Tag Archives: Time in Australia

My week in Instagram

It’s been a busy week at work. I’ve changed offices again. I started my clinical attachment at The Canberra Hospital and I’ve eaten out a bit.

After the last post when I revealed I’d reached 80.2 kg I thought I should revisit the single fillet of salmon again as an evening staple

I did the salmon the way I normally do with a fry pan and lid and a 5 minute timer. I cooked the vegetables with a little soy and honey.

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and again the next night…

Another small piece of salmon

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I’ve been walking every day too

Mr Owl looks good at 0445 AEST with a black background of the night sky

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In preparation for my clinical day a week I started reading some relevant documents.

Tea rather than coffee too

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For reasons I won’t go in to, I was able to return to my old office area. The first thing I did was put up my flags. I felt immediately at home.

My two favourite places in the world. Queensland and the Northern Territory of Australia

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On Friday I started my first day at The Canberra Hospital as an Honorary Visiting Medical Officer in Pathology. I decided I could walk to work from my DoHA car spot

My walk http://runkeeper.com/user/garydlum/activity/178410745

So this is where I’ll be. Building 10.

There is a lot of construction underway so it’s not possible to see the building from outside

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It was a pretty good day. I really enjoyed getting oriented back into a clinical pathology set up. It was nice to speak with clinicians about patients and visit the mortuary and see the museum named after my friend and colleague, viz., Professor Peter Herdson. It was fantastic to get back into the lingo and to start thinking about the wonderful interface being a clinical microbiologist is between the patient in the ward and the vast technological brain power that rests in medical laboratory scientists and other practitioners. I love the technology of pathology. As I grew up in medicine, Professor John Kerr’s most profound comment was that pathology is medicine. If you understand pathology you will understand medicine. Truer words there are not. He also held a firm view that rigorous examination was the best way to produce a well rounded undifferentiated medical graduate who would be ready to learn more about how to heal the sick and teach others to become good practitioners of the art and science of medicine. I love that in pathology we extend our practice into the tactile of holding plates and loops, we can sense the aroma of our friends on the plates, we can see the bright colours of the wonderful chemical reactions in solid and liquid phases. We can stand before instruments worth hundreds of thousands of dollars that reduce the time from specimen reception to result delivery to hours instead of days. But best of all I love that we can take the complex and abstract and share a story with a referring and treating practitioner and help him or her heal their patient. Working in government bureaucracy for the last five years has taught me so many things, but I cannot love it like I love being in a laboratory surrounded by wonderful people and patient specimens, machines and most of all microscopes. Four days a week at DoHA and one day at TCH is a good balance.

As I walked back to my car I was reminded that The Canberra Hospital and the Royal Darwin Hospital were designed in Canada and it was Prime Minister Gough Whitlam who sought to build hospitals in the two territories. The design may well have been good for Canberra but it was a disaster for Darwin. This is a multi-storey, air conditioned building with a furnace up the middle. Indigenous Australians in the Top End communities do not like heights, they don’t like the cold and why require a furnace in a building in subequatorial Australia. What the hell was Prime Minister Whitlam thinking? The best hospital design in the Northern Territory of Australia is the Katherine Hospital. One level, multiple wings with open flow through ventilation and lots of courtyards for patients to gather in along with their intravenous infusion stand and drugs. In Darwin, as much as I love the RDH (not the building itself, I love the people, I love the community, I love the family that is a hospital), it is unseemly to have all the Indigenous Australian patients feel like they have to mill outside on hot concrete with their intravenous infusion stands all because of a mistake from the 1970s.

The walk back had a little detour to capture that image
My walk back http://runkeeper.com/user/garydlum/activity/178532953

On the walk back I passed by an excellent venue for a steak

If you visit Canberra and want a nice bistro steak, the Hellenic Club is a good place for a meal.

This is the building I spend most of my week in

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On Friday night I visited Bron’s place and we enjoyed another great meal and an episode of Game of Thrones.

Wagyu steak and salad

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Fruit covered in white chocolate served with lemon curd ice cream

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My week in Instagram (yummylummy.com)
H7N9: Pathology Queensland-developed bird flu test an Australian first (crofsblogs.typepad.com)
Gribbles Pathology and Sengenics Enter Into Partnership to Deliver Cutting-Edge Genetic Tests (pr.com)
Dinner at Eat 86 | @eat86 @EatShootBlog @hercanberra (yummylummy.com)
NACCHO good news:Aboriginal health initiative proves to be one real success story (nacchocommunique.com)
Margaret Whitlam Pavilion opens at Arboretum (abc.net.au)

My weekend in food while in Brisbane

11 Replies

This weekend I visited my daughters in Brisbane. Miss14 was competing in the Queensland Women’s Artistic Gymnastics championships for 2012. It also included the trials for the state team to compete at the national titles in June in Sydney. Miss14 is Level 9. On Saturday she came third overall in Queensland. She freely admits her vault lets her down. Her routine is not as difficult as the others in the competition. When I asked why, she simply said she’s uncoordinated. That is the biggest understatement of her life. Compared to the rest of us in the family she’s amazing. So today as I was returning to Canberra Miss14 was competing to make a place in the Queensland team. She got in and received an award for her floor routine. I recorded her routine from yesterday which was ranked second.

