Holiday in San Francisco

Looking through the window of KLM aircraft, MD11, just after landed in San Francisco, the airport staffs with oriental appearance were busy with deloading baggage. The immigration officer gave back my passport, saying "Have a nice stay". He had got a typical American accent. He looked like a friend of mine from Shan state of Burma. Once I came out of the airport, I felt I had been in a different world. Friendly people, big cars and wide roads....


The air craft which took me to California.


People rely on their own cars, most of which are 4x4 (they call it SUV). Public transport is not as good as in London. The self service ticket machines in BART stations are not user-friendly at all while London underground provides modern touch screen screens. Apparently, the shooting incidence is high there, compared with London. It has been claimed that Oakland of San Francisco bay area is the 5th most dangerous city in the United States.



Taking a sight seeing bus would give you a general idea about a city you have never been before. Of course, you will be sent to many tourist attraction places. I booked it before travelling. In San Francisco, once you have visited the Fisherman's wharf (Pier 39), China town, Union square and the Golden Gate bridge, you are ready to explore further as you prefer.




a panoramic view of SF

I had been in the malls and supermarkets. The electronic stuff and clothes are relatively cheap compared with Britain. For example, A MacBook with £899 tag in London PC world had been selling with $899 there. One tricky point is that the prices are "before tax" which is 9 point something % . (In Britain, VAT 17.5% has been added in price)


somewhere in Down town

In San Francisco, there is a big China town with many shops and restaurants. I feel London counter part is tiny. I did not see too many Indians in downtown.



Bay Bridge


The Bay Bridge at night



The Bay bridge and city


The Golden Gate Bridge

...


Cable car is an icon of SF




ျမန္မာ တိုင္းရင္းသား ပေဒါင္မပံု



Down town

The commercial websites claimed that Alcatraz Island tours are a favorite of San Francisco visitors. I think it is one of the most recommended places of tour operators. If you want to see a former prison situated in an island situated in 1.5 miles offshore from San Francisco, you can purchase ferry ticket online or at pier 33, from where Alcatraz boats carry visitors to and fro every half an hour in average. I spent there 2-3 hours together with a crowd of visitors, looking around cells, dining rooms, light tower and partially ruined building.




The light house in Alcatraz island


Cells


A cell



Crab shops in Pier 39

My way back to England was convenient as my outbound trip. KLM provided nice foods and good service. Cabin crews were competent and efficient.

Weekend shopping and autumn memory

Recovering from a hectic night shift, I noticed that it was wet and drizzling outside in so-called Robinhood's county. Of course, we are in the last few days of British summer. Autumn will come officially from the 1st November this year. Time goes by quickly. I still remember everything about last year's autumn. I bought my DSLR camera last year this time, taking photos and sharing with my friends. It had been a wonderful time with multiple photo trips to the many parts of England and South Wales. Two local photo awards were my sweet memory ever.

Based on my photo habit, I gained many new friends. I think my interest in basic cooking also enabled me to get some more friends in facebook. At the same time, I have got some enemies from far east community probably because of my western orientated and liberal mind. Basically I feel sick if I came across someone who sticks at one atmosphere, refusing to accept new things and new foods. I tends to criticise such people. I know it is not a good habit. But still unsuccessful yet to give it up. In fact, I have been enjoying to do so.

In wet weather yesterday, I headed towards the city centre. After leaving my car at the Broadmash car park, one of the 4-5 shopping places in Nottingham, I joined people in chilling out and buying things. I took some photos randomly at the same time.


Watches with price tags over 5 grams


Traditional jacket potato kiosk


An ice cream kiosk


A tram coming


A street entertainer. He pleased as I gave him a pound coin.



Think about golfing in Autumn, I bought some sport wears from M&S. Of course, Marks and Spencers is for the middle class people like me. Blue Harbour is nice. 2 stripes 29.50 each. Polo shirt 12. Outdoor trousers 35 quids.

The Dell Streak review

Photo:

Recently, my O2 mobile phone was upgraded to Dell Streak, which runs on Google Android with loads of build-in applications such as facebook, twitter, gtalk, gmail, youtube, map and navigator. It comes with a 5 inch screen. It has got 2 cameras, a 5 mega pixel camera on rear cover side and an extra camera on screen side.

These days, Iphone is in a high demand and everybody around me has been carrying it. For some reason, I am not so keen on it. When I came across the fact that the Dell Streak had been available on O2 network. I decided to take it straight away.

According to my personal experience, I found out some good and bad things.

