20th December:
Horrendous locum shift at previous workplace. Taken advantage of; had to trial a new "system" of unblockable A&E referrals (predictably resulting in a doubling of workload); minimal senior support between 1-5pm; and witnessing a tragedy caused by others but cleaned up partially by me and mainly by a good friend.
21st December:
Trafford Centre for last minute gift gathering in what was nearly a stress-free visit (with a free 30 minute round trip walking to the car park)
Present wrapping.
Romantic evening with Dave
22nd December:
Last minute gift buying in Preston.
Set off for Southampton via Manchester.
Crashed car into central reservation as a result of combination of knobheads on M40 near Warwick. Mental overtaking lorries, snow and ice in the road, drivers leaving less than 50cm gap, drivers cruising from lane to lane at 70mph+ and a previous accident in lane 3 all led to the longest ten seconds of my life as I simultaneously made the best of an inevitable skid situation and figured out how not to die by crashing into traffic or a car stuck on lane 3.
M40 closed for 30 minutes as I was accident No. 12 that evening.
Spent evening chatting to Highways Agency and then a recovery guy who was like my angel.
Home and quite lengthy hugs with family.
Not a great night's sleep.
23rd December:
Insurance company, figuring out work and calming down.
Last of present wrapping.
Some Glee DVD.
Evening of Coach Trip by the fire.
Christmas Eve
Celebrated Polish Christmas with my family although the dreary "Midnight" Mass at 8.30pm even annoyed my ultra-Catholic grandmother.
Delicious borscht courtesy of my new aunt Elena!
Christmas Day
Christmas with both sets of grandparents for first time in many years. Wonderful!
Boxing Day
Glee catches on as my dad happens to see the Madonna episode and then mum gets in on the action. Third of the series covered in one day. Brother not impressed AT ALL!
27th December
Our old New Zealander friend Ros comes to stay for a day or three and we talk about food lots. And have a drink or three.
28th December
Last day at home. See Lozza for lunch and end of year catch up in Jolly Sailor.
Supposedly flying home (now that car is in a garage in Manchester somewhere) but fog in Southampton prevents this (after a thoughtful 4 hour wait in the airport).
29th December
Up at 5am to try and get flight... cancelled again and train is going to cost about £100. Have to cancel work and then feel guilty as every news bulletin declares the day "the busiest of the year" for A&Es.
Take a walk around foggy Woolston and go to the shore to listen to the cacophony of fog horns despite zero visibility.
30th December
Poor information from FlyBE and BAA mean arrive at airport to check in for 2nd rebooking only for flight to then be delayed for 4 hours.
Arrive back in Manc a mere 39 hours after initially suspected.
Misti saves the day by driving me to garage to find car not as damaged as could have been (good safety rating huh?)
Let's just say I'm looking forward to 2011!
Please drive safely.
Thursday 30 December 2010
Thursday 11 November 2010
Christmas List
By no means exhaustive, to deny creativity, or to suggest I expect any gifts at all, but merely a guide to things I might buy for myself were it not for the approaching season. (that is all)
- Basic book about astronomy and looking at stars
- GAP/Burton clothes
- Chocolate
- Kitchen knives
- Any French & Saunders DVD [hmv.com]
- Royle Family DVD [hmv.com]
- Any L'Oreal for Men stuff
- Black boots [like these in Burton] (size 10)
- Food based gifts are always a winner
- I like Lush stuff too!
- Body Shop Ice Blue Shampoo
Saturday 6 November 2010
Thanks
In a bid to reverse my 3 month bout of overwheleming negativity, I decided to count how often someone said "thank you" to me at work this week.
This failed on two parts. One, I completely forgot about one hour in, but also, as a cynical ploy to justify why I felt undervalued, it just didn't work. Why?
Cos loads of people DID say thank you. And it was from the best group of people. My patients.
I sometimes wonder if perhaps I get a little too close to my patients, on a Friday evening it is now not uncommon for me to personally wish each patient well and for them to comment on my weekend when I come back on Monday.
I've told them where to get a similar coat to mine for their son, chatted about X-Factor, and even been offered grapes and home-made wine.
Don't get me wrong, I don't take them all down the pub after work, but I like to think I have a positive impact on their care beyond the medical. I don't put it on so that they "like" me... but it's a very welcome side-effect.
The time that set alarm bells off in my head was when a patient wanted to complain on my behalf... i.e. they felt we as staff weren't treated well by our bosses, although they had nothing but praise for the efforts we'd made ("above & beyond" and all that). Had I/we got too close to this patient?
The conclusion I've come to is that no, we hadn't. Being professional doesn't have to mean being stoic and boring. Being in hospital is BORING, and motivation is such an important factor in getting well. By letting our patients "in" on our banter and lives helps lift their spirits.
And you know what, however undervalued I feel by "the bosses", it doesn't matter. The customer is always right, don't you know?!
This failed on two parts. One, I completely forgot about one hour in, but also, as a cynical ploy to justify why I felt undervalued, it just didn't work. Why?
Cos loads of people DID say thank you. And it was from the best group of people. My patients.
I sometimes wonder if perhaps I get a little too close to my patients, on a Friday evening it is now not uncommon for me to personally wish each patient well and for them to comment on my weekend when I come back on Monday.
I've told them where to get a similar coat to mine for their son, chatted about X-Factor, and even been offered grapes and home-made wine.
Don't get me wrong, I don't take them all down the pub after work, but I like to think I have a positive impact on their care beyond the medical. I don't put it on so that they "like" me... but it's a very welcome side-effect.
The time that set alarm bells off in my head was when a patient wanted to complain on my behalf... i.e. they felt we as staff weren't treated well by our bosses, although they had nothing but praise for the efforts we'd made ("above & beyond" and all that). Had I/we got too close to this patient?
