2011

Reflecting on 2011, with a cup of tea in hand, I think of all the highs and lows the year has brought. Living in London has been amazing and has opened up a whole door of opportunities, but not having set foot on African soil once this year, has been extremely difficult and heart breaking.

I was lucky enough to get to go to 11 different countries this year and have definitely filled up my travel itch "hole" to last me for a while! From skiing in Austria, to sailing around Croatia, from eating paella in Spain to riding a donkey in Greece, I feel very blessed to have been able to do all these amazing things. That being said, the year has not been full of roses. Working hideous hours on a shift work basis, doing a job I despise at times, has been soul destroying. The only thing that kept me going was the next trip we were taking, with the few days off to recover. It is not that I have totally hated my job, but it is not what I want to be doing and as you know, having drunk f*%kers as patients, can be less than rewarding.

So what does 2012 hold? Moving back to South Africa, a new job, a new home, basically a new life for Little Miss Medic.

So I will leave you with one of my favourite quotes...

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LMM

xoxo

Product Love

For those of you that know me, you will know that I am obsessed with anything Crabtree. I absolutely love all of their products, buy them all the time and constantly dish them out as gifts. In 2009 a friend of mine got me hooked on their products and I have never looked back. I want to share a few of my favourites...

This soap is amazing! It is so moisturising that you don't need to use any body lotion afterwards and the smell is heavenly. The soap bars are more expensive than regular soaps, but they last a lot longer and are well worth the price. I always stock up at sales and keep them in open in my cupboard so that everything smells amazing. I also love giving them together with a bottle of wine, when going to some one's house for dinner. 

For tired and dry hands, La Source's Hand Recovery is the answer. It is an oil based scrub, which you rub onto hands when dry and slowly massage in for a few minutes. Rinsing under warm water, the granules wash off and the oil remains behind, leaving hands soft and supple. The fresh fragrance of La Source is wonderful, but the hand recovery can be found in almost any other fragrance too.

I love anything Rosewater. The smell is gorgeous and any one of their products, from soaps to hand creams, are amazing. They also have these wonderful travel sets, which have a mini of everything in it, making great gifts too.

I have not found a better lip balm. I always have one in my handbag and one by my bed. They come in Jojoba Oil and Aloe Vera and are equally as nice. Great for chapped lips or lips just needing a bit of shine.

And let's not forget about The Men! Crabtree has 3 men's ranges; Sandlewood, Sienna and Nomad. Nomad is my favourite and can often be smelt on The Boyf (not that he cares whether its Crabtree or regular Nivea).

Crabtree and Evelyn can be found anywhere in the world, I have even found it in Malaysia. Here are the UK and SA websites. Happy Shopping!

LMM

xoxo

P.S: UK sites are having MAJOR sales!!!

Christmas is over...

I must say, I am actually relieved that Christmas is over. No insane shopping left to do at the last minute, I can finally eat normally again (my poor tummy was in dire straits) and I can play with all my new presents :)

I was lucky enough to get a Kindle from The Boyf and an awesome cover from The Parents. I actually got these a month ago, but am still revelling in the awesomeness of my Kindle.

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I decided on the apple green cover, with the ever important light. I really wanted the purple wine cover, but it was out of stock :(


Another amazing thing about London after Christmas is the Boxing Day Sales. I missed out last year as I was in Germany, but this year I was away in Newcastle, but I decided to give it a go on the 27th. I went to Knightsbridge. It was CHAOS! There was a 500m queue outside Harrods with a bouncer, people were pushing, running and screaming and this was at 2pm. I had my eye on one shop only (couldn't have actually faced multiple stores of stampeding shoppers). I made a beeline for...

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I managed to snap up this gorgeous black blazer. I have been dying to find one that is just right, and it's PERFECT!

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Well for now it's back to work until New Year's Eve.


LMM

xoxo

Merry Christmas

I am off to Newcastle for the next few days to spend Christmas with The Boyf's cousins...So I want to wish you all a wonderful festive season and see you soon! Eat lots, drink lots and be merry!

                                                                           

There are three stages of man: he believes in Santa Claus; he does not believe in Santa Claus; he is Santa Claus.

Bob Phillips

LMM

xoxo

Pigeon English

In October it was my turn to choose a book for us to read at bookclub. I decided on Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman. One reason is that I wanted to read all the Man Booker Prize Shortlist books and this was one of them and the second is that it has been compared to "Room" by Emma Donoghue, which I loved.

