the Lonely single Houseman

One of the woes of being so absorbed in work is that you don't have much of a Life outside it

As soon as I reach home, my body collapses into a heap onto the chair, like a permanent shrug thrown across a sofa, unwilling to be moved. After scoffing down hearty home-cooked teochew meals of rice fried vegetables and steamed fish, I often wander dreamily into my room, collapse onto my bed and snore like a contented over-fed puppy.

Yes, that pretty much sums up my day after work.

I am too lazy to go out for dinner, watch a movie, or dress up for a hot date.

No way!
No guys asked you out yet?
No MOs hitting on you yet?

I get the never-ending questions from friends and relatives, who seem to be more concerned about my persistently single status more than I do.

Unfortunately, no and no.

And if the nosy lot amongst you are wondering why (heh), it simply boils down to 2 main reasons.

1) Because most of my colleagues are attached. Most of them have been going steady for the long run, having long spanning relationships that started already since the priming years of Medical school. These tend to be the mature ones, who with time, will probably get married to each other and to the profession as well.

2) There is an innate gut instinct that arises within me whenever a knight-in-shining-armour kindly ''offers'' to lend a helping hand. Unfortunately for these players, I am only too aware of this universal strategy, whereby timely opportunities are used to the senior's advantage; they hit on their helpless juniors at the height of their shortcomings and infirmities using their guile and added years of experience.

What they don't realize is that I absolutely love playing the theatrics of acting like a cutie-pie and blur sotong. Heehee.

On one hand, I am often very willing to accept their help and advice, of course, purely for the sake of Learning. Golden-words of wisdom are handed down from the wiser generations to the younger ones in this trade, because that is just the way how Medicine is truly taught.

On the other hand, I keep the relationship entirely professional by maintaining a fair distance especially when the ''additional help'' offered is out of the way and unnecessary. It is partly a protective instinct and preservation of one's pride that causes me to put up this guarded wall, against exposing my quaking inner vulnerability.

To put it simply, I have been too busy and too chicken to venture out of my comfort zone.

Apart from checking out the hunky Speech Therapist who ocassionally drops by the ward, my love life has been non-existent.

It is entirely amusing and absolutely entertaining to witness the unsettling commotion amongst the nurses whenever this lad drops in. A flash of mega-watt smile, a cocky self assured grin and abit of a flirtatious banter immediately sets the nurse's pulses racing and the girls all giggling.

Sounds like high school again, doesn't it?

Sightings of funny/comical/interesting/good-looking people often break the dullness and monotony of my stressful line of work, which I confess, has been the one of the most positive things that keep me going whenever work gets me all moody and depressed.

The ST may not realize this, but he has certainly provided the ward staff a form of distraction.

If only all Consultants were as good looking as the above :P