Ich Liebe Freiburg

I like how it really has the feel of a student city.
I love to look at the full moon hanging over the Black Forest
I love how their dorm looks like even though I am not living in one.
I like the fact that people here don't only study medicine but also music, bird, trees, German language and whatsnot.
There's plenty of hike options and Paris is just 3 hours away while Zurich is 2 hours away.

I am fond of waking up to the view of Black Forest everyday.
The food are variables and the MENSA caters to even vegetarian. The MENSA of science faculty itself is a sight to behold on itself.
I love the concept of sustainable living and how everybody embraces it here.
I am typing this looking over at the windmills, half moon and lightning slices through the sky above the Black Forest.
My days here are numbered as as much as I am happy to go back for summer holidays in Malaysia, I am also sad of the fact that I am not staying here anymore.

I shall go and comb the old town, go up the Munster and look into the land up there in Schauinsland.
But please, no more finding of bombshell from the WW2.

Ramadhan in Freiburg

Today is a milestone in my celebration of 1st Ramadhan.
Instead of having sahur with family/friends, I had a bowl of bihun sup, while skyping with my mom.
Having to be doing something all day, I don't feel hungry or thirsty at all. Maybe it's partly due to the weather.

I am so happy when Aida asked to go to Tarawikh on Saturday evening. I mean, I am not tarawikh person but if I have friends, why not?
And most interesting of all, I was in the scrub inside operation room from before iftar until shortly before subuh. For the first time, I watched and is so lucky o have the chance to assist a heart thumping operation. Yes people, we rarely get tense moment like what they show on medical dramas.

And I excuse myself in the afternoon to go to the Oriental supermarket here. The air was festive, they stock on lotsa vegetables and poultry. If I am to visit around this time before, the fresh goods aint as abundant. Eventhough it's aint as seductive as Malaysian bazar Ramadhan, I had hard time to resit buying baklava.

Thank you Allah.

Authentic Tom Yum

On the way back from Basel, I uncovered the secret to the ever so delish, steaming tom yum.
Typically me, I discussed food with the Thai friend that I made in Freiburg.
And I asked her how to make a real tom yum because I can taste the difference between the real thing and the messily copied ones.
The first sentence, which also is the backbone to good tom yum is nothing that I want to hear. The base soup for tom yum

Gambar sekadar hiasan

People, the secret to authentic tom yum is to boil pork bone, preferably, for a day. It's like the most basic thing to make the yummy spicy and sour tom yum.
And all this while I think the safest is to order the seafood tom yum.

When I told my friend about our food restriction, her expression overdid mine. She knows what does it mean when I say I don't eat pork.
At least now, I can go to Thailand and have her to show me good and halal Thai food to eat.
And you also know where to and where not to order tom yum.

*pengsan*

Learning Points : Surgery

1. when scrubbing, put your hand away from your body and your head away from your upper limbs

2. in time interval between finish of scrubbing and gowning. always put both hands together, and you upper limbs away from body in x- and z- axis and both the hands must be at chest level. No higer or lower than that if you don't wish to be looked down on

3. after you tie your gown, put both hands together on your belly. This is the only time I think having a protruded belly is an advantage

4. as a student most of your job during operation (heart surgery at least) are suction and holding the heart/instrument. Let start with the latter. Be forewarned that this holding business is something that lasts more than 5 minutes and the point is to not get anything in the way. Unfortunately, the chance of  having the instrument slipping from your grip is quite high, so you must have the skill of shrinking oneself and professionally switch the source of grip.

5. Suction. I learnt almost the hard way about suction. Basically in heart surgery you'll have 2 suction tubes. Unlike the metal ones, the plastic one will be available from the start until the end. Use the METAL one if it's available. USE the metal one until it stops sucking or until they say they have administered protamine sulphate into the system. Use it even though they squirt saline into the operation field.

6. when your hands are free sometime or all the time, put it on the patient. or use them to guard the instrument. never ever put them higher than the upper border of your breast base.

and if you are not scrubbed in, the most suitable place is on the anesthesiologist side. Never ever protrude your head or hands beyond the sterile drape. You can clip it with your hand and bring it down a little but your body part has to be before the drape.

Strasbourg

Strasbourg is the first place I visit when I was on the exchange.

