Euthanasia

Warning: don't read this post if you have not seen Million Dollar Baby. By the way, if you haven't seen it, go see it. It's wonderful. (Also, go see Hotel Rwanda. It will move you, disgust you, and ultimately scare you.)

So, just as I had expected when I saw the movie, people are protesting the last half of Million Dollar Baby. Can it be any more predictable that those against euthanasia/assisted suicide take a prominent film and attack it? Personally, I thought that the film presented such a strong argument for assisted suicide that groups and individuals opposed to it should speak up.

My personal stance on assisted suicide, if you haven't figured it out yet, is that if a person is mentally competent to decide that they want to die, but physically incapable to do so, they should be granted their wish in as humane a manner as possible. Of course, this is one of the longest standing debates in our country's history. Also, it's especially relevant to myself because I'm a future physician. I even wrote on it as part of my Foreign Service Officer exam. Needless to say, I failed that time (but passed my second time!).

I understand the religious arguments against it and if you are religious, then it's hard to compromise the two (but not impossible). However, on a human level, how can you watch someone suffer for months or years on end? I have seen several people, patients and friends, suffer from terminal illnesses. After seeing their faces and their despair, I see the human argument for assisted suicide. I challenge anyone who disagrees with me to defend their side after they have seen a loved one suffer from a terminal illness without the ability to die with dignity.

A lot of people will disagree with me, and I welcome their disagreement. This is a debate that will not be settled anytime soon and will probably be increasingly controversial as medical technology is able to keep people alive longer without an improving their quality of life.

Want more pictures?

Just email me and I can send you the link to the album.

There's a fire hydrant somewhere under there.

This is an alleyway behind my apartment at night. It's kind of spooky and beautiful at the same time. It's hard to tell, but the wind was really blowing and the snow was everywhere.

A newspaper bin and parking meter, totally useless because the bin is empty and parking is not allowed on the streets. Oh, and they're covered in snow.

I love the snow!

I love how the snow makes everything wonderful, such as school. Well, that's inaccurate. It's the lack of school because of the snow that makes things wonderful. And really, it's what every kid hopes for because I had two tests today.

And hilarity still abounds because people still insist on driving around and taking shortcuts - hence getting stuck in alleyways that still have several inches of snow and ice on it. Really, you'd think Bostonians would know better.

Hilarity abounds!

I love the snow. I think that it's hilarious. I just checked live cameras at major highways in Boston and one of them was just grayish. I didn't know whether it's because there is no visibility due to the blizzard or if the camera wasn't working.

Last night, I could hear countless tires spinning fruitlessly outside of my apartment building. It was hilarious, only because I wasn't the driver. Just a few minutes ago, there was a car that was trying to turn, but the snowdrifts are so high, it's useless. Luckily, some people were willing to help push. It was just funny, watching from my warm room.

But the snow is absolutely beautiful. Maybe it's because I can stay in the whole day (though I was planning on going to the library to get some work done). Maybe it's because I have a warm apartment. But either way, it's really quite amazing out there.

Boston sucks

So, I think Boston sucks for many reasons.

First, it has managed to go from 10 degrees this afternoon to 26 degrees at midnight. How does this happen? Who ever knew that a blizzard can RAISE temperatures?

Second, giving a tour of Boston in 10 degree weather is no fun. My cousin from China was here and let's just say that I wanted to finish the tour much sooner than she was willing to walk.

Third, medical school sucks. Granted, I do like it for the most part, but when I have two exams on Monday and I feel desperately behind, it sucks.

That's it for now. 6 inches of snow on my windowsill so far,. We'll see how much I'll get by the morning.

Come on, I can take it

I've been desperately trying to motivate myself to study. I'm 3 weeks into school and just a few days ago, I was on lecture 1. Yes, the first lecture.

So, what I'm saying is, motivation needs to hit me in the head. Really, I can take it. I need it.