Harri Opoku has just moved from Ghana, along with his mother and sister, Lydia, to England. They live in a South London housing estate, where gangs and crime are rife. They have left behind a grandmother, their father and baby sister, Agnes, who remain in Ghana, unable to immigrate. Harri often reflects back to the simple life he had in Ghana, which fiercely contrasts to the urban life of the Dell Farm Estate. Here he makes new friends, is faced with a school crush and comes into contact with the Dell Farm Crew, a gang of local ruffians. When a boy from their school is killed in a stabbing, Harri and his friend embark on a murder mystery, which results in a shocking outcome.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the London slang mixed in with local terminology from Ghana. I especially liked the pigeon that looks over Harri and the observations it makes. All in all a good read.

7/10




LMM

xoxo

Hover vs Sit

The eternal debate between females using toilets; do you sit or do you hover/squat?

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I must admit I have belonged to both categories. I used to be of the hover variety, only sitting on my own toilet at home. Whenever I was out with one of my BFFs and we used to go to the toilet (as you do with girlfriends), I used to shout over the cubicle "don't sit!" and she would shout back "too late!". She has no strange diseases and so I started being lazy and sitting. I will always thoroughly inspect the toilet seat first and will never sit on petrol station toilets. I do not have herpes, strange growths or any other kind of gross bug, and so I will continue to be diffident and plonk myself down.

We always moan that it is so unfair that men can just relieve themselves anywhere. Well you can stop complaining and purchase one of these female urinary devices.

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I for one, am not convinced! Where do you keep this? In your car or handbag? What do you do with the pee when you're done? And how to you store it once used? Wrapped up in a Pick 'n Pay plastic packet? Nope. Sorry not for me!


Do you hover or sit?




LMM

xoxo

Product Love

It being Winter in the UK, I have recently purchased this product which is amazing for drier skin.

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Body Butter Duo has 2 sections in it. A light cream for all over your body and a thicker one which you can use on drier areas such as elbows, knees and feet. I got the sweet pea one, but it is available in vanilla, macadamia and floral acai too.


It is brilliant, try it or even better buy one as a stocking filler!


LMM

xoxo

I am coming HOME!!!

I found out whilst in Berlin that I got the job I applied for in Cape Town. Whoop whoop! I was so excited I did a little jig in the hotel room and even started jumping on the bed :)

I am going back to the Mother City at the end of January 2012 and my post starts on the 1st of February. I am finally going to do what I have been missing for the last 2 years. No more drunk fuckers and old grannies. I will be living in the land of pregnant bellies and newborns, where no one is old or drunk (I hope!) I cannot wait, I am so excited!!! I haven't lived in Cape Town for the last 5 years and am itching to get back.

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Who wouldn't want to live here?


40 sleeps!   *meep*




LMM

xoxo

Berlin

I am off to Berlin today to meet up with my Dad for a few days.

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See you next week! And South Africans, enjoy your Day of Reconciliation tomorrow!



LMM

Christmas Giveaway

I am happy to announce the winners of my latest giveaway. Congrats to...

Jacci

You have won the Christmas Blend Whole Bean coffee giveaway. Congratulations to...

Helga



You have won the Christmas Blend Single Serving Sachets. Enjoy!

LMM

xoxo

This Last Week I...

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...realised how much I miss all my friends back home...xoxo

...have either been wearing scrubs or my pyjamas

...have laughed whilst watching Modern Family

...bought a Kindle, cannot wait for it to arrive!

...have fallen in love with Amy Winehouse's last album, Lioness

What have you been up to?




LMM

xoxo

Guess Who's Back!

Having just come off doing the last 2 nights, I have had the pleasure of seeing more drunk fuckers and a few of our regular patients! One of my very favourite patients is Little Miss Pin Cushion, who comes in on a frequent basis swallowing needles. Before needles, she used to throw herself off buildings, but way before my time she had an even more shocking/exciting trick up her sleeve. After chatting to one of the senior nurses, who had worked in the unit for over 10 years, I learnt that Little Miss Pin Cushion used to be a nurse and used to inject faeces into her veins. Whose faeces I asked? Apparently her own, but I don't know if that makes it better or worse. How do you collect your own faeces? Did she mix it with water? Anyway...it's gross and the how is not important!

                                                spot the surgical blade bottom right




Off to sleep. Night Night!

LMM

xoxo

Drunk F*%kers

This last weekend, I was unlucky enough to work all 3 nights. Since it is the beginning of the silly season, there were a lot of drunk fuckers. A few can be tolerated, but when every single patient that walks through the door is completely inebriated, your patience runs out very quickly!