Good points:

• Big screen. Comfortable to use.
• Slim. Easy to put in trouser pocket
• Wi-Fi and fast HSPA connectivity
• No software required to sync with desktop computer
• If you are using Google calendar for your daily and montly plans, this Dell Streak will act as your best organizer. It will synchronise everything with your plans in google account.
• Gtalk facitly is really handy. I can keep chatting while I am shopping and eating.
• Expandable memory (micro SD). Mine is 16gig which is more than enough
• Easy access to application on Android Market. If you have Google check out, very quick to buy. Of course, there are loads of free Games and applications
• It is easy to locate yourself in big cities. You can share your location with your friends.

Bad points:

• Version 1.6 of Android is relatively old. For me, it does not matter. Anyway, version 2.2 will come soon.
• Back, Menu and Home buttons are vibrating on touch initially. After a few days, intensity of vibration getting less. Sometime, no vibration at all.
• Camera button is difficult to press it. But if you use touch button on screen, no problem.
• Slow camera focusing despite reasonable good image
• People might say it is a big mobile phone. I would say it is more than mobile phone. It is a tablet. So size is acceptable.
• No Skype application available.
• Gtalk is only for chatting. No voice call.

This is my impression on Dell Streak after using it in last 3 weeks.

My rating is 8 out of 10.

If you are a Google fan, Android phone is the best for you. Check here how you can do on google phone.

Some related video clips about this device.

Close-up photo I took with this Dell Streak.

How to write a CV

A friend of mine said “We have to attach passport photo to CV when we apply for a job in Singapore.”

I was surprised by that statement. It is reasonable to affix the photo to her résumé if she was applying for a job as barmaid or catwalk model. In fact, she is an engineer intending to work at the construction site.

Including a photo with a CV is strongly discouraged except where a photo is required or expected (e.g. modelling, acting). Employers may still request a photograph regardless. If you do need to include one, make sure it is a professional head-shot, just like your passport photo. http://www.wikijob.co.uk/wiki/example-cv-resume-template

I agree with it. Of course, there must be some exceptions. But I still don’t understand why some employers want to check the engineering and computing job applicant’s photo prior to short-listing. Does unwritten personal specifications for that particular job include that candidate should be good looking? Do they choose new employees from a particular ethnic origin? If so, how to justify that job selection is fair and square?

In our medical field, job application is mainly online. Applicants need to fill the form on icam or NHS job website. Of course, we have to prepare properly and thoroughly for the question like “ How would you see yourself in next 10 years?” “What are the achievements outside medicine?” “Why do you want to work in this trust?”

In fact, the role of CV still exists in some occasions. For example, In the ARCP (Annual Review of Competence Progression) , the panel expects to see trainees’ CV as part of the assessment of progression. Moreover, when newly arrived doctors from Asia apply for a non-training posts, they may need to send paper copy of CV together with job application form.

This brief guide is intended for oversea doctors who just arrive, applying for a job.

The important thing is your CV must not be cheeky.

Sex, date of birth, religion, ethnicity and other personal information, apart from address and contact details, are not essentially required in your CV.

Writing CV is no fixed rule, but here is one format you may check.

CV

Name

Address

Email:

Contact number:

Employment history

Date, Job position, Employer
(Career gap more than 2 weeks is usually not favourable if you don’t have a good reason)

Medical qualifications (plus post graduate degree if you have )

Career Plan
What do you intend to become?

Courses
(Holding valid ALS certificate is positive for junior doctors)

Experience

* Clinical Ward Work Experience
* On Call Experience
* Outpatients Clinic Experience


Generic and Clinical skills

* Generic Skills
* Clinical Skills

Practical skills
I can independently perform the following procedures….

Research and Audit experience

* Audit: (Title, year)
* Research: (Title, Year, where published)

Presentations and Publications
(Local, regional, National level if you have some)

Teaching Experience


Hobbies and interests


Referees

All the best!

Saturday shopping

Recovering from a week long hectic on-calls, I try to chill out while staying in the hospital room. My colleague suggested that there was a nice factory outlet park in a valley just outside the nearby town only 12 miles away from our place. She added that loads of quality products in bargain price there. This morning I got there with the help of sat nav. Many shoppers had been in the shopping complex filled with Mark & Spencer, the Gap, Holland & Barrett, the Clarks, Antler and many more brand shops.

The Antler store attracted me with decent leather brief cases. But price tags showed over 150 quids. What I really need was a laptop bag. My existing leather case has been very good organizer but it is a bit heavy. So I just chose a Swiss Gear bag, a product of China. Its original price was £79. Now only £50. It has got the same compartments with my old one.

In the Clarks , the most discount shoes were not really great in my eyes. I usually prefer "light, air and flex". Fortunately, I found a pair of 8 1/2 shoes. Very comfortable and very light with good grips. It was only £40 (reduced from £69). It was made in Vietnam.

