Bull Runs and Bear Runs of Mood

Dear Diary,

The last two days had been a roller-coaster ride on my mood! In fact, yesterday… my day was capped with a sad note when a friend came along to my pharmacy at 9pm in need of a confidante. After my work, I spent some time with him at the coffee shop where I watched him eat his super-late dinner and hear him talk. I wasn’t exactly in good shape to be comforting him actually. Nonetheless, I lent that listening ear because I know how important it is as a friend. Personally, I was having some form of a crisis when my friendship with a close female friend was on the brink of degeneration due to boy-girl relational elements creeping in unexpectedly. Then my leave application for a planned trip to Taiwan with my family was unexpectedly rejected. There was hardly any redeeming incident yesterday except for a visit by a colleague. I bought him lunch at Hans Restaurant that afternoon. Nice talking to him.

Yet in the midst of all the problems preoccupying my mind, a trip to the nearby Borders bookstore yesterday’s evening got me “fired up optimistically” by a Portuguese song playing softly on the background. The song kinda broke my pessimistic train-of-thought as I approached the information counter to enquire about the song. The sales girls fumbled and rushed around to help me get the information and that was it… “Lambada” by Kaoma… which you are hearing right now at the background! If you want the English version to understand the meaning of it all… you can check it out at you-tube here! I just felt that surge of energy when I listened to it although I don’t know the lyrics. Quite incredible how a music can uplift a downcast mood! =)

Today, I woke up with all the intention to make things right again. Travelled to airport to send some goods, then went to pray at St Andrew’s Cathedral for guidance and direction. I know I cannot depend on my strength alone! =) Went to Singapore Management University (SMU) to teach the pre-reg pharmacists on arrhythmia and venous thromboembolism in a 4-hour discussion lecture. I was not as prepared as I hope to be but still managed to breeze through. Love to interact with the pre-regs because there is an element of innocence in them. The working world hardens the workers and we lose that unexplained inherent joy and energy still evident in trainees and students. The day seemed pretty smooth-flowing. I got a pleasant surprise when I managed to borrow “Next” by Michael Crichton at the Central National Library today too! I had been searching and waiting for it for more than half a year! Then what came after it was a series of fortunate events which I must give thanks to God!

In the afternoon, met up with the friend which I had a friendship crisis with… and it was resolved over a long conversation over some drinks! Incredible because I really did not expect such a success! I really cherish that friendship and am so very glad that I could get it up again. Then just as unexpectedly, an SMS came along from a colleague who told me that my boss decided to approve my leave after all despite the risk. Yay!!!!! I wonder if my boss knew how much I am going to love her for that, hahahaha…

Giving myself a break now and tomorrow will be a better day! Have to rush and set some viva and MCQ questions for the pre-reg final examinations… work basically never ends! ;-)

God Bless,

Andrew