As I managed to secure a distinction in my final examination of my first year MBBS, I've been back to my college for third semester (a.k.a second year) study.

We are learning certain new subjects, they are pathology, pharmacology, microbiology, community medicine, medicine & surgery. We started posting everyday morning in which we are required to visit the ward and sometimes the operation theatre.

Here comes the main thought I wish to voice out now: As we started the posting, we bought stethoscopes and brought it with us because we might need it to auscultate the patients in the ward during the posting. Doctors asked us to get fully equipped while entering the ward to "disguise" as doctor while interacting with the patients so that they are not aware of the fact that we are just medical students. Therefore, each of us hanged our stethoscope around the neck and put our two hands inside the pockets of our white coat, smart looking indeed.

I did the same thing too, otherwise the patients wouldn't have been willing to speak with me. However, I'm just not feeling quite comfortable to do so. I'm just a third semester student who knows nothing much about the condition of the patients. I don't know how to relieve their pain and grief whenever they complaint something to me, let alone any treatment.

I'm just not fond of taking and showing some photos of mine posing smart in the white coat with stethoscope, or posing cool in the surgery gown with the face covered by a mask and the hair covered by a surgery hat, as if I'm already capable to treat patients.

I can understand the reason my friends around myself have been doing so. We are excited by the fact that we are going to be doctors in the future. We want to be a part of the career we are going to traverse by labeling ourselves prior to that. It is a sense of self-involvement, a sense of pride in what we are doing.

Sometimes it bears more responsibility than to portray ourselves to the public as doctor-to-be. Do reflect on whether our current ability can actually match the prestigious image. It is never too late to show our titles to others.

There are a lot of stories and experience I can share but I've not been having so much interest to put them into words recently. Here is a quick update.

The final exam is just around ten days from this moment, however I'm not in a good mood to spend the whole day long just for revision. I truly believe if we have worked hard throughout the academic semesters, we could make ourselves comfortable to stick with our normal schedule during the exam weeks. If we could memorise everything within the short period before taking a paper, then there is no need to be consistently diligent and motivated in this course. Moreover I'm feeling a little homesick and craving for a short break, so I do procrastinate a lot despite the final exam is approaching.

It has been almost ten months I'm staying in Mangalore, India. If your friend is back for holiday after going through some semesters in universities in UK or USA, I'm sure he would be able to share so much regarding every aspect of the university life, from the great diversity of the student group he interacts, the living quality, to the different culture he is exposed. He must have enjoyed a lot.

I'm not sure what to say whenever I'm asked,

"How's India treating you? How's your life there?"

What do you wish to know? The food, people, or the environment? Whether I like them? Is the life as miserable as it seems to be told by so many of the seniors? I don't have a definite answer. Or maybe you can get one by yourself after reading this post.

My life in India is simple, it is all about study and get a good sleep while getting myself entertained through Internet. Oh, not forget to feed myself. In short, Internet is the only channel I could keep in touch with the society I truly belong to. In this place, I'm just like a person living in my own world.

I don't have many friends in India. I'm not even interested to make some new friends. I'm actually friendly to everyone, I just don't get to know them further. Some of them sent me some friend request on Facebook but I'm not approving. To be honest my friend requests are now piling up to more than one hundred, and I've got my reason to be aware of my privacy of social websites. In case if you are one of those waiting for the approval, kindly send me a message to at least introduce yourself.


The electricity supply in this city is so interesting. Basically there would be an average of one power cut every hour, each lasting from seconds to minutes depending on the situation. Since my hostel is equipped with electricity generator, so the power cut would not normally exceed 3 minutes. But it could be troublesome, considering the fact it would happen at anytime, including when we are having classes or examination. Another interesting thing to notice is that during every power cut at night, the Indians would get so excited in the darkness and they would start giving all kind of sounds, screaming in excitement as if they are celebrating something, when ironically we as foreigners are accustomed to frequent power cut, and do not bother at all. I'm not sure what is the reason behind this phenomenon, it is just so annoying. Moreover, the current is not quite stable, sometime we can notice the lights or table lamps are flickering because of the fluctuating current. Not forget to mention, I experience mini electricity shock quite often while handling electrical device with the power supply connected but I'm not sure what could be the underlying problem.

I don't like most of the way the Indian guys behave. If I have to describe, it is rude, brutal and even barbaric. They love to speak loudly in their language and I can even recognise the vulgar language used. They are impatient, so they always cut the queue in the canteen. Once I shouted at them so angrily because I could not tolerate their disrespectful behaviour anymore, and they were so surprised I would challenge them in such an unexpected way. Before that, I did speak politely to those Indians but they didn't even bother to look at me. That's why I was so irked. It has been a habit they could accept anywhere in the public, but not for me as a foreigner.


Rubbish is seen everywhere in India, especially in public places like railway station, roadside, town etc. It is an uncivilised scenery, as ironic as it appears when this country is claimed to be the third superpower of the world after China. I was once travelling by a train across different states of India, and I was so surprised by the way every passenger disposed their rubbish - they just simply flung the plastic bags, food leftover or whatever water bottle to the outside of the train via the windows. That is the reason we can see the massive collection of rubbish trail along the track.


Just a random fact - Peeing in the public is acceptable, but kissing is not.