Start of Winter

The other day as I was sitting at my desk writting a letter to long lost friend in Germany, I glanced out the window in one of those moments when the hand that has been writting diligently needs a rest. Outside it was cloudy and cold. And it was snowing! The streets were shiny as if it was raining all day but it was just merely snowing the air was white, due to the thick snow flakes. But as soon as they landed on the ground they melted. That was the first official snow in Minnesota. I could not help look out the window and wonder what this winter has in store for us.

It is Thanksgiving this week. And I have been invited to so many things all this week that it is impossible to go to everything and be everywhere at the same time. Sometimes I am bored and nothing seems to be going on. But then there are those times when too much is going on and I face dilemmas regarding what to attend, who to please, what will so and so think if I do not go to his/hers invitation.

Regardlessly I am excited for Thanksgiving day my family and I will eat dinner together and we will spend some time together doing fun things.

Humanity

Being a witness to war in my native country, has had an immense impact on my desire to be a physician. At an early age I could not comprehend why some people want to destroy life, peace and beauty. To this day I do not have an explanation why some people chose to commit atrocities against their neighbors, their fellow mankind. All I know and knew for a long time, is that I want to be part of the action that restores back the humanity that some deliberately choose to exterminate. I went back to my native country shortly after the war ended, and I saw unimaginable destitute and destruction. It seemed to me that every other person I saw sitting on the streets was an amputee, however, everyone although hopelessly looking at the destruction, undoubtedly was happy to be alive. I heard doctors telling stories of how they risked their own lives day in and out while attempting to save lives of their fellow mankind, without enough medications, without technology and in worse conditions possible. Back then I realized that most people that I saw on the streets are still alive because of the courage of these doctors. That to me was beautiful and humane.
Health and peace are the most important aspects of our lives. Most things money can buy, and most things can be overcome physically and/or psychologically by us human beings. But when the health is in jeapordy, there is no quick remedy that can change things for the better. Peace, is also vital. Peace is part of each and every one chipping in and making our communities a better place. We are all just one tiny part of the whole universe. Just as billions, trillions of atoms make a whole. Although I have to play my part, absolutely alone I cannot bring peace to a country or a community. But I can make sure that I provide the best health care possible to my patients so that they may lead happy and healthy lives. In this way I am part of the humanity in which people help others. But my passion is in helping people regain their health. If one lives healthy they also will be psychologically/physically happy.

In Little Buddah, Sharm Sheikh

Patiency is a virtue

I hate to wait. I despise it when people come later then what was planned between me and them. If I could leave 1/2 hour or even hour earlier in order to come on time, why can't they? Of course, there are always exceptions and legitimate excuses and those are forgiven. But pure laziness, I don't think so.
Now when I am applying to medical schools I wish I had more patiency.
It is such a long road. Submitting primary applications, waiting to receive secondaries. Submitting secondaries, waiting for all the letters of recommendation to be received. Of course, at least one recommender is taking his/hers sweet time, while you are checking the STATUS page compulsively every hour each day. Once everything is submitted then you wait, wait and wait. Constantly checking the status page constantly waiting for a phone call. If they invite you for an interview you are lucky and it is a good sign. But the whole process can take till March or in some cases May of next year! For so long my whole life is suspended in waiting.
The waiting game might be for someone else but not for me I am just not patient enough. I have worked my butt of for so long to even come so far and now everything is out of my control and is in someone elses hands. That is what makes the situation so frustrating. Pero, todo tiene su final y eso es solamente un periodo en mi vida. Todo va a pasar y ojala que todo vaya bien!

Beginner

So this is my first entry and my first time every creating a blog. I started writting into diaries since I was probably 10 years old till this day. Now the newest technology is to create blogs and post one's opinions/thoughts and interesting activities. And I thought why not try it out. Well, I have alot of thoughts and opinions especially political ones. In my native country it is almost a tradition to discuss politics during dinner, during coffee and especially among social company. The interest in politics is almost something innate to me I feel. Although I would never go professionaly into politics it still fascinates me. How can it not? It does effect us enormously whether you want to realize or not. A couple of years ago I meet a guy from Peru. We started talking. After he noticed my accent he asked me where I was from. I answered. He was thrilled. Excitedly he explained that he has a friend from Croatia. And he asked me "you guys love to debate about political issues right? And what about "sljivenica" you guys love to drink that too, right?" Those were the two main cultural elements he had noticed from his Balkan friend. Of course we ended up going to dinner, eating delicious food, drinking delicious wine and ardently discussing political, social and economical issues. He was definitely opinionated and so was I, knowledgable of course, but also passionate of the subject, those are the main spices of a great conversation. We ended up talking until it was the restaurant's closing time and the staff had to tell us politely "it is time to leave".

Ahh yes those were my college years.

Yes, in my family and I think in most balkan families it is acceptable and very much expected that others will have diverse opinions and will share them verbally through arguements/debates with others. I know in my family whenever company came over, my father and other men were immediately disussing the latest news, the latest politics. Sometimes there was disagreement. Everybody would join the conversation, even the children were opinionated. My mother and father would allow us to join their discussion, our opinions mattered from an early age and they were heard. In that way we were encouraged to critically think ourselves, with what we know, what we have heard from others and with that to formulate our own ideas.

To this day, I do not understand how the american public can be so quickly influeced by propaganda. CNN is has such an enormous influence on the masses it is unbelievable. And that is because I think most people just do not think critically. They see something on the news and they do not think even twice that everyone's opinion is biased. You cannot get your news from only once channel. What you do not SEE yourself you cannot believe absolutely, impeccably 100%. Everybody has its own agenda. This is why it is called politics. The best politicians are the best liars.