The conclusion I've come to is that no, we hadn't. Being professional doesn't have to mean being stoic and boring. Being in hospital is BORING, and motivation is such an important factor in getting well. By letting our patients "in" on our banter and lives helps lift their spirits.
And you know what, however undervalued I feel by "the bosses", it doesn't matter. The customer is always right, don't you know?!
Wednesday 20 October 2010
Job Satisfaction
I remember being at school, thinking about careers having done one of those computer programs that told me my top 3 careers were "Funeral Director, Embalmer and Fence Erector". I remember that every grown-up I asked told me NOT to pursue their own career. And I remember changing my mind a few times through my Upper Sixth... I wanted to be an interpreter in the EU, then pursue journalism, then considered something science-y before somehow settling on medicine.
Anyopne who's read my blog before will know I haven't always been happy with my job, and the nature of an introspective activity like blogging is that you're unlikely to post your happiest times because you're out busy HAVING those happy times! So please read on in the knowledge that there have definitely been many happy times over the past two years!
Nevertheless I meet very few people that enjoy every day of their job. Why is that?
Is it that I work in the NHS? I would hazard a guess that the free-to-all nature of the NHS makes it likely that working in the UK as a professional offers a different and unique experience than anywhere else. I find it hard to accept that my actual role as portrayed in TV drama, the news and at various Trust inductions is that of a caring individual who will ensure excellent care and quality to each and every patient I see. (Unless you get your news from the Daily Mail, in which case my role is to give you cancer).
Does that sound awful? I wish it were my role. What I actually find is that in a typical week I will try and start optimisic but am gradually dragged down. To enable an "excellent" experience for a patient is, in my view, impossible en masse. I certainly think some patients do get it. I don't think that the service pressure enables it to be possible for all though.
It's all about expectation I suppose. We're conditioned to think that the best possible is what we should aim for. But from a public health and economic point of view, actually achieving that is costly, and the model most hospitals actually work on is "adequate" care as a minimum. That is to say, you get everything done that you need, but not neccessarily as quickly or painless or beautifully as you'd like.
I love it on Casualty when one of the doctors spends an entire episode comforting a patient. In real life I have to see, make decisions and actions on about 5-10 patients an hour, as opposed to the hour of on-on-one people seem to get at Holby City. Maybe I should look for jobs there.
Some of my saddest days are those where I have to decide whether to stay late in order to make that patient experience more than adequate. I'll admit the sadness comes as I have to acknowledge that my own life cannot become subsumed by my job more often. There's only so many times you can cancel meeting friends or partners.
Should I work more than my contracted hours to do this? Part of me wants to. And patients would value it.
The mercenary side of me wonders whether it is my responsibility. I work a 48 hour average week for a decent wage. But 48 hours is 6 eight-hour days a week. To work just an extra hour a day really adds up.
Here's the maths. In my 27 months of work, there have been 15 months of posts where I work at least an extra hour per day. That is 6 hours extra a week. 24 a month. And so taking into account holiday and such, about 240 extra hours a year. (This is a rough estimate not a figure to start quoting...)
Every doctor I know does this. What is the size of the NHS junior doctor workforce? I don't know... Thousands of doctors? Just how many hours go unrecognised, but contribute to improved patient experience?
What becomes even more frightening is that consultants work way more hours than they are supposedly contracted to. And don't even get me started on nursing staff, whom as a professional group at large go so above and beyond it's a joke.
What am I trying to say then?
There are a lot of underappreciated and miserable NHS staff who bust a gut unnoticed and unrecognised every hour of every day. Maybe some of us are crap, but most of us aren't. NHS funding has been ringfenced in the recent sweeping Budget cuts... good. But I think the expectations of the public, as fed by goverment and media are steadily leading to catastrophe. "Excellent" comes at a price. Adequate may just have to do.
Anyopne who's read my blog before will know I haven't always been happy with my job, and the nature of an introspective activity like blogging is that you're unlikely to post your happiest times because you're out busy HAVING those happy times! So please read on in the knowledge that there have definitely been many happy times over the past two years!
Nevertheless I meet very few people that enjoy every day of their job. Why is that?
Is it that I work in the NHS? I would hazard a guess that the free-to-all nature of the NHS makes it likely that working in the UK as a professional offers a different and unique experience than anywhere else. I find it hard to accept that my actual role as portrayed in TV drama, the news and at various Trust inductions is that of a caring individual who will ensure excellent care and quality to each and every patient I see. (Unless you get your news from the Daily Mail, in which case my role is to give you cancer).
Does that sound awful? I wish it were my role. What I actually find is that in a typical week I will try and start optimisic but am gradually dragged down. To enable an "excellent" experience for a patient is, in my view, impossible en masse. I certainly think some patients do get it. I don't think that the service pressure enables it to be possible for all though.
It's all about expectation I suppose. We're conditioned to think that the best possible is what we should aim for. But from a public health and economic point of view, actually achieving that is costly, and the model most hospitals actually work on is "adequate" care as a minimum. That is to say, you get everything done that you need, but not neccessarily as quickly or painless or beautifully as you'd like.
I love it on Casualty when one of the doctors spends an entire episode comforting a patient. In real life I have to see, make decisions and actions on about 5-10 patients an hour, as opposed to the hour of on-on-one people seem to get at Holby City. Maybe I should look for jobs there.
Some of my saddest days are those where I have to decide whether to stay late in order to make that patient experience more than adequate. I'll admit the sadness comes as I have to acknowledge that my own life cannot become subsumed by my job more often. There's only so many times you can cancel meeting friends or partners.
Should I work more than my contracted hours to do this? Part of me wants to. And patients would value it.
The mercenary side of me wonders whether it is my responsibility. I work a 48 hour average week for a decent wage. But 48 hours is 6 eight-hour days a week. To work just an extra hour a day really adds up.
