It's been dinosaur ages since i've last written here :P
Looking back at 2016, I'd say it's been a year of growth. I've learnt to love the stubborn and unlovable, I found love and I experienced His love like never before.
I thank God for putting this special individual in my life, for making our paths cross. He strengthens my faith in God and brings me closer to Him. We share a passion for medical missions. I thank God for you Leh Siang.
My past year in KK Padawan holds bittersweet memories aplenty. Although i'm transferring to new ground next year, it will always have a special place in my heart. The connection I've built with the community there is something irreplaceable. I will miss the hour long drive to work across the lush green mountains, avoiding the dogs that litter the roads like they own the place (omgoodness), the familiar faces who come for one to three monthly follow ups with me, the folks who tell me about their children, their problems, the 91 yr old elderly man who cupped my face in his hands bcz he missed his children, the aunty with the suspected PTB that stubbornly refused to be investigated and treated but finally had a change of heart after tedious counselling, the patients who bring me fruits of their hard labour, the sincerity and warmth of the farming community.
There have also been many trials that tested the limits of my patience due to poor health awareness, poverty, lack of infrastructure and poor maintainence of the health facility. It was to my utter surprise upon learning about the operational area of my clinic, that there were more than 6000 people from 26 villages around my clinic, some living as far as a 2 hour drive plus a 1 hour journey on foot away! There were a lot of social issues to deal with and teenage pregnancy and single motherhood was rampant. There were issues with the water supply, electricity trips, transportation maintainence etc. Not a fan of administrative work, I was forced to dive into clinic management work to sort out all these issues as the only medical officer there. Truly a time of building up my patience, perseverance and at times, just depending on God for His mercy.
It was also a time that I had a turn in considering my future pathway. Things js didnt turn out the way I expected, so a change of course was taken.
Nostalgia aside, I visited my brother in Toronto for his graduation! :)
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| at the U of T with the brother |
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| Niagara falls American side |
Stood in awe of the majesty of Niagara Falls, had far too many giant juicy sandwiches, braved the unpredictable weather in this yr's summer, tried all sorts of cheeses, did wine tasting at a vineyard, gushed at the beautiful blossoms of Butchart Garden. But at the end of it all, i'm still a Msian through and through. Missed eating rice and msian food at the end of the two weeks. xD
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| Would've been soaked head to foot if without the raincoat :P |
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| Coffee and Churos |
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| The city hall in the background |
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| the yellow schoolbus I've always read of in the story books |
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| CN Tower |
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| Poutine, a concoction of potatoes, cheese curds with a sauce of your choice |
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| Fish with salad |
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| Orcas in Victoria |
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| A rose garden brought me back in time to Alice in Wonderland |
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| So.... find me three golden eggs, a golden goose and a golden harp and i will grant you your heart's desire. xD |
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| Flowers at the Butchart garden |
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| Hoot! |
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| The winter olympics torch of 2010 in Vancouver |
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| The Nest, in Uni of British Columbia in Vancouver. wonder why it's called the Nest? |
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| Ta da! cz it's a nest in a building. :P brother's friends took us around the uni. |
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| Took the aqua bus to Granville Island |
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| Oyster burger and salmon wrap at Go Fish |
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| An iron building! |
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| Trekked through a cedar forest |
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| Spotted spiky sea urchins on sale at the Fisherman's Wharf |
Another interesting fact was that somehow, pei sun, kevin, shalisha and I ended up in Kuching together! :P 8 years of friendship and counting.
Last but not least, I thank God for family. A place where the heart belongs, where I find comfort, security and shamelessly, home-cooked food. :P Will be transferring to kk petra jaya next year, which will be a different sort of primary care environment, bcz it's located in the city and offers more services.
I guess for the coming year I wish to grow more.
- To grow more in Him to see more harvest.
- To love unconditionally.
- To persevere in pursuing my goals.
Cheers to the coming year!
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| the boisterous caleb life group! :D |
And may the rashes and ulcers resolve asap! contracted hand foot mouth disease and ended up taking medical leave this week. had to miss a friend's farewell and an upcoming christmas party :'( at this juncture I now miss my mouth and limbs during their disease free period more than ever.