Chris walked me on that Saturday morning to the train station. I had the best host didn't I?

We (IFMSA exchangees) went on the trip with ERASMUS students and few locals.

It is the first time I met Aida and Emina. Jaime, on the other hand has met both of them at dinner the same evening I went to Mugorsky concert.

"isn't it boring?" bahahaha. 

Such question at first meeting. At long last, I met someone identical.

Anyway we went to the dock because we were supposed to go on the boat tour but we have half an hour to spare so we hit the square and the shops.

Another ERASMUS student joined us 4.

A : What is your name?

ERASMUS : Nico

A : Nico.hahaha. In Montenogrean, nico means nobody.

Hahaha, poor boy. And to add insult to injury, we lost him later at the same place after the boat ride.

Liebe A with her 2euro icecream. behind is the laughterbox. =p

The boat ride is okay seeing that we had minimal time.

All I know is that I want to go to Colmar. I have never even heard of Strasbourg while it is the main city of Alsace. Since passing Geography for PMR, I have been geographically challenged (I had to consult map when I got to know that I will be living in Czech)

Famous landmark in Strasbourg

After the boat ride, we had about 3 hours (if I remember correctly) to comb the city on our own. Oh yes, with an A4 sized printed out map. 

The map is in black and white and leftme cringe for the quality. But it saw us through the city.

Typical picture taken on a tour boat

The girls discovered Asian clothes shop (cheap stuff, eye catcher. plus, on summer sale) just after we diverted out of the town square.

We intended to go to Little France but never arrived. But we arrived at the signpost, so that will do because we are running late for our meeting, and according to the map, it is at the other end of where we are.

Long way to the restaurant

We found our way into the restaurant where the other people has already finished their flamkuchen.

It is my first time meeting people studying other things than medicine, pharmacy and dentistry.

One of them is an economic student, and from Spain if I may add.

They called themselves poor but they are so optimistic about it saying sth like they will just make do with it.

Too bad I didnt have any Malaysian coin with me (I didnt even have it to save my ass because I needed to call home after landing in KLIA and missed the last flight home because my Czech line didnt work once upon a time ago)

look at those delicious bundt pan. alas, the weight put me off. =(

We were running late. and mind you we were with the Germans (wide stride, punctual people).

A step on the banana skin, some jostling from the Germans and many rushed steps later, we arrived to thankfully empty platform because the train was delayed.

It has been a good day and the girls still so energetic and planned to meet the ERASMUS later near midnight.

Though they went out that night, they never did meet. bahaha, and I had a good time in my room, looking at the stars hanging over Black Forest.

I like the medieval street with the signposts

Ich bin famulantin, und du?

Okay, du means you (informal) but I dont know what is the formal German for you.
My first week in the department, I know only a few names. It doesnt help that I dont remember names that well.

Until one day, when I was scrubbing, Dr Siepe call me by my full first name.
I almost chickened out because I have no idea what is his name at that time.

So, if you are going to be interning at a department 7am-5pm, 5 days a week for a month, go find the organisation chart of the department. it does help.hehehe

Packing Tips

It rains a lot in Germany during summer but Freiburg is special case, it's the sunniest city in Germany.
That is what I get from my reading.
Wrong!
I was greeted with thunderstorm on my second day there.

and the weekdays in the first 2 weeks were mostly gloomy.
I packed only for summer and nearly die of cold. twice
Once when we were hiking in black forest. thanks Allah Nerea lent me her top and thanks Iva for the umbrella.
The second one when I was walking with closed eyes in Stuttgart after an overnight assisting an emergency surgery. This one, thanks Allah, it's summer and all shops r on sales frenzy.

So pack summer clothes and please dump in also a windbreaker and a piece of warm cloth. u can thank me later
For the internship, I dont need my own labcoat, they gave me a pair of hideous uniform and I can change it how much I want.
If you hv orthostatic intolerance like me and you know u r getting yourself into surgery department, go ask the nurse for compression socks.
Just pack a basic toiletris for one r two day because in Freiburg, the drugstore is AWESOME. they got a range of choices in term of brands and sizes and prices.
Maybe bring a notebook and pen to scribble down what you want. I had a lot to pen down ~ my learning curve is surgery is vertical in July 2012.
It's nice if you can bring something for your host. after all, for me, Iva, Chris and Louisa have been a super great host and I have learnt a lot on how to treat guest from them.
Unless you are touching down on a Sunday, of which everything closes down except for a few restaurant, you don't have to worry about starving yourself.