On Friday I had lunch with some work mates and also some colleagues from another agency. We ate at the Hellenic Club. The Hellenic Club is a fantastic Canberra institution. It has a range of restaurants including a pretty good Chinese restaurant which is a nice touch for a Greek establishment. I love the Hellenic Club’s bistro. It does a really good steak with pepper sauce and chips (which is what I had) while others had chicken breast schnitzel or a roast dinner.

Hellenic Club's pepper steak (rib eye fillet) and chips (iPhone)

After a very squishy flight to Brisbane and then discovering I had rented a General Motors Barina (beep beep) I got to my parent’s place and enjoyed some time with the kids. Let me digress and discuss the rental car. I rent through Hertz and normally I get a small compact like a Toyota Yaris or Ford Focus. Both are good small manual transmission cars that I don’t find uncomfortable. I should declare that after Chrysler left Australia I switched my allegiance to Ford. For non-Australian readers, in the main, if you’re a bloke, you’re either Ford or Holden (GM). There’s not debate. The Barina, even if Ford produced it would have been and remains a lemon. For someone who is only 170 cm (short arsed), it’s hard to believe that leg room posed such a problem. I would NEVER purchase a General Motors Barina.

In the morning we had a light breakfast. By light I mean toast. I don’t mean warm bread either. I like toast that has a good amount of colour. Not burnt, but at least browned. I also like Vegemite. For non-Australians, Vegemite is a yeast extract and it is a salty dark paste the consistency of cream cheese. It is an acquired taste. If you don’t like it, that’s fine. I don’t get how some Australians go on and on about it. It’s good. Just don’t carry on about it.

Toast with a smear of Vegemite (iPhone)

For lunch I had a sausage roll and chips (no photograph). Most of the day was spent driving between Chermside, Clayfield and Chandler (Sleeman Sports Complex). The competition was at the Sleeman Sports Complex while Miss11 had to also train at Clayfield. I had Miss16 to keep me company

I also had fudge that Miss14 had cooked the day before. This is GOOD fudge.

Fudge after a bite (iPhone)

Miss14′s competition ran late, very late. We didn’t leave until nearly 2000 AEST. When we got back to my parent’s place, Mum and Dad had cooked a roast dinner. We had roast chicken, stuffing, roast potato, roast sweet potato, roast pumpkin, broccoli and beans. Mum also made gravy from scratch. I love Mum’s roast chicken with gravy and stuffing.

Roast chicken (Nikon D90) Click on the image for a more detailed view.

May is a big month for birthdays in our family and it’s not clear if I can visit in May so Mum made a cake. Miss14 and Miss16 become Miss15 and Miss17 on the same day in May. I turn 47 in May. My Dad also has a birthday in May.

Birthday sponge cake with almond chocolate (iPhone)

This morning we were in a rush but that didn’t stop Mum cooking us some snags, scrambled eggs and mushrooms. Mums and Dads are like that and I love my Mum and Dad for being like that.

It doesn’t look all that flash but it tasted great.

Sausages, eggs and mushrooms for breakfast on a plastic picnic plate. Classy (iPhone)

At the airport I sat in front of a container of macaroons. I will not say if I had any or not.

Macaroons (iPhone)

This afternoon after arriving back in Canberra I bought some baby spinach leaves, salmon and a tomato. Dinner was inspired by breakfast and I had the last of the very fresh free range eggs to cook. I cooked the scrambled eggs with cream, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of salt. I also added a little blue cheese for flavour.

Atlantic salmon and fresh free range eggs (Nikon D90) Click on the image for a more detailed view.

Look at how yellow and creamy the folds of egg are. They were amazing.

All in all it’s been a good weekend. Miss14 made the Queensland team. I hope Miss16 is watching the Brisbane Roar win the A-league soccer grand final tonight. Miss11 did an awesome job cheering today and being an all round great kid.

Roast lamb and smashed potatoes (garydavidlum.com)
Roasted Sausages, Peppers, Potatoes and Onions (savoringeverybite.com)
Perth Glory to meet Brisbane Roar in A-League Grand Final (tribalfootball.com)
Splitting Queensland (mindfullofopinion.wordpress.com)

Out of work early and a simple dinner

7 Replies

I was so happy to leave work at 1730 AEDT tonight. It meant I got to my kitchen a bit after 1800 AEDT. I have so much work e-mail to get through as well as personal e-mail so I thought a bit of skinless chicken thigh and some vegetables.

I had a good day when I think about it. It was busy and there were lots of things to do. On the good side I got to see Bron and I spent time with team mates talking about food and cooking and eating. I also had a very positive meeting with one of my bosses in the morning.