Here's the maths. In my 27 months of work, there have been 15 months of posts where I work at least an extra hour per day. That is 6 hours extra a week. 24 a month. And so taking into account holiday and such, about 240 extra hours a year. (This is a rough estimate not a figure to start quoting...)
Every doctor I know does this. What is the size of the NHS junior doctor workforce? I don't know... Thousands of doctors? Just how many hours go unrecognised, but contribute to improved patient experience?
What becomes even more frightening is that consultants work way more hours than they are supposedly contracted to. And don't even get me started on nursing staff, whom as a professional group at large go so above and beyond it's a joke.
What am I trying to say then?
There are a lot of underappreciated and miserable NHS staff who bust a gut unnoticed and unrecognised every hour of every day. Maybe some of us are crap, but most of us aren't. NHS funding has been ringfenced in the recent sweeping Budget cuts... good. But I think the expectations of the public, as fed by goverment and media are steadily leading to catastrophe. "Excellent" comes at a price. Adequate may just have to do.
Monday 27 September 2010
What I really really want.
(Just a quick one really, to remind myself that this thing exists)
Knowing what you want can be pretty difficult. I'm learning this right now. It's easy to not like something, but to figure out why that is, what you can do about it, and what you should be aiming for instead are questions that take some time.
I've always been a thinker, and probably an over-thinker at that. But like Aisleyne I do know myself and how I tick. I didn't always used to, and I think I'm better at it now. Which is probably why I'm generally more happy and comfortable in my skin now than ever before.
Life likes to test you though, and I'm using my reserves at the moment to try and keep sight of the prize.
I'm looking forward to lots of things, and know that I'll look back on these past few months as a goodbad experience (doublethink).
Knowing what you want can be pretty difficult. I'm learning this right now. It's easy to not like something, but to figure out why that is, what you can do about it, and what you should be aiming for instead are questions that take some time.
I've always been a thinker, and probably an over-thinker at that. But like Aisleyne I do know myself and how I tick. I didn't always used to, and I think I'm better at it now. Which is probably why I'm generally more happy and comfortable in my skin now than ever before.
Life likes to test you though, and I'm using my reserves at the moment to try and keep sight of the prize.
I'm looking forward to lots of things, and know that I'll look back on these past few months as a goodbad experience (doublethink).
Sunday 13 June 2010
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Thursday 20 May 2010
Eurovision 2010 Semi-Final 2: part two
8 Ukraine
"Sweet People" - Alyosha
You do wonder about the quality control measures in place when you watch this OFFICIALLY RELEASED promo for the Ukraine. The first 30 seconds nip in and out of tune and the camera focus is mental. I can't even remember if I like this or not. I know it doesn't make any sense.
9 Netherlands
"Ik ben verliefd (Sha-la-lie)" - Sieneke (I'm in love)
A slightly mental circus opening distracts from what is a sort of catchy song but this is unlikely to turn the tides against the Netherlands bad luck/choices over the past few years.
10 Romania
"Playing with Fire" - Paula Seling & Ovi
I really like the hook in this song, but there's bits that are awful and I'm not sure how I feel at the end. The video's the same: the dual piano is pretty cool, but the whole video game aspect is just desperately lacking in focus. And as usual with these Eastern European duos, they pair up a hot girl singer with some lardy bloke. "A" for effort but not for the finished product.
11 Slovenia
"Narodnozabavni rock" - Ansambel Žlindari & Kalamari (Native Folk Rock)
The damned accordions are back and they're still not welcome. This is just an embarrassment from my adopted home country. A simple "No" suffices here. Oh dear.
12 Ireland
"It's for you" - Niamh Kavanagh
This is actually quite pleasant and reminiscint of the type of entries that Ireland used to win with back in the 90s. Trouble is, that was 20 years ago. Nevertheless the start is right out an X-Factor winner's song, which might be a good thing. And we haven't even got to the tin whistle, making a welcome return.
13 Bulgaria
"Angel si ti" - Miro (You're an angel)
This is one of my favourites, assuming he sings well which you can never judge from the video. Love the "oh-woh-woh bits", and actually the Bulgarian I don't understand but he makes me want to... there goes another Eurovision crush.
14 Cyprus
"Life Looks Better in Spring" - Jon Lillygreen and the Islanders
It may well be true but I'm not feeling this song. Boring. Boring. Yawn.
15 Croatia
"Lako je sve" - Feminem (Everything is easy)
Feminem represented Bosnia-Herzegovina a few years back with a decididly camp number so I was surprised to see this. Pleasantly surprised, I'm a sucker for Balkan angst and moody black and white videos.
16 Georgia
"Shine" - Sopho Nizharadze
A quite nice ballad really from a quite nice singer. And I like the cleaning element of the chorus "Wipe the dust off your love". You'd never get a native English person coming up with genius lyrics like that. I'm not even sure if I'm still being sarcastic.
17 Turkey
"We Could Be The Same"- maNga
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These fellas are described as "the Turkish MUSE", which is not a bad comparison. However, whilst the chorus of this song is quite good and catchy; the verses are dull fillers, unlike Muse. The video is pretty cool though.
----------
So there we are, that's all the semi-final songs in round 2. The only five we haven't looked at are France, Germany, Spain, Norway & the UK, as they all automatically qualify for the Final. I'll get round to them though, don't worry.
So who should go through from the second semi final?
My favourites here are the ever-catchy Azerbaijan ("Drip drop drip drop"), which is tipped to win with odds of 2-1 or less. Bulgaria is a close second. Lithuania, Croatia, Georgia, Armenia and Denmark also probably deserve to go through. And as much as it pains me, Slovenia, is the least deserving country.
"Sweet People" - Alyosha
You do wonder about the quality control measures in place when you watch this OFFICIALLY RELEASED promo for the Ukraine. The first 30 seconds nip in and out of tune and the camera focus is mental. I can't even remember if I like this or not. I know it doesn't make any sense.