Last but not least, bring your courage and willingness to meet new things and have fun.

Smacking My Head in SBB Train

I was en route back to Freiburg after a day tumbling around Luzern solo.

In the morning, I found myself at the foot of Mt Pilatus, determined to do a bit of hiking.
I realised that I at least need a map. I was honestly thinking it's like taking a stroll in Adrspach.
Here's the map I got for free from the counter in Kriens.

I skipped the gondola and hiked my way up, further than I intended to.

After a countless 'smell of the Switzerland' and drenched shirts, I broke my fast and took the gondola up.

Basically I did 1026m. Highest hike in my life.

The final gondola ride which goes up almost vertically scares the hell out of me. my thought was just, what have I bring myself into.

I made countless impromptu decisons but to question one, this is the first time.

It's all worth it when I am at the top.

I took the train down and the ferry back into town.

Basically my Golden Trip costed half than the original price. Yay!

I shall be honest here.

The trip taught me a lesson.a pricey one.

That tripping with at least a companion is always much more better than going solo.

My emotion and energy were spent well in this trip.

Last week I was figuring out lemon tree song happily with the girls in the train on our last trip together and suddenly I find myself dreading heading back to Freiburg alone.

 ♪♫♫♫ I wonder how, I wonder when ♫♫♫ ♪

It was the loneliest train ride in summer 2012 and with no one with me to laugh to nothing in particular, I dozed off almost instantly.

It felt like somnolence. I was in twilight zone. one moment I was reasoning that it's really dangerous for a young lady travelling alone to nap on a train. another moment, I was gone.

puck!

the really loud sound woke me up before the impact on my head.

after so many rotations on the atlas, my head finally hit the window. and it hit hard.

At that moment I just want to disappear into my seat.

I catched that the person opposite was gone and there's new face on the seat across mine.

anyway it's for the better. 

the railway has countless of skies fitted.

of various designs and rather antiques.

and I arrived safely into Freiburg.

Sanguine vs Choleric

I had the opportunity to work alongside a choleric. Found myself muted by the intensity of choleric.
Here's a scene

Sanguine : when is your last time going home
Choleric : 2 weeks ago
Sanguine : I'm so jealous. I can only go home once a year
Choleric (ok, this is what i understood, not necessarily what he said word by word) : be reasonable. my home is just next to this country and yours is continents away. end of discussion.

But all are pardonable when he shouted achtung at the corridor. I swear it sounds so cute. so clashing with the choleric personality.

Mein 10 € Kartoffel

We hadn't had much chances to see each other so Louisa who is my contact person suggested that we meet over gelato. But since it was Ramadhan we ended up in the restaurant at 9 pm.

I ordered kartoffel plate.
It costed 10 euro.
I found out that kartoffel plate is really mix of potatoes
Crinkle cut
Wedges
Chips
Croquets
All fried

The poor asian had too high expectations thinking that 10€ potato plate must be jacket potato or tuna potato.
But asian girl and german agree that mashed potato is unthinkable part on potato plate.
But now I get to tell you that i had the experience eating 10 € worth of potatoes in one sitting (yes, louisa is a german so she couldnt eat 5€ potatoes at quarter past 9 in the evening =p)

$$ Ka-ching $$

I had to fork out 8000kc or what they say some sort of fee. My friends from Montenegro just have to pay no less than 200 euro. or was it 100 euro.

Then there's
1. return ticket prg-basel-freiburg
2. transport card which is a whopping 50 euro per month. no discount because ISIC lost against German student card
3. travelling
4. food

BVMD gave me 50 euro a week, which is more than enough for groceries because it was summer and i don't even have the time to cook. Once I even cooked and didn't eat because I was too tired to eat ~I guess I was being too dedicated towards my exchange.