  

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Drunk Fucker 1: could not open his eyes, could not speak, could not walk.

Drunk Fucker 2: proceeded to walk around the department and urinated in corners

Drunk Fucker 3: called me a c*# t, I was not impressed!

Drunk Fucker 4: could not feel her hands


Drunk Fucker 5: could not open his eyes, since I had already seen Dunk Fucker 1, I shoved my pen torch in his eye

Drunk Fucker 6: would not get on the bed. Refused to respond to anything. We began pinching him (had been a long night)

Drunk Granny Fucker 7: could not stop shaking and refused to give us her name. She bcame Drunk Unknown Granny Fucker.

Drunk Fucker 8: had had so much to drink she was unconscious. The ambulance bought her in as a blue call (serious case)

Drunk Grandpa Fucker 9: vomited on the nurse

Drunk Fucker 10: fell of his bed 4 times


I think that's enough to emphasise the point of how awful it was. That being said, I have been in a comatose state of sleep for the last 3 days.



LMM

xoxo


P.S: Don't forget to enter the new giveaway, ending 14th of December.

Happy Nikolaus!

Today is Nikolaus Day, a traditional celebration in Germany on the 6th of December. Nikolaus is not Father Christmas, that is the Weihnachtsmann, he is Nicholas Of Myra, who died in 346. He was a Greek Christian Bishop, who was known for secretly giving gifts and performing miracles. Traditionally children leave their polished boots outside on the 5th of December and Nikolaus would come on a donkey and fill them with coins, oranges and toys.

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I am happy to say, that after much threatening and begging, I received my Nikolaus stocking from The Boyf, filled with small pressies. So in the spirit of Nikolaus, I am starting a giveaway.

I know how much everyone from SA loves Starbucks and so you can win these 2 lovely items from Starbucks. The first is whole bean coffee from their Christmas Blend 2011 and the second is single serving sachets of coffee, perfect for travelling. All you have to do is be a follower of my blog and leave a comment below. Giveaway ends 14th of December 2011.

Alles Gute zum Nikolaus!

LMM

xoxo

Christmas Spirit

I usually HATE Christmas! I don't know what it is about it that I hate...


Actually I do...

1. They play Christmas music in the shops in October
2. Trying to buy presents on the 24th of December is a task I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy
3. My extended family live in Germany and so Christmas has never been a big "do" as it was always just me and my parents...no strange and quirky relatives to deal with, not enough booze and pulling crackers between 3 can be a bit lame
4. I don't see the point of spending a lot of money buying presents, buying ridiculously expensive flights home and being forced to pretend it's the best day ever!


This year things have changed. I am fully going to embrace the Christmas cheer! I have bought all my presents already (online), I am enjoying the Christmas music and have purchased Michael Buble's latest Christmas CD and the She & Him Christmas CD too! I have bought loads of cool Christmas stationary for making special cards and am making The Boyf his very own unique Advent Calendar, which involves opening an envelope each day with a quote and some sweeties. I have become the worst kind of person...the kind that wishes people "Merry Christmas" on the street 3 weeks early, the Christmas equivalent of Bridezilla :)

Join me in my Christmas madness!



LMM

xoxo

Jamrach's Menagerie - Carol Birch

As a small project I decided that I wanted to read the 6 books shortlisted for The Man Booker Prize 2011. I already know who has won, but I am going to keep going regardless and then decide which one I liked best. First on the list was Jamrach's Menagerie by Carol Birch.

It is her 11th novel and is a mixture of Robinson Crusoe, Life of Pi and Oliver Twist all rolled into one. The main character, Jaffy Brown, is eight years old. We first meet him when he find's himself in the jaws of a Bengal tiger on the streets of London. He is rescued by the owner, Mr Jamrach, who runs a menagerie. As a reward he offers Jaffy a job, cleaning out cages. This is where Jaffy is first exposed to the wonderous collection of animals that Mr Jamrach owns. From Tasmanian devils, to toucans and even elephants, Jaffy is transported to an exotic life, faraway from his everyday life in East London. Here he meets Tim Linver, who becomes his best friend, his rival and later on a companion through life changing ordeal. Jaffy and Tim are invited to set sail on the Lysander, in search of a rare "dragon" and both decide to partake in this epic adventure. One is then transported to life at sea. From the drunken seamen to the crazy crew, Jaffy finally finds a foothold in life and begins to grow up and mature.