Basically, it can be said that the Gap stores target teenage customers. Casual wears and hooded pull-over are there. I rarely buy clothes from the Gap before. But this black and white cotton shirt looks brilliant. Really fine cotton made in Bangladesh. The 30% discount means the actual price was £13.99. Other items I bought were a soup mug (69P) and swimming shorts with price tag £7 reduced from £25. These were from Sport direct store.

I would say it is worth going to factory outlet shops. Today, I can save up to 50 quids after buying different items shown in the picture below.

From miscellaneous

Wimbledon 2010 and me

Taking Docklands light rail and district line, we headed to the prestigious Wimbledon, which is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments in the world. I did not buy ticket in advance. That means I had to queue at the entrance of the ground. The information on the queue card said that £15 for ground admission to Courts 5-19 and £29 for No. 1 Court, including ground admission and access to Court 5-19. It is not surprising that there was no more ticket for Centre Court where women’s final ( Serena Williams US and Vera Zvonareva RU) was going to take place. We bought Court 1 entry ticket for girl’s final of Kristyna Pliskova CZE and Sachie Ishizu JPN

Atmosphere there was nice. People were carrying cameras, shooting randomly at the once- a- year Grand Slam. There were many families with kids. I noticed that some people brought their own foods and drinks put in the cool box while there was also a persistent queue for Grolsch and Pimms. A classic band was entertaining tennis fans at Henman hill where a crowd had already occupied at Henman Hill, watching a big screen TV and enjoying a sort of family picnic.

After wandering around and checking other courts, we entered court 1 for girls’ final one hour before the time. While seats had been filling with tennis fans gradually, I was busy with my Nikon and Sony camera, taking anything interesting to me. I could see easily the Wimbledon tournament was well organized and it was very punctual.

Well, the match is not so drama apart from the final game when Ishizu was beated after she led with 4-2. Anyway, it was impressive that the Japanese girl reached the final after she knocked out the Russian second seed Irina Khromacheva in the quarter-finals and the British 2008 girls' champion Laura Robson in the semis.

From Wimbledon 2010

From Wimbledon 2010

From Wimbledon 2010

From Wimbledon 2010

From Wimbledon 2010

From Wimbledon 2010

From Wimbledon 2010

Click here to see more photos

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20 minutes Pasta

Believing that eating pasta is healthier than sticking at rice and cheesy pizza, fusilli meal is an essential item together with fish & chips and Shepherd pie in my weekly menu. Of course, cooking pasta is not a big deal at all. It takes only 20 minutes. I just want to show my way of cooking. Clearly, it is mainly for new comers from far east. The western residents may be much smarter than me in this business. That is my understanding.



A bag of pasta 3 quids. Cheaper than basmati rice. 3 handfuls is enough for me for 2 meals.



Wash it in the glass ware, put it together with enough water. Run microwave at full power for 20 min.


While microwave running, you can cook pasta sauce. Easy. This time, I chose turkey dice. Of course, you can get any form of mince. I used many seasonings like that.



This is an optional step. It is tastier to me if I add an onion. Now I am sizzling it for 3-4 min.


I just added the diced turkey which had been mixed with seasoning powders, including rose mary which is my fav.


after 10 min, I just added the ready made pasta sauce. Tomato is very healthy food, isn't it?


This time tomato and mushroom sauce


20 minute completed. I took pasta from microwave and drained in cold water. At the same time, I switched the cooker off.



Now, ready to have my lunch

Battersea park and me

Playing Lady Gaga and driving on the less traffic London streets in this bank holiday weekend evening, we headed towards Battersea Park.

Battersea is a district in south London and Battersea Park is large green space on the bank of River Thames opposite Chelsea. It is about 5.5miles from my London docklands on sat nav.

It was such a long time. Someone led a group of three of us to the Peace Pagoda located in the park after taking the membership exam in St James’ park. It was my first visit. I still remember I passed the exam that time and my friends had to re-sit. Now, we have no longer contact each other for a few years. My second visit was after taking my IELTS exam in Westminster University. Since then, I have not been there. Yesterday, I got there again with my friend’s sister who moved from Singapore.

Weather was cloudy. Some drizzling off and on. Clearly, not a good time to take photos. But I did some as I could not resist my hobby. As it was already late and only a few minutes left before closing the park doors, not many people inside. Of course, there were still some teenagers playing with skate boards.

On our return way, we popped in starback for caffè latte which is my fav. .


Albert bridge. One of the two bridges you can see from the Battersea park. That one is under renovation.


Chelsea bridge


About the London Peace Pagoda


I cropped above photo for a better view


One of the 4 images


Macro zoom in







People do walk and run.


Someone trying skate board


A thick forest inside the park