Studying developmental milestones...via TV shows
It's ALMOST summer and I'm on the last week of my paediatric posting!!! Woot woot! Paeds is great, but I'm not sure if I can cope with being the awful person who is trying to stick venflons/needles/tubes into them and give them horrid medicines to make the poor children get better. I do enjoy all the teaching sessions and interacting with children of different ages though.
The one thing I'm pretty proud about is how watching shows have helped me in remembering the developmental milestones better. Basically, as a child grows, he/she acquires different skills (and lose primitive reflexes) according to their age. Developmental milestones can be used to guesstimate a child's age and check that he/she is developing normally for his/her age. While I don't usually get many opportunities to play with young children (other than in church), following "The Return of Superman" on KBSworld has been quite beneficial for my learning! Surprise Surprise.
"The Return of Superman" follows 4 celebrity fathers as they take care of their children ALONE overnight....and how they cope without their wives. There's a pair of twin babies, 2 families with girls in nursery school and the last family has a pair of primary school age brothers.
The most useful family to watch would be the one with the youngest children, i.e. the twin boys SeoEun and SeoJun. Their dad (HwiJae) is an MC and the boys were born in March 2013 but they were premature. When they first appeared on the show's "pilot episodes", they were 4 months old so they had pretty good head control and can roll onto their front, but couldn't do much else other than eat and cry.
(watch from 2.08, 24.26, 54.02 for only the twins)
By the time the show aired the 1st 'proper' episode, the twins were 8 months old and were starting to crawl around, weaning, babbling....
(watch from 25.30, 45.19 and 1.04.37 for the twins)
At around 12months, their dad brought them for developmental testing (though they didn't show the whole test)....which is quite fascinating. Can see what "separation anxiety" and "stranger awareness" means. And I think that the older twin is slightly ahead of the younger twin developmentally?
Finally, here's the latest episode, when the twins are about 14-15months old. The progress made is pretty awesome...they are pulling to stand, cruising and even taking their 1st few independent steps. In terms of fine motor skills, I think they've at least got unrefined pincer grip since they can pick up bits of crackers from the floor to eat. They can understand their dad scolding them and say simple words like "omma" and "appa" (which means mom and dad in Korean respectively). Plus, they've graduated to using sippy cups! Awwwww....so cuteeeeeeeee^^
For exam purposes, it's also good to observe the children of pre-school age. The younger girl, Sarang, was born in Oct 2011 (making her around 2.5years old); while the older girl, Haru, was born in May 2010 (making her around 4years old). The difference in maturity and development is pretty obvious between the both of them.....like Haru actually thinks about the feelings of those around her while Sarang still mostly thinks only about herself. Haru is also much more sociable while Sarang doesn't really interact with many other kids. Some commentators on the youtube videos keep going on about how selfish Sarang is and how she is probably an introvert....but I wonder whether it's just because that's the stage she is at developmentally, so it's not her fault! It's more like the dad plans activities for her that are not appropriate for her age....like the group gymnastic lesson. She's 2.5years old.....I don't think she would take a long chain of instructions particularly well (even if she is very flexible at that age and can probably do most moves...)
Oh yes, as to who are my favourites....it's a tie between the twins, Haru and JunWoo (the oldest boy in the show at 10years old). They are just soooo sweettt!!!! Totally recommend this show to everyone, especially to all who love kids....or are finding an excuse to watch shows instead of mugging for paeds....
POSTED BY mysticmalady AT 8:01 AM |
Dreaming of summer...
It's June, the sun is out and most people are done with classes....but I've still got 4 more weeks of lessons. *sigh* TT.TT Meanwhile, other people keep posting pictures of their travels around the world....*double sigh*
In other news...the grad ball committee have found a place for next year's ball with tickets to the tune of TWO HUNDRED QUID. Just for 1 weekend of debauchery at Ardrossan Bay. And there's probably some fancy dress ball that I would have to trawl through my brain for ideas on what to wear.....on top of digging deep into my pockets to pay for the clothes.
Please give me this instead......
Or even....
Let's just say that I'd rather use the money saved from NOT going to the grad ball....and visit Croatia/Greece. Or anywhere in the Mediterranean. Somewhere warm with clear skies, crystal clear seas and amazing sights. In fact, I've already started mentally planning a family trip to Italy as well -.-
This all points to a bad case of "Wanderlust" here....
POSTED BY mysticmalady AT 7:31 AM |
Wonderful Season...
Contrary to popular belief, this drama queen has been on hiatus from drama watching till the past couple of weeks, making that almost a year of being free from dramas.
BUT, I've recently started watching Wonderful Season on KBSworld's youtube channel and am loving it! It's a 50-episode family weekend drama about what happens when the 2nd son (Kang Dong Seok) comes back to his hometown as a successful prosecutor after 15 years of not really contacting his family. I know there's some criminal activity/mystery thing involved about the town's bigshot, whom that 2nd son has been sent to investigate...but that's actually the least of my concern. I'm much more interested in the family dynamics and the side stories involving the different family members.
I'm at episode 15 now and here's the bits I love...