9 Netherlands
"Ik ben verliefd (Sha-la-lie)" - Sieneke (I'm in love)
A slightly mental circus opening distracts from what is a sort of catchy song but this is unlikely to turn the tides against the Netherlands bad luck/choices over the past few years.
10 Romania
"Playing with Fire" - Paula Seling & Ovi
I really like the hook in this song, but there's bits that are awful and I'm not sure how I feel at the end. The video's the same: the dual piano is pretty cool, but the whole video game aspect is just desperately lacking in focus. And as usual with these Eastern European duos, they pair up a hot girl singer with some lardy bloke. "A" for effort but not for the finished product.
11 Slovenia
"Narodnozabavni rock" - Ansambel Žlindari & Kalamari (Native Folk Rock)
The damned accordions are back and they're still not welcome. This is just an embarrassment from my adopted home country. A simple "No" suffices here. Oh dear.
12 Ireland
"It's for you" - Niamh Kavanagh
This is actually quite pleasant and reminiscint of the type of entries that Ireland used to win with back in the 90s. Trouble is, that was 20 years ago. Nevertheless the start is right out an X-Factor winner's song, which might be a good thing. And we haven't even got to the tin whistle, making a welcome return.
13 Bulgaria
"Angel si ti" - Miro (You're an angel)
This is one of my favourites, assuming he sings well which you can never judge from the video. Love the "oh-woh-woh bits", and actually the Bulgarian I don't understand but he makes me want to... there goes another Eurovision crush.
14 Cyprus
"Life Looks Better in Spring" - Jon Lillygreen and the Islanders
It may well be true but I'm not feeling this song. Boring. Boring. Yawn.
15 Croatia
"Lako je sve" - Feminem (Everything is easy)
Feminem represented Bosnia-Herzegovina a few years back with a decididly camp number so I was surprised to see this. Pleasantly surprised, I'm a sucker for Balkan angst and moody black and white videos.
16 Georgia
"Shine" - Sopho Nizharadze
A quite nice ballad really from a quite nice singer. And I like the cleaning element of the chorus "Wipe the dust off your love". You'd never get a native English person coming up with genius lyrics like that. I'm not even sure if I'm still being sarcastic.
17 Turkey
"We Could Be The Same"- maNga
="405">
These fellas are described as "the Turkish MUSE", which is not a bad comparison. However, whilst the chorus of this song is quite good and catchy; the verses are dull fillers, unlike Muse. The video is pretty cool though.
----------
So there we are, that's all the semi-final songs in round 2. The only five we haven't looked at are France, Germany, Spain, Norway & the UK, as they all automatically qualify for the Final. I'll get round to them though, don't worry.
So who should go through from the second semi final?
My favourites here are the ever-catchy Azerbaijan ("Drip drop drip drop"), which is tipped to win with odds of 2-1 or less. Bulgaria is a close second. Lithuania, Croatia, Georgia, Armenia and Denmark also probably deserve to go through. And as much as it pains me, Slovenia, is the least deserving country.
Monday 3 May 2010
Semi-Final Two: Part One
So after the first 17 songs that were more miss than hit in the first semi-final, we hopefully move onto a better set in Semi Final Two (broadcast 2000 CET 27/05/2010 onBBC3)
1 Lithuania
"East European Funk" - InCulto
This is a cool and sometimes corny ska-influenced number to start the show, and it's a crowd pleaser... well at least the crowds of people in Lithuanian supermarkets judging from the video. There's a few references to us "all being in the EU" etc which nicely topicalise what is actually a pretty good 3 minutes.
2 Armenia
"Apricot Stone" - Eve Rivas
I've listened to this a few times now and whilst I kind of like it, I still don't really understand what it's about... apricot stones from the motherland? But she sings it like it means everything, so perhaps something got lost in the translation. Then again, she does bang on about the winds affecting the harvest and her "cherished fruit" - is the apricot an Armenian equivalent of cherry I wonder...?
3 Israel
"Milim" - Harel Skaat ("Words")
I think I make this comment every year, but Hebrew is not a beautiful sounding language. Although Harel is sufficiently distracting to look at that perhaps it doesn't matter.
4 Denmark
"A moment like this" - Chanée and N'evergreen
This brilliantly-named duo are like the elder siblings of Same Difference, with more hairspray and guitars. There's nothing else sounding like this in the Contest this year, and it's pretty catchy, so who knows? But the song never gets away with the fact it is perfect for an X Factor winner. It's good, but it's not right.
5 Switzerland
"Il Pleut de L'Or" Michael von der Heide ("It's raining gold")
It's hard to not play the cheap shot and comment on the irony that a man with such prominent ears didn't listen to his own song. Oops. Seriously though, this is all a bit embarrassing, like watching your gay dad do karaoke - you have to watch but feel uncomfortable throughout.
6 Sweden
"This is my life" - Anna Bergendahl
You can usually rely on Sweden to provide a catchy pop tune with some kind of dance routine, so you spend the 3 minutes of this track waiting for sequinned dancers, or a back beat to emerge on this, but it never happens. Once you've got over that, it's an okay guitar ballad, akin to Delta Goodrem I suppose, but not really stand out. I guess I'm just used to better things from Sweden. Disappointing.
7 Azerbaijan
"Drip Drop" - Safura
And so onto the favourite. And it's easy to see why. Forget the snide "it's not even in Europe", we're going to Baku next year if Safura pulls this off. It's a great, contemporary bittersweet ballad, with minimal translation issues and relatively gimmick-free. Altogether now... "Drip drop drip drop, wa-oh wa-oh...". Lovely.
