Leaving on a Jet Plane

So, a year from our last trip, we are now headed for our big trip of the year.

This time, Down Under.

Yes, Australia, mate!

I've never travelled there. And with my brother living there now, we figured it would be an interesting change. Mom and dad will be joining us on part of the trip.

And seeing it's been a year since they last met the girls, I'm excited to see them interact again.

And so, when I glanced up to the sky in the garden today and saw a plane flying overhead in the blue skies, contrasted by the color of the autumn leaves which seem ablaze, I took this picture with my iPhone.

This will be the longest nonstop flight I've ever taken.

15 hours 30 mins.

This will mark my first flight on the Airbus 380. As excited as I am about the trip, I hope the girls will not drive Kris and I crazy.

Wish us luck!

Of Sharks and Ladybugs

Happy Halloween!

Almost.

It will be fun this year, with both girls being old enough to understand Halloween= candy.

Especially since last year Alli didn't really get to use her shark costume because we spent Halloween night in Urgent Care because of her bronchitis. And it was the eve of our trip to Malaysia, too.

Anyway, the girls are excited, and have had use of their costumes for some of the preHalloween events in the area.

Alli gets a choice of a shark, or Princess Sophia, or Elsa (probably THE most popular girl costume this year).

And Ava gets to be a Ladybug!

Beggar's Night is on Thursday. Wish us luck!

Interviews

It's that time of year again. Medical students from begin the very early steps of their postgraduate professional careers, and begin their residency interviews.

But unbeknownst to them, Dr. Vagus gets to interview them tomorrow.

Bwahahahaha.

 I feel a sense of absolute power.

The ability to affect one's destiny.

To control what happens to one for the next 3 years- possibly the rest of their careers.

The ability to control the sun, the moon, the stars.

Bwahahaha.

 

Sorry. For one who can only control his bowel movements and pretty much nothing else the rest of the time, this gets to my head.

But this does bring back memories. Wayyy back to 2001 when LP and I began our 3-week long and very expensive trek around the US when we interviewed at various hospitals. Cold, homesick, hungry, as we tried to stretch out our Ringgit. I remember us resorting to eating instant noodles for budgetary reasons, but all we had was the coffeepot in the motel and had to take turns eating. It was a pathetic sight. I remember the mistakes too.

"Oh, is that your grandson?" me asks, trying to smalltalk.

"No, that's my son, but thank you..." says the interviewer. Needless to say, I didn't end up in that hospital.

 

Though I'm looking forward to meeting the candidates, it's also a bit frustrating the world of political correctness we live in, here in the US. We're given a list of questions we cannot ask. Obviously, we can't ask things like Do you have a girlfriend, or How long is your kukuciau?

But even things like Do you have children, or to a pregnant person, When are you due? Questions that normal people ask in our usual interactions.
So, I'm going to have to try to behave tomorrow. But it'll be fun nonetheless.
(note to self- avoid eating beans tonight)