Bowral trip

As y'all know, went down to Bowral a week or so ago to explore the amazing area and see sights I never thought I'd see (and learn things I never knew I never knew)

Wow, I know, churning out the videos recently. Well, that's what you do when you find yourself on University break with nothing to do at home (though, I should really clean that desk up... Eh, I'll do it next year).

Funny, I feel that this year I've done a lot more video than I have photography. To be fair, at the beginning of this year I had the wish (goal?) to get myself more into videography and the like. Work a bit on editing, and what it means to make an 'interesting' and captivating video.

Though, honestly, most of the time my videos just end up being footage of my friends and I mucking around in new places, and really just a montage mash-up of snippets from my own life, which I understand is not the most interesting to most people.

But more often than not, I make these videos for myself and for my friends & family. There's something that always brings me back to watching our old videos -- it holds memories and reminds us of what a great time we had, which we've often forgotten.

Though to this day one of my proudest was probably the Vivid Sydney video (though, Cairns was decent too!), each time I finish a video there's still that feeling of accomplishment... Especially after sitting for hours staring at a computer screen, furiously clicking to try and edit it ASAP.

There's a splurge/rant waiting to be made about video making/editing, but we'll save it for another time. In the meantime, enjoy the waterfalls.

Kangaroo Island Video

Another long-overdue video. Actually somewhat proud of this one! Brings back a lot of fond memories, even though the footage was a bit of a pain to edit through (because I had decided to pretty much film everything).

Also I only recently found out that allegedly, Kangaroo Island has a high population of snakes -- the poisonous variety that are typical of Australia. Well, I can certainly say that if I had known, I would have cut back on the romping around in fields of grass and exploring the wilderness by myself with nothing but a GoPro strapped to my head.

There's nothing quite like the moment you realise in hind-sight that you actually just did something dangerous. On one hand, you made it through, but on the other hand, if you had known this earlier you wouldn't have done it in the first place...

But that's a story for another time.

Ultimately, Kangaroo Island was a genuinely lovely trip. It's a place I probably won't be visiting for a while simply because of the effort to get there and the large amount of work and hard-work to make a successful holiday there (no car, no phone signal, no supplies...). Additionally, I felt like I was able to experience a pretty genuine three days there on this trip, so returning again wouldn't really have much new to offer. Though, at the end of it all, I loved the trip a lot, and I'd recommend it at least once in your life. It's completely different to be out and away from the city (and even a town! You can't even pop down to your local supermarket to get any supplies!) with such a disconnection from the busy  urban hustle. It really is.

It makes you wonder what it means to live in a city, and how different things can be.

There's no way I can replicate it into words and accurately represent what it really feels like, but I do believe it's an experience that will stick with me for a long while to come.

Likely another post soon before I jet-set off.

Take care.

China Trip Video (2014/2015)

Long, long overdue. A compiled video of the footage from China (Guangzhou) and Hong Kong from December last year till January of this year.

Living proof of how busy I'd been this entire year before I finally got around to editing this footage.

Really just a miscellaneous compilation of the videos I managed to take. It's a real stark contrast to the videos that are based in Australia, actually. A day with blue skies is truly a remarkable day in the CBD of any city in China, whilst here we take it for granted.

Nikon d7100 w/ 35mm f/1.8 & 17-50mm Sigma f/2.8
GoPro Hero3+

Backing track: 
'Juparo' by Broke For Free
Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiR19a0DPD0

Bowral Buddies

With the end of the first year of medical school, of course something had to be done to celebrate. Although this wasn't as extreme as our Port Stephens trip, it was nonetheless a great get-away and one that will stick in my mind for a while to come.

There's always something quite relaxing about going out rural. I noticed over the years that whenever I was away from the city there almost seemed to be a change in the air itself (technically there is, considering the amount of pollution and soot in the big city).