1 Lithuania
"East European Funk" - InCulto
This is a cool and sometimes corny ska-influenced number to start the show, and it's a crowd pleaser... well at least the crowds of people in Lithuanian supermarkets judging from the video. There's a few references to us "all being in the EU" etc which nicely topicalise what is actually a pretty good 3 minutes.
2 Armenia
"Apricot Stone" - Eve Rivas
I've listened to this a few times now and whilst I kind of like it, I still don't really understand what it's about... apricot stones from the motherland? But she sings it like it means everything, so perhaps something got lost in the translation. Then again, she does bang on about the winds affecting the harvest and her "cherished fruit" - is the apricot an Armenian equivalent of cherry I wonder...?
3 Israel
"Milim" - Harel Skaat ("Words")
I think I make this comment every year, but Hebrew is not a beautiful sounding language. Although Harel is sufficiently distracting to look at that perhaps it doesn't matter.
4 Denmark
"A moment like this" - Chanée and N'evergreen
This brilliantly-named duo are like the elder siblings of Same Difference, with more hairspray and guitars. There's nothing else sounding like this in the Contest this year, and it's pretty catchy, so who knows? But the song never gets away with the fact it is perfect for an X Factor winner. It's good, but it's not right.
5 Switzerland
"Il Pleut de L'Or" Michael von der Heide ("It's raining gold")
It's hard to not play the cheap shot and comment on the irony that a man with such prominent ears didn't listen to his own song. Oops. Seriously though, this is all a bit embarrassing, like watching your gay dad do karaoke - you have to watch but feel uncomfortable throughout.
6 Sweden
"This is my life" - Anna Bergendahl
You can usually rely on Sweden to provide a catchy pop tune with some kind of dance routine, so you spend the 3 minutes of this track waiting for sequinned dancers, or a back beat to emerge on this, but it never happens. Once you've got over that, it's an okay guitar ballad, akin to Delta Goodrem I suppose, but not really stand out. I guess I'm just used to better things from Sweden. Disappointing.
7 Azerbaijan
"Drip Drop" - Safura
And so onto the favourite. And it's easy to see why. Forget the snide "it's not even in Europe", we're going to Baku next year if Safura pulls this off. It's a great, contemporary bittersweet ballad, with minimal translation issues and relatively gimmick-free. Altogether now... "Drip drop drip drop, wa-oh wa-oh...". Lovely.
Tuesday 27 April 2010
Eurovision 2010 Semi-Final One: part three
Well here's the final seven songs from the first semi-final, and I have to say, so far it's going to be tough to pick the ten best... and not in a good way.
11 Malta "My Dream" - Thea Garrett
This is quite a passable ballad actually, and she's a good singer, which always makes things easier. You kind of pick up the words too, so end up singing along with the second chorus. I'm not certain it will be a stand-out moment though.
12 Albania "It's All About You" - Julia Pasha
Juliana is perhaps Albania's answer to Lady Gaga. She's got a sofa handging from the trees, a bed in the lake and a very stoic military boyfriend. She release what at first seems to be a rat but turn out to be a bird from her butterfly tattooed hand at one point.
The song is pretty catchy too, and it should stand out, being that it follows a ballad and precedes the utter dross that is about to follow.
13 Greece "OPA" - Giorgios Alkaios & Friends
This is such a disaster I don't even know where to begin. Greece have currently managed to avoid relegation from the Final for the last 6 odd years by sending great artists with great pop songs. And so this year, the follow-up is... their grandad. In leather. WELL DONE EVERYBODY
14 Portugal "Há dias assim" - Filipa Azevedo (It's One of Those Days)
Well it's okay I suppose. It doesn't really help that she looks like she might be in the cast of Portugal's "Shameless", or all the "szh" noises you get in Portugese. It's not Portugal's year. Again.
15 FYR Macedonia "Jas ja imam silata" - Gjoko Taneski, Billy Zver and Pejcin (I have the strength)
They do actually look like a pub band. Which doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. And it might have just avoided that fate, were it not the Macedonian rap uneasily cajoled into the middle section. Dad-rock +poor-man's Timbaland is a bit like a Marmite and Sprout cake. You'll either hate it... or not even want to try it.
16 Belarus "Butterflies" - 3+2
I've gotten used to utter dross coming out of this dictatorship that I didn't even bother to listen to this the first time, and what a mistake. It's brilliant, a really good ballad, and it somehow stays just the right side of cheesy for the majority. Well worth a listen.
17 Iceland "Je ne sais quoi" - Hera Björk
Thank god, an ubergay hands-up-in-the-air number to round of the first semi-final. It's even sung by a diva in black velvet frills. Dry ice - check. Key change - check. Wind machine - check. It's got it all. 'nuff said.
Okay, so we're (actually only just halfway) through. But the first semi-final coountries are done. Who are my favourites?
Iceland clearly comes top, followed by Belarus. Honourable mentions for Estonia, Moldova, Belgium and Albania.
Semi-Final Two & Big Four reviews soon.
11 Malta "My Dream" - Thea Garrett
This is quite a passable ballad actually, and she's a good singer, which always makes things easier. You kind of pick up the words too, so end up singing along with the second chorus. I'm not certain it will be a stand-out moment though.
12 Albania "It's All About You" - Julia Pasha
Juliana is perhaps Albania's answer to Lady Gaga. She's got a sofa handging from the trees, a bed in the lake and a very stoic military boyfriend. She release what at first seems to be a rat but turn out to be a bird from her butterfly tattooed hand at one point.
The song is pretty catchy too, and it should stand out, being that it follows a ballad and precedes the utter dross that is about to follow.
