White Holidays

In a few more days, I would be on a flight to unwind, and to recharge my already spent emotional batteries. I will be off to China and I hope that I would at least find myself during this period. I had actually planned for this trip for a very long time, but the thought of leaving my practice closed for the whole duration actually made me think twice. I actually thought of employing another doctor to locum in my clinic. Sad to say that it's difficult finding someone to take care of my clinic while I am away, none wanted to work during this extended holiday season and even if anyone wanted to work, their asking renumeration is too much to bear. I was contemplating not going ahead with my plans of going off and closing for this duration but after careful consideration, I reckon it's not unreasonable to take some well deserved break. I opted to close for a week. I don't know what I decided is the best but I seriously think of if I continue to work, under duress and severe pressure I would eventually snap one fine day.

Perhaps many would think that employing someone is a better alternative, thus giving a sense of continuity but the amount of money that I need to fork out during my duration away would be enormous, and there is always the concern about a different set of patient care compared to mine, and some might even be rude and hence turn my regular patient away. All this are the usual complains and since I have locumed before, many practitioners cautioned me before. Some even are so stingy with prescribing with medications that it's difficult to charge a patient. Theory and practicals have a totally different set of rules.

Well, I will be visiting a few places in China, my first stop would be in Beijing, which is currently reliving one of the coldest recorded temperature these couple of years, and from there I will be travelling up north to Shenyang and it would be even colder. I just checked and it has been hovering around a highest of -9 to the lowest of -19. Brrrrr, it's going to be cold. Actually many friends cautioned me about going at this time, but I reckon I haven't actually experience snowfall before in my live and this time, I am jolly well going to have a first hand glimpse of it.

I have been going around borrowing thick winter clothings from my relatives as well as friends. I think buying a whole set is silly as I would be merely wearing it for a week, nothing more, it's a different thing is I am using it frequently, but nope, it'll just be a one off thing. Those winter clothes are so heavy and darn expensive. I am wondering how to stuff everything into my backpack? Just hope that it's going to be a good break for me, to prevent myself from developing flu, I actually gave myself an antiflu jab! I am currently prepared for a freezing holidays in China! Just hope the experience is similar or even better than what I anticipated!