There are 5 patients found with an infection. What is your greatest concern?
a) Sending an email to everyone, including the CEO about the possible media implications
b) The effect it will have on your Institutions ranking
c) Where it came from
d) if the patients are going to be ok
It would seem that the concern is a-b-c and at the end d
hmmmmm
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Tagged: australia, healthcare, life, london
Coming home last night on the bus I was privy to a brilliant idea. Two rather smart looking girls, possibly early twenties, were chatting about what would improve the current economic gloom and the never ending grey of a January winter in London. And they hit open the notion of a Royal Wedding.
Certainly Wills has been dating the rather dull Kate for ages, Harry and that blonde one – Chelsey? – have been back together for more than a few months this time. So maybe getting married could be their duty really? Their contribution to improving the mood of the nation, in fact the Commonwealth. Taking it a bit to far maybe?? 
It would certainly aid the newspapers and magazines with their declining circulation. All those – are they aren’t they engaged – yes they are – in depth interviews with Royal watchers -reams of paper on the dress options – where will the honeymoon be – ooohhh could she be pregnant…. there has to be months and weeks of guaranteed circulation!
There is also the notion that positive vibes in a nation improves the performance of the stock exchange. Ever time Australia wins a gold medal in an Olympic event, wins the Ashes or pretty much thumps the Brits/NZers/Safars at any aspect of sport, up goes the optimism and up goes the stock market.
So I reckon maybe these two girls have hit upon the perfect solution and hit upon the true purpose of the Monachy in dire moments of world doom and of course solving the winter blues!
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Tagged: australia, life, london, monarchy, royal family engalnd
So clearly I am slow on the uptake.
I have just read about the unbranded Starbucks that were trialled in Seattle mid-2009. Sneakily called 15th Ave Coffee & Tea , ever so discrete reference to the major globalised coffee chain. I am not a major fan of Starbucks but in countries where coffee is not good – places like the States, Canada – I think there is a complete purpose for the mushrooming of chains where you know what you get.
But don’t you think that it is intriguing that they are now trying to distance themselves in the market that made them famous and in which it is acceptable to frequent through lack of other good places to go?
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Tagged: coffee, life, london, starbucks
I had an allergic reaction on Sunday. Odd. It has happened once before. About 40minutes after eating prawn dumplings – I seem to get hives and want to scratch my hands and feet in a crazed fit of itchiness. It is honestly truly unpleasant. Fortunately the moment passes after about 20minutes and I am not diving into the local A&E or anything hugely dramatic. 
It is however annoying as they are super yummy. I also don’t have an issue with Prawns in any other way, just when they are wrapped in some sort of yummy dumpling format. Bugger!
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Tagged: allergic reaction, allergy, Health, life
So boys consider the title of this blog a warning.
Pap smears are such a hassle. It is hard to imagine a more ridiculous, and powerless assessment. I mean boys just have to have a blood test for their prostate, and I do remember the boys I knew in High school recounting the mortification of the ‘cup and cough’ examine.
But really boys get it easy…. or at least I think.
Women have to have their breasts squished between two magnetic plates – and then there is the complete horrendousness of the Pap Smear. Golly…. take bottom half off, leap onto clinical trolley, stare at ceiling (and to be honest this is the saving grace…. if only they would put a TV up there and then you could pretend you were in this crazy position is the only way you can watch that particular TV program)… but this is not it…. bend knees, bend hips, soles of feet together and let your knees sink to the bed. Then there is the put your hands beneath you bottom. Now I am deeply suspicious of this request, it may have some anatomical benefit but it also stops you punching the person who is intently inserting, and scrapping in nether regions. Occasionally, there is the need to cough, breath deeply. No idea whether this helps, and maybe it is cheaper than the TV alluded to earlier. But really it is the last thing on your mind!
I have yet to endure the Mammogram but I guess that is what I have to look forward to in my 40’s.
After thought: I have been looking for an image for this blog and to be honest every picture is aligned with the crazziness of Tampon adverts – apparently no body with crooked teeth, dark hair, and over 30 ever has to have a Pap Smear…….