A number of exciting, gruesome, heart breaking and dangerous things happen aboard the Lysander and without giving anything away, it is what made the book for me. I felt like I was reading a children's book, with a moral byline, but still captivating enough to make me reflect on the book, once it was done. This book is something completely different to anything I have ever read and that's what made it such a brilliant read!

8/10



Happy 1st of December...let the Christmas Festivities begin!
LMM

xoxo

Weekend in Dublin

I have spent the last 3 days in Dublin. I heart Dublin. We drank Guinness, sat in cosy pubs listening to traditional irish music and even gave hurling a go.

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My favourite place was by far the Long Room Library in Trinity College. It is a beautiful establishment, which left me in awe. I have never seen so may books in one place and also such ancient books. This would be my heaven. I could live in this room...in a tent...forever!

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Isn't it magnificent? The room is 64 metres long and holds over 200 000 of the world's oldest books. It was built in 1732 and the shelves are lined by marble busts of great philosophers and writers.


LMM

xoxo

Happy Friday!

This is sheer brilliance at it's best! Gotta love Nando's...

LMM

xoxo

Man Booker Prize 2011 Shortlist

I am on a mission to read the 6 books shorlisted for this year's Man Booker Prize.

Jamrach's Menagerie - Carol Birch
Half Blood Blues - Esi Edugyan
Snowdrops - A.D. Miller
The Sense of an Ending - Julia Barnes
Pigeon English - Stephen Kelman
The Sisters Brothers - Patrick deWitt


You should join me and at least read one of these books!


LMM

xoxo

Feeling Bleh

I am having a bleh week, actually make that a bleh month. Nothing in particular....not enjoying my job...waiting to hear if I got the new job in Cape Town...not exercising, eating badly, have gained a few extra kilos...feeling unmotivated...

...basically just BLEH!

But the cherry on top had to be a few days ago. I was on the tube going to my Bookclub. I was reading my book. I was listening to my iPod. I was basically minding my own business.

Little Miss Medic:   (doo-doo-doo....minding my business)

Random Lady: Excuse me (taps me on the arm)

LMM: (doo-doo-doo)...ooh.... (take earphones out)

RL: Excuse me, would you like to sit down?

LMM: No thank you, I am fine standing.

RL: You aren't pregnant are you? (makes universal big-belly-pregnant sign)

LMM: No, I am not.


ARGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Great way for life to kick you, whilst you're already down!

So I need a bit of inspiration to get through the rest of the week...

Hope your week/month is going better!

LMM


xoxo

Foreign Patients

Seeing a patient who's first language is not English can be quite an ordeal. I once saw a Polish man, who was so drunk that he couldn't not say anything except make a incomprehensible moaning sound. I am sure, had he spoken English, we would have been in the same predicament. At 3am in the morning, there is no chance of getting a translator, and since I could not rule out a possible head injury, I had to admit him overnight, to see if his state changed once he was more sober.

This morning I have just seen a French patient. He spoke English fairly well, but was very anxious and so spat out his words at a rapid pace.

Little Miss Medic: How can I help you this morning?

French Man: I am very worried, that I might have HIV. My body is itching all over. My penis is fine, my pee is fine, my poo is fine, but I am not fine...

LMM: Alright. Itching is not commonly a symptom of HIV. What other symptoms do you have?

FM: I have a sore throat and my chest is burning, but my pee is fine and my poo is fine...

LMM:  Let me look in your throat then. ( I grab a box of tounge depressors...) OK just open your mouth and say "Aaah"

FM: But I have a pain in my ball (he grabs his scrotum, in case I don't understand the word "ball"), the pain is just in the one ball. It is not too bad. But me pee is fine, my poo is fine.

(I drop the entire box of tongue depressors on the floor, trying not to laugh!)

FM: Don't worry Madame, I will pick them up (he bends down and at lightning pace gathers them all up)

LMM: Thank you. Let us do the HIV test so we can see if you really need to be so anxious about it all.

FM: I am very scared! I did something stupid. I am so scared. I love my life, I do not want to lose it...

LMM: The test is negative...

FM: ...so scared, why did I do it?

LMM: The test is negative!

FM: What? Negative? Oooh ( he leaps out and grabs me into a bear hug) Thank you, thank you!

LMM: It is a pleasure.

FM: You save my life. You really did!

LMM: Ah it was nothing!

FM: No, you are wonderful thank you.

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Gotta love the French!

LMM

xoxo

Black Tuesday

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"Black Tuesday" was the name given to the 29th of October 1929, the day the Wall Street stock market crashed and $30 million was lost. It signaled the beginning of the 12 year Great Depression.

