Weekend Review: Trio Voce, Flooding, and Press'd Sandwiches

I've spent this week getting settled in my new rotation, radiation oncology. It's in a different hospital and has a different (better) schedule (I'm now waking up at the time I would have started work on my ENT rotation). The weather's warmed up a bit, which means my walks to work have been outside, rather than through buildings and pedways, but also that they've been pretty slushy. Here are six things I've enjoyed in the past week:

1. Christmas baking -- A lovely and talented staff member brought in about eight different kinds of homemade Christmas treats, mandarin oranges, and candy canes for a meeting yesterday. It was so kind of her to put in all that effort!

   

   Christmas baking: mini cheesecake (with an oreo as the crust), brownie, & mandarin orange

2. flood -- Just after 6 am on Tuesday my building began flooding, apparently from somewhere on the third floor. The fire alarm went off and we evacuated. Standing on the street watching a waterfall pour down the front stairwell and turn the sidewalk into a river, I could not have been more grateful that my unit is on the other side of the building.

   

   three fire trucks and lots of water at 6:20 am

3. Trio Voce -- Trio Voce, comprised of Patricia Tao (piano), Jasmine Lin (violin), and Marina Hoover (cello), played a free concert at the hospital auditorium yesterday in a series called "Hear's To Your Health". They played Rachmaninov's Trio Elégaque No. 1 and the four movements of Beethoven's Trio in B-flat Major, Op. 97 "Archduke". It was more intimate a performance than I'd expected, with the audience seated only three rows deep in a semicircle around the musicians. The front row was just an arm's reach away from the violinist and cellist. Their performance was spectacular; it was fantastic to be close enough to see every vibration of the strings and feel the emotion of the performers.

   

   Trio Voce (my view was better than this photo suggests!)

4. Pepero Day -- In South Korea, Pepero Day is celebrated on November 11. It's apparently similar to Valentine's Day, but rather than chocolate, people exchange Pepero (as the 11/11 resembles the shape of Pepero sticks). In Mandarin class volunteers surprised us by coming in mid lesson to hand out Pepero sticks.

   

   Pepero (http://www.ginsengteastore.com/lottepepero.html)

5. Press'd -- On Monday Press'd sandwich shop catered our teaching rounds. I enjoyed a "Gobbler" sandwich (with turkey, cream cheese, and cranberry sauce) and an "Easy Rider" wrap.

   

   Gobbler sandwich from Press'd (http://pressdsandwiches.ca/) -- turkey & cranberry sauce is my favourite sandwich combination

6. mornings -- Now that I start work at 8 am (instead of 6 am) I've been able to enjoy slow mornings at home before leaving for work. Breakfasts in bed, smoothies, morning blog writing, and walking to work in daylight are all new things that have transpired.

   

   blueberry banana smoothie for morning snack