darren hayes = noise pollution

i still don't really feel settled back into things yet. while i don't really think the ten week sojourn has changed me in any significant way, i do feel more alert (less sedated) than i have for a long time. perhaps it also has something to do with the brand new specialty we had to digest this week: psychiatry. here at last is a subject which fascinates me unlike any other specialty we've been exposed to before. even oncology pales in comparison. watching the registrar present the formulation left me in awe: this is how i've always wanted to take a history, to allow all the aspects of the patient's story to flow easily, at the same time observing their mental state, learning about their personality, and on top of all this building rapport and exerting some therapeutic calm and alleviating the patient's worries. the only thing i find negative about it is the necessity to go to court and advocate for the patient, who may actually be trying to fight against your best intentions. it's so paternalistic it is scary.

we have a new person in group a: debra. it turns out she was in thommo's year at jch and there's a long story there but i think one should ignore hearsay as much as possible, and keep an open mind about someone and give them a fair go. it's always hard coming into a new group of people, especially one was joined at the hip as group a. however she's such a shy, quiet person i wonder if she'll ever become a part of us?

just got back from paula's beach house at blair gowrie. had a nice evening eating (la porchetta's: how original), drinking (xxxx stubbies, bourbon and coke, lychee vodkas) and listening to music (hotchpotch of stuff including darren hayes, much to my dismay). we all slept in and woke up slowly, moping around and drinking coffee, before heading out to portsea and walking along the beach. it was a very lovely night/day indeed.