And BVMD put aside 50 euro for any travelling that we do. Because we had to pay for the National Service Programme in Freiburg itself, we asked them to cut it from this 50 euro. actually our fee shall have been cheaper because we already have our transport card but there's some miscalculation overthere =(. My friends were not over it. But I had to count my blessing
1. my Murgovsky concert ticket is paid by BVMD
2. We got a handphone each from BVMD and in mine is a 10 euro. and the cheapest reload you can get is 20 euro. and my friend didn't even have a cent in hers.
3. Louisa, Chris and Iva were so welcoming and were heaps of help.

Actually you can cut down a lot
1. bring your own food for lunch. i sometime skip lunch because i hate doing lunch alone so having sandwich and free coffe (albeit horrible) is more than enough
2. dinner. german dinner like pauper but I am not german. still, buy minute quantity of thing if you cook. I bought more than what I need and my place have a mini fridge so i had to throw a lot of food away =(
3. restaurant menu is expensive. lucky I ate only twice at restaurant
4. bring your own drink and food when travelling.

And my faculty offers mobility fund so I got 100 euro from that after my exchange.

Geography 101

Back in Freiburg, I am a Malaysian studying in Czech Republic and is on clinical exchange in Freiburg. When I Was with Bemtgen, he'd introduce me with those details in German. And then there's Miss Columbus et moi first meeting.

Miss Columbus: And Where are you from?
Me:l'm from Malaysia. We are not to Thailand Indonesia, and Singapore

Discusssed about how lucky we are to have a sunny day that 1st weekend.

Miss Columbus: Do you have snow in Malaysia?
Me: *frog croaking loudly*

Ps : I painstakingly drew a map of Malaysia with Borneo included. Alas, posting a blogpost from a phone is almost a miracle. In case u r wondering like Miss Columbus, just so u know. We are just above the equator line.
Pps : Miss Columbus is otherwise a gregarious soon to be a doctor whose company I enjoy very much during our stay in Freiburg

Geburtstag

Today marks 23rd year since I went through the birth canal.

My birthday is like the picture above ~ warm and colourful. with the people i love.
There is a yummy cake on the table, accompanied by my favourite food.
My dad is pouting with twinkle in his eyes, my mom is smiling and my brothers are teasing me with "you are old!"
I make my prayer, blow the candles, cut up the cake and ask my loved ones for their prayers as well.
My mom is the first to shower me with kisses and envelopes me in a warm embrace. and I say my thanks for  bringing me into the world.
Then I go and hug my dad and receives his stubby pecks.
My brothers bought me presents.
And we feast on my mom's delicious homecooked meal.

Except that all the above is just a mirage. I am actually spending my birthday alone, on my bed and haven't been speaking to a soul except my mom who called me when I was sleeping to wish me happy birthday. Obviously there's no cake because I am too lazy to go out and I ate the food from yesterday and had coco crunch for dinner. Whatever. Happy birthday to me. May Allah makes me an incredible Muslimah, bless my life, shower me with wisdom and integrity and let me die as a faithful servant. ameen.

It reminds me of Chris birthday.
On his birthday, I went for a day trip to Konstanz.
Konstanz is not that far away actually, but since there's Black Forest in between Konstanz and Freiburg, the journey is quite long.
I shall write about Konstanz sometime after.
Anyway, I got home (Chris and Iva's) past midnight and was rather hungry.
Turns out the lovebirds haven't gone to sleep.
They came and accompanied me for dinner.
Iva baked 2 types of cakes for Chris (lucky boy I know) ~ apple crumble and marble cake
When I was about to spoon the apple crumble, Iva suddenly remember that she put some alcohol in it but assures me that the alcohol has dissipated, so it is safe to eat it. (But now, after some research, I make a stand to not eat anything mixed with alcohol)
So I ate it. and I can detect the taste and smell of alcohol in my mouth.
So I went after the marble cake, which is really delish.
Must say Iva's is rather good at baking.

Oh no. I just miss them and their place. =)

In Their Shoes

I think I've been way too comfortable after high school. I need to be out of the box. I need to be challenged.
This exchange seems to be offering just what I need and how true it is.

I found out the terrible feeling of being there but not knowing what people in front of you are talking about. Because they talk in a language alien to me. I have been on the other side of the table eversince I came to Czech. I casually switch into Malay in the conversation where my non Malay speaking friend is also there, involved in the conversation. Now that I have been to both sides of the table, I try to speak the language that everyone understand.

