testing testing - does this still work?

So, its been a while. I've not had the blog get to the top of my list for a while probably because it feels like not much of interest has happened, but when it has, I probably haven't made time for blogging it. This will change - for at least today. I might even make this into two posts, since it got longer than most will want to read!

Most recently (tonight), I've been at the IMPACT AGM. IMPACT is the overseas medical aid society that I'm involved with. This year gone, I've been the 'publications officer' and in charge of making some mighty fine posters. I can't believe I got publisher about a month ago and used it for my last two posters - after all this time!! Still, I made do with powerpoint and word and everything else... but I am no longer publications officer so thats not my main concern. Instead, I'm the GHN representative. GHN stands for Global Health Network and basically means I'll be a link between the UTAS IMPACT and the other national equivalents. It probably all sounds boring - but I'm excited to hear whats going on in other places and to see how we can improve the way IMPACT does stuff. What we do, by the way, is a mix of raising awareness (doco screenings etc), Foods of the World events (food, fundraising and a speaker on relevant things), and some other bits and pieces - electives night, bbqs and lunches. All good fun. Anyway - enough promo, but I think its a great cause and after deciding to run for the committee again, I'm excited about what the new committee will do. Also, there has just been a change to the constitution that means we'll only be in office till October, then we'll have another AGM annually from then - so its only a short stint I'm locked into.

The faithful old committee! Bharat, me, Kunal, Amit, Mel and Rhea.

The combined force of IMPACT - Ingrid, Amit, Kunal, Bharat, Anoop, Rhea, Meng Ying, Lahiru, Mel and I.

Other than that.. there's uni. I'm enjoying being in the hospital a little - although more so my last rotation compared to my current one. But we are around the clinical school nearly every day, doing clinical subjects as well as some remnant bits of anatomy and so on (which all relate to insanely complicated neurology/brain stuff!). I'm supposed to be preparing a talk on treatment of depression right now actually - but that is nearly done! I'm enjoying hearing about the psychiatry, as well as the paediatric and obstetric stuff, although that can be a bit slow.

I recently finished up the sailing season with the end of season dinner. I didn't get to sail much as it happened, but I enjoyed teaching the kidlings and watching them progress from knowing nothing about boats to being able to sail out and around something and back all on their own. Its great to see them grow in confidence even when they start out very unsure about the whole thing.

All the colourful little boats!

With my youthgroup hat on, we had a recent 'special event' which was a mystery bus trip. This did NOT involve any sort of a piss up, but was quite good fun. There were various parts - a visit to McDonalds, the Botanical Gardens, Marieville Esplanade, a walk through Battery Point to Salamanca, a drive up Mt Wellington... Pizza, icecream, lemonade... and all the way they had to collect photographs of the team and the 'mascots' doing various tasks.

My Timmy with all the 'Mascots'! (thanks to their owners for letting me borrow them!)

The mob up Mt Wellington. I'd like to add that it was COLD (in case you can't tell)

There's no doubt more happening, and maybe looking through my photos will jog my memory, but for now... that'll do.