Catching that two-hour train ride in the morning and then driving along almost endless roads in a foreign environment wasn't so much a hassle as it was a pleasure. There's something quite captivating about watching the fields and cows flash by, rather than being faced with faces-upon-faces and the loudness and static of the city.

One particular thing I love about being away from the city is the quiet. One might say the 'serenity' of the place.

"How's the serenity? ... So much serenity"

But enough of that. 

We rocked up in the morning and first stop after being picked up and welcomed by our local friend EL we headed off to her father's Garden shop to meet her family and settle in. Despite my fear of insects flying at me (oh boy) I can say that it was a gorgeous sight to behold.

Soon after hopping back into the car (appropriately named Sparky) we headed off to start the real tourist business. First stop? 

Australia seems to have an odd and endearing love for upsized versions of things. Most of them seemingly very ordinary objects such as a pineapple, prawn, ram, and of course, a potato.

Admittedly as an Australian, most of these are not the biggest tourist attractions but merely an oddity to behold. Their accuracy is questionable and often the elements will have left their mark on these structures, but let's not forget that this was a giant potato. A POTATO.

Much time was spent outside it taking a series of tourist-esque photos, including classic jumping shots (with our trademarked squad jump pose) and some inspiration from the Leaning Tower of Pisa Tourism. Who would have known the giant spud would be so attractive?

Now on to more fun stuff. It was finally time to head out to the infamous water-hole nearby Bowral. A secret, secluded place away from the hustle-and-bustle of life where there was nothing but a small waterfall, fresh-water, and most of all, serenity. And the dragonflies, diving beetles, ring-tailed possums, flies, tadpoles, spiders, and potential leeches (their existence is debatable). 

Good ol' Mother Nature. The water also wasn't exactly 'fresh', but it was definitely refreshing.

To really enjoy the hot Spring Australian day out (the weather was perfect for a swim) we brought along some fruit and sandwiches (courtesy of EL) in some trays to munch on as we relaxed on the flat rocks. Unfortunately, due to several reasons (such as the dragonfly that was charging straight at me, and also mostly due to my lack of coordination) I managed to trip over a tree root an send the entire tray of watermelon and strawberries soaring through the air in slow-motion. They promptly landed in the dirt and gravel.

Chaos, chaos everywhere. Somewhere, someone was laughing. (Also, I was laughing).

We salvaged what we could and left the rest for the wildlife to take care of. After a quick dip and great debate about the presence of leeches in this body of water (I like to think that there weren't, and there was no evidence to prove otherwise... Sort of) we all headed up to explore the trails around it, and to head up to a few look-outs.

Walking along those trails was slightly reminiscent of explorations in the Blue Mountains, except a lot less humid and somehow the air felt fresher, though you could argue that that was probably the placebo effect.

But nonetheless, it was a breathtaking sight to be able to walk to the edge and look over to see a sight such as this.

There was never really such a time where I wished I had the ability to fly as much as that very moment. 

After spending a great deal of time there taking photos, re-enacting the Lion King on a nearby rock, and generally having a fantastic time trying to clear out the decades of tar accumulated in our city-air-laden lungs amongst the crisp air, we decided to head off again to another look-out for a better view of the waterfall.

Along the way we managed to stumble across (or slide across) a set of very flat rocks and small water pools, and found ourselves staring at some murky water with tadpoles swimming amok. Tadpoles!

With great dexterity and skill we managed to corner one and lure it into the palm of our hands. After filling the palm with water and ensuring we weren't breaching animal rights legislation, we took a closer look and a few happy snaps.

LOOK AT THEIR TINY LEGS. Almost at full transformation!

Much fun was had but it was time to move on. Crossing a flat surface of rock covered in slippery moss was not the most elegant thing to behold. Much false screams-of-alarm were had, and I am sure the tadpoles were scheming to make us slip in a sick version of karma and sweet revenge. It was unbelievably slippery. (Only kidding, tadpoles are the sweetest). Eventually we managed to cross over the other side, which was a massive relief, considering the fact I was walking across with my DSLR in one hand (non-water proof, mind you) and my one-and-only towel wrapped around my waist. Probably not the wisest decision, in hind-sight.