Pissed

So, this Monday had to be one of the worst days that I've ever had this year. Yes, I've already had a "worst day of the year" and it's only the second week of said year.

To explain further, my day started to turn at 3 am, when my neighbor decides to have people over and smoke up a storm. How does this affect me? My bedroom wall (the wall where the head of my bed lays) is his living room wall. Additionally, the wall and ceiling aren't totally sealed together, leaving a small gap - but just large enough for cigarette smoke to creep through and leave me gasping for my breath. In a desperate measure, I decide to appeal to his human side and ask him politely to not smoke for the night. I go over to his apartment and knock on his door until someone answers, 5 minutes later. His friend answers, I ask for him, she says, "she's asleep" (which I know is a f*cking lie because I hear the damn fool talking through the wall in my room. How stupid does he think I am?). Then, I just break down. I start crying in front of her and then she says that they won't smoke for the night. Regardless, my room stinks of cigarette smoke and I hear my "sleeping" neighbor talking and laughing in his apartment. Oh, and I decide to write a letter to my landlord, to document the problem and my request for a solution, to fix it.

So, for the second Sunday in a row (read previous post), I slept on my couch - in my own apartment.

Needless to say, I was very angry that my sleep was disrupted and that I did not even get to sleep on my own bed. Then, as I'm going down the elevator in my apartment, a woman enters on the 2nd floor and, as I'm standing at the exit door (there are two doors in my elevator, one to go in, one to go out), she squeezes between me and the exit door. If having my personal space invaded at 8 am isn't enough, she proceeds to stare at me.

By this time, I cannot handle people. Really. I'm pissed. I don't want to talk to anyone. If anyone gets in my way, I'm rolling over them.

I get to class and because I'm late, I'm stuck sitting on the floor in the back of the auditorium. I get stuck sitting next to this girl in my class who sleeps through the entire FOUR HOURS OF LECTURES - including the breaks! Not only that, she curls up on the floor, takes off her shoes, and snores. Loudly. I'm about to throw my books at her when my friends convince me to squeeze into a real seat into the lecture hall.

Later in the afternoon, I finally have made an appointment to see a doctor about my cough. Well, after waiting in the waiting room for one hour feeling miserable, I see her. After two minutes, she tells me I have bronchitis (which is usually found in smokers - gee, I wonder how that would happen), gives me a prescription for antibiotics and another for codeine, and sends me on my merry way. At CVS, I hand off my prescription and proceed to wait another 40 minutes for my prescription (this is after they forgot part of it). So, I go home and take the codeine and think it's great. No coughing. I take a second dose before I go to bed at 11:30 and by 12:30, I wake up with nausea and dizziness - and paranoia. I was all skittish and couldn't fall asleep until I refused to move any muscle in my body and slept with the light on.

So, that was my manic Monday. Now, it's Wednesday and my cough is back, I'm afraid of codeine, and I found out my neighbor is moving out (not because of me - but his friend is moving in so I don't know whether to be ecstatic or afraid).

It's been awhile

So, I've been a bit of a slacker in my posting, but I've also been very busy. But the truth is, that there's not a lot to write about. My life during finals was just that... finals. I did not go out. I did not sleep. I did not cook. I did not eat. It was loads of fun.

But I went back to California and then up to Seattle for some down time, which was very nice. I'm back in Boston now... and I think it's making me sick. Literally. My neighbor smokes up a storm, especially when entertaining guests (at 4 am on a Sunday night/Monday morning). So, for the second time since moving into my apartment 4 months ago, I have had to sleep on my couch. Now, this is a bit tougher than one would think, as I just bought a giant down comforter and my couch is rather small. It was a battle between me being on the couch and my blanket. In addition to that, my room smells like someone has been smoking a pack of cigarettes in it. Now, you may ask why my neighbor's smoke and noise gets to me. It's because my wall does not reach all the way up to my ceiling - there is a itty bitty little gap, but just enough to make it seem as though my neighbor is my roommate.

So, now I'm sick in my own apartment.