Chicken, sweet potato, avocado, asparagus and broccoli

The sweet potato was tossed in a little flour with the chicken. The chicken and sweet potato was cooked in the oven at 150 °C for 45 minutes. The avocado was just ripe. The broccoli and asparagus were simply zapped in the microwave.

Coming back from a week away overseas (garydavidlum.com)
Pork belly. Simple and good. (garydavidlum.com)
Fried chicken (garydavidlum.com)

My fathers day weekend

5 Replies

This weekend past had been much anticipated. I was heading to Brisbane to see my daughters and parents. Given it was fathers day was also a bonus in terms of seeing my father.

The flight to Brisbane on Friday evening was particularly uncomfortable. My original flight had been cancelled and I was put on another flight with a different number although it left at the same time as the original booking. I didn’t question it, I was just happy to be flying to Brisbane. I should have realised however, that a cancelled flight would mean a very full cabin. I always like to board early so I can ensure my carry on bag gets a place in the overhead locker. As the last passengers were boarding, the passenger who would be next to me got on board. He was huge. He was at least 200 cm and an axe handle wide at the shoulders. I assume he was a footballer. He also had a garment bag and a large duffel. He could not find a space in any of the overhead lockers. In the end he stuffed the duffel under the seat in front of him and had the garment bag between his knees. This meant he flowed into my space and I had his knee pushing me into the aisle. Fortunately the flight is just under two hours. It could have been worse, he could have been morbidly obese or smelt bad.

Seeing the girls when I arrived was great. They are always so lively and happy, especially if they’ve just been to gymnastics training.

Saturday was a huge day. We were up early (0530 AEST) so Miss14 could do Miss10′s hair for her competition. Breakfast was jam on toast and instant coffee.

Jam on toast

Fortunately Miss14 just had training and no competition that day. We drove from Chermside West to Manly West (45 minutes) and dropped off Miss 10. We then drove to Ascot (35 Minutes) to drop off Miss14 to training before 0800 AEST. Miss16 and I then went back to Manly West to watch some of Miss10′s competition (another 35 minutes). It was a team event and it was a combination level 5/6. Miss10 is level 5 under under which means she is two years below the average age of the usual level 5 gymnast. Her club is the best in Queensland (based on competition results over many years) so she was in the white team while the more advanced girls were in the blue team. Even so, she and her white team mates did very well when compared to the other clubs present. She is such a talented athlete.

We had to leave early so Miss16 could make her hockey grand final. She started playing again this year after a few years off. She is in the Junior first division and her team had come runner up in competition. They were playing the minor premiers. The game was a nil all draw and according to the rules, both clubs shared the premiership. I was so proud of Miss16. It is great to watch her play sport. I wish she had continued swimming, she has a lovely body for swimming, long legs and powerful shoulders. Her butterfly stroke was beautiful.

I had dropped off Miss16 to pick up Miss14 so we could watch the game together. Hockey was being played at Downey Park in Windsor (30 minutes). A pleasant surprise was Mr40 and his kids coming along. Mr40 is my youngest brother. He became Mr40 last week so it was good to see him close to the big birthday.

After the medal presentations we drove back to Manly West and caught up with Miss10.

Hockey premiership medal for Miss16

She had a fall on the balance beam and had a blinder on the floor with a very high score. She seemed happy with her performance. We had to wait until 1520 AEST for the presentations which were very orderly.

One of the big things we were meant to do on the weekend is attend Riverfire 2011. This is an annual event in Brisbane and it had best been known for the F1-11 Aardvark (pigs) dump and burn. The RAAF F1-11s were retired last year. This year F/A18 super hornets (rhinos) flew in the afternoon. As we were driving back to Chermside West to get ready, we saw the F/A18s doing their thing in the air above Brisbane.

After a quick shower and change we drove to Alderley train station for the quick trip to South Bank. Riverfire is also known for the fireworks display which occurs over the stretch of the Brisbane River in front of South Bank.

I used my iPhone to capture a few short videos which I’ve uploaded to my Flickr Photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/garylum/

The fire works were fantastic. We had a great vantage point. The fire works finished around 1945 AEST and then we went and had Subway for dinner.

We walked across the Brisbane River and headed to Central Station for a McDonalds snack of fries and a thick shake.

The trip home was largely uneventful except for some teenagers who were very drunk. Their behaviour wasn’t outrageous, they were inebriated and unable to make good decisions. One of the young girls needed to relieve herself and we were all hoping she wouldn’t do it on the train. She kept getting up at stops and telling her friends she needed the toilet.

On Sunday I woke to fathers day greetings and also wished my own father a happy day. In the preceding week Miss16 had asked what movies I’d seen this year which had been released on DVD. I had no idea what she was on about until I opened the present. I received #FastFurious5 plus chips and Peanut M&Ms which are my favourites.