1) Youngest son, Kang Dong Hui and his twin children
So he became a father at a young age and the children's mother left the twins to the care of Dong Hui and his family. However, Dong hui's mum registered the children under her name (so as not to ruin Dong Hui's future or something) instead, hence the twins think that their father is their older brother. At this point in the show, Dong Hui is trying hard to control his temper (and fighting) to be a good fatherly example, while the smarter twin has figured out bits of their birth secret and ran away to try to find their 'real parents'. Can't wait to see how this mess is going to get resolved and how the father-children relationship will be restored. While I wish that Dong Hui was played by a better actor than 2pm's Taecyeon, at least he is improving.....slooooooowly....and becoming less painful to watch.
2) Sister, Kang Dong Ok and the new doctor in town
She's got some mental disability following a childhood incident (that hasn't been revealed at this point in the show), but she's the most innocent and sweetest character in this whole drama. =) Love her interactions with the new doctor that has arrived in their town, Min Woo Jin. He seems like a GP-ST from Seoul who wants to do rural GP. Heh.
3) GRANDPAAAAA
Anything with the family's grandpa and his weird comments/actions just brighten up the mood instantly.
4) Teacher Mari
She's teaches children (including Dong Hui's twins) at the local primary school by daytime, but is actually a crazy fangirl by night. The writer has definitely got a great sense of humour as Mari is a major fangirl of "3pm", i.e. the fictional parody of the group "2pm" that Taecyeon (aka the guy who plays Dong Hui) is from. Considering that Mari and Dong Hui are most likely going to be coupled together.....it'll be a "dream come true" for her.
~
About the future plot developments....there's quite a number of conflicts to resolve and a scoundrel to catch before our main leads can get their happy ending. I'm just hoping that these plot developments come sooner, but without affecting the current character growth. In particular, I'm just hoping the 2 leads will JOIN FORCES earlier to find evidence against the main baddie instead of working alone or sacrifice themselves to "protect the other person". The conflict between the families of the leads is already substantial enough without needing this extra evil baddie killing off people left and right to provide additional tension. And it's not like I care about the whole businessy corruption storyline in this drama anyway. Heh.
That said....writer-nim, please continue to write logical, heart-warming dramas that make sense AND PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do NOT go the way of Wang's family in terms of craziness. And please give us all a nice happy ending!!! Kthnxbye! ^^
Labels: Drama ramblings
POSTED BY mysticmalady AT 1:37 AM |
Spring songs!
In the couple of months that I've neglected my blog to study (and watch the occasional show), winter has come and gone....leaving us with wonderful spring!!! It's been wonderful for the past few days anyway, with the warm sunshine, clear blue skies and blooming springtime flora! However, knowing the temperamental Scottish weather, I'm sure it's going to return to the not-so-wonderful cold spring rain soon. -.- HOW TYPICAL.
Anyway, here's a couple of songs suited for the spring weather! Kpop artistes seem to release different types of songs depending on the season: Tough dance-like songs in summer, Ballads in autumn, Christmassy songs in winter and Cute breezy songs in spring. Not that I mind; upbeat springtime songs make for awesome mugging music.
First up,
Can't stop by
CNBLUE. Other than cnblue being my all-time favourite kpop band, I chose to start my list with this as it gives the perfect transition between winter and spring as it moves from the emotional part in the verses, to the freshness of spring in the chorus. Love that twist!
Next,
Drawing the line by
Royal Pirates. Just grouping the bands together! They write their own music as well, but lyrics mean something totally different to the above song. The fact that they have an English version of this song (they are from the US btw) gives them extra brownie points!
Continuing with the upbeat feel, it's
Ooh Ooh by
Eric Nam. Yet another US-born Korean singer, but I think he took part in some korean singing reality show. Either way, loving the jazzy, finger-snapping vibe of the song!
And how can I leave out songs about innocent one-sided love when talking about springtime kpop songs? It seems to be a feature of the industry there. Here's
200% by
Akdong Musician, the talented sibling songwriters who are MUCH younger than me! Feel super tempted to buy their new album since I like all the songs there....
Bonus:
Galaxy, aka my favourite song from their album
Last but not least, there's
봄,사랑,벚꽃 말고 (Not Spring, Love or Cherry Blossoms) by
High4 and
IU. The description in the MV says it is a "Spring song for singles"....i.e. a not so subtle message to stop reminding singles of their 'loneliness' through springtime love songs. Hahaha...I'm just joking!
That's all I have for now.....so will you excuse me as I go back to writing up my last case with these songs as my BGM.
Labels: Tune of the day
POSTED BY mysticmalady AT 2:16 AM |
Of personality tests and palliation....
Long time no blog! 我的小blogblog啊，好久不见！
In the 2 very busy months that I haven't blogged for, I've been bussing to the hospital/hospice, ATTEMPTING to study (but going way.too.slowly.), busying myself with church stuff andddddd finishing my medicine block! Woot woot!
Currently doing palliative care in the hospice, which is definitely an eye-opening SSC. It's not as bleak as it sounds....death may be an inevitable outcome but being able to support people to live their lives to the fullest until their very last breath is just so meaningful. After being jaded by the study of medicine, it's nice to finally find back my motivation for applying for medicine in the first place. =D
That's palliation bit covered. Now on to the personality tests I was discussing with my friend today!
