Birthday Glooms
Its Easter weekend, and other than hang out with Ali for two hours, I actually spent the last four days on my living room sofa. I also just turned 27 so these are possibly my birthday glooms.
As the end of my trip approaches I can not discard the anxiety that builds up within about going home. It is possible that I will be a different person once I am back. When I leave here in few months time, I will have spent 10 years of my life in the UK. Indeed, people who made it home before me are not painting me a very pleasant scene. A system of loyalties, lack of purpose and boredom prevails.
A doctor friend once painted a dull picture of what he does at work. “I wake up”, he said, “shower, pray, have breakfast and head to work. I read the newspaper, have breakfast again, see a patient or two. I then visit Dr X in his office and chat for an hour. Then back to my department, possibly see a patient before chatting with a colleague in my office this time. I Spend most of my time doing admin stuff. I then pray, have lunch and head home. Sometimes days would pass without doing a single procedure or using a stethoscope once.” He also did not miss the opportunity to add: “This, my friend, is what you have trained for!”
I also remember an incident that illustrates something else I don’t like about home. We were once sat at a coffee shop with few friends, 3 of whom I met for the first time that day. One of people present manages a company that sells certain test equipment to the government. Printed on the packet of that test is “Accurate 100%”. I was explaining to him that there is no such a thing as accurate 100% in medicine and test accuracy is really thought of as specificity and sensitivity and that ELISA tests (of which his product is one) in general are very good screening tools because they are quite sensitive but not very specific, turning out a lot of false positives which should then be screened out using more expensive tools. No sooner that I finished that one of the guys, whom I never met before, looks at me and says (my translation): “doc, this ELIZA BELIZA business…”, then pointing to Hamad he went on: “When he came back he used to twist his tongue with difficult words like these, but by God we did straighten him out.” And then he gave me the look and the unsaid: “You guys think you know everything?”
Anyways, I decided I am going to buy a boat. It will keep me somewhat mentally and physically occupied and will help me get through the bad bits of the first few months. I’ve always wanted to practice a little more water sports beyond jet skiing and diving and I am going to take this opportunity to do just that.
PS: This post is dedicated to the organisers of TED for thinking innovatively about the world problems and for being so kind as to put their talks online.
April 8th, 2007 at 10:48 pm
ah welcome back! hmm u know that “settling” into the rhythm that is back home, is worrying more than 1 soul out there, but i believe that one good apple CAN unspoil the rest, and especially if it is higher up the scale (in the food chain ;))
i’ll find out for sure in a year or 2..or read about it here hopefully before then :D
April 9th, 2007 at 1:46 am
Change that about home!
April 9th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
kel 3am o enta b5eeeer , magret el post bas b3′et agool kel sena o enta 6ayeb o 3gbaal ma tt7aggag kel amaneeek yarab!!
and welcome back :D
ill be back to read de post ^_^
April 10th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
Happy Birthday!!!
When u do get the boat, how about u sail to Ireland?! =P
April 12th, 2007 at 8:16 am
happy birthday bro…
April 13th, 2007 at 11:19 am
I always thought Ali looks like you, I wonder if you hear that often too? Anyway, Happy Birthday, may this be a better year for you.
April 13th, 2007 at 11:44 am
Thanks everyone for wishing me a happy birthday.
7amad, no not really. : )
April 15th, 2007 at 11:26 am
Happy Birthday bro! May all your wishes and dream turn into a reality inshallah!
….read my e-mail :)
April 15th, 2007 at 8:00 pm
The good thing here is that you are trying to picture your lifestyle when you go back to UAE because shifting back home after being 10 years abroad can’t be any easy! But I’m sure you have many things to take back with you. Happy Birthday bro and may all your dreams come true
April 17th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Happy Birthday, however belated :p While there might be bits you’ll miss about the UK, you’ll discover other passions when you’re back here only the least of which will be sailing away, Insha’Allah. And although, the transition may not be easy, you’ll adapt. It’s what we mere sapien mortals do best ;)
April 18th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Oh, and don’t be gloomy. 27’s a good age, you’re still a-rockin’ ;)
April 21st, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Happy Birthday BELATED; may all your years to come be filled with joy and happiness…=)
Ow I hope you coming back home doesn’t turn out as bad as you picture it to be. I really hope things will work well for you =)
April 23rd, 2007 at 9:09 am
ppl paint thier experiences… idle routine time could be an apportunity too: more time to be used wisely is always better than being presured by others (but internal motivation counts..)
also, when things are really bad, it is easier to potentially improve things :P when things are tight, you have to hold some high standards but when things are messed up, even the slightest addition is recognised and applaused.
May 1st, 2007 at 6:06 pm
ur friend’s experience in Abu Dhabi is really disappointing !!
try to join a busy hospital such as Rashid Hospital in Dubai..it’s a good place in the early years of training in comparison to other hospitals
best of luck!