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