I realise I DID do (and posted) a personality test when I just started blogging...and Sesame street says....
| You Are Cookie Monster |
Misunderstood as a primal monster, you're a true hedonist with a huge sweet tooth.
You are usually feeling: Hungry. Cookies are preferred, but you'll eat anything if cookies aren't around.
You are famous for: Your slightly crazy eyes and usual way of speaking
How you live your life: In the moment. "Me want COOKIE!" |
So yes. My personality is that of a cookie-loving glutton! HAHAHAHA...Such memories from 2007 (a shocking SIX years ago!!!)
But in all seriousness...I'm an ENFP: 38% extrovert, 9% intuitive, 20% feeling and 22% prospective. I still don't quite get what that means so I looked it up and it means....
I'm an introspective extrovert who is sensitive (ie bases decisions on feelings) and probing, preferring to keep my options opened. Whatever that means. Heh.
It helpfully lists out the strengths and weaknesses of such a personality type though...and they seem to ring true about me! Interestingly enough.
ENFP strengths
- Observant. ENFP personalities believe that there are no irrelevant details or actions – they try to notice everything, seeing all events as part of a big mysterious puzzle called life.
- Very popular and friendly. ENFPs are altruistic and cooperative, doing their best to be empathic and friendly in every situation. They can get along with nearly everyone and usually have a large circle of friends and acquaintances.
- Energetic and enthusiastic. ENFPs are always eager to share their ideas with other people and get their opinions in return. Their enthusiasm is contagious and very inspiring at the same time.
- Know how to relax. People with this personality type know how to switch off and have fun, simply experiencing life and everything it has to offer. Their wild bursts of enthusiastic energy can often surprise even their closest friends.
- Excellent communicators. ENFPs tend to have great people skills and they instantly know how to present their ideas in a convincing way. They can handle both small talk and deep, meaningful conversations, although the ENFP’s definition of small talk may be somewhat unusual – they will steer the conversation towards ideas rather than weather, gossip etc.
- Curious. ENFPs are very imaginative and open-minded. They enjoy trying out new things and do not hesitate to go outside their comfort zone if necessary.
ENFP weaknesses
- Highly emotional. ENFP personalities tend to have very intense emotions, seeing them as an inseparable part of their identity. This may often cause the ENFP to react strongly to criticism, conflicts or tension.
- May have poor practical skills. ENFPs are brilliant when it comes to solving problems, creating processes or initiating projects (especially if they involve other people) – however, they are likely to find it difficult to follow through and deal with the practical, administrative side of things.
- Overthink things. ENFPs always look for hidden motives and tend to overthink even the simplest things, constantly asking themselves why someone did what they did and what that might mean.
- Get stressed easily. ENFPs are very sensitive and care deeply about other people’s feelings – this can cause them a lot of stress sometimes as people often look toward them for guidance and encouragement, and the ENFP cannot always say “yes”.
- Find it difficult to focus. People with the ENFP personality type lose interest quickly if their project shifts towards routine, administrative matters – they may not be able to stop their mind from wandering off.
- Very independent. ENFPs loathe being micromanaged or restrained by rules and guidelines. They want to be seen as highly independent individuals, masters of their own fate.
And yes, the fact that I'm blogging instead of writing my cardiomyopathy notes shows that I "FIND IT DIFFICULT TO FOCUS" since my mind has obviously wandered off here. Not to mention poor practical skills....which would be very problematic when I'm the FY1 who has to handle all the paperwork. Sigh
Oh...and there's only 5% of people with my personality in the population but they "seem to be everywhere". Hahaha....like some sort of invasion with a plan to take over the world. Muahahahahaha. The part I'm most interested in is the fact that my "preferred partner should be either an "INFJ" or "INTJ" type. WHERE TO FIND SIAH? Haiya....
Anyways, that was an interesting study on myself. =D Time for beddddd....or make notes for that last bit about cardiomyopathy....
POSTED BY mysticmalady AT 9:44 AM |
남자가 필요 없는 이요
There must be some vague link between September and relationship problems. Maybe when the weather turns cold, so do people's hearts. *sigh* There probably is a more 'scientific' explanation for this phenomenon, but I'm sure that chance plays a role in this. Either way, it's not a pretty sight.
I'm reminded of the title of this GagCon skit, so I've borrowed it as the title for my post. At this point, I don't need any 남자 and all the associated problems they bring...there's already enough things to worry about. Heh...pessimistic me! Just like the ending catchphrase of that show, if being in a relationship amounts to what I see around me....난 혼자 살래!!!!
POSTED BY mysticmalady AT 10:31 AM |
2 weeks
2nd week of school....and I'm having major problems following my timetable. Partially coz I don't sleep as early as 12am as scheduled; and partially coz I don't like waking up at 6am as scheduled.
The biggest problem is that I prefer to NOT use my brain at all, mindlessly surfing away all the time I should be spending on my studies. SIGH.
Rant over, back to more productive stuff!
POSTED BY mysticmalady AT 6:50 AM |
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