13 Greece "OPA" - Giorgios Alkaios & Friends
This is such a disaster I don't even know where to begin. Greece have currently managed to avoid relegation from the Final for the last 6 odd years by sending great artists with great pop songs. And so this year, the follow-up is... their grandad. In leather. WELL DONE EVERYBODY
14 Portugal "Há dias assim" - Filipa Azevedo (It's One of Those Days)
Well it's okay I suppose. It doesn't really help that she looks like she might be in the cast of Portugal's "Shameless", or all the "szh" noises you get in Portugese. It's not Portugal's year. Again.
15 FYR Macedonia "Jas ja imam silata" - Gjoko Taneski, Billy Zver and Pejcin (I have the strength)
They do actually look like a pub band. Which doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. And it might have just avoided that fate, were it not the Macedonian rap uneasily cajoled into the middle section. Dad-rock +poor-man's Timbaland is a bit like a Marmite and Sprout cake. You'll either hate it... or not even want to try it.
16 Belarus "Butterflies" - 3+2
I've gotten used to utter dross coming out of this dictatorship that I didn't even bother to listen to this the first time, and what a mistake. It's brilliant, a really good ballad, and it somehow stays just the right side of cheesy for the majority. Well worth a listen.
17 Iceland "Je ne sais quoi" - Hera Björk
Thank god, an ubergay hands-up-in-the-air number to round of the first semi-final. It's even sung by a diva in black velvet frills. Dry ice - check. Key change - check. Wind machine - check. It's got it all. 'nuff said.
Okay, so we're (actually only just halfway) through. But the first semi-final coountries are done. Who are my favourites?
Iceland clearly comes top, followed by Belarus. Honourable mentions for Estonia, Moldova, Belgium and Albania.
Semi-Final Two & Big Four reviews soon.
Sunday 25 April 2010
Eurovision 2010: Semi Final One (part deux)
[By the way, if you're reading these Eurovish-blogs on Facebook, you probably aren't getting the joy of the actual YouTube videos, so do click on the "original post" link at the bottom, or go direct to www.seb-pillon.blogspot.com]
5 Finland
"Työlki ellää" - Kuunkuiskaajat (One can work for a living, too)
Oh dear god, it's the Finnish Mitchell sisters with some folk durge. Do feel free to clap along. If you like accordions, Melinda Messenger lookalikes and false camraderie between your lead singers, this is your winner. For any/everyone else, it's a no from me.
6 Latvia
"What for? (Only Mr God knows why)" - Aisha
Her Uncle Joe can't speak and she can't... well make a song to be honest. This is a bit weird. The actual title doesn't make sense which just shows how easy it must be to become a translator. Notice too the accordion in the background, it must be the instrument of choice in 2010.
One listen is enough, just for the lyric "Only Mr God Knows Why". Brilliant.
7 Serbia
"Ovo je Balkan" - Milan Stanković (This is The Balkans)
If you can resist the urge to mute after 5 seconds... you'll simply continue to have that urge for 3 minutes. The video is worth a watch though just to marvel at the chap's hair. But other than that it's trumpets, wailing and embroidered waistcoats throughout.
8 Bosnia-Herzegovina
"Thunder & Lightning" - Vukašin Brajić
I'll admit that it's hard for me to put aside my bias to love anything BiH churns out. But accent issues aside, I quite like this rock ballad, though I'll have no time for indulgent pre-recorded guitar solos in a live song contest.
9 Poland
"Legenda" - Marcin Mroziński (The Legend)
This is heavy going from the outset, but it kind of grows on you for a bit... and then the chorus kicks in and you regret saying that. I dread to think how the wailing vocal will sound live. But he's not a bad looker, truth be told.
10 Belgium
"Me and My Guitar" - Tom Dice
This is a sweet little surprise, and will stand out on the night, but it's probably not winning material. It's a nice guitar ballad and no gimmickry distracting from it. Unless you count the cardigan.
Wow, that was a trial huh? Tuesday 25th May is gonna drag huh?! Let's hope the back seven songs pick up a bit, or the final is gonna consist of accordion wielding wailers.
5 Finland
"Työlki ellää" - Kuunkuiskaajat (One can work for a living, too)
Oh dear god, it's the Finnish Mitchell sisters with some folk durge. Do feel free to clap along. If you like accordions, Melinda Messenger lookalikes and false camraderie between your lead singers, this is your winner. For any/everyone else, it's a no from me.
6 Latvia
"What for? (Only Mr God knows why)" - Aisha
Her Uncle Joe can't speak and she can't... well make a song to be honest. This is a bit weird. The actual title doesn't make sense which just shows how easy it must be to become a translator. Notice too the accordion in the background, it must be the instrument of choice in 2010.
One listen is enough, just for the lyric "Only Mr God Knows Why". Brilliant.
7 Serbia
"Ovo je Balkan" - Milan Stanković (This is The Balkans)
If you can resist the urge to mute after 5 seconds... you'll simply continue to have that urge for 3 minutes. The video is worth a watch though just to marvel at the chap's hair. But other than that it's trumpets, wailing and embroidered waistcoats throughout.
8 Bosnia-Herzegovina
"Thunder & Lightning" - Vukašin Brajić
I'll admit that it's hard for me to put aside my bias to love anything BiH churns out. But accent issues aside, I quite like this rock ballad, though I'll have no time for indulgent pre-recorded guitar solos in a live song contest.
9 Poland
"Legenda" - Marcin Mroziński (The Legend)
This is heavy going from the outset, but it kind of grows on you for a bit... and then the chorus kicks in and you regret saying that. I dread to think how the wailing vocal will sound live. But he's not a bad looker, truth be told.
10 Belgium
"Me and My Guitar" - Tom Dice
This is a sweet little surprise, and will stand out on the night, but it's probably not winning material. It's a nice guitar ballad and no gimmickry distracting from it. Unless you count the cardigan.
Wow, that was a trial huh? Tuesday 25th May is gonna drag huh?! Let's hope the back seven songs pick up a bit, or the final is gonna consist of accordion wielding wailers.