I've been to almost all of the morning meetings, which are conducted in German. I was asked to be there.
So I know the feeling of that poor thing that's invited to the event where everyone is speaking the language alien to the poor thing, eventhough they have the ability to speak in English, which everybody knows.

When I went to the suturing class, which is of course conducted in German, I joined a class where everyone has been together eversince few years back. I am just someone coming with the surgeon, and sit with the students. I said my greetings. and sit back feeling out of place. So when an exchange student was standing there alone and others were happy chatting away, I remembered what I felt and went to greet her. The thing that I learnt is that it is nice if people are being welcoming especially when you are alone coming into a pack of people that already know each other.

And one of the many things that I learnt from Chris and Iva is that to offer the guest help and explaining directions. They both went miles to help me. giving a real map. finding where the worship place is. recommending where to shop and many many more.


I'm glad that I went out of my comfort zone. I learnt a lot, both professional skill and interpersonal skill. But I gotta admit that this is not for everyone. You gotta pull yourself together and be open to challenges. In conclusion, be a tough cookie.

National Service Program

Before I went, I got an email asking me if I would like to join something called National Service Program.
It will be held in Freiburg itself.
Includes hiking trip in Black forest and one of the things that we need to bring is ~ bathing suit (possibility to swim in a lake)
Also barbecue.
It sounds too good to be true and of course I say yes.
Plus since I am in Freiburg itself, I am spared from travelling to the National Service Program.

You can say that the program is a blast though the weather wasn't on our side (and it was always raining only on weekends the first 2 weeks of July, whch is not normal at all for Freiburg) and I didn't go to say goodbye on Sunday because of abdominal cramps.


On Friday, we went to a stadium (or something like that) that right smack next to the black forest. Met the other exchange students coming in from places like Tubingen and Heidelberg and Munster.
And we got a bag of goodies each and it sure has a lot of things inside.
Among others
thick notebook
pens
nescafe 3-in-1
stick note
gummy bear
expired condom



 Had meet and greet session before we moved to the main agenda, city tour, with none other than Chris. Chris is someone who loves to share what he knows so he really made a good guide.
Among what I got are
One of the apostle is showing his butt in the direction of the house of some one who did something that irk the townspeople?don't remember anymore
The red and gold signifies Austria.
In the medieval time, in the marketplace,as to make measurement for the things they sell, among others, they drew circle to size bread and a line.
Thing is that being visitors we were moving really slowly and taking pictures.
And German being German, is irked by the pace.

It was raining when we make our way up to Schlossberg.
After realising that we are going up the hill, I told them "you said hiking is tomorow?"
Apparently climbing up to Schlossberg and then up the tower stairs isn't hiking!
And to add spice to thing, for God sake, I am wearing my white hospital pants. add rain and muddy earth on top of that.

Photo from Jaime. Look Emina is even wearing cute flats.

Photo from Mohamed. On the tower.

Thanks Lord the view makes up for it.
And the people. except for the ones who shake the tower. grrr!

We make our way to "student summer festival" for dinner afterwards.
Was stuck because we were being a lil bit busybody near the Fischerau that has the crocodile (a stone one) in it. There is some anti-Nazi demonstration going on.
Quite a sight.

Not only that, we even have to make a detour once because they found a bomb from World War 2 during construction. Apparently, such thing is not uncommon in German land. I learnt a lot about German and Germany in a span of 2 weeks compared to what I learned about Czech and Czech Republic in a span of 4 years.

And finally, we are at the student summer festival. once again, culture shock.
This people is what student summer festival means in Germany

My glass was only filled with pepsi okay.hehehe

One thing deserve mentioning is the grilled feta. so delish. tried to make it twice in October. FAILED.

Travel Cost

Freiburg is an excellent location.
Paris is 3 hours away by TGV.
Colmar is an hour train ride. But u can always stop by Breisach am Rhein to see the majestic Rhein river.
Basel, is also an hour away, while Luzern is 2 hours away.
Except if you want to travel east, like Iva said, the Black Forest is always in the way.
I went to Konstanz and never regret taking the train that crosses the Black Forest. It's so scenic.

Our farewell trip. I had blast travelling with them. Photo from Nicky.

