Aaah.... How lovely to wake up late in the morning and not have to think about patientsFOR ONCE. Finally, I am first year no more! 
Last year had been a rollercoaster ride of emotions--the excitement of being a doctor, the frustration of realizing that one can only to do so much, losing patience, losing patients 
, losing sleep, the tedium of having to get up from bed every single day, the monotonous daily grind occasionally broken by a patient in herniation, the rush of doing so many things in so little time, the need for a break, the desire to learn, the challenge of an interesting case, the joy of localization 
, the satisfaction of saving a patient 
, the fear of the oral exams 
, being censured by one's superiors, finding comfort from my colleagues knowing that we're all in this together, the craziness at the callroom at the end of the day, the thought that these too shall pass....
And now time for the customary year-end survey....
The 2007 Year-End Survey
What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before? Inebriation. White-water rafting.
Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Last year's resolutions and what have become of them:
1. EXERCISE, eat right, lose weight!!!! With Wednesday lunches, RTDs, product pres/launches, the new Rob Midtown and its new restos, how can anyone lose weight??!!? 
2. To still be more cheerful and patient. – FAILED!!!!
3. Conviction and confidence in what I do. I'm such a dependent! – just a tad bit
4. Finish, understand and remember Adams and Victor’s Principles of Neurology. -- Too ambitious! But I read DeMyer thrice!
5. To make a really good research paper in Neuro and NOT CRAM IT! – I *crammed* it, and personally, I do not think very highly of it. But some people think so.... 
6. Not ask parents for allowance anymore. - Ok, so mom bought me the red laptop bag, and I used dad’s credit card to purchase a bag and luggage (which I realize are also RED), but I mostly spent my *own* money (around 90% of the time), paid for my hospital bills when I got admitted, and I buy dad’s medicines.
7. 100 K-movies and 20 K-dramas – I miss Phoebs and Lex and our hallyu-fests!
8. Learn Korean – on hold for now. Too many other *more* important things to learn.
9. Keep sane.
For this year:
1. Still to lose weight, be more cheerful, patient, confident and sane.
2. As if finishing Adams and Victor’s Principles of Neurology wasn’t already an ambitious feat, I intend to include Patten’s “Neurological Differential Diagnosis”, and Brazis’ “Localization in Clinical Neurology” to my “To Read” list. And I hope to commit DeMyer to memory!
3. To make a good research paper, preferably on intracranial stenosis
4. To attend the ICAS summit in South Korea (an offshoot of #3 above)
5. To secure my tenure in Neuro residency (read: pass the oral exams without a glitch!)
6. To double my saving!
7....
Did anyone close to you...
Get married? Ate Grace & Sam – December 29
Give birth?
Passed away? Patients
What places did you visit? Cagayan de Oro
What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? Serenity
What date(s) from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? So much for being “etched upon” my memory, the only date I remember from this year is July 12 which was the date of my appendectomy.
What was your biggest achievement of the year? Passing first year residency! Hooray!
What was your biggest failure? Being too grumpy and impatient.
Did you suffer illness or injury? More, almost monthly, atopic attacks (rhinitis, asthma, dyshydrotic eczema). Acute appendicitis.
What was the best thing you bought? I love the red bags mentioned above. Also bought a Samsook stuffed pig.
Whose behavior merited celebration? Papa Dudds! Coz he’s just so kind and affable. Crestianne R. who’s one tough kid!
Whose behavior appalled you? Mine.
Where did most of your money go? Books in neuro and otherwise. Spa. Shoes.
What did you get really, really, really excited about? Oechool freebies!
What song(s) will always remind you of 2007? Beautiful Girl, Sir Richie’s rendition of “We Didn’t Start the Fire”
Compared to this time last year, are you...
Happier or sadder? Happier
Thinner or fatter? Thinner by a tad bit. I lost some weight at the start of the year, but regained most of it back especially during this holiday season.
Richer or poorer? Richer. Hehe.
What do you wish you'd done more of? Read
What do you wish you'd done less of? Talk 
How did you spend Christmas? On 24-hour duty with Cha at Pay and Señor Novi. It was a benign one; had only 1 admission, a case of hypertensive emergency, already day 7 post-ictus. We were joined by Sir Jessie, Sir Richie and the nurses on duty for noche buena of spaghetti and buko-fruit salad at the callroom. Yumyum! 
Similarly, last night was also spent in the callroom. I wasn’t on duty then, having already gone on duty the day before. But my batchmates, Cha, Natz & Roman, were all on duty, and so was Sir Novie, and with nothing else better to do at the dorm, I decided to hang out at the callroom, and welcome the coming year, another year, with my colleagues. Sir Jessie was pre-duty, but he also joined us and cooked for us (possibly for the last time?). We had estofado and macaroni salad and wine.
Did you fall in love in 2007? No.
What was your favorite TV program? Didn’t get too watch much actual TV. Started Hwang Jin Hui, but missed a few days of it when we were at CDO, and I just got lost thereafter. Alone in Love & Surgeon Bong Dal Hee! TV programs shown in Korea, but which I saw on video. I’m glad that they were worth the 32 hours of my life.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? Nada.
What was the best book you read? DeMyer’s “The Technique of the Neurological Examination”, Diane Setterfield’s “The Thirteenth Tale”, Sophie Kinsella’s “Shopaholic and Baby”
What were your greatest musical discoveries? ?
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? Manang.
What did you want and get? Reconciliation. A 128-Hz tuning fork--pamana ni Sir Zerky, a red piggy bank from Roman, and a strawberry pillow, alarm clock with real noisy bell ears, "The Sound of Music" and Jean-Dominique Bauby's "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" (haven't received this one yet, but she has already promised it to me!)—all from Dawn! Thank momma!
What did you want and not get? Hallyu marathons with my K-sisses, a pair of zips
What was your favorite film of this year? One More Chance. Memories of Murder.
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? First day of work after my sick leave.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
What kept you sane? My Neuro family
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? John Lloyd
What political issue stirred you the most? Until such time that I finally have an answer to this question, I'm gonna strike if off this survey. I don't get to watch the news nor read the papers.
Who did you miss? Papa Dudz, Sir Mel and the seniors
Who was the best new person you met? My Neuro family!
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
“We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, Who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.”-- Nicolas Herman
“What doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.” -- not his own words, but Sir Mel’s advice to me
“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel, that you, too, can become great.” – SMS ni Charisma