Eurovision 2010: Semi Final One
The Eurovision season is upon us (well me, at least).
So now that all the countries have picked a song and are ferverently rehearsing and touring Europe in order to gain favour, I'm going to start working through the preview videos to see where I can have my toilet breaks come the actual night(s) of the contest.
The semi-final system is still running, which means freaks like me get 3 nights of pure Europop gold to sit through/enjoy/wish would just end.
The first semi-final gives us a clue as to the tone of the contest this year. The tradition is for everyone to try and copy the previous year's winner, and then usually the country that doesn't do that wins.
So the past few years have been inundated with violins, and an alarming trend towards folk music. Brilliant, I do love a Moldovan goat-herding chant mixed with Turkish base beats.
So over the next few weeks, you'll get to see what I think of the best* of European talent, starting with the first semi-final, which will see 10 acts make it to the final to join France, Germany, Spain, the UK and Norway. If you care why this is, take a look at Wikipedia.
So we don't get to vote in this semi-final, but who do I want to see through to the final?
1 Moldova
"Run Away" - SunStroke Project & Olia Tira
Liking the use of violins (but a year too late mate). Far better is the saxophone and the overuse of pink glitter and Helsinki Blonde hair dye in this actually not-so-bad number from the bizarrely named SunStroke Project.
2 Russia
"Lost & Forgotten" - Peter Nalitch & Friends
Oh dear, starting the song wailing away is never going to endear anyone now is it? Not that this improves. It's like a Channel Five reality show where a load of workmen get together to make a song in 3 days with hilarious consequences. And the facial expressions made by the lead singer seem to suggest he doesn't quite understand the lyrics he's singing. It's all worth it for the high notes near the end though. Not.
3 Estonia
"Siren" - Malcolm Lincoln and Manpower 4
Wow this is bleak. Not that I don't like it, indeed quite the opposite, I think it's quite cool, in a final-year arts student way. Even the video is like some concept piece. I think it's actually quite good. Not sure how this will translate to stage though... I can see it being phenomenal, but then again, I can see it looking like a main wailing for 3 minutes.
4 Slovakia
"Horehronie" - Kristina
Hmm. It's not so bad this in fact, but it never seems to go anywhere. The dancer blokes look utterly ridiculous in their green plastic leaf costumes playing with giant elastic bands but at least it's more interesting than the folk waistcoats at the end of the video.
The song is apparently an ode to the Horehronie tourism region, how exciting.
It's all nice but a bit dull. Which means it might do quite well. But I'm bored already.
There's 13 songs to go (and that's just the first semi-final) so expect more blogs...
So now that all the countries have picked a song and are ferverently rehearsing and touring Europe in order to gain favour, I'm going to start working through the preview videos to see where I can have my toilet breaks come the actual night(s) of the contest.
The semi-final system is still running, which means freaks like me get 3 nights of pure Europop gold to sit through/enjoy/wish would just end.
The first semi-final gives us a clue as to the tone of the contest this year. The tradition is for everyone to try and copy the previous year's winner, and then usually the country that doesn't do that wins.
So the past few years have been inundated with violins, and an alarming trend towards folk music. Brilliant, I do love a Moldovan goat-herding chant mixed with Turkish base beats.
So over the next few weeks, you'll get to see what I think of the best* of European talent, starting with the first semi-final, which will see 10 acts make it to the final to join France, Germany, Spain, the UK and Norway. If you care why this is, take a look at Wikipedia.
So we don't get to vote in this semi-final, but who do I want to see through to the final?
1 Moldova
"Run Away" - SunStroke Project & Olia Tira
Liking the use of violins (but a year too late mate). Far better is the saxophone and the overuse of pink glitter and Helsinki Blonde hair dye in this actually not-so-bad number from the bizarrely named SunStroke Project.
2 Russia
"Lost & Forgotten" - Peter Nalitch & Friends
Oh dear, starting the song wailing away is never going to endear anyone now is it? Not that this improves. It's like a Channel Five reality show where a load of workmen get together to make a song in 3 days with hilarious consequences. And the facial expressions made by the lead singer seem to suggest he doesn't quite understand the lyrics he's singing. It's all worth it for the high notes near the end though. Not.
3 Estonia
"Siren" - Malcolm Lincoln and Manpower 4
Wow this is bleak. Not that I don't like it, indeed quite the opposite, I think it's quite cool, in a final-year arts student way. Even the video is like some concept piece. I think it's actually quite good. Not sure how this will translate to stage though... I can see it being phenomenal, but then again, I can see it looking like a main wailing for 3 minutes.
4 Slovakia
"Horehronie" - Kristina
Hmm. It's not so bad this in fact, but it never seems to go anywhere. The dancer blokes look utterly ridiculous in their green plastic leaf costumes playing with giant elastic bands but at least it's more interesting than the folk waistcoats at the end of the video.
The song is apparently an ode to the Horehronie tourism region, how exciting.
It's all nice but a bit dull. Which means it might do quite well. But I'm bored already.
There's 13 songs to go (and that's just the first semi-final) so expect more blogs...
Chica Bomb
My brother re-edited this video for UK release recently.
You won't recognise the artist as Moldovan popstar Dan Balan (although being the europop freak I am, I did) from O-Zone.
You know... this one...
Ah yes.
But take a look again at Olly's video. I especially like the writhing at 1:19 and 1:29.
Any jobs going at FHM/Nuts/Zoo...?!
Kick Ass
Olly and I went to see Kick Ass the other night, courtesy of Orange Wednesday. I actually think I take the mickey out of the AMC a little... I also get a 999 discount so the whole night ends up costing about £5 for two. Brilliant.
ANYway...
I wasn't sure what to think before it started. I'd seen some actor interviews, but no trailers.