The sight was tops, though. Would re-view/10

That waterfall though, seriously.

After a stroll back to our home-base we found the ring-tailed possum (that we had discovered earlier) had awoken from its mid-day nap, so we tried to snap a few pictures of it.

It may not seem like it, but much precarious balancing was had to take this image. Let's just say a 35mm prime is not the best lens to get up close and personal with a living creature that's stuck in the middle of a tree with so many branches sticking out of it that it would make a cactus run for the hills.

"I have an idea! DA, hold my arm so I can dangle precariously off the edge of this flat rock above murky water and extend my camera at full arm's length to get it as close as possible to the possum!" (It worked, though).

With the day still early (I love it when the sun sets at 7pm) we made a quick detour home and took EL's dog out for a walk. Innis was wonderful and beautiful to take photographs of, though admittedly I had forgotten how difficult it is to take portraits of animals (especially excited dogs). They never seem to understand it when I woof at them to stop moving and smile at the camera.

A stroll around the neighborhood led to a full-scale adventure throughout a primary school (don't worry, this was allowed and I assume, legal(?)) and some good climbing fun around here and there. 

With the sun setting in the distance we headed back home and went for a small tour around a mini-rain-forest of the neighbour's, which was highly interesting but also itching (the mosquitoes were the most viscous and bloodthirsty ones I've seen in a long time).

In the meantime, a campfire was lit and we later gathered around the table for one of the most authentic, home-made Australian dinners I've had in a while (I'm one of those 'rice every day' diets), followed closely by roasting marshmallows by the fire and many discussions about world issues and philosophical concepts which included, but are not limited to, the perfect level of roasting of marshmallows, the level of carcinogenic effects of burnt marshmallows, the composition of marshmallows, and many other similar questions about life.

Before you'd know it, it was approaching midnight, and like the group of princesses we are, Cinderella and her gang tiptoed off to bed (i.e., sleeping bags). But wait! Of course not before a quick last gaze at the stars. The clear night sky and peace & quiet are the two things that I love most about getting away from the city, and as the clock struck twelve and we headed in I tried to burn that last image into my hippocampus for years to last.

...

Morning struck and we got up excitedly (Well, that's a lie. It was more like a groggy 'eurghhhh' awakening with a yawn and stretch in super slow motion, promptly followed by crawling back into the sleeping bag. I eventually got up, though). The new day was to start as the other lot of friends was expected to arrive and we planned to head to the Garvin Institute Biomedical labs for a private tour around the mice-breeding facility! Yes! I know! I couldn't contain my excitement (I know this sounds sarcastic but it isn't).

After worries and concerns that the others wouldn't arrive on time (don't worry, they did), we received an amazing tour around the facilities and witnessed what goes on behind the scenes. Who would have known so much occurs for something as simple as breeding mice? Scientific research is a doozy, and perhaps one day in the (very near?) future I'll have the pleasure of dipping my toes into something of the sort. If you ever get the opportunity to tour a lab, I would highly recommend. I can only dream to one day tour CSIRO, NASA, or really anything remotely scientifically-orientated.

A trip down to a garage sale (where we picked up a-many great bargains) and the Big Potato again (who wouldn't want to see a giant potato a second-time?), was then shortly followed by another trip to the water-hole and much more water fun.

It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt. 

Long story short, a little bit of an incident happened requiring us to head off to Bowral hospital, which was not the most pleasant experience and was highly stress-inducing, but all-in-all we came out of it with 100% of us alive and many lessons learned. Memories were made (admittedly, some of them were quite full of fear and worry, but memories none-the-less) and it made me realise that being serious and lightening up the atmosphere are not mutually exclusive things. You can be mature but still have fun too, you know? As long as your friend's not struggling to function properly in the process.