Anyway, travel is rather expensive in Germany.
And the train network is so sophisticated that the bus is forgotten.
I only travel on weekends so my best choice is Baden-Wurttenberg ticket.
If you are travelling alone, the ticket costs 21 euro. add 4 euro for additional person. you can add up to 4 more person.
Best for day trip and group travel.

When I went to Luzern, the girls were already away, so I travel alone.
Had to rush to get my ticket printed out at the counter and pay extra for that.
If you can afford it, get a smartphone or tab ~ that is one precious thing to traveller.

The thing u do when u trael alone. Self camera or ask any stanger who is willing to click the camera for you.

When we travelled, we brought our own food because food is on the expensive side especially in tourist spot.
Most of my travelling were done during Ramadhan and eventhough I have the option to replace it, I opted out of it.
Except when I decided to hike the foot of Pilatus, I went to Migros and paid for ice tea and croissant. ~ 5 euro that saves me after a tedious hike (crazy thing I did. I know.)

All in all, try to not travel alone. It's more expensive. and bring your own food and fruits and drink.

Food

On my second day, Iva's made me spatzle sauce. I really like the sauce.
I got 50 euro every week.
I ate rice oce a week. Bought the ones in the sack. You see I never master cooking the rice sans rice cooker.

For breakfast, I ate bread and drank milk or juice.
I go German with my lunch. sometimes I take it but since Xavier left I didn't do lunch anymore. Plus my last week, it was Ramdhan.
Lunch normally is with schoki (really nice Schwarzwald/Blackforest choc milk) and bretzel. I really love bretzel smeared with cream cheese spinkled with chives and salad and tomato.
Had hot meal once at the casino. Don't know how to say enough in German so I ended up finishing quarter of my cheese gnocci after so much effort.
And my friends in opthalmology do lunch everyday. oh the joy of having a partner in crime with you.

Dinner is a lil bit complicated because I have to come out with what to cook.
I love it epecially when I sit down with Iva and Chris for dinner.
I would nicked their food and they mine.
Once I made curry and was so concerned the smell may be too overhelming for my housemates but they said it smells good.
I found my new love for tomato salad. They made really delish tomato salad.
Most of the time, I made aglio olio spaghetti with birds eye chilli. Iva's surprised to see the amount I threw in. Well, that's typical Penangites for you babe =)
I took away food from markthalle twice. The last one smell strongly of tumeric.
Iva's allergic to ANY NUTS and I have offered nuts twice to her unintentionally. First the rice cooked with nuts and then the stir fried vege with tofu. Thanks to her, I hope I am more alert about allergy issue.

iftar 2nd day of Ramadhan

I have a range of supermarket to choose from. I like Aldi and I went to Ariana Orient House a couple of times to get the meat and some dose of Asian ingredients. Theoretically, I only spent 100 euro on groceries. Admittedly, it's cheaper if you cooked because a plate of mixed potatoes costs 10 euro.

First Day of Ramadhan

It was a Friday and the next week shall be my last week.
I had bihun sup for sahur.

If I remember it well, the day is not like any other day I was in the department.
When I was doing venepuncture on this man that speaks English, the sound of helicopter taking off muffled our conversation.
"This is the third time today. and it's just 9 am"
I remember seeing this new man looking all unwell but I went on with the venepuncture.

I scrubbed in for an operation that I don't remember anymore and returned to Zenker.
Dr Weiskopf and a cardiologist was there and the situation didn't seem good.
"Remember this. It's myocardial infarction" she showed me the ECG.
Turned out it's of that man that was looking very fragile this morning.

It's a rather busy Friday.
And I have another operation scheduled at ~6 pm.
I asked Dr Reinisch for an hour or two break.
I went to Ariana Orient House to get some dates and drinks and whats not (where the fresh fruits and veges section almost empty), dumped everything at home and return to the empty Zenker.
I scrubbed in and went to see the operation schedule.
The digital one was down and they only have papers stuck on the board, obviously all written in German.
I got one of the scrub nurse to tell me whats going on and returned to Zenker to clarify with anyone there.
Turned out Dr Matthias was there.
I had the option to go home but since "help is highly appreciated", and the fact that I was already prepared for surgery, I opted to stay.
Turned out it's a really interesting surgery with amusing team.
And the patient is........ the man who had MI earlier that day.