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Tagged: humour, life, london, pap smears
It is almost 7am outside, it is pitch black and today promises a temperature of between 1 and…… 2, with white clouds. White clouds as opposed to grey clouds. White clouds are infact sadly important. It means that when the sun finally gets up, we will know. As its limp sunbeams can hope to penetrate. The grey clouds of course we are expecting tomorrow! What craziness is that!
The heating has been on for a few hours so that when I get all the way out of bed, I won’t be tempted to get back under my snuggly doona until the sun gets up.
So the church bell has just done its stuff. 7 bongs have rung out.
Best get up.
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Tagged: life, london, morning, Winter
I am fully engrossed in the wonders of Birtish TV. I think that the BBC and others are amazing. Huge fan of Channel 4.
As a nation they write great period dramas and excellent series like Silent Witness, comedy excellence such as My Family.
This is not to say that I don’t think other nations can write a cracking thriller, or a laugh out loud-ha-ha comedy.
However there is one major difference between the American and Brits when they are producing these things. It is the casting. The Americans cast well built and slightly tanned leading men. Aching well proportioned women. The Brits are not so perfect – pasty white leading men (sort of 
ruins the top less scenes), women with in-perfect hair and flat chests.
A great example of this difference is the wonderful office. Where the overweight Ricky Gervais is completely horrible – not so in the US series. There is the Australian Series of Kath and Kim – which slimmed down the Kim character where half the jokes were ruined, because she just was not horrible enough.
So what I am wondering is does this choice of the leading characters reflect the nations view of itself?
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Tagged: life, london, national difference, TV
In a fit of New Year zeal I went along to Sunday morning yoga. It is meant to be for beginners but now I am finding it completely impossible to move my hands over my head. Jeeeezzzz they are so sore, it is completely ridiculous how that downdog position makes your deltoid ouchy. 
The worst thing about these New’s Year whims is that really you have to push through and then cement them into routine to get any value out of today’s pain.
Now where is that gym timetable……………………maybe under the chocolate??
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Tagged: life, new year, yoga
Long haul flights are not much fun. However, I think there are a few things that can make the 24 hour trip from London to Australia so much more palatable.
1. Shower half way.
It was a spontaneous moment in Hong Kong, that lead me to the Travelers Rest where they have steamy lovely showers. The bliss of peeling your clothes off a number of hours in can not really be described. 
2. Water, water, water.
This certainly helps, if for no other reason than you have to get up more often!
3. Don’t expect to sleep
For the last few long hauls I have not expected to sleep. I think lowering your expectations is absolutely key. I mean who can actually sleep sitting up?!? Maybe if you get to fly B’class life is flatter! It also helps to not have seen a film for a number of months – that way there is always something to watch.
4. Take the flight that arrives in the evening
Essentially this means that you can get from the airport and go straight to bed…. essential to point 3!
In the end though, no matter what you do, you will arrive on the other side of the world.
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Tagged: australia, life, london, long haul survival, travel
I am sitting in an extorionately priced internet terminal in Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne. Waiting for the boarding call for the flight to Hong Kong, and then back to London. Something like 20 odd hours ahead of sitting, watching and attempting to sleep.
It has been blisteringly hot today in Melbourne, but the cool change arrived just as the taxi hit the freeway. The rain has been tipping from the clouds and the lightening has been streaking across the sky.
And as I type this sentence the clock has struck midnight, the people in the bar (a few festive beers in) have just cheered, the charming lady who has been delivering bad news for the Qantas passengers (something about the tarmac being closed -odd and how does that happen) has just wished us all a Happy start to 2010.
How odd! By far the most strange of places to be on this night. And have had a few. As 1999 became 2000 I was in Sydney, treating a guy with cystic fibrosis, I have been up mountains, in parks and on beaches but never in an airport.
So to all those who have been kind enough to read this blog in 2009 thanks. And I hope you are having an exciting and fitting start to 2010.
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Tagged: australia, flights, london, long haul travel
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