It was about high-time we headed home. Despite our lack of frontal-cortex development, we all realised it was probably wiser to drive up back to Sydney and call it a day. There are priorities to be had, sometimes, and safety does come first.

Regardless, it was a heck of a time down at Bowral with many memories to last a long, long time. I'm confident that this won't be the last time we head down there -- road-trips seem to be our kind of thing. So although we never managed to do everything we wanted to (potato harvesting is definitely going to be on the agenda next time), we had a blast of a time and we were heavily exhausted (and mosquito-bitten).

We laughed, we learned, and most importantly (and fortunately) we lived. The paperwork would have been a nightmare had we not.

Take care, y'all. Stay hydrated, eat healthy, and try not to end up in ED. 

Here's a picture from inside the ED. 

Photocreds DA

Ten Things I've Learned about Medicine // 12 months

With the end of my final Uni exam for first year, it feels a little strange to be sitting here at my desk (still with a hundred medicine study notes and the like strewn all over it -- I'll clean it before next year, I swear) with seemingly 'nothing' to do.

Except that's not really true. There are a hundred things for me to do, so long as I find the motivation to go do them. As a starter, I found the motivation to try some more photography again.

Confession: wasn't actually holding the DSLR with one hand. Ain't got strong-enough shoulder flexors and elbow extensors for that.

With the end of the first year of Uni it's inevitable that you start reflecting on what the year has brought. Sitting on the long bus ride home, your mind can't help but wonder about it. 

As per tradition, I'll offer a little bit of reflection of the last six months -- this time marking the conclusion of one entire year (or four teaching periods) of medicine. Just one-sixth of the way through my degree! Wow.

TEN THINGS I'VE LEARNED IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS OF A MEDICAL DEGREE (SECOND EDITION)

1. Med life is about balance. 

One way or another you have to find a balance. It's not study study study, though sometimes it may seem like so (especially when exams lurk in the too-distant future). One integral part of my life that's actually kept me sane amidst the chaos and transition into University life is discovering that life doesn't have to be defined by one thing.

Leading up to my medicine interview (almost exactly one year ago!) I had learned to succinctly summarise who I was into a short, thirty-second response. I was ready for the infamous "Tell us a bit about yourself." question that was frequently asked at the initiation of the interview (which was, ironically, never asked in my interview). However, if you were to ask me that now, I really wouldn't know what to say. Life has expanded in the last year to encompass so many different things, that a thiry-second tl;dr seems virtually impossible.

In the last six months I've realised that I would sink if I didn't balance my life out. There was a moment when I did find myself lying at the bottom of the river bank and slowly starting to die of hypoxia -- I had simply focused too much on breathing and had forgotten that I also needed to swim. I learned the hard way that life would be a struggle if you didn't manage to find a balance between academics, social life, family, and of course, time for yourself.
Let's not forget sleep, food, good health, and a healthy dose of procrastination either!

As I learned to balance and incorporate multiple different facets into my life, it grew more complex, and it's no longer as simple as it was before. It's a balance of an endless number of characteristics that never seem to reach a definite equilibrium, but hey, I signed up for this, didn't I? 

2. It is acceptable to make mistakes, so long as you're able to learn from them.

This has been particularly true because I've always been someone who was afraid of making mistakes. In fact, 'afraid' is soft-serving it. I was terrified, anxious, and absolutely scared shit-less.

Mistakes had a tendency to haunt me over my shoulder for far-too-long and occasionally whisper in my ear "You're a piece of shit for making that mistake". If you ever saw me suddenly turn red on the bus or anytime of the day with a lack of stimulation, it would probably be because I suddenly remembered a mortifying mistake I made the week prior.

But, 'tis all in the past.

No, I'm not a 'piece of shit'. It took me a long time to realise that I'm just human. Mistakes are what you make of them -- they can be perceived as the worst-thing-to-ever-grace-your-life, or you can look at them, laugh, and conclude that you just 'did something stupid'.

