2007 Review

"There are no uneventful years. Each year leaves a trail of highlights, low lights and head-scratching moments."

Di-ve.com

Inspired by this article here, I thought of typing out the last post of 2007 by writing a "2007 year in review"...of my own life...

January: On the 1st of January, I finished my long essay "Target cells for gene transfer"...or so I thought. You see, some scientists who didn't finish writing their paper by the stroke of midnight, announced their gene therapy research accomplishments on the 9th of January. When I came back from my holidays, my tutor (Dr. Balzan) said I should add this to my essay as it's a very relevant discovery. So, I officially finished my essay on the 13th of January. In the meantime, there was the episcopal consecration of Mgr.Paul Cremona as the new archbishop of Malta.

February: This blog was born, on the 28th of the month, thanks to Martine Cauchi and Matthew Urpani's rants on the Internet. I also had to go to a Behavioural Science seminar in Halland (i.e. Hell Land reigned by creepy crawlies), which added to my list of assignments...

March: There were the Let's Face It! Lenten sermons that made me put to good use my "budding writing skills" (perhaps...). This was also the month I had my first HepB vaccine (1 out of 3). I also had the opportunity to cast my first vote at the local council elections...but I wasn't even bothered. BUT...my interest in politics received a burst of growth hormone.

April: There was a blood donation campaign organised by SCPOH - MMSA. I tried donating blood but *surprise, surprise* I wasn't able to. According to the nurses, I was actually eligible for a blood transfusion! There were also the usual Easter celebrations which I wasn't able to enjoy fully because of exams.

May: I was getting ready for my finals...and technically even Olivia Lewis. But, the song Vertigo didn't manage to get through :( I had my Physiology paper 1 on the 28th and Physiology paper 2 on the 30th.

June: Exams finished with pathology on the 22nd. In the meantime, Mater Dei was abused by Mother Nature, with level -1 looking more like a swimming pool with the heavy rain on Monday 4th June. On that day, the Life Cycle participants had a training session in Sicily. Also, Dun George Preca was declared the first Maltese Saint by Pope Benedict XVI.

July: I started working at McDonald's Bay Street. Also, I got my exam results...I made it to third year. A bit before that, on the 4th and 5th of July, there was the Mater Dei "open weekend", attended by more than 80,000 people (by the way, I was one of them...:), at the MMSA stand in the morning and selling Life Cycle lottery tikets in the evening). There was also the Isle of Man MTV festival were there were "tens of thousands of people" (but I think it was less than 80,000, hence Mater Dei wins, Maroon 5 and Akon lose).

August: I turned 20 on the 15th.

September: I started my clinical years at St. Luke's Hospital on the 15th, and I stopped working for McDonald's on the 30th. Also, the first consignment of Maltese euro coins arrived in Malta to help introduce the European curreny to a very confused nation (my grandma still thinks in terms of "xellini"). The Maltese euro coins feature the Mnajdra temples on the one, two, and five euro cent coins, the Maltese coat of arms on the 10, 20 and 50 euro cent coins and the eight-pointed Maltese cross on the € 1 and € 2 coins i.e. no more crabs, luzzus and Widnet il-Bahar anymore.

October: There was the famous MAM-Gov agreement that will bring about a few changes in working conditions for doctors in the very near future.

November: There was the even more famous Mater Dei migration, which included the transfer of the Medical school. Meanwhile, there was the Youth Weekend If you Dare... Also, Youth Ink (a new Marana Tha community newsletter) came to be.

December: I just had a very merry little Christmas with family and friends, while others were busy closing down the St. Luke's Hospital incinerator.

And to all my faithful readers, I wish you all a happy new year!