adventurous attachment day!

It was such an adventure this morning!!! I had checked my route and knew I had to change bus at Five Ways and cos I did go to Moseley once for the markets the first month I arrived, I roughly knew where to change bus at (outside Tesco). But alas! I freaked out when I got to the bus stop and double-checked the bus timings and it read 12+ and so on!! Then the live departures also didn't indicate the bus no.(bus 1)! So had to use data to access google maps to find alternative. I know there was another bus number that goes there but didn't check where to take it from cos didn't intend to take it. So anyway the alternative route was to walk 20min to somewhere and get a bus. But I wasn't familiar with the somewhere and didn't want to waste time waiting for maps to load. So I relied on my directional sense to walk to the next parallel road cos I was quite sure that will be Bristol Road (that leads to Selly Oak and my Uni) and I guess there should be more buses to Moseley from there. Then I ended up on Pershore Road and kept walking and checked the buses that go too but it was quite a long road. So took a bus down the straight road. I had been praying and knew I was running late (I reached Five Ways ard 8.30am and walked for about 15-20min before I got on a bus. Then called the clinic to inform the OT that I'll be late and the receptionist was v nice and said the OT is not in yet and I can come when I am able to. Anyway, got on the bus then I saw Aldi and the cricket ground..familiar place cos that was where L brought me before on the first few days tt I arrived. And I remembered bus 1 passed there and I saw one just leave! So got down n got to the bus stop. Lucky me, another bus 1 arrived shortly..got off a bus stop later than planned so walked quite a way to the main entrance of the hospital. The outpatient clinic was nearer the back entrance. Had prayed the whole time and God answered my prayer and I eventually made my way! Had thought of taking a cab but here not like SG, can flag down a cab...probably can do that with black cabs at taxi stands but for private hires, they have to be prebooked and means u have to call then wait for them. Doesn't this make you appreciate SG more?

Great that I managed to reach just 15min late...but waited a while for the other colleagues to orientate me. Seems that the OT had expected me at 9.30am..hmm..thought she said 9am in her email. But anyway the OT whom I have been emailing had to do a worksite visit last min so arranged for her colleagues to be with me first. The clinic's services were great...and the OT I've been liaising with is so passionate about work rehab!! So v nice chatting with her...and the team works so closely and so welcoming to students on attachments (there was a PT and psychologist trainee on attachment too). When I gave the goodies to the OT, she was surprised and said I shouldn't have. But I think it's the least cos they spent time showing me around and telling me about their services etc. Anyway I was also surprised that clients (as what we call them instead of patients) were willing to talk to me too cos after all, I'm asian. Oh...another OT heard I'm from SG and said she had seen an ad for OT in SG too..and I was telling her how long hours we work and how many clients we see and the weather is much more humid and warmer than here..then she said but the air conditioning is sooo good. Hahahaa! Anyway think their working hours is like 9am-4.30pm?! I was off ard 3+pm, close to 4pm but that was cos the team had meeting. Clients generally come in 10am-3.15pm. Quite a nice environment to work in..

The vocational workshop doing woodwork and art

Same workshop but other side of it

Gym for individual sessions and Tai Chi groups

The open area leading to the garden

The garden where clients do gardening

Garden area

Anyway after this visit, got to think about how to improve our work rehab services in my hosp. Somehow I think this setting is similar to our Rehab Centre in AMK...so the OTs there should be trained more in work rehab or I could provide some input to benefit clients transiting back to their worklife after some medical condition. This outpatient clinic specialises mainly in acquired brain injury so means strokes, brain tumours, traumatic brain injury due to RTA or fall from height etc. whereas the clients I see at work rehab clinic can be referred from any discipline! Oh, and this visit made me realise how much I miss chatting with clients and healthcare professionals. Never realise I'll miss that..hahaha! But I do know I miss chatting with clients esp during one period that I had to do more admin and liaison work.

Back to solving the bus mystery..., I took bus 1E which indicated Five Ways to change bus to get home then I understood how I didn't get the right route. The bus sort of U-turned just before Five Ways shopping centre where I had wanted to change the bus and did a loop service. So then came home and rechecked the route and it did say Five Ways but behind the words, was Morrisons, which is the stop outside the supermarket (before the big roundabout) and to catch the bus 1 was Five Ways, whatever road name, which was a stop away from opp Tesco stop. So it meant that the bus 1 doesn't stop at Five Ways Tesco on weekday mornings but start service from the stop after!!! So it was MY mistake for assuming Five Ways was that bus stop outside Tesco. Now I know that there bus stops near there are all named Five Ways followed by exact bus stop. Arghs! Funnily, the bus operates at that bus stop on Sat mornings (which was when I took to go to the farmers' market last time). So learnt my lesson to read bus stop name properly and preferably open map to see!

Anyway on my way back stopped by Waitrose. Had wanted to buy nuts from Tesco cos I thought I would end up there to change bus anyway but cos the bus didn't go there, I didn't bother to specially go there la. Well, the reason I wanted to go to Waitrose was cos LT told me about this sauce tt her husband's pt got for her so wanted to buy and try. First time in Waitrose in Bham..had been to one in London cos SK's nearest supermarket was Waitrose. Took me a while to find it. They didn't have the sauce so bought the paste instead. I also guess that paste will last me longer? And I saw that there was another similar paste too but by Waitrose..but anyhow, bought this to try. Probably will try cooking with it tmr. Seems like can be used as marinade or cooking sauce. There's quite a lot of recipes for use with it. Btw, it's Mediterranean.

Oh, everyone seemed to be talking about the football match last night, including the clients...and LT sent me these

Tmr shall continue with my dissertation. I am aiming to finish my results part by this weekend and then continue my discussion part next week. Hopefully I can combine all the parts together the week after and that will probably be the week to submit my draft dissertation. Might go West Brom on Fri..see how things go. Oh, and I've decided to cook my Singaporean meal for church people on 10th Aug, a day after National day! And I'll be showing slideshow of SG and my life..haha..so those of you reading this, ur faces might appear! I'm quite looking forward to it! Anyway for the meal, the main dish will be chicken rice but I'll have to sort out logistics later with M. I chose chicken rice cos it's easy to cook and quite neutral to the tastebuds. I'll probably have kaya toasts as sides too and maybe peanut cookies. Not sure what dessert to prepare yet or should kaya toast be dessert since it's sweet?! Haha..too bad here no pandan..and if agar agar, I'll hv to go Chinese supermart to buy. Had thought of making brown sugar and coconut milk jelly but using gelatine but think it'll not have the same texture. Do let me know if you've any suggestions for dessert! It's not expected of me but I just thought it'll be nice to do a 3 course meal kind of thing.