And sometimes we just gotta suck it up and pay for our mistakes. 

From 'Toothpaste For Dinner'

So yes, the last six months have been a picnic-basket full of mistakes sprinkled here and there. Some more consequential than the rest. Though I still think back on them and cover my face in shame, I realise that we can all make these mistakes a little better by learning from them, and apologising when necessary. 

3. You're always learning and growing

Before Uni started I thought I had a good sense of who I was. I thought I knew myself, what I wanted in life, and where I was going.

What a load of rubbish. Typical, from a naive young girl fresh out of one of the most sheltered high-schools in the state. 

Uni reared its high-end right in my face and blew me off my feet. I realised I actually hadn't reached my final evolutionary form. I was a level 17 Charmeleon who thought it was a Charizard.

When I realised that I was actually, in fact, a total noob, I felt like a sprouting seedling. Not even, in fact. I felt like a seed. No, actually, I felt like the ovum and pollen before fertilisation even occurred. 

It's been an entire year and although I know significantly more than I did at the start, I still feel like a premie, largely unready for this world (and unable to breathe properly without the adequate amounts of surfactant in my lungs to prevent alveolar collapse). There's so much out there that is waiting for me to learn and sometimes it can be daunting.

From 'Toothpaste For Dinner'

One thing that I learned to accept is that every day we're still growing, taking the baby steps to become a Doctor, an adult, or if it so be, a level 100 Charizard.

Though, be sure that you don't learn the wrong things. There are some things not worth learning. (Like QMP, and let's be honest here, there are certain lectures which are a waste of time). There's a gold-mine of wisdom from all the people around you, but remember that there's also a lot of shit and useless rubbish as well. But on the most part, you still learn every day, as long as you're willing to be taught.

From 'Married to the Sea'

Still gotta screen for the bullshit, y'know?
From 'Toothpaste For Dinner'

4. "That's how med is" 

I've learned to accept all the difficulties and obstacles of the medical degree. 

Relentless timetables, photos that would induce gag reflexes (necrosis ain't a pretty thing), and even being force-fed images of mangled genitalia and anuses (Too much information? I don't know the distinction anymore and I think we all know who or what to blame for that).

What I'm really trying to say is that at the beginning of the year I used to complain a lot. Some part of me still thought it was injustice that I had to attend so many hours of Uni each week, and I was determined to make myself heard. Perhaps some part of me thought that if I said it an x amount of times (even if it's just to other medical students who are in the same boat) that something would change and my life would magically resolve itself.

Guess what buttercup, that doesn't happen.

But, as I alluded to in the last six-month-reflection, you learn to adapt, and I learned that a medical degree isn't all sunshine and happiness and wheeeeee on my way to saving lives and living the best life ever!! It's also filled with cons, as everything in this world is* and you really just have to accept it as the way things are. Often, things don't come easy, and you'll need to put in the hard yards.

In retrospect, it should all be worth it. Theoretically. Hopefully. Maybe.

*Exceptions apply, such as avocado and peanut butter toast. Hell yes. 

(A side-note should also be mentioned that I also learned that I genuinely want to do medicine and I'm happy with this degree. If I had not been, I would have been outta-sight-and-outta-mind from this degree in a jiffy, because there's no way I'd be able to make it through if I didn't have the passion to keep me going).

5. Save your humour, because it may just save you.

By 'it may just save you' I don't mean it in some literal life-or-death situation. It's really just an exaggeration for me to illustrate my point that humour can be one of the best things in your life, especially when the going gets tough (which it will.)

It may just be the thing that saves you from going insane and keep you smiling from day-to-day.

This isn't really relevant but I found this incredibly funny, so cut me some slack and let me put this here just for laughs.
From 'Toothpaste For Dinner'

Although we learn about very serious aspects of life and death and illness on a daily basis, and studying takes a great portion of time, this doesn't mean life has to be dampened. It can be too easy to focus on all the negativity with stressful situations and forget that sometimes you just need to "take a chill pill, dude, and loosen up a bit".

