I Finally Did It This Weekend

The schedule since I started Medicine has been absolutely ridiculous. I have no idea how the medicine residents survive three years of this insanity. Eleven to 12 hour work days that are non-stop crazy busy with the pager filling up at least twice each shift, and then on call every fourth night for 32+ hour shifts (the new resident law says no more 30 hours of work allowed in a row, but whatever) and getting no more than 1.5 hrs of sleep at the most while caring for truly medically ill patients. One weekday (i.e. no weekend days) off for every seven days of this out of control schedule. At the end of the first week, I was completely exhausted and officially hated Medicine.

I was sitting at home on Friday night to gather up my strength for getting up again at 5a on Saturday for another day of this stressful stuff when I got a text message from someone special I had not seen or heard from in quite some time, inviting me out on the town for some jazz. My first inclination was to decline since I was exhausted and had to get up at the crack of dawn. Then I thought better of it and said, fuck it, I only live once, and I'm already sleep deprived, so what's another lost night of sleep? We met at The Jazz Showcase and saw Chris Potter Underground perform. I was so sleepy, I could barely keep my eyes open, but it was a great show! Sensuous sax tones and great extended vigorous drum solos made for a wonderful session. I didn't get much sleep that night, but felt so rejuvenated by the change of scenery and being out relaxing with a couple of drinks, amazing music, and great company.

Saturday a.m. was rough though. Oy! But, the benefit of going to work early is the beauty of being able to enjoy a gorgeous sunrise. Here is the downtown view I enjoyed as I was walking in to work, sleepy but light on my feet from my previous night's debauchery.
















I knew I had to hustle to get my work done early on Saturday because I had an appointment that afternoon that I had been contemplating for months and struggling to fit in for weeks: permanent hair straightening. I was born cursed with a frizzy, unruly mane that has been untamed since the day I left the cozy comfort of my mother's uterus. Ever since I heard of a way to enjoy permanently straight hair so that I could be that girl that I have always aspired to be - the wash & go girl - I have been covetous of its easygoing status.

After a lot of stress on Saturday a.m. to get all my work done in time, I finally found myself in Andrea's chair at Orbit beauty salon for a four-hour long session of conquering my DNA by converting my bird's nest into smooth and straight shampoo commercial-like silk. I was exhausted from my lack of sleep and it was such a relaxing procedure that I had to struggle to stay awake and upright. But, once it was done, voila - silken and bone straight! It's almost too straight and will take some getting used to, but what a magical change. And the girl who did my hair, Andrea, is a true artist and super sweet! She takes her work seriously and does a very thorough job. If you are looking for a new stylist, I cannot recommend Andrea enough. You can find her here.

More Stockholm Pics

Back home again. I had a wonderful time and have to admit that I am feeling a little sad to be back, not just because I have to return to work, but because I also miss my family. It was simply fantastic to see my sister, nephew, aunt, dad, and my high school friend again. We had a great time together. I'll post more details over the next few days, but for now, here are some more pictures so you can see for yourself what a beautiful city Stockholm is.

Stockholm street food: Tunnbrödrulle...mmm...Swedish hotdog nestled in mashed potatoes and shrimp salad, cradled within a thin bread roll. Simply scrumptious!










Old Town


















My Sister's Cozy Living Room. Note the beautiful old tiled fireplace in the left corner.












Af Chapman, a youth hostel [ship] anchored by Skeppsholmen










Ah, here it is: My favorite painting, The Enigma of Wilhelm Tell (Moderna Museet)









Farmer's Market in the center of the city, at Hötorget











Kungsträdgårdens Tunnelbane station (Display at one of the city's subway stations)

Greetings From Stockholm

I have not had much internet access and don't have much time right now, but here's a little something to show you beautiful Stockholm until I get home and can post more pictures.

Linus På Linjen And Barbapapa

No more work related postings for a while! Instead, I would like to relish in a couple of cartoons from my childhood that I recently came across.

