Happy New Year 2005!

Wow. 2005 already. Seems like just yesterday when we were counting down to the millenium new year. Now it's already half a decade gone.

Had a great day yesterday. After call, had a quick nap and then went to Vincent and Yvonne's. A surgeon couple from Singapore (he's a hand surgeon, she's training to be an opthalmologist). They exchanged their vows in a quiet ceremony at their home yesterday, and they asked me to be one of their witnesses.

Have been anxiously waiting to be someone's witness since one of my best friend's wedding in Malaysia. He has asked me to be a witness for their marriage. However, in our usual Malaysian warmth and logic, this fat Malay woman said that my long-sleeved collared T-shirt wasn't formal enough. I needed to wear a proper dress shirt. Hence one of our other friends had to stand in. What an idiot.

Anyway. Things went well yesterday. And the Juctice of Peace didn't comment anything about what I was wearing (shirt and jeans). And their union is now complete.

We had a nice BKT dinner there with some other people from home, and counted down into 2005.

It was also my last day in cardiology yesterday. Hate to imagine what those crazy transplant patients did last night. They were a merry lot, and were giving out party hats and party poppers to the doctors yesterday. Will be starting my away-rotation in Phoenix, Arizona on Monday.

Well. What did 2004 have in store with me?

• I'd finally learnt to trust myself to look after patients. Somehow, I guess I have become a pretty competent physician
• I learnt that sometimes, you just have to let go. And life does get better when you do
• I learnt that sometimes one shouldn't try too hard

I'm expecting a lot from this year too. This is the year I complete my specialization in internal medicine and move into endocrinology proper. And I'm expecting to say a lot of good byes when my classmates leave for fellowship elsewhere.