From 'Toothpaste For Dinner'

6. Ethics makes you question everything in life.

A frequent occurrence in my degree was questioning everything in life after an ethics tute.

Realising that being a Doctor really isn't as straight-forward as it is has added to the question-marks in my life, but they've all been highly relevant. What does it mean to treat the living? Life is important, but does that also mean dying is as well?

Perhaps it's too premature for me to reflect on all of this because surely I have a long way to do, but at least right now I can say that it's not as easy as I thought it would be and perhaps one day I'll make a clear path through this spaghetti-forest.

7. Manjekah, you really don't need to be afraid of needles. 

Why? Because there's much worse.
The trivial things start to matter less when you're faced with the real world.

Early on in the last six months I came close to fainting in the dialysis ward at a hospital that I had a placement at. I realised at that moment that deep-down I was still scared of needles (long-story).

But recently I suddenly found the urge to want to go and donate blood. I know this isn't a big thing for most people (much admiration for the many friends who donate blood so willingly) but it's a massive thing for me. 

For the first eighteen years of my life I had definitively stated "I will never donate blood". Not because I didn't want to save lives but because I was so incredibly terrified of it. "But needles don't even hurt!" "What's so scary about needles?" you say? Yes, to you that is true, but we all have irrational fears for reasons that are buried deep within our psyche.

Why the sudden change, then? Why do I suddenly want to donate? 

Because the last six months have taught me that there are things out there that are far worse than a needle. It's time to grow up and out of that fear.

I know this seems like a really weak point for 'Things I've Learned from Medicine' but it's a massive one for me. This is my blog so don't tell me how to live my life. Yeah, take that.

8. Medicine is where science and art meet.

As cheesy as this sounds, it's true.

I thought medicine was mostly based upon the science aspect, but it's not really.

(A disclaimer should be made that by 'art' I don't mean visual arts.)

There's so much more to being a good Doctor. As a great-Pocahontas once said, "You'll learn things you never knew you never knew." I don't really know how else to phrase it but medicine turned out to be so intricate and difficult in ways that I didn't think it would be.

It's all good and easy to read a textbook five-hundred times and remember all the anatomy, pharmaceutical treatments, diagnostic factors, etc., but that doesn't make you a Doctor now, does it? Well, at least, not a good Doctor (though, this may be subjective).

9. Medicine is not as stressful and negative as it can make itself out to be. 

Though I've been largely giving the impression that medicine has its toll and is probably one of the most stressful things to ever grace this Earth, it's not true. At least, I don't think so.

It can be stressful at times, but for the greater portion, it's a pretty great experience.

There will constantly be moments that brighten up your day and remind you 'this is why I'm studying medicine', only if we remember to realise and appreciate these moments.

The people you work with and the patients you see are real people too. This isn't a bomb-defusing center, so don't freak out. 

Once I was conducting an abdominal examination for a female patient. After instructing her to breathe in and out on my command I had promptly told her “Okay, you can stop breathing now.” and immediately realised what had come out of my mouth.

We all laughed it off as I awkwardly tried to cover it up with "No wait, you can breathe. You should breathe. It would be best if you breathe."

The important thing is that you seek these warm-hearted moments and relish them. Things don't have to be 100% serious and worrisome all the time. But I think it's also appropriate to know when to frown, as well. Just make sure you laugh when you're happy, and cry when you're sad, too. Or do whatever you please. 

From 'Toothpaste For Dinner'

10. Medicine is not just a degree; it changes your way of thinking and starts to weave itself into every bit of your life.

Though it doesn't become the only thing in your life, it would be an absolute lie to pretend that it doesn't have a big influence on daily living.

Things change dramatically (I mean, just look at the increase in medical references in my blog posts over this year) and slowly I've started to realise that I've really moved past the transitional stage. At the beginning of the year, and even around mid-year, I had felt slightly out of place. I was still a newbie in a new world, learning the new ways of the new life.