As you may recall from an earlier posting, we did not have commercial television when I grew up in Sweden. We also did not have many cartoons or animated TV shows. We did get them on occasion, but they were so rare that we always treasured them much like we savored our Saturday candy. Also, remember that we only had two television stations so everyone in the whole country in your age group would pretty much watch the same channel you did since the two stations rarely aired competing shows of interest simultaneously. (Swedes are so considerate and such rational thinkers!) Hence, everyone grew up watching the same cartoons more or less. There were the big Disney, Looney Tunes, and Hanna Barbera cartoons that were most popular, of course. But, there were also others, from various corners of the world.

Two of those are what I recently came across and would like to share. The first one, Linus På Linjen (Linus On The Line) is basically just a walking man, consisting of a line with a smurf-like creature coming out of the line. The cartoon depicts him as he's walking about, experiencing various adventures. As you may notice, he's got quite the anger management problem (told you there are lots of angry folks out there), always getting angry and yelling in some foreign language that I have yet to make out. He also has the most contagious laughter that still makes me snicker. Here is Linus På Linjen for you to check out.

Another favorite childhood cartoon I remember fondly is Barbapapa, a French cartoon about a family of blobs, amoeba-like in their ability to morph themselves into pretty much any shape necessitated by the situation. This one is a little more geared toward children, but I still find the characters' morphing ability pretty neat. Check out Barbapapa here.

Isn't This Just The Coolest?

Check this out. This guy did what we have all dreamed about doing at one point or another. Here is the video. Here is the written story. So cool!

Let Them Eat THIS Cake

So, today I stumbled across what I think must be the creepiest cake I have ever seen. I apologize for slamming an artistic creation as somebody obviously labored (ha, ha) hard to create this piece of edible art, but seriously? Would you like a piece of this cake? Although I am certain it is quite delicious, I would not. I hope Megan does. However, if I were Megan, when push comes to shove, I would shove whoever decorated it out of my kitchen!

European Reflections

On my last day in Madrid, it was raining. I usually don't mind the rain, but had planned to spend the day reading in the beautiful Parque del Retiro, so was a little disappointed. Instead, I spent an hour or so on my hostel bunk bed to finish up the book [I Know This Much Is True] that had captivated me during the trip. I can highly recommend it; it is a profound and beautifully told story. It was still raining when I was done, so I headed out to do some last minute souvenir shopping. Again, I was disappointed, much like during my previous shopping attempts during this trip. I had anticipated to be able to find unique and distinctive items, things I wouldn't normally come across on a shopping trip to the mall here in the U.S. But, all over Europe it was the same stuff! Nothing unique or specific to a particular country or region. I don't know if it is me imagining things, but this seems different from just four years ago when I went to Italy. Living in the States, you get used to big market commercialism with Walmarts and Targets ruling our lives of convenience. I had hoped to escape that to lose myself in small independent shops featuring a more local offering of interesting items. While the size of the shops were granted smaller and they were independently owned, the products were all the same everywhere and there was nothing unique that we can't find here in the U.S. It saddened me to see that big market commercialism has taken such a hold as this seems to be moving us toward a world ruled by large corporations where individuality and independence are lost.

Frustrated, I headed back to the hostel for a midday snack, which included half a box of sangria that thankfully made me sleepy enough to enjoy a brief siesta and temporarily put me out of my world capitalism worries. When I woke up, the rain had stopped and I headed off to the park. The ground was still wet from the morning rain, so couldn't really find a spot to sit in to read my new book, but I was able to wander about and enjoy the scenery. Luckily, I had saved some battery on my iTunes Shuffle and completely lost myself in thought while listening to some great tunes and taking in the stunning vistas. The park is huge and I meandered about for more than two and a half hours without making it from one end to the other.

It was wonderful to be able to end my journey in such a beautiful area while also having a chance to fully reflect on the trip I was fortunate enough to have enjoyed. Traveling around Europe was a fantastic experience, but it was not a expedition of exploring unchartered territory. In fact, if that morning had solidified anything, it was that the world is getting smaller and smaller and discovering unique cultural experiences will become more challenging as we grow increasingly interconnected via technological advances and commercialism.