The film is actually pretty good, all about a superhero wannabe geek, dressed in a catalogue wetsuit ("Kick Ass"). He starts out pretty lame really, getting all his bones shattered trying to do good. But you kind of know that in the end he'll prove that you don't need super-powers to do good. Just a $300, 000 jet-pack (which seems pretty cheap for what it is huh?!)
My favourite characters were Hit Girl and Big Daddy, who have an unhealthy interest in weaponry. Nic Cage is brilliant as Big Daddy, and I usually can't stand him.
The action scenes were great - both funny and with no over-the-top gushing blood stuff, which I find irritating. Watching a 9 year old girl take down a whole gang in one go is just brilliant to watch.
The teen angst part is kinda old hat, but doesn't chug up the plot so much, so I'll let it go. And of course he gets the girl in the end... just like a real superhero.
I'll give it 8/10.
Thursday 22 April 2010
A&E
I dreaded A&E. The thought of working there made me a nervous wreck for the last part of summer. How on Earth was I going to be able to work in such a busy environment? Having to face loads of conditions I had maybe only read about before... some years ago. Maybe.
It was with massive trepidation that I started at 4pm on that first day.
And it wasn't that bad. I remember my first patient, an old lady with a urinary tract infection. Not even very ill. But I'll never forget the wry smile of the staff grade as I double-checked she would be safe to go home.... "What's the worst that could happen?" he said, causing me to stutter out a list of reasons why I might be responsible for her imminent death. He, of course, stopped me with a hand on my shoulder... "...she'll be fine. Now, next patient!"
By the end of that shift at midnight, I'd surprised myself with what I knew.
On my second day I was assigned to Children's A&E. Terrified, I wandered over, expecting a rush of clapped out kids. Instead, I spent the afternoon looking at coughs and colds, banged heads and bruised knees. Until about 8pm, when a 9 year old autistic kid came in, his hand bloody following his exploration of a moving lawnmower blade.
Remarkably, he wasn't too upset, and with some help from a patient nurse, I sutured my first hand. It went as well as could be expected for a kid who kept giggling (from the Entonox) and wriggling so he could see what I was doing better!
And so time went on. I think it was 6 weeks in when I first saw a small fracture that I wasn't already looking for from clear physical signs. I stunned myself - I never thought I'd actually be able to interpret an X-ray! On a future X-ray, I later found out that a small scaphoid fracture I'd suspected was actually there but which the consultant didn't feel was evident was confirmed by radiological reporting. Brilliant.
Of course, there were plenty of times the consultants questioned what I had done, which at first was intimidating, but I soon learned to value. I'd never had such great teaching or felt like I had learnt so much before.
As the weeks went on, my fear of the resuscitation room turned to a morbid pleasure - I loved the acute assessment of patients, and was really proud of the first standby arrest call that I led. It was a horrible situation, a young patient with sudden death, that was terribly upsetting, but I really felt I'd done all I could, and tried to help the family in that initial few hours.
About 3 months into the job, I had to consider what to apply for in terms of specialist training. having been a gung-ho psychiatrist-wannabe for 3 years, I was now wracked with confusion. I LOVED coming to work in A&E... should I think about a career in it?
The feeling lasted about two weeks... many advised that the initial excitement would soon boil down to boredom after a few years. And I didn't see myself as an "multiple RTA" or open-thoracotomy type-of-person as a 45 year old.
But after a frank chat with one of the best consultants, I realised I really did enjoy the acute medical patients, the COPDs, the asthmatics and heart attacks.
And so I applied for core medical training, something which still surprise both me and my friends.
If I was born 5 years ago, the medical training system would have meant I could have done a year or so of A&E jobs, and I kind of wish for that system. I don't feel like I've done enough yet, and would love to head back to do some more training there.
And where else do doctors get their goriest, funniest, scariest and most tragic stories from?
So if you ever want to hear about what that man had lodged up his ass, the time I made a mother vomit over her child, dropped my stethoscope on a ripe tampon, or why I almost made the Bolton News, buy me a pint.
If noble moments is what you're after, perhaps I could tell the story of the wife of the patient I cared for over 5 hours as he died in A&E, supporting him unwaveringly until the moment he relaxed? Or the time our patient was found to have a previously unknown lung tumour invading his aorta, leading to him arriving coughing up his entire blood volume? The man beaten in the face whilst protecting his wife. The lovely old man with a clearly visible skull fracture.
Of course, there's the moans. The hundred of coughs and colds I sore. The patient's who'd sprained their ankles but "didn't belive in painkillers". The four-hour breach (incidentally I set a record with a patient leaving the department with 20 seconds to go - something I shouldn't be but am very proud of!). The surgeons. The orthopods. The bloomin' CRISIS team.
And let's never forget the scores of flirtatious old ladies. I've still got it (as did Pete and Adam).
To every patient that had to wait, for whatever reason, I'm sorry. We all worked as hard as possible. It's just unlucky that everyone seems to get ill at the same time. And I know you can never get a GP appointment when you want to. But many of you seemed to agree that Bolton's A&E was fantastic. Cos it bloody well is.
Maybe I couldn't hack working there for the rest of my life. But I'll be damned if I don't defend those that do for the rest of my working life. If it wasn't for the A&E staff, every other health worker's life would be far more miserable.
Coming up
I realise I hadn't really blogged much for a while - just photos and stuff and I quite liked the blogs I did for each of my Foundation training posts in Bolton.
I also hear there's an Election on the horizon.
And then there's Eurovision. Ah yes, the video blogs are on the way back.
So I'm going to play catch up a bit and write a fair amount I think over the next few days/weeks.
Just FYI.
I also hear there's an Election on the horizon.
And then there's Eurovision. Ah yes, the video blogs are on the way back.
So I'm going to play catch up a bit and write a fair amount I think over the next few days/weeks.
Just FYI.
Tuesday 5 January 2010
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