Trivial Nothings

And October is already here...how time flies.

• Third years basically eat, sleep, and study all their time away in Anatomy Hall, a cozy, air-conditioned and quiet place perfect for all the aforementioned purposes - except that being the trademark of TCU it is very prone to visitors. On more than one occasion we have to endure crowds of Tzu Chi volunteers peering at us like zoo animals on display when they're taking a tour around the Dept. of Anatomy facility. Last Saturday, the chancellor, accompanied by a very distinguished guest I do not recognize, came directly into the 'cage', with half a dozen 'animals' staring back, bewildered.
• I am starting to get the hit on dissecting - it's basically an enjoyable and educational process should you know all the facts beforehand and have a good rapport with the tutor of your group. Unlike other more unfortunate groups, we were never scolded or nagged in public (the teachers here can be rather...high school-ish). This morning the group beside us were ordered out of the lab - "Get out!". So you can imagine how bad things can go, and how fortunate we are.
• We were also fortunate in the sense that our silent mentor was treated with a new formula - a neutral (as in pH7.0) fixative which doesn't sting as much. It also made the cadaver seem fresher - softer and wetter, making dissections easier. However, the downside is that the softness makes separating structures from each other i.e. muscles from tissues a tortuous task.
• In Taiwan they make you feel guilty of buying China-made goods now - thanks to the new milk powder scandal.
• I am neutral (as in not siding both parties) for China-made goods. When the nation has the ability to produce spacecrafts and Louis Vuitton, not everything from them are rotten and murderous.
• We had a sticky session of neurobiology this afternoon - other medical students would agree that everything with a 'neuro-' prefix will bring sighs and head shakes. "Oh God, why doesn't our brain function as straightforward like ABC?" - in which Prof. Wang will tell you "This is simple - nothing is simple in life!"
• "Do I have to memorize all this?" my classmate asked pointing to a figure of horizontal section of the spinal nerve. "It's just that simple. Are you sure you will have time for this when we hit on more next week?" Prof. Wang replied.
• I seem to talk too much academically.
• I hope the people at Malaysia Airlines can quickly finalize their wide-body aircraft order soon - so as to give me some excitement as well as to desperately replace their ancient fuel-consuming fleet.
• I wish Mr. Abdullah happy retiring and hoped he was happy being the Prime Minister of Malaysia who brought democracy to the people. And overempowering his son in-law whose abilities and propaganda are widely disputed among Malaysians.