We started at half past 7. I have always feel some distance from Dr Sudkamp. He is after all the obarztin, which means he's one of the high rankings. That he is always wearing the same face expression doesn't help either but surprise!surprise! he's really nice. Further explanation will ensue.
We started up very nicely. I had been in a surgery where Imi was also the scrub nurse. I had always wanted to ask where she comes from since she did the same to me. So I asked on that operation. She's from Philliphines. and the question where you are from jumped from one to another. I am Malaysian, studying in Czech Republic and interning here *insert further explanation*

When the heart is exposed, I noticed that it's bigger than the other hearts I've seen during the weeks that had passed. And yes, it's not normal.
The second surgeon harvested the leg vein and I was opposite the head surgeon who's harvesting RIMA.
I had been in quite a number of bypass operation but this one is where I learned the most.
You had to take off the clip and replace it with suture. and there's more than 12 clips on the venous graft alone. Flush the saline into the graft to see if there's any leakage. You have to repair it.
Then time by time as the graft is joined to the coronary vessel, you have to flush again to see if the anastomoses are leaked.

There's a number of other procedures done and when the second procedure was completed, the iftar time has long passed. It was not until 12 midnight that the chest is temporarily closed.
The head surgeon offered for anyone to take a break.
I stayed in my gown for quite sometime but after the explanation about the reperfusion time, which will take no less than 20 minutes, I got out of my gown and headed for the break room.
Man, everybody had finished and the break room was empty and urm, eerie but nah, the devils are supposed to be in hell.
I reached for the empty pocket. I really wanted to get something from the vending machine but my coins are all in the locker room in Zenker. Which means I have to change out of my scrub, fetched the coin and get into new scrub if I want to get them. So yeah, I broke my fast with the water from the sink.
Amazingly, I didn't feel fatigue. Ironically I was really pumped out.

I gowned in again for whatever left to be done. And whatever left to be done was really tense and the atmosphere during the second session was really tight *inside stories*. The surgery didn't show any sign that it's going to end soon. With heavy heart, I asked to go home when the clock showed 240 am. I had the permission to go anytime I want but I really want to stay until the end. I reached home just in time to perform jamak taakhir and munched something for sahur before the break of dawn.

I was up at 8 the next morning and spent the whole Saturday sleepy, and walking in the cold and rainy Stuttgart. It was really cold I just had to buy a jumper from H&M. Thanks Allah for summer sale! Oh yeah, they wrapped off the operation sometime past 4 am and the patient was sent to ICU for postop care.

The Weekday

I would wake up at half past 6, shower, breakfast and walk to the department.
My housemates rose later so I rarely get to see them before I leave.
Anyway, I like my morning walk to the department.
The department being at the other end of the ground is compensated by big trees lining the pathway.

I would change in the nurse locker room and make my way to the meeting room.
To be honest the time between 730am to the end of the meeting is the time where I am nervous.
Being alone never scare me except during these time.
I would stand at the corner and look straight ahead because I understand no German and the meeting is conducted fully in German.
I hate not knowing so I guess it's the fact that everybody in the room knows the substance of discussion except me that trigger the out of place dilemma.
Plus, I have never been to any department meeting in my life as a medical student.
And then, I am here in my first meeting, conducted in a language alien to me.
I calculated over the trivia thing like, should I sit at the chair or when I am sitting in one, I felt guilty.
Whatever, I'm glad it has long past.

After the meeting I'd darted to the basement to swap my uniform with a new fresh one or I'll just go around Zenker as a small vampire.
I had the option to be in the ward meeting but I opted out of it because it's also in German.
Actually, the exchange is wonderful but because I know no German, it's quite significant let down.

Blood taking is the very thing that they expect you to do.
On the day I went to Europa Park with the girls, I went to the department solely to do the blood taking before I head for the train station.
No complaints there because I like it when I have something to do.
Since I am in surgery department, I made countless visit to the operation room.