It now symbolises something completely different to South Africans, as today has been renamed "Black Tuesday" due to the probable passing of a secrecy bill, called the protection of information bill. To many it is a step back and Nadine Gordimer, Nobel Prize winner and famous author, compares the suppression of freedom of expression under the ANC to the apartheid era.

'The state security minister, Siyabonga Cwele, rejected calls to include a "public interest" clause to allow for the revealing of secrets, saying: "The foreign spies continue to steal our sensitive information in order to advantage their nations at the expense of advancement of South Africa and her people." '

                                                                                                      -The Guardian-

Foreign spies?...really...this isn't Mission Impossible!

I as a South African, am grateful to the press and media, as I am able to keep myself informed and it holds our ruling party accountable for their actions. Now that information will be kept "secret", who know what shenanigans will go on?

It is a very sad day, and am aptly clad all in black as a symbol of my protest.

How do you feel about this?



LMM

xoxo

The Help

Last night I went to watch The Help. It was amazing, heart-wrenching, hilarious and so moving. I left the cinema looking like puffy eyed raccoon, I literally cried the whole way through. I read this book last year and it was my highlight read of the year. Astonishingly, the movie was everything the book was. It brought the sass of Minny to life, showcased the evilness of Miss Hilly and inspired me through the sheer bravery of Skeeter and Aibileen.

The story is set in Mississippi in the 1960s, where racial inequity was rife. Skeeter, a young journalist, returns home after graduating and tries to slip back into a life of bridge parties, social balls and hairspray. She struggles with daily life in Jackson and slowly the timeless tradition of the help raising white children and running a household, becomes glaringly obvious. She decides to write a book bout the help's stories; how they have their own toilets, are better mothers to their employer's offspring than they will ever be and what a day in their lives is really like. She gains the trust of two women, Aibileen and Minny, who are the first to forge their way into uncharted grounds of trusting and meeting with a white person to share their toils and hilarity's.

This movie will have you in stitches due to the "terrible, awful" and have the tears streaming down your face as Aibileen enforces the belief of "you is kind, you is smart, you is important."

A wonderful movie that will appeal to everyone, even The Boyf enjoyed it.

9/10

LMM


xoxo

This weekend I...

• went to a dear friend's 30th birthday party, which was amazing, but made me think about my approaching 3-0 :(
• went to watch The Help
• spring cleaned the bathroom...armed with yellow gloves, powerspray and my iPod (for those of you who live in SA, DO NOT take your domestic cleaners for granted, I never will!)
• ate a yummy bacon and egg fry up, courtesy of The Boyf
• bought Christmas stationary from Paperchase

stamp


novelty stickers
• bought the Michael Buble Christmas CD...I love this man!

What did you do?

LMM

xoxo

Syringing Ears

Syringing some one's ears has got to be one of those tedious tasks that no-one enjoys. This job is usually done by your GP or an ENT specialist. Sometimes people come into the A+E to have their ears syringed, which is highly irritating as it can sometimes take up to 30 minutes to properly dislodge the wax or whatever else is in their ear. The only time it is vaguely exciting, is if someone has a foreign object or bug in their ear. I once got the hugest cockroach out of a patient's ear in Barberton, it was amazing...and disgusting.

The Boyf has been complaining that his right ear was painful and I had noticed that he often didn't hear me well and always turned the TV on full blast. He begged me to syringe his ears. I know that he last had it done about 5 years ago, by a mutual friend, when they were medical students, and he warned me that the crap that came out of his ears, was both horrifying and repulsive.

Being his girlfriend, I did not really want to see this, as it wouldn't really improve the romantic part of our relationship. Alas, there was no one else to do it and he kept saying he couldn't "hear" me asking him to put his dishes in the dishwasher or to take the rubbish out. It had to be done!

I got some warm water and the process began. Nothing happened for the first ten minutes and then...

I was expecting worse, but it was still pretty nauseating!

Tip of the day, get your ears cleaned out by someone you don't know, and do it on a regular basis.



LMM

xoxo

And the winner is.....

Congrats to the lovely Bronwyn. I am sure you will love using this product and be sure to let us know what its like!

Anyway, back to another mundane day at work...BLEH!


LMM

xoxo

I heart flowers

This week I have been lucky enough to get 2 bunches of flowers. I love lillies, my lounge smells AMAZING!

Thanks to Jane and Aimee!


LMM

xoxo



P.S: Don't forget to enter my latest giveaway, ends this tomorrow.