time already! Hahaha…

God Bless,

Andrew