Urgh

After watching tonight's debate, I've decided that I really do dislike McCain, for reasons too many to list.
This election is going to be sooooo exciting. Everyone I know is staying home on a Friday night just to watch the debate. And A LOT of people including two of my professors have openly declared support for Obama. But then Indiana is historically a fervently red state. So erm... we'll see.

Too bad I don't get to vote. As it is, I probably won't get to vote for anything in this lifetime!

Non-weekend weekend

Just dinner at Noodles, a new place near campus with my best girlfriends. But I guess that will probably be my only break this weekend because I have STUPID DYSPHAGIA exam on Monday!!! My professor just sent us some "sample questions":

1. To explain the Joker's facial appearance in Batman in 1989, the Joker (played by Jack Nicolson) is dropped into a vat of acid by Batman. He is told that his face can't be helped as all of the nerves have been severed. Yet he still smiles.

a. Why is that anatomically incorrect?
b. What cranial nerve(s) could have been damaged by the acid?
c. What outcome would that damage have on his face?
d. How would it affect his swallow?


2. To explain the Joker's facial appearance in the 2008 version, the Joker (played by Heath Ledger) says the corners of his mouth were cut, into his cheeks. He doesn't smile and has a particularly "loose" mouth closure.

a. Why is that anatomically realistic?
b. What cranial nerve(s) would be affected?
c. What functions would be impaired?
d. What functions would be intact?
e. What phase(s) of the swallow would be impaired?
f. What specific swallowing problems would you expect him to have?

Ok, I just thought I'd share it with you guys since its pretty funny. ;) ONLY swallowing professors would watch a Batman movie and think of things like that! (Just like how only speech students would watch the Olympics and think Michael Phelps has an articulation disorder)

Networking

My life, it seems, is finally taking a turn for the better. :)

Today I played golf for the first time since coming back to the US. I went for a seminar for grad students called "Networking on the Green". ;) Good thing I still remember my swing, more or less. I really should join a league and get back in the game.

I talked to my clinic director today about externships and we're looking into the National Medical Center in DC!!!! First of all, how exciting would it be to be in Washington DC???! 2nd, it has one of the best paediatric SLP programs in the nation (and internationally too, it claims). 3rd of all, the director there is going to be the next ASHA president (OMG!). 4th, all my best girlfriends are going to be on the east coast too! 5th, I can go find dear friend Dan who is less than an hour away.

So yes, I have decided that its going to be my backup to Rady's. So now my new ranking of placements are as follows:
1. Rady's Childrens Hospital, San Diego, CA
2. National Medical Center, DC
3. Children's Hospital, Orange County, CA
4. Morgan Stanley Childrens Hospital, NYC
5. Children's Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA
6. Children's Hospital, Cinncinati, OH

What do all these places have in common? They are all on the east or west coast! (Can you tell I'm dying for a change of scenery?) Except for Cinncinati that is. Thats why its ranked last. But I think my cousin is working there, unless he has moved. Anyway, its nice to have so many options. :)

Hooray!

Our dear friend Ike has finally left us, and sunny weather and clear skies are back! YAY. :) And I finally got out of school before 5pm today, which is nice. :))

When it rains, it pours

That saying could not be more true. I've just survived two weeks from hell. And the semester like just started?

To cut the long story short, I am completely swamped with schoolwork, clinic work, and even assistantship work! Every spare hour that I have, I'm somehow scheduled for something - meetings, stroboscopy, hearing screenings... blahblahblah!

The weather has also been very grey and rainy.

I'm also stressed out about hospital externships. My director just told me that the contract may not go through with Rady's in San Diego, so she wants me to have a backup. So now I'm looking at Children's Hospital Orange County (CHOC), and Children's Hospitals in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus (all in Ohio) as backups to my backup.

This week was the 7th anniversary of 9/11.

And of course I'm heartbroken about David Duchovny's alleged extramarital affairs. NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!! They were like the perfect golden family with two lovely children that he obviously loves very much. *sigh* I am soooooooo disillusioned with the world.

Next week has GOT to be better.

Missing summer

I haven't updated in a long time. Why? Because I've been so DARN BUSY I have no time to even eat (eating lunch must be one of those luxuries that is unheard of to grad students). And today, Sunday, I am busying studying for my Voice exam tomorrow and prep for new stuttering client.

I'm having fun at Birth-3 even though I have two pretty challenging clients. We also have this two-year-old kid who is the brother of one of the kids I knew at preschool. Anyway, my *sense detectors* picked up something wrong with him immediately the first time I saw him, even though I wasn't sure what it was. I guess I'm getting pretty experienced at my job, which is nice.

I also told my supervisor that when I was home in Singapore (that day when we were at Bambini with my cousin) I got to observe a ton of kids, and they are WOLRDS apart from the American kids even at that young age. If they were in America they would probably all be in therapy by now for language delays. But then its obviously just a cultural thing. (I also think American moms tend to freak out more if their kids are not talking. Somehow its less important to Asian moms, who may prefer more "well-behaved", quiet kids) Anyway, my supervisor is very very experienced and talented, and I love working with her because I learn so much.

I'm also doing a ton of hearing and language screenings at the public schools these few weeks. I still remember my primary school days when I had those big, mean nurses come in to give us hearing tests!! But over here, its the SLP's job to do that. Its pretty fun except when you discover a kid has hearing loss, then its NOT FUN AT ALL. I hate being the bearer of bad news.

Its been raining a lot. Lovely summer days are over. Pooh.