I usually work on weekends: either in the hospital or on the go, combing through sent folders for tasks I had asked my teams to take of in the preceding week which I should follow up on in the next. Hence why most social plans tend to be fairly spontaneous and the moments I get to spend with family & friends are particularly precious. Here’re some snapshots of the Saturday’s shenanigans:
SAVOURING SPONTANEOUS SURPRISES
My husband and I were driving about with M6 when I said I needed some coffee. Quick to pick up on the edge in my pre-caffeinated voice, he took us to Chye Seng Huat Hardware on 150 Tyrwhitt Road.
I was pleasantly surprised by the efficient service, including how quickly they seated us & sorted our orders. More importantly, when the coffee came, it was excellent and all was right with world once more. No longer on high alert since the caffeination therapy was in progress, my husband slipped off to play Street Fighter on the mini arcade machine in the corner.
Meanwhile, M6 enjoyed his cookie and the view from his highchair at the bar, said hello to all the staff within squeaking distance and was very pleased when they cheerily said hello back. But the best hello for me was from across the bar when my classmate from Raffles Junior College spotted me as he came in. We hadn’t seen each other since and laughed about how we both look surprisingly as we did two decades ago. Of course if he had seen me before my coffee he might have been surprised at how grumpy I had become.
SOUL SISTERS
I was dropped off at KKH a couple of hours before shift in order to host a committee meeting for the Association of Women Doctors, Singapore. Considering the last time we met was over champagne at the Shangri-La, when today’s venue fell through, I was glad my spontaneous committee obliged to convene at the unglamorous hospital Kopitiam which was in the midst of renovation and looking even more spartan than usual. This was probably the final committee meeting I was hosting as President of the AWDS. I felt grateful for the good work that my exco (which comprises of general practitioners, dentists, gynaecologists & specialists in critical care) had accomplished over the past two years for our members & the general community.
SUPERVISEES’ SUPPER
After the evening shift ended with a double resuscitation, I sure was glad to head home, particularly since four of the junior doctors whom I supervise had arranged not 48 hours earlier, to come over for supper. The reason for the rushed appointment was simply that there was no other slot for us five to meet based on our rosters. As seasoned shift workers, we just went with the flow. I grabbed three other doctors who happened to end work at the same time and we all met at the stroke of midnight at my place.
The hounds were delighted with the late company & even the husky emerged for hugs. I love spontaneous parties and I must admit I went full-on Mama mode with the guests, filling their bowls & plates & glasses for hours until they could eat no more. Indeed, when one of the young lads played Mozart like a pro on my piano at 3am, why, I almost burst with maternal pride.
After they left, I thought, I might never see these munchkins again, as they drift to other departments for training. (I would challenge them to find one as unique as ours though! A Typical Atypical Day For Our Children’s Emergency Team) Now, they might forget every single tutorial we had & every patient we resuscitated together, but maybe their stomachs have better memories. I sure hope they won’t forget the gastronomical gestalt that is part of the experience of we once shared as paediatric emergency physicians.