However, people can and still will be what ultimately allow us to have life altering experiences. As I was traveling around, I was randomly struck by how little the things that I'm wrapped up in in my daily life in Chicago mattered. The thoughts and events that preoccupy me on a daily basis when I'm at home did not make a difference here. Certain personal relationships that affected me deeply and had me dwelling on things, making me doubt myself and question who I am were no longer important. They were a world away and had no bearing on anything. It was a very freeing feeling. I had a little epiphany that the people and experiences that we allow to make us feel bad about ourselves and who we are really do not matter. It simply comes down to how we feel about ourselves from within. Kirstie, lovely angel that she is, solidified this for me. She helped to restore my faith in myself and as I packed my bags that night, I felt like I had been blessed with that life altering journey after all.

To conclude the travelogue (although I will continue blogging), I'll include a few tips for those of you looking to go on your own European travel adventure:

-Always look up. The interesting architectural details are near the top of the buildings and not necessarily at ground level.
-Curry ice cream may sound gross, but try it, it's quite interesting and really not bad! Don't be afraid to try something new.
-Bring your flip flops. Showers in hostels can be, ahem how shall I put it politely....unhygienic.
-The Lonely Planet is overrated. Get a free map from the tourist information office/hostel/hotel. Do your research about sights to see online or ask the locals. Public transportation is almost idiot proof. No need to carry around a 5 lbs book with outdated information that you paid $27 for and barely ever used!
-Cheapest food and drink is found in the grocery stores (usually, but there are exceptions) and picnics make great meals and memories.
-Traveling alone may be intimidating at first, but opens the door to new people and experiences. Hostels are great for meeting fun, friendly, and adventurous people!
-Ask your hostel/hotel/tourist information office if there is a free walking tour in your city. The guides are usually knowledgeable and fun. It's a great way to orient yourself to a new city before heading out to explore on your own. But, the guides work on tips alone so be sure to tip your guide appropriately.
-Best exchange rates are either through the ATMs or using your credit card. Don't bring cash to exchange, but you may want to keep some emergency dollars on hand, just in case.
-Buses are cheaper than trains. Unless you are younger than 26, buying the Eurorail pass is not necessarily a bargain. But, if you do decide that you want to go the Eurorail route, buy it and have it delivered before you leave the U.S. It costs less for some reason.
-If traveling by RyanAir: Oy, so many things to say here, I'll limit it to the most important: checking a bag costs extra (currently 13 euros per bag), maximum weight to carry-on is 10 kg; 15 kg for checked bags (or you pay extra). You MUST be checked in 40 mins before the flight leaves or you are S-O-L. Get to the gate early and get in line, cuz there are no assigned seats; first come, first served....
-If traveling to an airport, check and double check how long it will take to get there. Sometimes, there's only a bus every 1.5 hrs, so even if you think you're early, you might miss your flight if you miss your bus by 5 mins...
-Bring less stuff than you think you'll need. If you do miss or need something, you'll be able to find it there. I hear shampoo is available worldwide these days. No, but seriously, it really is.
-If you have a student id, bring it. It can save you some good money. Ask the hostel/hotel/tourist info office or locals about free museum days.
-Hostelworld.com is invaluable for finding and reserving hostels anywhere quickly and easily.
-Check out couchsurfing.com before you leave if you are on a tight budget. It can also be a great back-up in case there are no hostel/hotel rooms to be found.
-If there is a free bathroom opportunity, take it! You never know when you'll find another public bathroom without some kind of charge until you get to your hostel/hotel
-If you are a TMobile customer, you can bring and use your phone in Europe, but you do have to activate the WorldClass service first (free) and then pay for roaming.
-You will need a converter for charging your digital camera or other electronic equipment.
-Post offices don't necessarily sell stamps. I don't know why that is really or WHY a post office would not sell stamps, but it does happen. I really do wonder why that is. Did I mention that I'm very curious as to why a post office would not sell stamps?
-Bring a small note book and a pen. You never know when you'll need to write down random information, booking numbers, e-mail addresses, hot guys' phone numbers, etc. It's nice to have it all in one place and not dig around for lose pieces of paper that inevitably get lost.
-If staying in hostels, be sure to bring a towel (needed in most hostels), a sheet (needed in some hostels), a lock (needed in a few hostels), soap, AND flip flops (needed in 99% of all hostels)!!!
-Remember that fear is temporary, regret is forever, and life is too friggin' short so go and book your trip now! If you're going to India, let me know cuz I want to go too...