On my first week, I just go into any operation room that I fancy and stay at the anesthesiologist side.
The thing that I love about doing internship in Germany is that you get to do many practical things, and I am offered to scrub in.
The surgeons are generally willing to teach me and answer my questions, saved for one or two. =p
Starting from second week, my name is assigned for surgeries, which means I can ditch the ward works and scrub in to assist.
Problem is I was not given the password to access the system (I asked for it and the man rejected my request) and the OS is in German so I made a lot of hopeful guess.
I had to bother others to help me and it ain't comfortable for both parties. I got scolded once just because I kindly ask for a doctor with a please to put in the password so that I can check at what time is the surgery (sometimes they move the time so you have to check). She was writing discharge letter and I had disturb her concentration.

I learned to scrub in by Dr Siepe and Minchen because they do it differently in Germany.
"Put your head as far away from the pipe when washing your hands"
"too high, too low"
"put your hands together and away from your chest"
Oh, I discover my glove size to be 6.
And after gowning, go latch youself to the side o the patient and put your hands on your epigastric or rest them on the patient.
I shall make a post solely about assisting.

If I am not in the operation room, I'll find things to do in the ward.
Mostly, they are written on the board in the doctor's room.
ECG
Vigo
Full blood taking for new admission
and that's all. Not much.
So I resorted to practise suturing in my second week and trying to translate the patient files.
Translating documented German papers is quite ok since German has many similar words to English.

Usually if there's no operation, or anything else to do, and Dr Reinisch is there it's "go away and enjoy the sun"
and I'll gladly pack up and walk out into the sun.
I usually go to Old town and discover new things or go home and surf the net.
That's the minus thing about beng the only exchange student in the department.
I'd love to go and play in Seepark and doing group things.

So that pretty sums up my weekday.

Strasbourg

On the first weekend, we joined the ERASMUS students on a day trip to Strasbourg.

Strasbourg is the main city for Alsace region in France but throughout history has been changing their nationality between being French and German.

The train station is quite a sight.
We went straight to the dock to go on the tourist boat.
I am more to independent travelling but I don't mind changing to accommodate when travelling in group.
Anyway, we have 40 minutes extra before the boat, so we walked back the charming street and made a stop.

a small scoop of ice cream for 2 euro, if I remember it correctly.

An Erasmus guy followed us.
Aida : What's your name?
Erasmus : Niko.
Aida : oh.hahaha. in Montenegroean, niko means nobody.

I swear by the timberhouses that she didn't mean to offend him. You can tell by the tone but we had to suppress our laughter.

Anyway, we went window shopping in the shops.
Alsace is famous for these

bundtcake/kugelhopf mould, the oval pot, tableclothes.

Well, as a fan of anything kitchen utensils, I highly consider buying them but was reasoned out by the fact that I am going to Colmar and baggage limitation because I'm flying back.

We then go on the boat trip. Nothing much to say it was a typical tourist thing. But for sure most of your pictures taken from the boat will look like these

the most photographed building in Strasbourg

After the bot trip we have an A4 size black and white map each and 4 hours. The first obstacle is the Asian shop selling beautiful pieces for a fractionated price. And I have 3 girls with me who don't mind the long q to the fitting cube and can only see the stuff inside the shop. Reading the map is rather tricky and after what seems like forever, we reached petite France to

- go into the souvenir shop for some shopping

- take picture with the sign

- sample and buy biscuits from the redflag bakery

- go into Asian shop and torn between buying the frozen stuff or not (all fingers pointing to me)

The signboard is typical for the region. They are in Freiburg too.

We were supposed to meet others at the restaurant and were runnig late.

Problem is, according to the map we are like at the other end. wisest choice is to walk along the river of which we did.

Then as we were turning into the street for the restaurant, we made few "come back, it's this way"

We went into the restaurant just as everyone is finishing their flamkuchen/Tarte flambée.  we ordered one for ourselves but I must say that the ones the BVMD made for international dinner is far better. We chat away and the girls arranged to meet the Spanish for some festival back in Freiburg later in the evening (FYI, they didn't find each other eventhough both parties went for it)

The thing that you have to know about the German is that they are not only punctual, but they also stride faster.

We were catching the train, which is like at the other end of the place and I stepped on banana skin. Just what I need!

We managed to catch our train back.

Conclusion is I take note that my further trips during the exchange will start no earlier than 9 am. 10 am seems to be the ideal time to take the train. They asked me how was the trip. I'd say it's average and I don't get to really wander the town because the time is too short. I think Colmar is less crowded, less touristy and more beautiful.