But somehow I now feel much less like a student studying medicine, but rather a medical student.

Some may argue that that makes no difference, but you're wrong. Don't tell me how to live my life.

Another very distantly and vaguely relevant cartoon that I laughed at.
From 'Toothpaste for Dinner'

Alright, I'm out. Life has been great now that exams are over, but I've spent far too long writing this post.

Hope life is treating y'all super great too.

Stay hydrated, and updates will likely come soon. I'm just getting started.

19

Anyone who knows me is aware that I often do not put my birthday on my Facebook profile for all my friends to see. The reason for that is because in doing so, many people end up posting meaningless 'Happy Birthday' posts when the fated day arrives, and honestly, half of them don't mean anything.

Most likely, we've hardly talked in the last year (both online, and in real life). I always questioned the point of half-hearted "hbd" posts.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate birthdays. In fact, I love them. Every birthday I'm reminded about how many fantastic people there are around me and how dearly I ought to hold them to my heart. Each year I'm reminded that a birthday is a celebration of your existence, and though some may label it as 'egotistical' or 'self-centred', I'm proud to say that I am glad for my own existence.

It's just that I don't see a point in such celebration if it doesn't actually come from the heart.

I mean, if I didn't exist, then I wouldn't be able to eat food and that'd be a real pity.
Sakae Yakiniku House (Japanese BBQ @ Eastwood)

When a group of friends or family message you, or celebrates with you, on your birthday it really is a big reminder that I'm so lucky to have these people in my life. 

I'm glad that I can wake up and know that there are people who care about me and also think it's worth their time to celebrate my existence. Now, doesn't that mean something?

I'm reminded that in celebrating my existence, we mustn't forget what made me who I am. What makes each of us who we are is not rather, 'ourselves', but those around us.

I would not be the person standing here today without my friends or family, and sometimes it's incredible to think that.

As a child, birthdays were entirely fun. They were times for presents, cake, celebrations, and being spoiled. (Flashbacks to my best birthday party; 2004 I had a jumping castle party. It. Was. Amazing).

But as we grow older it becomes less of that. It becomes a day to reflect on your own person and to be made aware of how incredibly lucky you are to exist as you do today. How honoured you should feel to have such great friends who take the time out of their own busy lives to celebrate your existence. And most of all, often how grateful we should feel about being able to live such a great life. (Unless, of course, your life is currently at a low and perhaps then this may not be the time to celebrate in this manner.)

Birthdays no longer mean a 'change in age number' but somehow as I grew older they started to mean so much more.

In a futureme.org email I wrote myself in on my birthday in 2012 (at the time I was 15), I wrote

"Anyway, sort of sad that I'm turning 16... Don't want to get old. 16>15 you see."

A number is just a number now, and there's so much more that lies behind a birthday.

[Also as a side note, I recommend you all to try out futureme.org. It is, most definitely, one of the most refreshing things that happens on occurrence throughout my life and I really enjoy reading past letters that I write to myself. It's marvelous how much you change, and how cringe-worthy your past self can be. I guess it's some sly reminder that we're always growing and bettering ourselves!]

So despite feeling terrible (a big hit of influenza), pretty much doing no study the entire day, and eating three cakes in one day (I know, I know), my birthday was pretty awesome. 

Why? Because I looked around and I realised that I'm so incredibly lucky to be blessed with such wonderful people in my life.

And, such wonderful cake.

(Seriously, though. This was such a good cake. Like, no joke. It was amazing. Amaze-balls).

Raspberry Yoghurt Cheesecake. Absolutely fantastic (and believe me, I'm not usually one for cake but this was heavenly).
You can get one from this website.

In another quick note, exams are coming up soon (less than a week!) and I'm starting to buckle down. A lot of work to do, but life should get a revamp once they're over. Till then, take care of yourselves!